Smartwatches are a little bit silly, with their over-techy look and often gargantuan size. They don’t often work as a fashion statement. But the new Withings’ ScanWatch range, including the second iteration of its original and the new Light model, looks to buck that trend.
The smartwatches, which are up for pre-order now, look like a pretty standard watch, but the display in the centre above the dial can give you simple information like your heart rate and texts. Everything gets a lot more exciting when you open the app, with all manner of things tracked, like heart rate variability, body temperature, and blood oxygen.
What the watches lack in big-screen usability they make up for with simple style, and in my head it’s not too much of a loss. The primary use for my Apple Watch is to track the information I then look at in an app. I’m rarely using the screen for anything more than reading a quick text or skipping a song.
The Withings ScanWatch 2 starts at $349.95/£319.95, and comes in two sizes, 38mm and 42mm. It can track body temperature, heart rate, and blood oxygen, deliver workout information and sleep quality ratings, and deliver even more information you’d likely need. Meanwhile, the ScanWatch Light strips a few features back, reduces the size to 37mm, and comes in at a lower price of $249.95/£229.95.
We’re at IFA 2023 in Berlin all week, bringing you the biggest news from the biggest names in tech. For more, check out the JBL SoundGear Sense announcement and the Honor Magic V2 launch event.