My favorite hybrid smartwatch just got smarter, and its battery life is still incredible

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Withings’ ScanWatch 2 is offered now for $349 in two sizes and varied colours.
• The watch is well-designed and far thinner than the usual smartwatch, with analog fingers to indicate the time, a sturdy function set for well being monitoring, and a battery able to lasting a full month.
• The standard drawbacks of a hybrid smartwatch are current, together with the dearth of detailed graphics, no GPS monitoring, and restricted interactions with incoming notifications.

How typically do you cost your smartwatch? A couple of times every single day? Too typically? Doing so commonly typically makes me surprise precisely how a lot worth I am getting out of these occasional notifications and alerts, and it is a massive purpose why I nonetheless have an affection for hybrid smartwatches.

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One in all which is the primary Withings ScanWatch, launched again in 2021, and I’ve worn it commonly over the previous couple of years, primarily as a result of it feels improbable on the wrist whereas having the ability to seize key well being knowledge. The watch additionally lasted me a few month with every cost. 

At first look, the brand new ScanWatch 2 is hard to differentiate from the unique, nevertheless it packs a couple of vital upgrades that make considered one of my go-to well being trackers even higher.

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Withings ScanWatch 2

Withings is a frontrunner in hybrid smartwatches, and the ScanWatch 2 provides a brand new coronary heart fee module whereas sustaining the elegant design.

I examined the ScanWatch 2 in Black (pictured beneath), however additionally it is accessible in Pearl White for the bigger measurement. The Black mannequin has fingers that function a Tremendous LumiNova coating so that they glow in the dead of night for a short while after being uncovered to mild. In case you favor a smaller 38mm measurement, that is accessible in Pearl White, Black, Sand, and Blue. One attention-grabbing factor is that each sizes price $349, so that you needn’t pay extra for a bigger watch face, which is sweet.

The 42mm ScanWatch 2 that I have been carrying weighs about 52 grams and matches very gently on the wrist. As a lot as I’ve loved the health-tracking capabilities of the watch, the feel and appear of the ScanWatch on my wrist is well considered one of my favourite options. 

A domed sapphire glass covers the analog watch fingers and inner OLED show. When paired with the chrome steel case and rotating crown button, the watch simply screams class. So keep away from this if rugged, multi-textured sports activities watches are extra of your factor.

To navigate the watch, it is as straightforward as rotating the crown button via the assorted shows and urgent in to make choices. There is no such thing as a again button, so you will want to scroll via the accessible screens in every widget to get to the again choice on the show to return to the unique foremost show carousel.

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The ScanWatch 2 is constructed with a 5 ATM degree of water resistance so I used to be capable of put on it whereas working within the rain. In case you are a swimmer or surfer then you possibly can put on it and monitor these actions within the water as nicely.

Withings states that the ScanWatch 2 costs up in two hours and will last as long as 30 days. I can affirm that the charging time is correct, however I have never been utilizing the wearable on “watch mode” solely so cannot affirm the 30-day battery life. I’ve run with the watch on a number of instances since I am coaching for one more marathon and linked it to my cellphone to check the linked GPS functionality. Whenever you use it for an exercise, particularly with linked GPS, the battery life might be considerably decreased. 

On a constructive be aware, I have been capable of put on the look ahead to for much longer than my standard health trackers. I as soon as took it on three runs, various from 35 minutes to 55 minutes, and noticed the watch nonetheless final for greater than per week earlier than I needed to cost it up.

The Withings smartphone utility is surprisingly highly effective and may even share its collected knowledge with Apple Well being, Google Well being Join, and Google Match. The appliance additionally brings in knowledge from different Withings gadgets, together with its scales, blood strain screens, and extra so a full view of your total bodily state is offered within the app. The watch will retailer as much as seven days of information, so my suggestion is to sync it not less than as soon as per week.

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On the app, pores and skin temperature adjustments are proven on the backside of your day by day exercise metrics (it initially took me some time to search out the place this pores and skin knowledge was being offered) with a baseline plot after which minimal and most adjustments all through the day. This data could also be used when figuring out in heat environments the place warmth exhaustion could also be a priority. The one factor lacking right here is longer-term traits for physique temperature, which I’ve my fingers crossed that Withings will add in a future software program replace. 

The ScanWatch 2 also can carry out an ECG evaluation, measure blood oxygen ranges, monitor your coronary heart fee all through your day, measure sleep, and monitor your basic bodily exercise. One gripe that I’ve with the sleep monitoring on the watch is that it may’t distinguish between deep and REM sleep, so it is not essentially the most informative sleep-tracking system accessible immediately. 

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Lastly, on prime of the brand new watch, Withings has launched a subscription service much like Fitbit Premium, the place further insights and metrics are supplied at a price. The service additionally contains “Missions” which might be meant to assist encourage you to maneuver or eat nicely, whereas different modules will assist you in constructing higher health habits, akin to how one can enhance your sleep scores. The subscription is offered for $9.95 per thirty days or $99.50 per 12 months.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

Not solely is the Withings ScanWatch 2 a improbable timepiece because of its always-on analog fingers, nevertheless it feels improbable on the wrist, has a protracted battery life, and measures the important thing well being and wellness knowledge wanted that will help you enhance your life-style. At $349, the smartwatch within reason priced and competes nicely with others within the hybrid watches I’ve examined.