Singapore will pay citizens to use Apple Watches

Singapore is offering financial rewards to citizens who use an Apple Watch to stay active as part of a national health initiative.

Over the next two years, residents will be able to collect up to S$380 (£212)  in rewards and vouchers while using an Apple Watch app known as LumiHealth to complete fitness challenges.

For instance, citizens may be asked to reach certain goals by walking or doing other exercises, such swimming or yoga.

The app will also offer personalised coaching and reminders for health screenings and vaccines, as well nudge users to make better food choices based on their weight and age.

Apple said the app was designed with “user privacy and security” at its core with the voluntary program due to begin in late October.

The app is the result of a two-year process that began with Singapore looking for proposals from international healthcare and tech companies on ways to improve the health of its population.

Singapore’s deputy prime minister Heng Swee Keat said that the partnership with Apple will help citizens lead healthier lives and contribute “valuable insights” to improving the health of people across the world.

“Even as all of us around the world are dealing with the challenges of Covid-19, we must keep investing in our future. And there is no better investment than in our own personal health,” he said.

Apple chief operating officer Jeff WIlliams said the Watch had already helped millions of customers improve their health.

“Singapore has one of the world’s leading healthcare systems, and we are thrilled to be partnering with them to incorporate Apple Watch and LumiHealth into their holistic approach to well-being,” he said.

Singapore was also one of the first cities to debut a contact-tracing app this year in the hope of reducing the rapid spread of the virus.

Apple has repeatedly put health and fitness at the heart of the pitch for the Apple Watch. This week, the company unveiled its latest iteration - the Series 6 - which boasts the ability to check blood oxygen levels.

Blood oxygen levels are typically used as a measure of fitness and heart health, reflecting how well red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.  Apple said it would also investigate whether the indicator as well as the Apple Watch's heart rate monitor, could be used to detect early signs of influenza and Covid-19.