The Health Promotion Board’s National Step Challenge is back again this year, with a brand new step tracker to give away. It’s prettier looking than last year’s step tracker, but it’s available only to new Singaporean and PR participants on a first-come-first-served basis. Sign up, get healthy. There are rewards and even prizes to win.
This year’s step tracker is made by Oaxis. The brand is a little familiar to me, because I backed their InkCase project on Kickstarter. They now make an activity tracker called Omniband, or at least it’s one of the products featured on their website.
Curiously, there doesn’t seem to be any information about buying the Omniband from Oaxis. My guess is that HPB has commissioned Oaxis to build the Omniband for the National Step Challenge, and perhaps at a later time Oaxis may sell the product commercially on their own.
The Oaxis Omniband is a simple wristband-style activity tracker. The electronics module itself is held in a silicon wrist-strap, not unlike the Mi Band and other similar activity trackers. The electronics module is quite large, or rather, long, so even on my not-so-small wrist, the Omniband seems a little large.
In terms of functionality, the Oaxis Omniband is rather basic. It counts only steps. It can tell the time too, so you can use it as a watch. From the step counting, the Omniband also tells you the distance travelled, as well as calories burned.
The screen on the Oaxis Omniband is an OLED display, and it holds up pretty well in sunlight. It’s not touchscreen, but a capacitive touch sensor at one end of the display allows you to toggle the display mode between time, steps, distance and calories.
Battery life is indicated through a simple icon on the time display screen. The battery is said to last about a week, and charging it involves removing the electronics module from the strap, and attaching it to a USB dongle. The charging contacts on the module are quite similar to those you find on the Mi Band.
The Oaxis Omniband communicates with your smartphone via Bluetooth. You’ll need to install HPB’s Health365 app. The Oaxis Omniband doesn’t constantly sync steps all the time, but requires you to open up the Health365 app.
So here’s the exciting thing. You want rewards? Well, walk, get your steps counted, and earn points. If you walk 10k steps a day, you earn the maximum daily 60 points. What do you get with the points?
- Tier 1: 600 points gets you a $5 voucher.
- Tier 2: Additional 1800 points gets you a $10 voucher.
- Tier 3 – 6: Additional 1200 points gets you a $5 voucher.
You need 7200 points to get all vouchers, amounting to $35. Oh, that means walking 10k steps for 120 days. *Gulp*
The rewards end on 28 Feb 2017. So, you don’t really have many days left.
But there’s more. Every 760 points earned till 30 April 2017 gives you one chance to win other great prizes, and this time, they are really great. It’s just a chance, but well, you could win a pair of business class tickets on Singapore Airlines to Wellington, New Zealand.
You can go find out more details on the National Step Challenge page.
Meanwhile, remember to install the Health365 app and signup for the National Step Challenge, then go claim your tracker.
Hey.I just collected my Omniband yesterday.
Just wondering what your thoughts are on fitness trackers altering your behaviour. Does wearing it motivate you to move more?
Every step counts,
Shahirah
Hi, I just collected my omniband this evening. I’m charging it now as instructed but there isn’t any feedback telling me if it’s charging (e.g. no lighting up/charging sign etc). Was it the same when you charge yours?
The battery symbol will have some quick animation. It takes quite a bit of effort to “push” the tracker into its dongle though, so be sure the connection is very secure.
I find the Omniband’s step tracking pretty accurate, but unfortunately the distance calculation (and hence calories burnt estimation) is way off. Don’t know the stride length the tracker uses to calculate distance but it is grossly overstated; another tracker only shows about 1/3 the distance for roughly same amount of steps. A manual calculation will confirm the Omniband’s distance inaccuracy. Since there is no way to adjust the stride length as compared to many other trackers/pedometers, the Omniband is only good for counting steps & telling time. But that is sufficient for purpose of the National Steps Challenge!
As the step tracking & syncing with Healthy 365 app is fine, I’m not too bothered especially since it was free. But Oaxis had better fix this distance flaw in their firmware if they intend to sell this product commercially in future.
Hi, do u know how to adjust the time as the time us not correctly set during collection. Tks.
I thought the time is sync from the phone? There’s nothing to setup on the tracker itself.
Thanks, finally managed to link it to 365 app in my phone ! And with that the time syncs with the phone’s.
Can’t seem to adjust the time when overseas even though the time on the phone has been auto adjusted to the current time. So now it is reflecting Aonhappre’s time.
Do anyone know how to adjust the time on onmiband tracker?
Hi, just wonder where and how can I collect this omniband? I’m Singaporean. Thank you.
Hi ,
May I know how can I get Free Step Tracker ? I’m PR
Unfortunately free collection has ended on 18 dec 2016 last year, now it is only available for purchase at a discounted price of 17.70 at best denki outlets at parkway parade, IMM, waterway point, vivocity and junction 8 or health promotion board customer care centre level 1 at outram park
Hi there,
Is this still available? If yes how do i get it?
Born in Singapore.
Still available but only for purchase at a discounted price
Unfortunately free collection has ended on 18 dec 2016 last year, now it is only available for purchase at a discounted price of 17.70 at best denki outlets at parkway parade, IMM, waterway point, vivocity and junction 8 or health promotion board customer care centre level 1 at outram park
Hi. My AB Fitness time does not sync on its own. Even when i connect it with my app and phone it still shows the wrong timing. what should i do to change it?
Do anyone know how to adjust the time on onmiband tracker? No where to get the information. The information inside User Guide is “hopeless”.
Am wondering how to charge the tracker as I’ve tried to charge it multiple times but no light seem to appear on the watch ! :(( Anyone knows how to solve it ?
I suppose if you’ve plugged it in correctly and it still doesn’t work, it’s probably dead? The quality on this tracker isn’t great. Mine broke within 2 months.
I would to join Free Step Tracket because this is fun and Healthy our life style.
Is there anyway to poweroff the oaxis omniband tracker? As I have a new tracker watch.