According to data from Counterpoint Research, the smartwatch market is grew by 35% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to the same period last year.
The Apple Watch dominates sales, with one share over 30%, thanks above all to the success of the Se model, the cheapest; excluding Huawei (8.4%), Samsung (8%) and Fitbit, now owned by Google (4.2%), the rest of the market is shared by various minor brands, sometimes with original and interesting proposals compared to the mainstream ones . This is the case of the French company Withings, which for some years has been producing a series of smartwatches with a classic look, similar to traditional chronographs, but full of smart features. We put it to the test the flagship model, which is called ScanWatch: has everything you need to compete with the Apple Watch, including electrocardiogram and blood oxygenation measurement. The battery life is excellent and the price is also good, in the face of the numerous features.
Withings ScanWatch, in breve
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Withings’ flagship smartwatch is available in two versions: a 38 mm, with a more rounded and elegant design, and a 42 mm (the one in our test), larger and heavier.
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Automatically tracks your heart rate, with automatic detection of irregular heart rhythms.
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It is equipped with a sensor for the oxygen saturation (SpO2), thanks to which it is able to detect respiratory irregularities.
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It tracks physical activity and indicates the amount of calories burned during the workout.
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If worn at night, it can also track the sleep quality.
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It is water resistant and can be used for training in the pool.
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It can perform an EKG in about 30 seconds, like the Apple Watch.
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It is compatible with Android e iPhone, with the ability to select which apps are allowed to send notifications to your wrist.
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The traditional dial combines analog hands and a small screen showing the menu. Navigation occurs with the pressure and rotation of the crown.
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Come va lo Withings ScanWatch
The first start of the smartwatch is quick and intuitive: everything is done via Bluetooth with the dedicated Withings HealthMate app, which groups together all the devices of the company’s smart ecosystem (such as the Body Cardio scale). After a first initialization, from the app it is possible to start some tutorials that show how to best use the device.
All the functions of the smartwatch are controlled with the lateral digital crown. With a single press the menu is activated, which can then be navigated by turning the button. A further press is used to enter the submenus, while the long press is reserved for the interruption of a function such as the stopwatch or a training session (so that they cannot be blocked by mistake with an accidental short press of the crown). The menu navigation mechanism can be a bit tricky at first, especially if you are used to devices with touch displays, but a couple of days of use are enough to become perfectly familiar with the device interface.
The many options of the ScanWatch they can also be set up quickly from the HealthMate app: from here you can also decide which applications can send a notification to the device, so as not to always receive a vibration when a notification appears on the phone. This is a feature that we really enjoyed.
The 42mm version of the ScanWatch we tested is a little heavier than we expected, even if once worn, the smartwatch is still comfortable and not excessively bulky. The impression is that of wearing a traditional chronograph, not only for the appearance and the dial, but also for the feeling of the presence of the watch on the wrist, especially when used during a workout.
The functions for health
To test the features dedicated to health and the ScanWatch we have compared the measurement results with an Apple Watch 5. The Apple smartwatch has a more navigable and intuitive interface, which makes it easier to start the various functions, but apart from this we have not noticed any particular differences in the values. The heartbeat deviates by at most very few Bpm between the two devices, but the Apple Watch is a little quicker in updating the measurement.
The results of the oxygenation measurement are also good: no substantial difference neither compared to the Apple Watch nor compared to a health pulse oximeter (those inside which you put a finger, so to speak).
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The battery is the strong point
The aspect with which ScanWatch wins hands down on most of the competition is battery life. The company officially declares 30 days of duration with average daily use, and it is an estimate that we can confirm: we tried the ScanWatch for about a month and a half, even intensely, and we only had to recharge it once. It is obviously the advantage of not having a display to feed continuously. The functions that contribute most to the consumption of battery are the tracking of the position with the GPS and the measurement of oxygenation, which however can only be enabled from time to time. Charging times are also excellent: to get to 80% just one hour of power with the charger included in the package, while to bring the ScanWatch to 100% you need a couple.
Withings ScanWatch, what we liked
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Good accuracy of the biometric sensors integrated
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Design reminiscent of a chronograph: it may not appeal to everyone, but it is certainly original in a market full of devices all very similar (often “inspired” by the Apple Watch)
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Great quality some materials
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Price accessible
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Battery long lasting
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App well done and intuitive, it integrates perfectly with the Apple Health app and Google Fit on Android
What can be improved
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The navigation of the menus on the device can be cumbersome
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The vibration it is a little too intense and cannot be adjusted
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Few training mode compared to smartwatches from other brands (but the Withings brand has other more sport-oriented models like the Steel Hr, which costs less)
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Price and competitors
The 42mm version of the ScanWatch costa 300 euro: it is a price more than adequate to the characteristics of the device, especially if we consider that the integrated functions and the sensor equipment are similar to those of the Apple Watch 6 (which starts from 439 euros for the 38 model). We recommend the ScanWatch to anyone who is looking for a health-oriented smartwatch with heart rate measurement and sleep quality monitoring, especially for Android users. Anyone with an iPhone cannot fail to take the model into consideration Se, which has fewer features, but integrates seamlessly with the Apple ecosystem. The 38mm version of the ScanWatch costs 280 euros, but the case design is different, with smoother lines.
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