Apple Watch Leading to Healthy Lifestyle Changes Among Early Adopters

Less than four months after the Apple Watch launched, many early adopters are finding that the wrist-worn device has motivated them to make healthy lifestyle changes. From walking and exercising more often to making healthier choices and playing more sports, market research firm Wristly found that many Apple Watch buyers are taking full advantage of the wearable’s health and fitness features.

More than 75% of survey participants among Wristly’s panel of nearly 1000 Apple Watch buyers indicated that they “Strongly Agree” or “Agree” that they have been standing more since receiving the Apple Watch. Similarly, 67% of participants agreed that they walk more, 59% agreed they make better health choices and 57% said they exercise more often with the Apple Watch.

Early adopters are generally satisfied with the Apple Watch’s health and fitness features, especially those included stock on the device. An aggregate 89% of survey participants were either “Very Satisfied” or “Satisfied” with the built-in Activity app, while around 80% were satisfied with the heart rate sensor and hourly standup reminders and just over 75% were satisfied with the Workout app.

Jim Dalrymple of The Loop echoed similar sentiments in his Apple Watch review in June, in which he shared his personal story about losing 40 pounds using HealthKit and Apple Watch. After ten months of exercising, weight lifting and healthier eating decisions, Dalrymple lost four pant sizes and two shirt sizes, and the Apple Watch kept him motivated to reach his goals:

Apple Watch furthered my transformation. I can see on my wrist every minute of the day where I’m at for standing, movement, activity, calories and much more.

One minute please, Apple Watch says I need to stand up.

If Apple Watch says stand, I stand. I still don’t know why. Maybe I just want to complete those rings every day and feel good about that. Maybe standing every hour really is good for me. I don’t know, but I’ll indulge this little device on my wrist and stand.

Making healthy lifestyle changes requires consistency, and Wristly found that many early adopters are still wearing the Apple Watch regularly. 86% of survey participants said they are still wearing the Apple Watch on a daily basis, while 12.3% wear it on most days, 1.3% go several days without wearing one and three respondents reported that they no longer wear the Apple Watch.

While the Apple Watch is certainly not the only wearable device motivating people to get in shape, the Move, Exercise and Stand rings, workout summaries, achievement badges, progress updates, personalized feedback and its other health and fitness features appear to have challenged early adopters in ways they did not expect.

Wristly is the largest independent Apple Watch research platform with an opt-in panel of around 1000 Apple Watch buyers. The research firm recently found the Apple Watch to have a 97% customer satisfaction rate, a number that Apple CEO Tim Cook cited during the company’s recent third quarter earnings results conference call.

T-Mobile Adds Apple Music to Music Freedom, Offers Free ‘iPhone 6s’ Upgrade With iPhone 6 Trade-In

T-Mobile today announced that it has added Apple Music to Music Freedom, allowing Simple Choice customers to listen to the streaming music service without the cellular data counting against their monthly 4G LTE data plan. Apple Music joins dozens of other streaming music services supported by Music Freedom, including Spotify, Pandora, Rdio, Google Play Music, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud and SiriusXM.

T-Mobile also announced that customers who purchase an iPhone 6 for $15 per month through the JUMP! On Demand trade-in program will be automatically eligible to receive a free upgrade to the next iPhone — the so-called “iPhone 6s” — when it is released, with the $15 monthly promotional price carrying over to the new smartphone.

Purchasing an iPhone 6 through JUMP! On Demand will also land you priority access to the next iPhone, when T-Mobile receives inventory of the next-generation device, for those that upgrade within the first 48 hours of availability. T-Mobile claims these two new Apple promotions are the last of the carrier’s Un-carrier Amped moves this summer.

‘Steve Jobs’ Movie Chosen as Centerpiece for 53rd New York Film Festival

Danny Boyle’s upcoming Steve Jobs film has been selected as the Centerpiece of the 53rd New York Film Festival, which takes place from September 25 through October 11. The announcement was made by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, which hosts the NYFF each year.

Steve Jobs will be screened for audiences at the festival on October 3, about a week before the movie gets a wide release on October 9. New York Film Festival Director and Selection Committee Chair Kent Jones voiced excitement for the Aaron Sorkin-penned movie’s Centerpiece selection at this year’s NYFF, a position held in past years by movies like No Country For Old Men and Inherent Vice.

“You hear that a bio of Steve Jobs is being produced, and of course you see multiple possible movies in your head . . . but not this one. Steve Jobs is dramatically concentrated, yet beautifully expansive; it’s extremely sharp; it’s wildly entertaining, and the actors just soar—you can feel their joy as they bite into their material.”

The 17-day film festival previously announced that its opening and closing night films will be Robert Zemeckis’s The Walk and Don Cheadle’s Miles Ahead, respectively. Tickets to the festival aren’t exactly open to the public at large, but those interested can sign up to become a Film Society member, and provide a small donation, to receive “exclusive benefits” like early ticket access to NYFF screenings and events ahead of the general public.

These benefits reduce the cost of the festival to packages ranging between $300 and $1,250. There are also VIP passes available that begin at $5,000 and go up to as much as $20,000 to include multiple tickets, exclusive VIP seating, and exclusive NYFF53 commemorative items like the festival’s official poster and a limited-edition tote bag.

Apple Pay Now Supports HSBC and First Direct in the UK

Apple Pay today expanded its participating issuers list within the United Kingdom, adding support for both HSBC and First Direct customers. Both banks were announced as starting partners for the UK branch of Apple Pay, but were delayed until late July at the last minute.

HSBC and First Direct join a list of UK Apple Pay partners that includes: American Express, MBNA, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Ulster Bank. Still listed as coming soon are: Bank of Scotland, First Direct, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank and TSB. Although Barclays has confirmed “imminent” support for the contactless payment service, the bank has yet to be listed on Apple’s Apple Pay UK site.

Along with the announcement of HSBC and First Direct support, customers using Apple Pay in the UK will also be able to start taking advantage of the service at both Five Guys restaurants and Wilko stores across the country. UK support of Apple Pay launched on July 14, and has been steadily expanding its roster of retail partners and financial institutions in the subsequent weeks.