The iPhone 17, equipped with the latest iOS 17 and an updated Fitness app, offers a robust platform for monitoring daily exercise goals. However, whether it can be relied upon alone for effective fitness tracking depends on your specific needs and expectations.
What the iPhone 17 Offers in Fitness Tracking
The iPhone 17’s Fitness app leverages built-in motion sensors to track key metrics such as steps taken, distance traveled, and flights climbed. These sensors estimate active calories burned throughout the day, providing a basic but useful overview of your physical activity. The app displays your progress through the iconic Activity Rings, showing your Move goal (calories burned), and if paired with an Apple Watch, also Exercise and Stand rings[3].
With iOS 17, the Fitness app has seen meaningful enhancements:
- Summary Tab Improvements: Steps and distance are now prominently displayed below the Activity Rings.
- History Section: This includes both workouts and mindfulness sessions, allowing a more holistic view of your activity.
- Trainer Tips: Weekly video pointers from Apple Fitness+ trainers offer motivation and guidance.
- Awards Trophy Case: A redesigned UI to track and motivate achievement milestones.
- Sharing Features: You can share your activity progress with friends and receive notifications about their achievements[1].
These features make the iPhone 17 a capable tool for tracking general daily activity and encouraging consistent exercise habits.
Limitations of Using iPhone 17 Alone
While the iPhone 17’s sensors are quite advanced, there are inherent limitations when relying solely on the phone:
- Accuracy and Detail: The iPhone’s motion sensors can track steps and distance well but do not measure heart rate, blood oxygen levels, or other biometric data that are crucial for detailed fitness and health monitoring. These require wearable devices like the Apple Watch.
- Workout Detection: The iPhone can log workouts manually or via third-party apps, but it does not automatically detect all types of exercise as seamlessly as an Apple Watch, which uses specialized sensors for heart rate, motion, and GPS.
- Real-Time Feedback: Without a wearable device, you miss out on real-time workout metrics and alerts (like heart rate zones or cadence), which can be important for performance optimization and safety.
- Motivation and Coaching: Although the iPhone app includes trainer tips and awards, the immersive and interactive coaching experience Apple Fitness+ offers with an Apple Watch is richer and more personalized[2].
When Can You Rely on iPhone 17 Alone?
If your fitness goals are primarily about increasing daily movement—such as hitting step counts, walking or running distances, and general calorie burn—the iPhone 17 alone can be an effective tool. The updated Fitness app in iOS 17 provides clear summaries, motivational awards, and the ability to customize goals or pause rings when needed.
For users who prefer simplicity, do not want to invest in additional hardware, or are just beginning their fitness journey, the iPhone 17’s capabilities may be sufficient. It also integrates well with third-party apps, allowing some flexibility in how you track and analyze your workouts[2].
When You Might Need More
For those seeking detailed health metrics, advanced workout tracking, or personalized coaching, pairing the iPhone 17 with an Apple Watch or another fitness wearable is advisable. The Watch’s additional sensors and seamless integration with the Fitness app unlock deeper insights and more precise monitoring, which can be critical for serious athletes or those with specific health conditions[2][3].
Conclusion
The iPhone 17 is a powerful standalone device for monitoring daily exercise goals, especially with the improvements in iOS 17’s Fitness app. It effectively tracks steps, distance, calories, and offers motivational tools that can help you maintain an active lifestyle. However, for comprehensive fitness tracking, including heart rate monitoring, workout detection, and real-time feedback, relying solely on the iPhone 17 has its limitations. Pairing it with an Apple Watch or similar device elevates the experience and accuracy significantly.
Ultimately, your choice depends on your fitness goals and how detailed and interactive you want your exercise monitoring to be. The iPhone 17 alone is a solid start, but for the fullest picture of your health and fitness, additional wearables are recommended.
[1] https://9to5mac.com/2023/11/29/iphone-fitness-app-whats-new-ios-17/
[2] https://pocketmags.com/de/macformat-magazine/february-2025/articles/the-ultimate-apple-fitness-guide
[3] https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/see-your-activity-summary-iph4c34a8a95/ios