PSA: Apple is Partnering HPB on National Health Initiative: Singaporeans Can Earn Up to $380 Worth of HPB Vouchers
Joel Koh●
Earlier today (16 September), Apple and the Health Promotion Board (HPB), Singapore announced their partnership on the LumiHealth app; an initiative to motivate Singaporeans to make healthy lifestyle changes with technology and behavioural insights
LumiHealth is a free personalised health program that aims to encourage healthy activity and behaviours using the Apple Watch and the LumiHealth app.
Participants of this two-year program will be rewarded with $380 worth of HPB eVouchers for completing their personalised activity and wellness challenges.
Couldn’t help but think of this:
Jokes aside, this program seems like a pretty good initiative.
But, is the program worth your time, effort and the money needed to buy an Apple Watch?
Let’s find out!
Note: Information is accurate at the time of writing (16 September 2020).
Apple x Health Promotion Board (HPB) LumiHealth Program
The app itself uses gamification to motivate Singaporeans to develop healthier habits with personalised reminders, programs, activity coaching and incentives.
With the app and an Apple Watch, users explore worlds with a friendly intergalactic companion who brings them through highly personalised health goals and challenges based on factors like age, gender and weight.
These tasks include weekly activity goals that can be fulfilled through activities like walking, swimming, yoga and more.
The app also will remind participants to go for health screening, get immunised and take part in wellness challenges that encourage better sleep habits, mindfulness and healthier food choices.
LumiHealth Rewards
Aside from the satisfaction of helping the intergalactic companion find his way home, the completion of the app’s goals and challenges will reward you with $380 worth of HPB e-vouchers over the two-year duration of the program.
HPB Voucher Merchant List 2020
FYI: the HPB e-vouchers can be used at the following stores:
| Category | Stores | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Convenience Stores & Supermarkets | 7-Eleven | Accepted at all outlets, excluding Shell & airport outlets |
| Cold Storage | Accepted at all outlets | |
| FairPrice | Accepted at all outlets except Esso stations and Cheers outlets | |
| Giant | Accepted at all outlets |
|
| Jasons |
||
| Prime Supermarket | ||
| Sheng Siong | ||
| Food & Beverage | Dian Xiao Er | Accepted at all outlets except at Jewel Airport till further notice. |
| KOI | Accepted at selected outlets. Refer to KOI website for more information. | |
| LiHO | Accepted at selected outlets. Refer to LiHO Singapore Facebook page for more information. |
|
| Mr Bean | Accepted at selected outlets. Refer to Mr Bean website for more information. | |
| Pasta Fresca | Accepted at all outlets. | |
| Polar Puffs & Cakes | ||
| Qi Ji | ||
| QQ Rice | ||
| Sakae Sushi | ||
| Simply Wrapps | ||
| Swensen’s | Accepted at all outlets except at Changi Airport T2 | |
| Lifestyle & Shopping | 2XU | Accepted at all outlets |
| AIBI | Accepted at all outlets except Causeway Point | |
| AXTRO Sports | Accepted at all outlets | |
| BOUNCE Singapore | Accepted at BOUNCE Cineleisure Orchard. | |
| Cathay Cineplexes | Accepted at all outlets | |
| Downtown East | Key in eVoucher serial number as voucher code during checkout on GetKaki app | |
| Golden Village | Accepted at all outlets | |
| Guardian | Accepted at all outlets, excluding outlets at Changi Airport | |
| Hillion Mall | Exchange for Hillion Mall vouchers at L2 Concierge between 12pm - 8pm | |
| Kallang Wave Mall | Exchange for Kallang Wave Mall vouchers at Level 1 Concierge | |
| Key Power Sports | Accepted at all outlets | |
| Klook | Key in eVoucher serial number as promo code during checkout on KLOOK app/website | |
| Manduka | Accepted at all outlets | |
| Nanyang Optical | ||
| New Balance | ||
| One Faber Group | Accepted for use at Singapore Cable Car, Sentosa Merlion & Wings of Time ticketing counters. Not valid for F&B purchases. | |
| OSIM | Accepted at all outlets | |
| Popular Bookstore | ||
| Reward Laundry | Accepted at outlets and home collection | |
| Sembawang Shopping Centre | Exchange for Sembawang Shopping Centre Vouchers at Level 2 Concierge | |
| Skechers | Accepted at all outlets excepting People’s Park Complex | |
| Tangs | Accepted at all outlets | |
| Unity | ||
| W Optics | ||
| Watsons | Accepted at all outlets except Changi Airport outlets |
Source: HPB Singapore
Privacy and Security First
With so much personalisation on LumiHealth, you might be wondering about your personal privacy and security.
Well, Apple states that the LumiHealh app was created with customer privacy and data security built into its design.
The program is completely voluntary, and you must opt-in and agree to provide information to LumiHealth if you would like to join. You may also choose to opt-out at any time.
In addition, Apple assures that:
- All collection of identifiable personal data will be done just to provide a personalised experience that is relevant to the user’s needs.
- The data collected will be encrypted for your privacy.
- Data will be stored in a highly secure system that is fully compliant with Singapore’s data privacy and security laws.
- No data from LumiHealth will ever be sold or shared for marketing purposes.
LumiHealth Requirements
- Singapore residents with a SingPass account aged 17 years or older.
- Apple Watch and iPhone 6s or later on iOS 13.0 or later.
- Download the LumiHealth app on their iPhone.
LumiHealth Launch Date
LumiHealth is set to launch in late October.
Which Apple Watch to Get?
To participate in the program, you will need to have an Apple Watch with an iPhone 6s or later on IOS 13.0 or later.
Unfortunately, your Apple Watch won’t work with an iPad as the watch is designed to be used with an iPhone and is not compatible with the iPad in any way.
So if you would like to signup for LumiHealth, you will need an Apple Watch. Here are the three options available to you if you would like to buy a new Apple Watch from Apple Singapore.
Apple Event 2020
At today’s (16 September) Time Flies event, Apple announced two new Apple Watches: the Apple Watch Series 6 and the ‘budget’ Apple Watch SE. These watches replace the outgoing Apple Watch Series 6.
But you can still buy the older Apple Watch Series 3 that was launched in 2017.
Apple Watch Series 6
The flagship Apple Watch Series 6 builds on the Apple Watch’s reputation as a health-centric device, as it comes with a cool new blood oxygen monitor that can check your blood oxygen levels in just 15 seconds.
The watch also comes with an electrocardiogram (ECG) feature, fall detection and features an exclusive always-on retina display not found on other models of the Apple Watch.
The new watch also comes with a new S6 chip that Apple claims is more power-efficient. The display is also about two and a half times brighter than the Apple Series Watch 5 and comes in the new Product RED and blue aluminium case colours.
The thing I find a bit shocking is that Apple will not be bundling a power adapter with this watch.
Apple Watch SE
In addition, Apple also announced the Apple Watch SE, a more budget-friendly alternative to the more expensive Series 6.
The Apple Watch SE shares many similarities with the more expensive Series 6, as it supports fitness and heart rate tracking and fall detection. Although the SE is using last year’s S5 chip, you get the same larger display, albeit without the always-on display feature.
However, the SE does not have Apple’s ECG sensor and the new blood oxygen sensor.
Apple Watch Series 3
The Series 3 is now only available with an aluminium case, either silver or space grey. It comes in 38mm and 42mm size options, but it is only available in a GPS only model with an optical heart sensor.
You can pick up a GPS + Cellular version with the Telcos, but you will have to pay considerably more. There is also no Nike model.
Unlike the Series 6, the Apple Watch Series 3 does not have an always-on display.
Also, the Series 3 does not have international emergency calling, fall detection, always-on altimeter, or the noise monitoring found in Series 6 and SE.
The Series 3 also uses an older S3 processor that is two times slower than the 64-bit S5 dual-core chip found in the SE.
Apple Watch Series 6 vs Apple Watch SE vs Apple Watch Series 3 Specifications
To help you get a rough feel of the watches, here are the key specifications of each model in the table below.
| Categories | Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS) | Apple Watch Series SE (GPS) | Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $599 | From $419 | From $299 |
| GPS + Cellular Version | From S$749 | From $499 | No |
| Processor | Dual-core S6 SiP | Dual-core S5 64-bit SiP | Dual-core S3 SiP |
| Memory | 32GB | 8GB | |
| Battery Life | Up to 18 hours | ||
| Case Size | 44mm or 40mm | 44mm or 40mm | 42mm or 38mm |
| Display | Always-On Retina display (30 per cent larger than Series 3) | Retina display (30 per cent larger than Series 3) | Retina display |
| Water Reistance | 50m Water resistant Swimproof |
||
| High, low, or irregular heart notifications | Yes | ||
| Emergency SOS | Yes | ||
| International emergency calling | Yes | No | |
| Fall detection | Yes | No | |
| Digital Crown haptic feedback | Yes | No | |
| Compass | Yes | No | |
| Always-on altimeter | Yes | Normal altimeter | |
| Noise monitoring | Yes | No | |
| Nike Version | Yes | No | |
| Blood Oxygen Sensor | Yes | No | |
| ECG App | Yes | No | |
| Optical heart sensor | Second-gen optical heart sensor | Optical heart sensor | |
| Colours | Aluminium available in silver, space grey, gold, blue and (PRODUCT)RED Apple Watch Hermès Stainless Steel available in silver and space black. | Aluminium available in silver, space grey and gold | Aluminium available in silver and space grey |
Source: Apple Singapore
For a full list of specifications, you can check out Apple’s website here.
Should You Participate in This Program?
If you already have an Apple Watch, this LumiHealth program is a no-brainer as you can get $380 worth of HPB vouchers over two years.
Not to mention that following the program will improve your health too.
But if you do not have the Apple Watch and want to participate in the program, I would think that getting the Apple Watch Series 3 is a good option to consider, as the watch pays for itself in the form of the HPB vouchers.
Do note that the places where you can spend the vouchers are limited to the table above.
But if you are willing to spend a bit more, I think the Apple Watch SE would be a better choice than the Series 3 as it has more features for about $119 more.
I would only buy the most expensive Apple Watch Series 6 if I had the budget and really wanted the blood oxygen monitor.
Otherwise, the Apple Watch SE makes the most sense to me.
What Are Your Thoughts on Apple and HPB’s LumiHealth Program?
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