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How to get an Apple Watch Series 11 or Ultra 3 for (almost) free

For years, John Hancock has offered Vitality Plus life insurance program members a way to earn an Apple Watch for (almost) free with regular exercise.

Now, the Vitality Program has been expanded to include the newest Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. Here’s how it works.

Get an Apple Watch for free as a reward for exercise

Through its Vitality program, John Hancock allows its life insurance customers to earn “points” in exchange for regular exercise. These points can then be applied towards a monthly payment for a new Apple Watch.

The Vitality program requires that users make an initial payment of $25 plus tax for their new Apple Watch. The remaining balance of the way is divided over 24 monthly installments. The key, however, is the more you exercise, the lower your monthly payments will be.

  1. Register for your Vitality member account and completely the Vitality Health Review (VHR).
  2. Order your Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 11, or Apple Watch Ultra 3 and make the first $25 payment plus tax.
    • If you choose to upgrade to a higher-end watch, you might have to make a supplemental first payment.
  3. Use your Apple Watch to track your workouts across categories like walking, running, biking, swimming, and more.

How to earn points

Here is a breakdown of how much you’ll pay for your Apple Watch Series 11 or Apple Watch Ultra 3 based on how many points you earn in that month:

  • Zero points: $15.50 per month
  • 240 points: $12.25 per month
  • 360 points: $7.00 per month
  • 500 points: $0.00 per month

And for the Apple Watch SE:

  • Zero points: $9.25 per month
  • 240 points: $7.25 per month
  • 360 points: $4.25 per month
  • 500 points: $0.00 per month

How do you earn points through the John Hancock Vitality program? A “Standard” workout earns you 20 points per day. Here’s what that entails:

  • Step count: 10,000
  • Active calories: Threshold based on Apple Health app data for sex, height and weight.
  • Heart rate: 60% of max heart rate for 30 minutes

Completing an “Advanced workout” earns 30 points per day:

  • 15,000 steps
  • Active calories: Threshold based on Apple Health app data for sex, height and weight.
  • Heart rate: 60% of max heart rate for 45 minutes

You can head to the John Hancock Vitality website for more information and sign up today. It’s available to Vitality Plus life insurance customers only.

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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac, overseeing the entire site’s operations. He also hosts the 9to5Mac Daily and 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcasts.

You can send tips, questions, and typos to chance@9to5mac.com.