Apple and Singapore to reward Apple Watch users for staying healthy

Apple is working with the Singapore government to help keep the people of the city-state healthy using the Apple Watch.

At the company’s virtual launch event on Tuesday, CEO Tim Cook briefly introduced Singapore’s wellness initiative, which allows the island’s nearly 6 million residents to earn up to S $ 380 (about $ 280, £ 220 or AU $ 390) in rewards for participating in healthy activities. including meditation, yoga, and swimming.

“This fall, Singapore will become the first country to reap the benefits of the Apple Watch by offering incentives for people to use it to stay healthy and active,” Cook said.

The two-year health program is based on the Apple Watch and an iPhone application called LumiHealth, which administers a personalized wellness program. Residents will need access to both in order to participate in the national health initiative, which begins in October. Participation is voluntary.

In addition to reaching fitness goals, the app encourages people to make better food choices, improve their sleep habits, and participate in public health activities, such as getting vaccinated. The app may encourage people to get a coronavirus vaccine once it is available.

“Even as all of us around the world are grappling with the challenges of COVID-19, we must continue to invest in our future,” said Heng Swee Keat, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister. “This partnership between Singapore and Apple will enable Singaporeans to lead healthier lives, but equally important, it will contribute valuable knowledge to improve the health of people around the world.

Although this is the first time Apple has announced a partnership with a country, Singapore is no stranger to joining forces with publicly traded US tech companies to help improve the health of its population. Last August, the city-state turned to Fitbit to supply the Inspire fitness trackers to residents if they agreed to subscribe to a premium subscription of $ 10 per month.

Apple and Singapore stressed that the LumiHealth app was designed with “user privacy and security at its core.” All user data will be encrypted and stored securely, Apple said, and will not be shared for marketing purposes. The LumiHealth app was created in collaboration with a team of public health and fitness experts and is the result of the Singapore government “soliciting proposals from international healthcare and technology companies on ways to enrich the lives and health of their population. “according to a statement. from Apple.

Singapore has earned a reputation for being a tech-savvy nation. Among a number of other technology-driven initiatives, it was one of the first to launch a national contact tracing app to help mitigate the spread of the new coronavirus.

In addition to its collaboration with the Singapore government, Apple also announced new iPads, Apple Watch 6 and Watch SE.