Heartline study offers some participants a $45 Apple Watch
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A health study revealed earlier this week was subsequently revealed to include a heavily subsidized offer for an Apple Watch to study participants. This subsidized Apple Watch would represent a discount of hundreds of dollars – nothing to scoff at if you're an iPhone user over the age of 65 that already planned on attaining an Apple Watch at some point. Of course, not all potential participants will be eligible for the study or the discount.
Pay to participate? Not so fast...
If you take a peek at our earlier report on the Johnson & Johnson and Apple collaboration, you'll find all the information you need about the health-related reasons for this study's existence. You'll find no mention of Best Buy's involvement.
To start the process of enrollment into the Heartline program, users will download the Heartline app. Once enrolled, the user will "receive instructions on how to get started." At this point, users "may be asked to obtain an Apple Watch Series 5 or later." If you do not already have an Apple Watch Series 5: "You'll be offered two options to obtain a watch: purchase one, or get one on loan for the duration of the study and return it when your participation in the study ends."
Some users may not be asked to work with an Apple Watch in order to participate in the study. It's all up to details provided by the user in the app during the sign-up process. Before you even begin to download said app, know that the following prerequisites must be filled by any hopeful participant.
Key participation requirements:
• Be age 65 or older
• Be a resident of the United States for the duration of the study
• Own or purchase an iPhone 6s or later, with iOS 12.2 or later
• Have Original Medicare, sometimes called Traditional Medicare
NOTE: These are the "Key participation requirements" only. Other eligibility participation requirements "will apply."
Loan or buy
According to a CNBC report, "they'll be given the Apple Watch, either as a loaner device or at a heavily subsidized price of $49 plus tax." The CNBC report continues, saying that this price is a heavy discount "from the $399 Apple Watch Series 5," and that the discount is being made possible as "both companies are contributing to offer the discount."
Per the official Heartline Study app description: "Johnson & Johnson and Apple are committed to ensuring that participation in the study is not limited by financial need." If you head over to Best Buy online, an Apple Watch 4 with Heartline Promo category exists. There it shows that this is a limited-time offer on Apple Watch 4, and that supplies may be limited:
"Discounted pricing available to Heartline study participants using coupon code obtained in the app on select Apple Watch Series 4 models. Special pricing is available only while supplies last. Exclusively at Best Buy." You'll find the Heartline Study app in the App Store for iOS devices.
JUST to be clear here – the study lasts at least 2 years, and you most certainly need to be willing to participate in order to attain a coupon code for Best Buy to buy an Apple Watch for $49 USD. There is no simple trick to getting a cheap Apple Watch if you're not willing to give up your personal health data for a period of at least 24 months – and that might be a bigger deal to you than a relatively inexpensive technologically advanced timepiece.