I've been on a weight loss journey for the past few months, and it's been going surprisingly well. While I was aiming to lose roughly 1 pound per week, I managed to lose 11 pounds in a single month, and I also decreased my body fat percentage and increased my muscle mass (my main goal).

These are the three main products that have helped me get into shape in time for the summer, all of which are on sale right now for Prime Day.

• Prime Day returns June 23-26: see the full list of deals

Google Pixel Watch 4

The Pixel Watch 4 is one of my go-to smartwatches, thanks to its advanced health and fitness tracking, accurate GPS, and access to my favorite music and fitness apps, including YouTube Music, MyFitnessPal, and Strava.

With the Google Health app Premium subscription, I tell the AI health coach my goals, and it creates a fitness plan for me. Based on my goals, the coach put together a plan that incorporates some of what I already do and includes recommended gym and running sessions. I can then send them to my Pixel Watch 4 to track my workouts.

I can even use my Pixel Watch 4 as a live heart rate monitor for my Peloton, which adds even more value.

Oura Ring 4

The Oura Ring 4 remains one of the best health and fitness wearables, one that I rarely took off my finger. My favorite thing about the Oura Ring 4 is that it has some of the best automatic activity detection on a wearable. It knows when I'm walking, running, working out, and even when I'm dancing, all without me having to manually track it.

The Oura Ring 4 is also incredibly comfortable to wear while sleeping, which is an important part of fitness.

Even with the newer Oura Ring 5 already on store shelves, the Oura Ring 4 is still worth it. The best part is that you can purchase the Oura Ring 4 and the Oura Membership with your FSA/HSA.

Withings smart scale

It wasn't until after getting a Withings smart scale that I realized my weight trend had been going upwards over the past several years. Fortunately, that was a big part of my motivation to take my fitness and nutrition seriously.

Since I started paying more attention to what I eat and being more consistent with my workouts, I noticed that my weight trend had been going down, just as I expected. My Withings scale has become one of the main ways I track my progress, and while I don't expect it to be 100% accurate, I know it's at least in the ballpark for my weight, body fat, and muscle mass.

Bonus: MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a great way to track your caloric intake and your macros. It's easy to log food in the app, and even on my Pixel Watch 4. With the subscription, you can make it easier by scanning barcodes. There's even an Intermittent Fasting mode to help you stay within your eating window, which I highly recommend.

Whether you're trying to hit New Year's resolutions or just need a good workout or diet tracker, the best health and fitness apps can help you get there. And if you're feeling overwhelmed (or underwhelmed) by the choices available, I'm here to share personally-tested workout and planning apps to get you started.

Some people thrive with personalized, AI-made workout or diet plans. Others benefit from social apps like Strava where challenges and "kudos" from friends keep you motivated. And you'd be surprised how a good spreadsheet or basic workout log might work better than an expensive app with videos and plans.

Broken down into specific categories — general health/ fitness apps, workout apps, companion apps for smartwatches, and weight/ diet apps — these are the best apps to help you hit your goals for 2026, with info on key features, pricing, and why they've helped our staff succeed with their goals.

General health & fitness apps

Fitbit Personal Health Coach

Key Health Features: Sleep Score, Daily Readiness Score, Stress Management Score, Menstrual Health, Meal & Water logging, Mindfulness sessions, Trend "Insights"

Key Fitness Features: Active Zone Minutes, Cardio/ Target Load, Gemini-made personalized workout plans, video workouts, Fitbit/ Pixel Watch integration

Subscription: $10/month or $80/year (AI plans/ analysis, video workouts, long-term reports)

Why Fitbit will help with your goals: Recommending Fitbit Premium became easier once Google employed Gemini to make the Fitbit Personal Health Coach. It allows you to "speak" to an AI coach and create a comprehensive workout plan within minutes, incorporating dozens of different indoor or outdoor workout types. So whether your fitness goal is to lose weight, improve at a specific sport, increase muscle mass, walk more, or anything else, Gemini can give you weeks of personalized workouts for that goal. No other app is as comprehensive or customizable.

AI aside, Fitbit benefits from syncing with cheap Fitbit trackers, so the app can track stats like resting heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, sleep zones, and HRV. The new app shows "Insight" cards with trend data for these stats, so you can see how your health is improving as you try to get fitter or lose weight.

Why we rely on Fitbit: "Fitbit is simple and accessible for anyone just starting out with serious workouts." — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

"I love the new interface and how simple it is to get important data at a glance. I've been impressed with the AI coach and its recommendations. I think it's one of the best lifestyle fitness apps with a holistic approach." — Tshaka Armstrong, Contributor

Google Docs / Google Sheets

Why a spreadsheet will help with your goals: Apps can be motivational and auto-track your data and progress over time, with fancy graphs and AI analysis. But they're usually (A) paid, (B) mobile-only, and (C) specialized to one activity.

That's why, when it comes to New Year's resolutions or making a workout calendar, a simple document or spreadsheet works better than trying to find the perfect, all-in-one app! Use other apps to track specific goals like miles/ steps/ weight loss/ books read, but consolidate them all into one document you can check on your phone or computer, using tables and drop-down menus to label your progress (as I did above).

Or, use a spreadsheet to lay out your long-term workout plans, then a specific running or strength app to put those plans into action. I used that method to plan my months-long marathon training (see above), paired with my Garmin watch, and it was highly effective.

Why we rely on Google Docs/ Sheets: "Yeah, it sounds silly, but I actually found a use for spreadsheets. I need upper body strength, so lifting weights is the way I try to maintain it. I can keep record of my current routine as well as any goals, and there is plenty of room for extra notes. Best of all, I can check off each day's workout from my phone or my desktop and have access to all my long-term progress, so I feel like I'm accomplishing something." — Jerry Hildenbrand, Senior Editor

Strava

Key Fitness Features: Activity recording, local routes with 3D maps, Heatmap, Segment leaderboards, Clubs, Challenges, long-term workout analysis, Athlete Intelligence summaries, race predictions, Instant Workouts

Subscription: $12/month or $80/year (Saved routes, full data analysis with AI summaries, Instant Workouts

Why Strava will help with your goals: Most people try harder when cheered on or competing with others. Strava lets you connect with friends to offer and receive "kudos," motivating you to keep getting out there. You also have "Challenges" where hitting certain thresholds nets you badges and awards from partner companies, and leaderboards where you can compete to be fastest on local routes and trails. And it helps you find local Clubs with like-minded athletes, if you need in-person motivation.

More recently, Strava has doubled down on Athlete Intelligence, a tool that utilizes your workout history to assess the quality of a specific workout and provide context for your improvement over time. This year, Strava launched "Instant Workouts," with personalized activities across 40 sports types and four types (‘Maintain’, ‘Build’, ‘Explore’, or ‘Recover’), including custom routes from your starting location using a Heatmap of other users' workouts. Essentially, Strava offers personalized, tailored workouts, without committing to a long-term plan.

Why we rely on Strava: "I found my local running group through Strava last year; I appreciate when Strava tells me a certain activity was my fastest in the last month; and I'm motivated to become the 'Local Legend' for certain segments like my nearby track." — Michael Hicks, Wearables Editor

"Strava is a great app to connect with others who are into fitness and keep yourself accountable. Many fitness apps sync with it, so you can post your watch's workouts and keep yourself active and motivated." — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

Workout apps

Nike Run Club

Key Fitness features: Activity tracking, media playback controls, 5K/10K/13.1/26.2 training plans, audio-guided runs, challenges, streaks, real-time location sharing

Subscription: None

Why Nike Run Club will help with your goals: NRC is popular with veteran runners as a running-focused alternative to Strava with similar gamification (i.e., badges, challenges, and likes) and long-term stat tracking.

Why I recommend it for beginner couch-to-5K runners, aside from the lack of subscription, is Coach Bennett's audio-based guided runs. As you run, the pro running coach will give you pointers and motivation as you're struggling to keep pace and stay moving.

Why we rely on Nike Run Club: "I’ve used Nike Run Club to run over 1,500 miles across a decade and countless devices. NRC handles the basics excellently, with the bright and bold Nike font making your pace, duration, heart rate, and more visible at a glance. It supports media playback controls, and its post-run breakdowns are both data-rich and easy to understand. The app prioritizes friendly competition with other users (with weekly challenges) and yourself (with awards and milestones) while reminding you to rest." — Brady Snyder, Contributor

"Nike Run Club helps me get into highly productive steady-state runs and brainless interval training. I just open it, choose a run that matches my intention, and move my feet." —Tshaka Armstrong, Contributor

Alternative option: Try Zombies, Run!, which has dozens of hours of audio stories designed to keep you motivated as you run, including some Marvel adventures.

Strong

Key Fitness features: Customizable workouts with custom sets, full exercise list, workout graphs, macronutrient tracking

Subscription: $5/month or $30/year (Unlimited workout templates, analytics like muscle maps and macros)

Why Strong will help with your goals: Whether you're working out at home or the gym, you don't need an app distracting you. You need simplicity, a streamlined workout log where you can check off one exercise or set, then move on to the next, without giving yourself a chance to slack off.

Strong fulfills that niche! You can build out workouts using its comprehensive exercise library, including Warm-ups and Drop/ Failure sets, and then follow that workout to completion. The PRO subscription gives you more data, but the free version is more than good enough to get you started.

Why we rely on Strong: "Strong is the gym diary where I fully flesh things out. I built out my workouts and track not only my progressive overload but my body part gains (i.e., biceps, calves, quads, etc.)." — Tshaka Armstrong, Contributor

Alternatives: Try Hevy for a workout log with more community features, or Fitbod if you need AI help building your workouts.

Sweat

Key Fitness features: Prebuilt programs, on-demand workouts, pro trainers, exercise form guides, healthy recipes

Subscription: $20/month or ~$120/year (mandatory)

Why Sweat will help with your goals: Tailored to women, Sweat has long-term strength programs tailored to any skill level, with a clean UI that makes it easy to navigate through workouts and see (A) the proper form for every exercise and (B) the muscle map of how it'll impact your body. It's on the expensive side but offers a lot of value as an alternative to a (more expensive) personal trainer.

Why we rely on Sweat: "I subscribe to Sweat because it provides a perfect balance of cardio and strength training workouts, without requiring me to plan my entire week. As a postpartum mom with very little time, knowing exactly which workout I'm due to do each day is incredibly helpful and truly eases my mind." — Nandika Iyer Ravi, News Editor

Alternatives: Peloton or Apple Fitness+ are the obvious big hitters for general coaching, while Centr is a more hardcore option.

Smartwatch/ smart ring companion apps

Garmin Connect

Key Fitness features: Garmin Run/ Cycling/ Strength/Triathlon Coach, daily suggested workouts, strength/ yoga workouts, Training Status, Training Load, long-term metric graphs, Garmin Golf, Garmin Trails, LiveTrack, downloadable/ custom courses, Challenges & Badges, gear tracking, race predictions, and more

Key Health features: Body Battery, HRV Status, Sleep Score/ Coach, menstrual tracking, food logging with AI image recognition and barcode scanning, Lifestyle Logging, Health Status

Subscription: $7/month or $70/year (AI summaries, Nutrition logging, Trails, Performance Dashboard, coaching videos, and other small features, not required)

Why Garmin Connect will help with your goals: Garmin watches mainly get praise for the long-lived hardware and post-workout analysis on your wrist. Garmin Connect is a bloated, labyrinthian app that takes time to adjust to, but it's filled to bursting with features you won't find elsewhere (especially for free), most notably personalized training plans and daily suggested runs, rides, walks, or strength workouts.

The Activities tab lets you see how your efforts compare week-to-week or month-to-month, while the Performance Dashboard (above, subscribers only) makes your data even more colorful and dynamic. Garmin also added food logging, Lifestyle Logging, and health outlier warnings to the app recently, making it obvious that it wants Connect to appeal to more "mainstream" athletes, not just the pros.

Why we rely on Garmin Connect: "Garmin feels more comprehensive and ideal for serious gym-goers than Fitbit." — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

"Garmin has helped me hit marathon and half-marathon PRs, improve my VO2 Max, and run more miles than I ever have before. It motivated me with dynamic run suggestions based on my training load and running tolerance, so I always knew how hard to push without overdoing it." — Michael Hicks, Wearables Editor

Oura

Key features: Readiness, Sleep Score/ Debt, Health Panels, Meal logging, Cycle/ Pregnancy/ Premenopause insights, Cardiovascular Age, Daytime Stress, Resilience, Oura Advisor, Automatic Workout Detection

Subscription: $6/month or $70/year (mandatory)

Why Oura will help with your goals: The appeal of a smart ring is to get a laundry list of data, day and night, for those who find smartwatches too bulky, distracting, or uncomfortable for sleep tracking. And the Oura Ring tops our best smart ring list on the strength of its app.

Over the last few years, Oura has packed its app with a comprehensive list of health metrics, with the AI Oura Advisor as the flashy topper to make everything more accessible. Aside from the obvious nightly stats about sleep quality or heart health, Oura tries to analyze long-term trends and provide more context on your body's ability to handle stress. And it offers some rudimentary fitness tools.

Why we rely on Oura: "I rely on Oura as my daily mental health monitor. It tracks when I'm stressed and provides personalized tips for getting the rest I need." — Nandika Iyer Ravi, News Editor

"The Oura app is a passive experience for me. I use it to check my sleep quality and overall daily health and wellness, as I wear it more consistently than my Garmin or Pixel watches." — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

Zepp Health (Amazfit)

Key features: Readiness, Sleep Score, Exertion Score, PAI score, Zepp Coach training, food logging with AI image recognition, tracked strength workouts with rep counts and muscle maps

Subscription: $12/month or $70/year (Zepp Aura advanced sleep reports, music, meditation, and AI coach)

Why Zepp Health will help with your goals: Amazfit watches are well-known for their budget value, but it'd be harder to recommend these budget watches if the companion Zepp Health app weren't so useful.

You'll find the usual collection of nightly health data, but packaged nicely with straightforward scores. The Zepp Coach can help build workout plans tailored to your abilities, while food logging is more straightforward than on other apps. And aside from the optional Aura sub, everything is free.

Why we rely on Zepp Health: "I pretty much use Amazfit exclusively these days. The Zepp app syncs perfectly with Strava, which I use to share with friends and build community. The Zepp app also makes it stupid easy to log food with its LLM-driven technology. I've written about this several times now, but you can use natural language to input your meals and snacks instead of scrolling through a bunch of lists or scanning barcodes." — Nick Sutrich, Senior Content Producer

Weight & nutrition/ diet apps

Healthify

Key features: Nutrition tracking, food logging, AI recognition, AI chatbot for recipes, calls with nutritionists, connected CGM

Why Healthify will help with your goals: Logging every single meal and snack is a major time suck, especially when you need to calculate every ingredient to a meal. HealthifyMe's whole premise is removing that delay by letting you simply photograph something and get the nutritional stats in a flash. It also has AI coaching and suggestions, or a way to connect with real nutritionists for a fee, but the streamlined food logging is what made this app so popular.

Why we rely on Healthify: "HealthifyMe is my go-to for staying accountable to my calorie deficit." — Nandika Iyer Ravi, News Editor

MyFitnessPal

Key features: Food logging, calorie and macro counting, voice logging, AI meal scan, barcode scanning, intermittent fasting tracker, recipes, grocery list sharing,

Subscription: $25/month or $100/year (for most features besides basic manual food logging and calorie count)

Why MyFitnessPal will help with your goals: It's the same reasons we listed for Healthify, except MyFitnessPal has a slightly longer feature list in exchange for its subscription, like thousands of recipes, personalized meal planning, voice logging, progress reports, and so on. You'll also find Android and Apple Watch apps, making it easy to check your daily stats or quickly log a favorite meal.

Why we rely on MyFitnessPal: "MyFitnessPal helps me keep track of my lifestyle and habits. I log my meals and exercises to monitor my macros." — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

Withings

Key features: Connects with smart scales for weight, body composition, visceral fat, and more

Subscription: $10/month or $100/year (Health Improvement Score, Cardiologist review, Health Assistant, Smart Trends, etc.)

Why Withings will help with your goals: You can replace Withings with other smart scale brands, but this app tends to be a staff favorite. The gist is that you can see more than your weight, but also your body fat/ muscle percentage and (with fancier scales) specific data on how that fat is segmented throughout your body. Essentially, having a smart scale will help you track how your health and fitness goals are directly impacting your body.

Why we rely on Withings: "Withings is very important to me as a Type 2 diabetic. It gives me a segmental analysis of body fat & muscle losses and gains. What's most important is the visceral fat metrics, how it tracks the fat around your internal organs that can literally mean life or early death." — Tshaka Armstrong, Contributor

"Withings shows me my weight, body fat, and muscle mass, as well as how I'm trending, which helps me know if I need to make changes." — Derrek Lee, Managing Editor

Smartwatches are pretty ugly, right? We pretend otherwise because they're so useful, but plenty of people prefer luxury watches, or even a cheap watch from a discount department store. If you want a middle ground — a hybrid watch that tracks your health and shows basic notifications but still looks stylish — the Withings ScanWatch 2 or ScanWatch Nova is your best bet.

The ScanWatch 2 tracks your heart rate, sleep stages, breathing quality, nightly blood oxygen, and menstrual cycles like most smartwatches, but that just scratches the surface. It passively catches irregular heart rhythm like an Apple or Fitbit watch, and it continuously measures your skin temperature, even during the day, so you know immediately if you're showing signs of sickness or "overheating" for too long during workouts.

Most importantly, it does so with a traditional profile that won't look out of place in professional contexts, and with a battery that lasts up to 35 days per charge. It's currently $289 ($80 off) at Amazon, but you can save another $20 by signing up for Withings's newsletter, then buying from Withings directly.

✅Recommended if: You're primarily interested in health tracking and a classic watch aesthetic, without other distracting features or an artificial smartwatch look. You already have a Withings scale and want to pair health insights with weight data.

❌Skip this deal if: You want a smartwatch that doesn't skimp on features and includes a display that's much easier to read; or, you'd prefer a health-tracking tool that's even more subtle, like a Whoop band.

You can see how the OLED cutout blends in normally, but displays info clearly (though narrowly) when you receive a notification or use the crown to rotate through health options. I like the 42mm ScanWatch that Withings sent, but the 38mm finish is a better option for folks with narrow wrists because it weighs 18g less and looks more classically petite.

An alternative for folks that usually drop Rolex-level money on a watch is the ScanWatch Nova, which features the same health and battery specs but adds a diver-style design with a rotating stainless steel bezel and anti-reflective sapphire glass. It's quite expensive, but Cyber Monday knocks the price down $90 to $509 on Amazon, or $489 on Withings's site with the aforementioned newsletter discount.

These deals end at midnight, so it's best to act fast! Whether you buy from Amazon or Withings, you have until January 31 to return it, so you have time to decide whether a hybrid smartwatch is right for you, or if you can't do without a smartwatch display.

Cyber Monday deals - quick links

• Best Buy: up to 60% off Chromebooks, Android phones, and more
• Amazon: early discounts on headphones, smart home tech
• Walmart: early price drops on ASUS laptops, locked phones
• Samsung: new Galaxy XR headset, trade-in opportunities
• Verizon: free phones with new line, trade-in
• T-Mobile: free Galaxy phones, $300 back w/ 5G Home Internet
• Mint Mobile: 50% off Pixel 10, BOGO Unlimited plans
• AT&T: get a free Z Flip 7 with trade-in, new line
  
  More Cyber Monday coverage
• The best Google Pixel deals of Cyber Monday
• The best Samsung deals of Cyber Monday
• The best Motorola deals of Cyber Monday

What you need to know

• The Withings U-Scan Nutrio is the "first toilet plug-in urine scanner," measuring your body's health via urinary biomarkers.
• Tracked stats include Urinary pH to judge your diet, HydroStatus, fat metabolism, and Vitamin C levels.
• An alternate version called U-Scan Calci will focus on calcium levels to detect kidney stones, as well as other stats.
• The U-Scan starts at $379, requires cartridge replacements every three months, and only works for one user at a time.

Withings is continuing its quest to turn your home into a DIY doctor's office. On top of its Body Smart scales, ScanWatch 2 smartwatch, blood pressure monitors, and BeamO check-up wand, it's launching the U-Scan Nutrio and Calci in the U.S. and Europe starting on October 29, tracking new stats you can't get from a smartwatch.

The Withings U-Scan "embeds laboratory science directly into your toilet" and syncs to your Android or iOS Withings app. Tell the app that you're taking a measurement beforehand, and it'll collect your urine and analyze it using "miniaturized biomechanical sensors."

Depending on whether you choose the cartridge focused on nutrition (Nutrio) or calcium for kidney health (Calci), the U-Scan will measure different data. Nutrio, for example, will measure Vitamin C levels to determine "dietary adequacy" and antioxidant levels, something the Galaxy Watch 8 tries to estimate with its antioxidant index.

Both U-Scan lab units will measure your ketone levels, or how often your body burns fat instead of glucose, as well as HydroStatus, or whether your "fluid intake sufficiently meets metabolic and performance needs."

Withings' current devices focus heavily on health and weight loss, but the U-Scan unit helps give more context on how your body is adjusting to a changed diet or increased exercise — particularly for anyone taking appetite suppression drugs like GLP-1.

The U-Scan Calci, meanwhile, focuses on detecting excess calcium in urine and calcium excretion trends over time, so you have data warning of possible "crystal nucleation" before you're inflicted with painful kidney stones.

As promising as U-Scan Nutrio and Calci sound for health monitoring, the steep price — $379 for the device, first cartridge, and charging station, plus $99 for every new cartridge with 22 new tests — may be too high for many, unless they already have a documented issue with kidney stones or dehydration that needs frequent monitoring.

Withings is sweetening the pot by including a Withings Plus subscription, so you'll see AI-based analysis of your trends and consultations with a cardiologist and dietician for personalized advice. But you'll probably need a Withings scale and/ or watch to get the most out of it, making U-Scan best suited for people who've already bought into the Withings ecosystem.

Hybrid smartwatches feel like a dying race, making the Withings ScanWatch 2 a rare breed. Fossil is no longer in the game after exiting the smartwatch market in 2024. Aside from Garmin's more sporty hybrids, Withings remains the only company worth looking at in the hybrid space for classic style.

Both Wearables lead Michael Hicks and I (Derrek Lee, Android Central's managing editor) received ScanWatch 2 units months ago, pairing with our respective Withings smart scales. But a busy 2024 full of more exciting smartwatch and ring tech made the subtle ScanWatch fall to the wayside.

As fans of Withings products, though, we wanted to give the ScanWatch 2 a fair shake, so we finally made a point of testing the watch throughout December and early January.

Does the Withings ScanWatch 2 have what it takes to keep hybrid smartwatches relevant, or will consumers move on to smart rings for even more subtle health tracking? Based on our time testing the ScanWatch 2, your impression of it will truly come down to whether you care more about style or substance.

Withings ScanWatch 2: Price, availability, & models

The Withings ScanWatch 2 comes in 38mm and 42mm case sizes. Both ship in Black or Pearl White, while only the 38mm has Blue and Sand color options. All of them ship with a fluoroelastomer band; Withings sells other Leather, Premium Sport, and Metal options that cost anywhere from $39 to $89 each.

All Withings ScanWatch 2 models cost $349.95. It comes with a three-month subscription to Withings Plus, which shows a Health Improvement Score, Cardio Check-Up, and unique recipes and workouts. After the free trial, it costs $9.95/month or $99.95/year.

Withings has also released the ScanWatch Brilliant and ScanWatch Nova for $599; both are essentially classier siblings of the ScanWatch 2. They have the same HealthSense Gen 3 sensor suite, stainless steel 316L case, 0.63-inch OLED cutout display, prolonged battery life, and general health, sleep, and activity insights. The Nova has 10ATM resistance and a better anti-reflective coating for water sports, while the Brilliant has a Titanium bezel and special steel hands.

Since you're looking at a hybrid watch for style over smarts, you may choose the Brilliant or Nova over the default ScanWatch 2, knowing the experience we outline below will be the same for you.

Withings ScanWatch 2: What we liked

Off the bat, this is a gorgeous watch. The circular stainless steel case and sapphire glass give the watch a timeless look, one that many smartwatches try to emulate with varying success. Of course, a big part of this is the fact that this is mostly a standard watch with no touch screen, physical watch hands, and a rotating crown (more on that later). Anyone looking at the ScanWatch 2 wouldn’t think that this does anything but tell time.

I’ve actually gotten quite a few compliments on the watch, something that rarely happens when I wear my admittedly very good-looking Pixel Watch 3 or even a Galaxy Watch. And when Michael showed non-techy family members over a dozen smartwatches over the holidays, nearly all of them picked the ScanWatch 2 as their favorite, with some saying it's the only one they'd ever wear.

Unlike a "normal" watch, the ScanWatch 2 has a small circular cutout at the top for a basic, monocolor display. Given its small size, interactions are quite limited, but Withings does a fairly good job of keeping things concise enough to discern individual settings.

Watch hands cover up the display depending on the time, but since there's no always-on display setting, it doesn't matter; the hands automatically move aside if you interact with the crown to scroll through the menu.

Perhaps the best part about using the display is the haptic feedback you get when you scroll to another option. It’s quite subtle, but it makes me think about the haptics on the Pixel Watch 3 and reminds me just how important good haptics are.

Cycling through the menu presents you with up to 14 customizable options, which can be changed in the app. This includes steps, body temperature, ECG, SpO2, and more. Given how small the display is, Withings makes it so that you don’t have to interact with various levels of submenus in each option, which works in its favor. In fact, only a few options have submenus, with most just there to display data like steps or heart rate without you needing to do anything.

You also have the option to set a shortcut when you press and hold the crown, which I like to set to workouts since it’s about the only thing I do with the ScanWatch 2 aside from checking the time. Anything especially complicated is relegated to the app, with the extra screen space and easier controls.

This is not a fitness watch by any means. There are some workout options in the watch, which you can also customize in the app, but the Withings ScanWatch 2 is more of a passive health watch than anything, with automatic workout detection for a few mainstream activities and manual workout starts in the app. And it requires your phone on hand for connected GPS.

After a run, Withings will show an interesting baseline of data, including distance, pace, calories, elevation, heart rate zones, body temperature changes, and temp zones. The last two are especially rare, outside of expensive body temp sensors, giving you a unique look at your level of effort.

There's a lot of missing data for athletes that we'll discuss in the next section, but at the very least, the heart rate average is fairly accurate for normal workouts, coming within 1 bpm of a heart rate strap during a run. During another run, it randomly showed a heart rate of 30 bpm above Michael's actual rate for a couple of minutes at the start but then auto-corrected to the correct rate.

The ScanWatch 2's main function — aside from health tracking and basic fitness — is to show phone notifications. Withings lets you customize which apps can buzz your wrist, which fits with the hybrid smartwatch theme of limiting them to important information. The display is activated by gesture and is subtle enough that you'll look as if you're just checking the time.

Notifications show a tiny app icon with the text flowing quickly underneath in a single-file line; the speed is important so you're not stuck standing there for too long, waiting for information that would all show instantly on a full-screen AMOLED. You can see in the photos above how the Slack notification "Derrek Lee: Sure thing, how's this?" would require at least three photos to show all the text. Thankfully, notifications scroll past multiple times in case you miss anything.

If you receive multiple messages from the same app, the ScanWatch 2 gives up and shows the app icon and nothing else. While you might wish for more information, it's kind of an effective way of telling the user they've already missed information and should pull out their phone.

The Withings app experience is about as simple as the watch itself. It uses the same app as Withings’ other products, meaning you can manage all your devices in one space, something that comes in handy. I like that I can view my steps and activities in the same place as the weight measurement data from my Withings Body Cardio scale, giving me a more comprehensive view of my health from within the same family of devices. Any blank spots can be filled by other devices via Health Connect or individual app connections to partner apps like Google Fit, MyFitnessPal, Strava, and more.

If you're picking up the ScanWatch 2, then you'll love its battery life. Withings says the watch should last up to 30 days on a single charge, which feels accurate. I haven’t been able to reach that mark only because I track multiple workouts per week while wearing the watch. Still, I average two or three weeks on a single charge, and I often forget that I even need to charge the watch. Even when the battery reaches 0%, it’ll still be able to track your sleep and steps for some time, which is pretty great.

Withings ScanWatch 2: What we didn't like

The Withings ScanWatch 2 is trying to be as passive as possible, which is understandable given its small display. Other hybrid watches like the Garmin Vivomove Trend give you much more display space for clearer information but also tend to be much shorter-lived. Withings prioritizes battery life and subtlety, but it does limit the smarts.

While the watch keeps menus basic, navigation can still be a bit of a pain, especially when you have most of the menu options enabled. I often find myself scrolling for longer than I would like to get to a specific menu option, and if you want to exit out of a submenu, you’ll have to scroll all the way up and select the back button, which just feels cumbersome.

Additionally, if you’re in a submenu and go a short period without interacting with the display, it’ll go back to the clock face. You’ll need to use the app to cut some unnecessary options and minimize scrolling.

While you're at it, you may also want to use this time to manage your notifications, as the ScanWatch 2 is pretty hit-or-miss when it comes to displaying them. Sometimes, the watch misses them entirely; other times, it only shows them after I've already opened the message on my phone, which defeats the purpose.

While I love the subtle crown haptics, Withings cranked up the vibration for notifications and phone calls to a rather shocking level. It's frankly annoying, to the point that I often leave the watch in Do Not Disturb. Wear OS and Apple Watches let you adjust the vibration strength, but Withings' setting menu is a bit too barebones. At least you never have to worry about sleeping through an alarm!

As I said previously, the ScanWatch 2 isn’t really a fitness watch, which is pretty evident by its design. So, while you’ll get some workout options to choose from, some that I would frequently use just aren’t there, leaving me to have to choose “Other” or “Fitness” when I’m doing something fairly common, like HIIT. There are still plenty of workout options available, but that one is an annoying omission for me.

As for the more common workout options like running, you miss out on data that's common on other running watches like running form, running power, and training load. Its heart rate data lacks subtlety, too, lumping most of your effort into either "moderate" or "intense."

I also don’t like that there isn’t a way to export my individual workout data, at least not in any way that’s obvious to me. Sure, I can edit workout data like the type, intensity, and duration, but once it’s logged, the only way I can share it is via an image, which is essentially a screenshot of the workout summary. Syncing the app with Strava also doesn't help, as it only shares the workout type and duration, while my Garmin Venu 3 will provide heart rate data, location, and just about everything I would want to include in a workout summary.

The Withings ScanWatch 2 has a fairly comprehensive list of health metrics that it tracks, from heart health and blood oxygen to menstrual cycle phases. It also has a few features — overnight HRV, respiratory rate, and awake temperature zones — that are still "coming soon," even though we delayed our review for so long.

More importantly, I’m not crazy about the sleep tracking. To start, the ScanWatch 2 isn't the lightest watch on the block, with the 42mm size weighing nearly as much as a Galaxy Watch Ultra. This makes it rather uncomfortable to wear to bed, something we find with most smartwatches but is particularly troublesome with the ScanWatch 2.

Sometimes, the watch will be pretty decent, but oftentimes, it will omit large portions of my sleep. I tend to wake up in the middle of the night, and I’ll get up for a minute or two to use the restroom or grab a drink before falling back asleep. While my Oura Ring 4 will continue to track my sleep, the ScanWatch 2 will seemingly miss hours' worth of sleep tracking, which puzzles me.

Furthermore, the app seemingly prioritizes Health Connect sleep data over the ScanWatch data, which I find odd. The plus side is that the data is from my Oura Ring 4, so at least it’s logging the more accurate data, but it’s still interesting that Withings wouldn’t prioritize its own device over outside data.

Speaking of the app, Withings really wants you to buy into its Withings Plus subscription, which will provide things like a Health improvement score, a library of workouts and recipes with recommended daily missions, and health insights that let you view your trends. While I’m not fully against subscriptions, Withings Plus just doesn’t feel quite worth the $9.95 monthly price tag, especially when Oura’s is only $5.99 per month and other smartwatch OEMs don’t require a subscription at all for this data. Make it make sense, Withings!

It’s also a good thing the ScanWatch 2 has such a long battery life because the rather cumbersome charger takes about two hours to fully recharge the watch.

Withings ScanWatch 2: Competition

Choosing a hybrid watch comes down to your personal preferences on style and how much health info or fitness tech you want out of your watch.

If you really only need the basics of health data to go with your notifications, the Withings ScanWatch Light will save you $100 compared to the ScanWatch 2. In exchange, you lose ECGs, skin temperature, elevation tracking, and blood oxygen, while keeping a similar steel design and dependable battery life.

Garmin makes popular hybrid or fashion models like the Vivomove Trend, Instinct Crossover, and Lily 2 that give you data like heart rate, stress, and blood oxygen, along with connected GPS and useful training insights without a subscription. Only the Vivomove series is truly "stylish" in our books, and it has much shorter battery life than the ScanWatch 2, plus no ECG or skin temperature; we do appreciate that its grayscale screen is a little larger, so it displays more information. The Instinct Crossover will appeal to fans of rugged Casio-type watches, not classic watches.

Unfortunately, it's hard to find any smarter hybrid watches with better notifications or apps than Withings or Garmin. Fossil made decent hybrid models like the Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition, but Fossil has abandoned the platform. Citizen still sells the CZ Smart Hybrid with Wear OS 3, but we haven't tested it for ourselves and it's unlikely Citizen will ever update to the later versions.

Withings ScanWatch 2: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You want a classy-looking "smartwatch."
• You want a "smartwatch" with minimal distractions.
• You want basic health and fitness tracking.
• You own a Withings scale and love the app already.

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You want comprehensive fitness tracking.
• You're looking for a more traditional smartwatch experience with a touchscreen and full-screen interactions.
• You don't own any other Withings products.

There's no doubt that the ScanWatch 2 is a beautiful piece of hardware. While I like the look of the Pixel Watch 3, the ScanWatch 2 has a classic yet understated design that goes well with most outfits. Plus, with such a long battery life, it feels more like a regular watch with some smart tricks to keep you on top of your health and wellness.

However, as a hybrid smartwatch, I'm not sure the ScanWatch 2 quite hits the mark, feeling more "watch" than "smart." The minimal display keeps things rather passive, which buyers may prefer, but interacting with the watch can be cumbersome at worst and unreliable at best. Unless you are subscribed to Withings Plus or own any other Withings devices, the watch may leave you wanting more out of your data, including the type of insights you can find on other devices for less money or even free.

If the ScanWatch 2 was priced about $50-$100 less, I would maybe recommend getting one. But right now, it doesn't really do much to move hybrid smartwatches forward in any meaningful way, and you'd be better off spending your $349 on the latest Pixel Watch or even a smart ring if you want passive tracking.

That said, both Michael and I skew much more towards the "tech" and "fitness" side of smartwatches, which skews our perspective on what we want. If your main priority is classic style, with health tracking and notifications as secondary concerns, then the ScanWatch 2 might be right up your alley.

Last July, I discovered I'd hit 225 pounds—close to "obese" for my height—having gained over 20 pounds in three years. After that, I decided to change my lifestyle to return back to my pre-COVID weight, but I ended up dipping even further, as I'm currently at 192 pounds. And all my weight loss came without using a strict diet or nutrition apps but instead with the help of some useful tech items.

My weight gain snuck up on me. I ran consistently throughout my 20s and early 30s, and a walk-heavy lifestyle in Boston and New York City kept my body pretty healthy. I was never conscious of grown-up concepts like restrained eating, even as my metabolism slowed, my pace fell by minutes per mile, and my belly and love handles steadily grew.

The pandemic and this sedentary writing job were the tipping points, but I didn't realize it. I kept increasing my running mileage, finishing two (really slow) marathons in 2022 with the assumption that my effort would pay off in lost weight. Instead, the running did little to help, and the extra pounds led to a foot injury in spring 2023.

That was the catalyst for my weight loss efforts, and I treated July 2023 as a mid-year resolution moment to change things. One year later, it's paid off! So, for anyone else currently in a bit of a weight-loss slump, I thought I'd share my strategy for the tech tools I used to keep myself on track—and why I didn't need dieting apps to change my eating outlook.

Disclaimer: I'm not a weight loss expert or nutritionist. I'm simply showing a solution I found for myself, and I hope (but can't guarantee) it will work for others.

A scale with body composition data

First, you need a tool to track your progress. I'm no expert on smart scales, but I like my Withings Body Smart for tracking body fat, muscle, visceral fat, basal metabolic rate, hydration, and a few other metrics. It also has an "Eyes Closed" weigh-in mode, but I learned not to let a higher weight disappoint me.

My strategy was to weigh myself consistently two times a week on Wed/Thurs and Sat/Sun. Weighing daily puts too much obsessive emphasis on everything you do in a given day. But weighing once a week leaves you without context for whether that data is accurate or just a fluke.

Here's what I mean: Since the start of 2024, I've lost 12 pounds. But across all weigh-ins, my weight dipped 26 times, rose 18 times, and evened out twice.

Sometimes, I gained or lost weight solely based on muscle gain or hydration, while my body fat stayed the same. More often, I'd lose body fat after a hard workout, and then my body would naturally add some fat back over the next few days. 

I trended downwards from 25% to 19% body fat, but frequent weigh-ins helped me see how my body naturally fluctuates and helped me not get too depressed (or overly optimistic) because of one data point. So long as you're confident in your fitness and nutrition strategy, things should pay off in the long run.

Any smartwatch (it's all about the steps)

According to Strava, I ran 234 miles in 2021, 419 miles in 2022, and 674 miles in 2023. Most people would assume the extra mileage helped me lose weight; instead, I gained weight even as I ran more often. I'm sure every mile had a brief impact, but high-heart-rate runs burn calories, not fat, and then your body demands you replace those calories.

My first major month of weight loss was August 2023, when I walked over 10,000 steps a day for a month, or 374,000 in total, using my Garmin Forerunner 965 to track steps. It was an extremely boring experiment, as I had to find ways to entertain myself for 60–90 minutes of power walking every night. However, it also helped me lose 9 pounds that month.

Why did it work? For starters, fast walking falls into the low aerobic workout category—55–75% of your maximum heart rate—that burns fat instead of carbs. More importantly, daily walks carved out about 1.5–2 hours of my day for walking, showering, and filling up on water that might normally have been spent sitting and snacking. 

For people with a sedentary lifestyle and a lot of weight to carry, long walks are both a mental distraction from cravings and a low-impact physical activity, one that won't leave you too tired to exercise the next day. Just buy some good running shoes with cushy insoles to protect your feet before you start, and pick out podcasts or audiobooks to fill the hours.

Since August, I can't say I've walked every day. I have way too many books to read and video games to play. But the count for my average daily steps since July 2023 is 7,829; from July 2022 to 2023, it was only 5,100, most of which came from sporadic runs. This year's fat-burning walks have made a real weight loss difference, especially hilly hikes.

My Garmin Forerunner 965 is the most accurate watch for step counting, but its price and features are overkill for walkers and hikers. You can technically use Google Fit or Apple Health on your phone to track steps, but phones aren't always the most accurate, and it's nice to track walking activities to check mileage and heart rate, not just steps. So I recommend any of the best fitness watches or fitness trackers like the Fitbit Charge 6.

A Google Doc (yes, really)

My laptop's Chrome browser has two tabs I never close: My Gmail and my "2024 Resolutions" document. On the latter, I track my monthly miles run, miles walked or hiked, steps, exercises like push-ups and squats, and a bunch of other fitness (and non-fitness) stuff. I took a quick screenshot above to show where and how I log my information. 

You can probably find hundreds of fitness log mobile apps, each with detailed graphs and motivational tools that challenge you to hit daily goals and subtly make you feel bad if you "slack off" or lose a daily streak. But these don't work for me and likely won't work for busy people with jobs or kids that'll derail your best-laid plans for days, weeks, or even months.

Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. If you're motivated to hit monthly goals, it doesn't matter if you fall behind for a few days, so long as you try to make up lost ground in free moments or bounce back the next month. 

When I fell off my walking goals in February because of the cold, I consigned that lazy month to a single orange "fail" box and then rebounded, surpassing my goals in March. I never let a setback demoralize me enough to give up entirely because the Google Doc shows how many more chances I have to hit my goals this year.

Having all that data on hand at a glance—and having a low-maintenance way to update your progress with a few keystrokes—is preferable to a convoluted fitness app that you can choose not to open to avoid guilty feelings. You can glance at your resolutions doc at any time to celebrate your progress or challenge yourself to make up lost ground that evening. And you'll never quit on yourself.

No nutrition apps required

I know plenty of people who went on strict diets to lose weight, counting every calorie and weighing their food for nutrition apps. And with no exceptions, those people fell off their diets and apps because (A) they're so much work to track and (B) they have you fixating on the impact of every single meal until the pressure and cravings escalate and you end up binge-eating.

My approach has nothing to do with eating exactly 2,000 calories (or less to lose weight) and everything to do with moderation. I want to lose this weight and then keep it off, and I know myself. I'm not going to give up on sugar, snacks, or the occasional beer for the rest of my life, so I had to find the balance of indulging myself without going too far.

I kept things simple. I used to buy myself gummy worms (800 calories a bag) and eat them in one sitting, so I switched to buying bags or bars in the 250–400 calorie range. I used to buy bags of goldfish (840 calories) and scarf them down at my desk over a day; I knew that I couldn't just stop myself halfway, so I switched to Ritz peanut butter sandwich packs (200 calories) that naturally cut me off.

I inhale high-calorie snacks like crackers and chips because they don't feel filling, so I switched to dense snacks like bagels or protein bars that proportionally fill my stomach.

With alcohol, I usually like to have a couple of drinks to enjoy a buzz without overdoing it, but I'd realized that a "beer gut" was a real thing. So rather than cut back my number of drinks per sitting, I cut back the number of days I drank, saving it for once or twice a week instead of every couple of days.

Takeout food is calorie-rich and salty, causing your body to retain water. But as much as I'd love to cook every day, I'm not going to, especially if I'm spending hours a day walking or running. So, I simply curtailed the number of times I ordered out per month.

I can keep going, but my overall point is that weight loss doesn't need to be calculative, just relative and contextual. I know that I have bad impulse control with foods that come in large containers, so I buy snack-sized options that are more expensive but less dangerous. Then, when I'm home, I freely enjoy the foods I bought for myself without guilt.

So long as I'm eating less than my past self, I know it'll pay off eventually, and I'll still enjoy Five Guys and Ben & Jerry's in the long term.

Keep it simple!

Here's the TL;DR: I lost 30 pounds by walking an extra couple of miles per day, using tech like smart scales and smartwatches to track my activities and weight trends, focusing on common-sense portion control with food and drinks, and logging my progress in a Google Doc where I prioritize monthly goals over daily activity rings. It's uncomplicated, and that's why it worked for me.

These were my monthly changes in pounds since July 2023: -1.6, -9, -4, -4.5, -0.2, +0.6, -5.1, -2.6, -2, +1.2, -0.6, -2.9. After my initial weight free-fall, things have stabilized, and I'll have months where I'm too sedentary or snacky to make significant progress. But I have confidence in myself that things will stay on track and I'll find the time to get walking again, especially in the summer months when the sun's out past 8 p.m.

My weight loss advice is simple: Carve out time in your schedule to walk, with or without company, and write down your progress somewhere to keep yourself honest. Don't trust yourself to deprive yourself of delicious food for the rest of your life; instead, try to find ways to eat less than you did yesterday while still enjoying those guilty pleasures in moderation.

We're only a couple of weeks into 2024, but the year is starting off strong with the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada. Plenty of companies were there, showing off their latest devices, innovations, and concepts, from big companies like Google, LG, Samsung, and ASUS, to new and smaller companies you may not have heard of (but will probably hear more about throughout the year).

Yet, while there's plenty that happened at the CES 2024, we wanted to highlight some of the products that really stuck out to Android Central, from phones to wearables, TVs, mixed reality devices, and even some concepts that may or may not see the light of day.

ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro

CES isn't known to have plenty of major phone launches, but that didn't stop ASUS from giving us what might be one of the best gaming phones of the year. We went hands-on with the ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro, and it seems nearly perfect. It has a clean design, particularly for a gaming phone, a powerful new Snapdragon chipset, up to 24GB of RAM, and a snappy 165Hz OLED display. And while gaming phones aren't known for having the best cameras, the 50MP primary camera on the ROG Phone 8 Pro is already proving to be quite an improvement over previous iterations.

If you like RGB lighting, you'll want the non-Pro version, but the Pro has a new dot matrix panel dubbed AniMe Vision that supports various animations for notifications, charge level, incoming calls, and more user-customizable options.

The ROG Phone 8 Pro is available for $1,199, while its base Phone 8 sibling can be grabbed for $1,099.

Samsung In&Out Flip

Companies love to show off upcoming products at CES, but they also like to tease us with concepts that may never actually go on sale. Samsung had quite a spectacle at CES with its TVs, but the company also gave us a glimpse at some impressive display tech, namely the In&Out Flip. It's an evolution of the Galaxy Z Flip line that not only folds in like a regular flip phone but also flips outward. That's why there's only one display and no cover screen; you can just flip the phone outward when you just want to use part of the display or use both on the front and back.

Because the In&Out Flip only uses a single flexible display, Samsung says the phone achieves a "sleeker and thinner design," which is a goal for foldable phones, as they only get thicker when you fold them in half.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like we'll get this on a commercial phone any time soon, but it's cool to look at, and we can only hope.

Evie Ring

Smart rings are slowly but surely becoming a thing as more companies launch their own takes. The Oura Ring has pretty much led the smart ring charge, but the Evie Ring is one of the latest challengers to enter... the ring. What's interesting about this device is the rather unique design and the fact that the Evie Ring is geared toward women with features like period tracking and mood logging. And thanks to the companion app, there's AI that will learn more about you to provide helpful insights about your health.

Battery life comes short compared to other devices like the Oura Ring, clocking in at four or more days. However, the charging case tops up the device in just 60 minutes, and you can take it anywhere with you. And the best part is that there's no subscription to take advantage of your features.

Movano first debuted the Evie Ring back in 2022, so it's taken some time for the company to bring it to market. However, it's finally available to buy for just $269 if you're an iOS user, with Android support coming later this year.

XREAL Air 2 Ultra

Smart glasses are another growing piece of tech, with various companies trying to grab their piece of the pie. XREAL is no stranger to the game, having launched a few models already, and the latest pair has its sights squarely on Meta and Apple. The Air 2 Ultra features a lightweight design that is not much larger than a regular pair of sunglasses. Of course, these do much more, thanks to its affordable take on mixed reality.

It comes with two Sony Micro-LED panels with 1080p resolution per eye and up to 120Hz refresh rate, a wider 52-degree field of view, and 6 DoF tracking enabled by the two front-facing 3D sensors so you can move around and interact with virtual objects within your space.

Where they differ from the Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest Pro is that these glasses need to be plugged into an external device to work, such as a Galaxy S23 or a PC. However, these are also much cheaper than its competitors at just $700, which is one way to get mixed reality devices into the hands of more consumers.

Rabbit R1 

This is an interesting one. The Rabbit R1 looks like the weirdest phone, although it's not exactly a phone in the traditional sense. It's a physical AI assistant that almost tries to replace your phone by learning how to use the apps you use and perform the functions that would normally require you to navigate settings and apps. Thanks to the large action model powering it and help from ChatGPT-4, the Rabbit R1 can learn how you do these things, and with the press of a button, you can tell it to do things from starting a Spotify playlist to shopping online.

The display will present you with cards related to your query, and the device doesn't run a traditional operating system, so you won't find apps here. That said, the Rabbit R1 can connect to your apps to learn how you use them. There's also a camera you can use for image-based queries.

With the rise in AI tech over the past year, it's no surprise companies are looking to create ways to create dedicated devices to tap into it. And while it's not immediately clear how helpful a device like this really is in practical use, the Rabbit R1 has already sold 10,000 units on its first day, and the device is expected to ship in Q2 2024.

LG Signature OLED T

LG made some big announcements at CES, including the fact that its new TVs will now have Google Cast built-in. But one particular TV really stands out from the pack, and it's the new Signature OLED T. It's not LG's first transparent OLED display, but it's the first meant for consumers, and it works almost completely wireless thanks to the Zero Connect Box that beams your content directly to the television.

When the TV is in transparency mode, it can give certain content a level of depth that you don't get with a conventional TV. Then, when you want that conventional viewing experience, you can bring back the black contrast screen so it looks like a regular OLED. And when the TV's not in use, it has an AOD function that can make the display look like a fish tank, while a small bar at the bottom uses the contrast film to display news alerts, weather, and other bits of information.

It may sound a bit gimmicky, but there's no denying that it's a cool piece of tech, and the 77-inch 4K TV will go on sale for an unspecified price sometime this year.

Anker MagGo Charging Station (Orb)

With Qi2 on the rise, more companies are beginning to launch products that support the standard. Anker is among the first, having shown off a few new charging products at CES. One of them is a large orb that charges MagSafe-compatible phones on the front, with plenty of ports to charge other devices on the back. It's an 8-in-1 charging station that includes three AC outlets, two USB-C ports, and two USB-A ports, making it perfect for any workspace.

The Anker MagGo Magnetic Charging Station is available now for $99, but iPhone users are the only ones who can take full advantage of the MagSafe charger, at least until we start seeing Android phones with Qi2 support.

XGIMI Aladdin

Who needs a TV in your room when you can just have a ceiling lamp? Yeah, I said that right; this ceiling lamp is also a projector. The XGIMI Aladdin is capable of projecting a 100-inch 4K image with a 2000:1 contrast ratio and support for DTS audio. It's all tucked away inconspicuously into your ceiling. It's also powered by Android TV, so you'll have access to plenty of apps and content.

And when you don't need it as a TV, the projector also works as a standalone Bluetooth speaker, meaning it can help you get the party started.

Withings BeamO

Withings is one of our favorite health companies, making some of the best smart scales on the market. Now, the company has a new device dubbed "BeamO" that acts as a personal DIY health checkup device. It's a 4-in-1 "multiscope" that includes a thermometer, electrocardiogram (ECG), oximeter, and stethoscope, allowing users to monitor their health at home in a way that would probably normally require a doctor's visit. The device has powerful sensors and a display that can show your data in real-time as it's being measured. All the data syncs to the Withings app, which can then be sent to your doctor, and like other Withings devices, BeamO supports up to eight different users, so it's perfect for families.

You'll have to wait some time to get your hands on this CES Innovations Award Honoree, as it will go on sale in June 2024 for $249.

Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid

One device that took us by surprise is the Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid. It's a 2-in-1 Windows laptop that doubles as an Android tablet with the press of a button. As such, you actually have two separate sets of specs and processors to run each OS: a new Intel Core Ultra 7 for Windows and a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 for Android.

As an Android tablet, it runs Android 13 and has 12GB of RAM, which isn't too shabby. As a Windows laptop, you get 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage (versus 256GB for the Android side), an additional USB-C port, and a larger battery. Both share the 14-inch 2.8K OLED panel.

You get two devices in one for $1999, which would normally be a lot for a single device. When you're getting both in one, the price seems pretty reasonable. And while some may have preferred a ChromeOS/Android hybrid, the Windows/Android duo sounds like a winning combination. You get the fun bits from Android, such as the extensive library of apps, and you can also use it as a productivity device when used as a Windows laptop — something Android tablets always seem to aim for but always fall short of achieving.

Lenovo says the ThinkBook Plus Gen 5 Hybrid will be available in Q2 2024.

What you need to know

• The Withings BeamO is a multi-tool stethoscope that measures temperature, heart rhythm, blood oxygen, and other data.
• It can send health data to your phone or stream your heart or lung sounds live to your physician. 
• It launches June 2024 for $249 / €249, after it receives FDA approval.

When you're feeling sick, you pull out a thermometer and check your temperature. Withings thinks that isn't enough, and wants you to buy its 4-in-1 "multiscope" BeamO — a combination thermometer, electrocardiogram (ECG), oximeter, and stethoscope — instead. 

Announced this week in Las Vegas as a "CES Innovations Award Honoree," the Withings BeamO will retail in June 2024 for $249. Withings promises it will have received FDA clearance by this time, giving you some assurance of its accuracy for heart and lung health data. 

The compact handheld wand has PPG sensors and electrodes along its sides, giving you heart rate, atrial fibrillation (AFib), and blood oxygen (SpO2) readings simultaneously in less than a minute. You can either read the results on the 1.9-inch color LED display or check your Withings app later. 

Aside from the traditional temperature readings you'd expect, the Withings BeamO can also function as a digital stethoscope. You place it on your chest or back to measure "acoustic sound waves through a Piezoelectric disc," listening for wheezing or heart murmurs. 

You can either record these sounds to the app to listen to later or stream live audio to your physician during virtual appointments, so they can tell you where to place the wand for the best results to detect bronchitis or asthma. 

Like your Withings Body Smart scale, the Withings BeamO will support eight separate profiles, though you'll have to manually select the profile instead of having it auto-detected by your weight. Once the data is in-app, you'll be able to send periodic PDF health reports to your doctor

"BeamO will revolutionize the measurement of the core vitals carried out during medical visits from the comfort of one's own home," says Withings President Eric Carreel. "Instead of measuring these stats a couple of times a year in a clinical setting, it will be possible to assess them every day."

Aside from the high price and the potential to give hypochondriacs a little too much power to stress themselves out, the Withings BeamO appears to give consumers and families a really useful way to self-monitor their current health, so they can contact a doctor if things turn for the worse. 

What you need to know

• The Withings ScanWatch Nova is a new steel hybrid smartwatch launching on December 5. 
• Like the ScanWatch 2, it measures heart rate, SpO2, ECG, VO2 Max, sleep patterns, and 24/7 body temperature with a 30-day battery life.
• Like the ScanWatch Horizon, it has a rotating stainless steel bezel, 10ATM water resistance, sapphire glass, and a grayscale OLED screen.

Withings health-tracking hybrid watches prioritize classic style over large smartwatch displays while still giving you tons of health data. For customers who like its watches but care even more about style above all else, the Withings ScanWatch Nova may be what you're looking for. 

Like the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic, the ScanWatch Nova has a rotating stainless steel bezel, although with added "laser engraved markings that incorporate the standard codes of diving practice." The watch also has 10ATM water resistance and "Luminova hollow watch hands" for low-light use.

Plus, the watch face has sapphire glass and an anti-reflection coating, which should protect it from scratches and make it easier to read outdoors. 

Despite all this, it's not actually a "diving watch" like the Garmin Descent Mk3 — the Horizon specifically isn't designed for saltwater use, according to Withings support, and we assume the Nova is the same — but it can at least handle standard pool swimming. It's more about the diving watch aesthetics, which look pretty good at first glance.

Like the ScanWatch 2, the ScanWatch Nova measures heart rate, blood oxygen, on-demand ECG readings for AFib detection, and skin temperature. Withings has previously touted FDA approval for its SpO2 readings, along with clinically tested ECG readings. That, along with the 30-day battery life, would make the Nova another great option. 

As for skin temperature readings, Withings uses a "TempTech24/7" sensor that measures ambient and skin temperature, along with "energy transit." The idea is that it'll be better at telling the difference between your body's temperature and the room's, for more accurate data. The ScanWatch 2 also uses temperature data for detecting illnesses and how much your body heats up during tough workouts, and we assume the ScanWatch Nova will use it in similar ways. 

Lastly, the Withings ScanWatch Nova will add heart rate variability readings sometime in 2024. 

As a hybrid watch, the Nova doesn't have much room to show data, aside from its small OLED display baked into the top of the watch face. You'll rotate the dial to swap between notifications, health metrics, or other data on the fly, or you can long-press it to pull up your favorite. 

The ScanWatch Nova is available from the Withings website site starting on December 5 for $599.95, while retailers will begin carrying it on February 1, 2024. 

The 2023 Withings Body Smart is a refresh of the popular Body Plus Smart scale released back in 2017. It has the same $100 price tag and body composition readings for fat, muscle, bone mass, and water weight. But it adds heart rate, visceral fat, and (eventually) basal metabolic rate, along with a bright full-color display instead of monochrome and Withings' "precision technology" for more accurate readings.

Ignoring its weight-only Body scale, Withings has three truly "smart" scales, with the Body Smart as the entry-level option. It's affordable relative to the $200 Body Comp with EDA or the clinical $400 Body Scan, but still fairly pricey compared to many of the $50-or-lower smart scales you'll find on Amazon that can also measure body fat percentage.

Despite this awkward middle space, the Withings Body Smart has pleased me thus far, helping me keep track of my weight loss as I walked 10,000 steps a day for a month. The Withings app, where you'll see most of your data, mostly organizes by trends, letting you see rising or falling fat percentages without having to focus on any demoralizing numbers.

My partner and I have used the Withings Body Scale for a couple of months now. Overall, we're both happy with the scale and really like the graphed data and Eyes Closed mode. But we've also used it long enough to see areas for improvement and points of frustration.

Is the Withings Body Smart scale worth your time and money, and does it match up against the best smart scales on the market? Arguably yes. But be prepared for some finicky issues with the app, and recognize that its core mechanic — Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis — should be used more as a guide than anything fully reliable.

Withings Body Smart: Specs and missing tools

Like most proper smart scales, the Withings Body Smart tells you exactly what you need to know: your weight (in pounds or kilograms), BMI score, muscle mass, body fat percentage, bone mass, visceral fat (aka abdominal fat most commonly linked to diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors), and lean mass (aka everything except fat).

The only missing features are basal metabolic rate — the rate at which your body burns calories daily without any activity — and metabolic age, or how your BMR compares to your age group. It's a useful metric for people trying to lose weight and something a lot of smart scales don't offer. But even though Withings' press release claimed it'd be ready by May 2023, it still isn't available as of September 2023. 

I noted which Body Comp and Body Scan features that the Body Smart scale lacks to help you decide if it's worth upgrading. They all have the same four weight sensors and accuracy ratings, so you're paying double or quadruple the price for specific extras.

The two exclusive Body Comp features — vascular health and electrodermal activity (EDA) for stress — sound useful but can be found on niche smartwatch models like the Fitbit Sense 2 (EDA) or TicWatch GTH Pro (heart) too. Otherwise, most popular brands like Fitbit, Garmin, and Apple calculate stress based on heart rate variance (HRV) these days. Basically, you're paying to see daily snapshots of your heart health data (and stress, if you don't wear a watch) inside the Withings app — at a particularly stressful point of your day, to be honest.

Meanwhile, the Body Scan Connected Health Station has a handle you pull up with your hands to give you a second point of contact for health measurements. Its built-in ECG for AFib detection is handy, but again, anyone worried about irregular heart rhythm would get the same benefit from a fitness smartwatch that tracks the data passively all day instead of once a day. 

The biggest change is that the Body Scan measures your body composition in "5 segments," telling you where your body fat is concentrated and providing more accurate readings than the Body Smart's feet-only electrical pulses can deliver. If you're really invested in targeting specific fat groups through exercises (rather than just general dieting), you may want to make that $400 investment for top-tier body composition data.

Withings Body Smart: Set-up and accuracy

When you take a Body Smart reading, you can set which data you specifically want to see. Aside from weight, every other data screen is optional. You can get a holistic look at every measurement and extras, like today's weather and air quality, or you can choose a quicker, more clinical experience with a few core stats.

Whatever data you don't see gets sent to your Withings app; if the scale and app can't sync for whatever reason, it'll save up to 16 readings and spew them all at the app once it reconnects. But in the past couple of months, I haven't noticed any desyncs.

Up to eight people can use the scale at once; many competing scales offer up to 16 users for context, but this really only matters for people with large families. The primary user can either send an invite link through the app so that the second user can use their own phone and app, or they can create a new family profile in their app for someone without a phone (like your kid).

Once a family of users is set up, the Body Smart uses past scale readings to determine who is standing on it. If two or more users have similar weights, it'll guess and show that user's name on the LCD (usually whoever used the scale last). You then have a three-second window to lean your weight left or right onto one leg, which signals the scale to switch to another user name. 

Once you're prepared for the user-switch screen — and once I realized I didn't have to stand on one leg for this to work — it's pretty seamless. Unfortunately, if you're too slow, you'll accidentally send your data to the wrong app or account. You can quickly remove a wrong reading in the app, but the result does seem to linger and mess up Withings's charts and weight gain/loss estimates for a day or so.

The Withings Body Smart looks pretty stylish out of the box, thanks to its tempered glass. After a few readings, your footprints are going to glisten and shine on that metal surface, so maybe keep a cleaning cloth nearby if bathroom aesthetics matter to you.

Withings also kindly bundles it with "carpet feet," but the Body Smart's feet are too short to work on my carpet. Case in point, I weighed myself on that new surface and magically lost about 40 pounds from my last reading, most likely because the carpet was blunting how far the sensors could sink. The app took this reading completely at face value before I deleted it. 

On my hard bathroom floor, however, my weight readings stay consistent from one to the next. I don't have access to a more official scale to test its accuracy, but a 15-pound weight measured that same number down to the decimal. 

Fat percentage readings can vary slightly if I take two readings back to back, but mostly give me the same results; if it does change, it's by no more than half a percentage point. 

Compared to the Galaxy Watch 6 BIA sensor, which oscillates by 1–2 percentage points seemingly at random and only works on a specific portion of your forearm, the Withings Body Smart gives you more actionable and effortless data that generally matches your weight trends. However, if one reading is anomalously high, I just have to remember to just brush it off and wait for the next reading to correct itself.

It's also quite nice to see visceral fat data as a counter to simple fat percentages, telling me that even though I need to lose weight, I'm healthy enough when it comes to dangerous fats. 

Withings Body Smart: What we liked and disliked

The flagship feature of the Withings Body Smart is its Eyes Closed mode. It ensures that you don't see your weight on the scale, so you can weigh yourself without the visceral fear of seeing a bad number; you can then check the app later when you're mentally prepared. 

If you have multiple users, it defaults to showing a smiling emoji until it figures out who you are, then shows the weight for people who don't turn on Eyes Closed. 

My partner loves the Eyes Closed mode and told me that it's "probably the main reason I would buy this scale myself." If you're someone who needs to track their health but gets demoralized by a bad weigh-in, this simple feature is a psychological bulwark against that. 

In the app, you can decide whether or not to show changes in terms of percentages or pounds. Some will prefer seeing exact numbers, but if it's hard to see that you gained a pound of fat mass, you can view that in "%" form instead. This mode also provides useful context, such as how I've lost 0.5 pounds of muscle since July, but that this is still a 2.2% muscle mass increase. 

Sometimes, this approach softens the blow after a higher-than-expected weigh-in since the graph shows that you're still trending downwards. On the other hand, my partner has noted that she'll lose weight from one reading to the next but that the app will still tell her that she's "stable" if it's not a big enough shift, which feels like it invalidates her efforts.

Despite the fact that the Withings app is one of the Body Smart's greatest assets, it does have its issues. First and foremost is that Withings, like a lot of fitness brands, uses it to try and sell you its other products or upsell you to its fancier smart scales. 

Go into the app's Measure tab, and you'll see that you're only measuring 3 of 6 Body stats and 2 of 13 heart stats. Tap to learn more, and you'll be shown a summary on stats like EDA or vascular age and then told you need the Withings ScanWatch, a pricier smart scale, a blood pressure sensor, or another device to measure it. 

Some of Withings' health tips and achievements — like noting when you've cumulatively walked the length of Oahu or recommending you eat whole grain bread — are harmless enough. But we feel like the app is either trying too hard to be more than it is or just not doing enough to compete with the best fitness apps.

Withings pulls your workout data from partnered apps like Strava, Google Fit, or Apple Health. This is handy, but on the home screen, it shows the "latest measurements" first, so you'll often have to scroll past steps and recent workouts to see your weight and body composition data. 

Data imports have been a pain point for us. Both my partner and I had our old Apple or Google weigh-ins imported by default, so when we first weighed ourselves, we were told we were "gaining weight" based on readings from years ago, until we had enough new weigh-ins to shift the app's point of reference. 

If you weigh yourself with another scale that's connected to Apple Health or Google Fit, the Withings app will import that weigh-in, which we found more annoying than helpful. Also, for some unfathomable reason, Withings duplicates my partner's Apple Health workouts, showing them twice in the app. We haven't been able to figure out why.

Withings Body Smart: Should you buy it?

Despite all our collective hang-ups with the Withings app, we still appreciate everything that the Withings Body Smart has to offer: an attractive LCD display that's easily readable, Eyes Closed readings that take mental health or weight disorders into account, a reliably long battery life, and weight trends you can organize by week, month, quarter, or year. 

Honestly, if you just use the app to look at your weight and body composition, and ignore everything else, you won't have any problems. 

You can find a cheaper smart scale that measures body fat percentage, but the Withings Body Smart has proven to be fairly accurate for BIA, something I can't necessarily say for every random scale on Amazon. And I personally wouldn't feel the pressure to upgrade to Withings' more expensive scales for what they offer, unless you're really concerned about vascular health or segmented body fat. Overall, the Body Smart hits the sweet spot.

What you need to know

• Withings announced two new hybrid smartwatches on Thursday: the ScanWatch 2 and ScanWatch Light. 
• The ScanWatch 2 has dual temperature sensors, 16 PPG sensors, and FDA-approved ECG and SpO2 readings.
• The ScanWatch Light offers a 30-day battery life and basic heart rate and sleep tracking.
• The ScanWatch 2 and Light cost $349 and $249, respectively, and are available for pre-order now with an October 2023 release date.

Withings, the company best known for its smart scales, watches, and health monitoring tech, is releasing two new hybrid smartwatches: the Withings ScanWatch 2 and ScanWatch Light.

Withings' latest hybrid smartwatches go all-in on health tracking, with new features that even the Galaxy Watch 6 and Fitbit Sense 2 don't offer. Most intriguingly, the ScanWatch 2 uses the "TempTech24/7 module." It combines the usual PPG and accelerometer with "thermistor" and "heat flux" sensors. One measures ambient and skin temperature, and the other measures energy transit. 

Unlike Samsung and Apple, which primarily use their temperature sensors for menstrual cycle tracking and not for health data, Withings promises 24/7 temperature data to spot warning signs for illnesses based on graphs of your temperature baseline. It'll also point out overheating or cooldown times during a workout, including "workout temperature variation zones."

Similarly, whereas most fitness brands say that their blood oxygen data is just an estimate that shouldn't be used for health data, the Withings ScanWatch 2 is "FDA cleared" for both SpO2 checks and AFib detection of irregular heartbeats. 

In terms of overall health tracking, the Withings ScanWatch 2 has a MultiWave PPG Sensor that uses four wavelengths and 16 PPG channels, increasing the range of pulse data collected from your skin. Most other fitness smartwatch brands don't advertise their numbers, but most seem to use only two or three wavelengths (red, green, and/or IR).

As a hybrid smartwatch, the ScanWatch models have a 0.63-inch grayscale OLED circle on a portion of the watch face, with the rest of the watch taken up by a traditional analog watch design. You'll use the rotating crown to navigate through health data, but the watch is mostly designed to work automatically; you'll mainly use the Withings app to check your health data. 

Both the ScanWatch 2 and ScanWatch Light last 30 days per charge and measure heart rate variability, respiratory rates, heart rate zones during workouts, and menstrual cycles. They have stainless steel casings for a premium look and 5ATM water resistance. Unfortunately, neither has built-in GPS tracking, relying on connected GPS.

In terms of what makes the ScanWatch 2 more advanced and expensive, the ScanWatch Light doesn't measure blood oxygen, body temperature, irregular heart rhythm, or elevation. The ScanWatch 2 also has more durable Sapphire Glass for the display, compared to the ScanWatch Light's Gorilla Glass.

Both new Withings ScanWatch models launch in October 2023 and can be preordered now from Withings' website. The ScanWatch 2 ships in 42mm and 38mm sizes for $349.99 and comes in Silver Black, Silver White, Rose Gold Sand, and Rose Gold Blue. The ScanWatch Light only has a 37mm size and sports finishes in Silver Black, Silver White, Rose Gold Sand, Light Blue, and Light Green.

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What you need to know

• The Withings Body Smart scale launches on April 18 for $99.95, and is available in white or black finishes. 
• It measures weight, visceral fat, heart rate, and other body composition data.
• Its new Basal Metabolic Rate and metabolic age data sets will come in a May 2023 update.
• The Eyes Closed Mode sends weight and health data to your Withings account without showing your weight on the scale itself. 

Withings makes several of our favorite smart scales, like the Body Cardio, that give you a full-body look at your health from the feet up. But if you're someone that wants that data but gets overwhelmed or discouraged by seeing your weight every morning, then the Withings Body Smart might be what you're looking for. 

It's the first non-premium Withings scale to swap out a monochrome display for a color display, which it uses for more than just numbers. If you enable the "Eyes Closed Mode," then when you take a measurement, you'll see other information like local weather and air quality data, fitness information linked to the Withings app, or just friendly, inspirational messages.

While you won't see any data on the scale, it'll be sent to your Withings app for Android or iOS. Withings promises that your weight data will be accurate to within a 50g (1.8oz) variant.

Aside from measuring weight, the Withings Body Smart will check your body composition data like muscle, fat, water, and bone mass percentages using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). It's the same tech found in the Galaxy Watch 5, except with more body real estate to measure through accurately.

Unlike the Withings Body+, which sits on our best smart scales list and has the same $100 list price, the Withings Body Smart measures visceral fat, which the company describes as "the type of fat that surrounds the internal organs that has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes."

Another newly measured metric is "Basal Metabolic Rate," or the rate of calories burned while your body is at rest. It'll use this info to determine how your metabolic age compares to your actual age, a helpful metric to see how healthy you really are outside of your weight. 

BMR won't be available out of the box but should arrive via an automatic update within the next month or so.

Despite these new features, the Withings Body Smart does miss out on features available on the Body Comp or Body Cardio. For example, the Body Comp measures your heart health (or vascular age) and stimulates your feet's sweat glands to take an electrodermal activity score. And the Withings Body Scan uses an ECG to detect AFib issues and can measure data on muscle/fat percentages for specific "segmented" parts of your body.

Still, the Body Comp and Scan cost double and quadruple that of the Body Smart, respectively. For most people looking for a smart scale, they'll happily take what the Body Smart offers and rely on a fitness smartwatch to measure heart health instead. 

The Withings Body Smart scale launches on Tuesday, April 18, and will be available at withings.com.

Tech is good for a lot of things, but the biggest use case for me is fitness. I'm constantly juggling between a few different devices to help me stay accountable on my fitness journey. That includes the Oura Ring (Gen 3), Galaxy Watch 5, and Withings Body Cardio smart scale. However, since some of these devices overlap in terms of the metrics and services they offer, I wanted to take a look at how they compare.

I normally workout at least four days per week, and I'm usually wearing the Galaxy Watch 5 and Oura Ring. They're both very capable devices, and they can perform many similar functions, although the Oura Ring is more passive, doing its collection in the background. Essentially, the Galaxy Watch 5 is a bit more hands-on, while the Oura Ring is more on-hand.

Meanwhile, I also decided to throw the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition into the ring, as I only recently finished reviewing it, and the watch offers a few nice fitness tracking features as well.

This comparison is far from scientific, and I'm by no means an expert in any of this; it's more to satiate my own curiosity and share my findings. Who knows, maybe you've been looking to purchase one or more of these devices, and while we have plenty of comparison posts between some of these wearables and devices, this may hopefully give you some insight into how these compare when it comes to fitness.

Counting calories

One thing that struck me throughout my time comparing these devices is how differently they track workouts. Off the bat, the Galaxy Watch 5 is much more granular, allowing you to specify the workout type, set targets, and even switch to different workouts in a single session. It even counts reps and sets for certain workouts, and although it's not perfect (more on that later), I appreciate the attempt.

Meanwhile, the Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition and Oura Ring are much more limited in their selection when recording a workout. Fossil lets you choose "Indoor" or "Outdoor Workout," while Oura lets you choose between indoor and outdoor running, cycling, or walking. Both devices allow you to edit the workout type later on, but it's usually pretty general, like "strength training" or "weightlifting," at least for what I do at the gym.

All three are also capable of automatic workout detection, with the Fossil's workout detection generally limited to walking or running. The Oura Ring can detect more types like cycling and dancing, and apparently even more subtle activities like gardening. The Galaxy Watch can detect things like elliptical training, row machine, and "Dynamic workouts," whatever that means.

When it came to actually tracking my workouts, I noticed that it resulted in very different readings for calorie burn:

The Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition often seemed to underestimate the number of calories I burned, while the Galaxy Watch 5 seemed like it may have been overestimating. I say this because as I tracked my workouts, the Galaxy Watch would count way more reps than I actually did, which may just have to do with the accelerometer or gyroscope. That said, the Oura Ring would often find itself in the middle or even match closer to that of the Galaxy Watch.

Heart rate measurements were also different between them when tracking the same workouts, which may explain why the calorie readings were so different.

I noticed these differences whether I was lifting weights or running. And speaking of running, the Galaxy Watch and Fossil smartwatch both feature GPS and can track activities without a phone, allowing you to view a map of your route after-the-fact. The Oura Ring, unfortunately, does not have GPS but can track a workout using your phone's GPS.

Tracking sleep

Sleep is a big part of any fitness journey, as your body needs rest. Unfortunately, it's not something that I excel in, which my devices constantly remind me of. Each wearable is capable of pretty good sleep tracking, and they even tell me how long I went through different sleep stages. Generally, they were all pretty in line with each other.

The Galaxy Watch tracking seems slightly more detailed, while Oura gives more useful information such as latency, efficiency, and more. However, they both give me a sleep score, which is a nice touch so I can get a general idea of how I slept. One feature that I both love and hate is the snore detection on the Galaxy Watch. Basically, it can tell when I'm snoring and saves a recording, and I was very surprised at what I heard. The Galaxy Watch actually records when your smartphone is nearby and plugged in, and it's among the useful Samsung Health features.

The Pixel 7 is also capable of snore detection and doesn't need a watch to do it. In fact, it tells me when it detects snoring and coughing, although I notice that the Pixel seems to pick up more snoring than my Galaxy S22 and Galaxy Watch. The downside  (or upside?) is that it doesn't record any of it.

Body composition

Measuring body composition isn't something many wearables can do, and to my immediate knowledge, Samsung's Galaxy Watches are the only ones that can do it. So this comparison came down to the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Withings Body Cardio scale.

Both devices use bioelectrical impedance, running a current through your body to measure various metrics such as body fat, muscle mass, water weight, and more.

A smartwatch obviously can't measure my weight, but manual input is required to perform a body composition reading on the Galaxy Watch 5. So I normally stand on my scale first thing in the morning as it gives me my readings, then I follow up with the Galaxy Watch to see how they compare when it comes to body fat percentage:

I did not compare readings for muscle, as the Withings scale presents overall muscle mass while the Galaxy Watch 5 presents skeletal muscle, but the readings have been more or less in line with each other. Of course, I find it interesting when the readings are off by a few percentage points on some days, but daily readings aren't as important as medium and long-term trends.

Presenting the data

Of course, one important aspect of all these devices is how the data is presented. These apps all give you some of the same basic info, although some offer more data than others and even go out of their way to present you with more information upfront.

For example, the Fossil Smartwatches app is probably the most basic of the bunch. When opening the app, it gives you a visual view of your goals, and you have to tap each one to get a better view of your steps, sleep, active minutes, and more. For casual fitness goers, it's not bad.

Then there's the Health Mate app from Withings, which throws a ton of graphs at you. It's mainly focused on presenting you with trends since you're likely focused on gaining or losing weight and seeing if you're on the right track. To me, this is the best approach for the app, and every so often, it will present useful conversations based on your current trends. One day, my body fat percentage could shoot up a few notches, but the day-to-day readings matter much less than the overall trend.

Samsung Health is a bit like Google Fit, as it presents you with the current data in a fairly straightforward way. There are different sections for the various data types, and you'll have to tap each of them if you want more information. Overall, it's very clean, easy to understand, and not cluttered with a bunch of visuals and information.

The Oura app is probably my favorite. It's the most visually pleasing of the bunch, and when you open the app, you're generally met with cards that rate you based on your day, such as your sleep score, activity score, and readiness score. Automatically, it tells you if you're good to take on the day or if you should maybe chill after a hard workout and poor sleep (it's often telling me this). You can dive into these cards for more information or select each tab for deep dives into your metrics. It's a lot of information, but it's presented in a visually pleasing way.

Of course, thanks to Google's Health Connect (and some workarounds from Fossil), all this data can be mostly synced between each other or to Google Fit if that's your app of choice, so you won't have to miss out on data if one device records something that another missed.

Bringing it all together

So what's the takeaway? The most obvious thing is that the Oura Ring, my smartwatches, and my Withings scale are all pretty different devices with their own methods for calculating various metrics. This means that results aren't always going to be the same between them, which speaks to their varying levels of accuracy. This tells me that you should not put complete faith in the data presented to you from even the best Android smartwatches.

Android Central's Jerry Hildenbrand warns that you should always take health information from wearables with a grain of salt, which is largely what I do when it comes to fitness. These devices can help inform and guide us, but you should always try to be aware of your body and what it needs.

However, this is also why I prefer to wear the Oura Ring alongside my Galaxy Watch. Some of the data might be redundant, but seeing how they compare helps me to get a good idea of how I'm doing, rather than taking it from a single source. It's a great (albeit expensive) way to make sure I'm on the right track when it comes to my health and fitness. If you can afford it, it might be worth it to invest in a secondary wearable.

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What you need to know

• Withings has a new smart scale in the store, the Body Comp.
• It packs in sensors to assess your cardiovascular activity and nerve health.
• The new smart scale bundles with Health+ coaching service.

Popular smart scales maker Withings has come with yet another device at IFA 2022. It's dubbed Body Comp, which promises to measure your nerve health and cardiovascular health parameters. The company is already known for making the best smart scales, and the new Body Comp appears to be the most advanced device it has ever made.

Body Comp is "a complete body assessment scale measuring multiple biomarkers typically only assessed in a professional clinical Setting," Withings suggests in its announcement press release. 

The scale further accompanies Health+, an enhanced service that promises to provide detailed health analysis by creating a healthy routine for its users.

The Health+ coaching service (with a 12-month subscription) and Body Comp come as a bundle for the U.S., starting at $209.95. It will be available from October 4, 2022.

"Body Comp is the first Withings device compatible with Health+ that makes actionable use of this data."

Body Comp integrates novel sensors, exclusive algorithms, and also patented electronics. They all tend to work together with new levels of precision in helping users to improve the accuracy of weight and body composition featuring new frequency BIA capabilities.

The smart scale also provides home health body assessments through the embedded sensors designed to monitor multiple biomarkers that are said to be associated with general and chronic risks. These include full body composition, cardiovascular, and nerve health assessment.

The Body Comp is seemingly "the first scale to measure body fat, visceral fat (the fat hidden around the organs in your belly), vascular age (the pliability of your blood vessels), and nerve health (the function of the nerves in your feet) in one consumer device."

The vascular assessment is evidently developed by leading cardiologists and is further based on Pulse Wave Velocity. It is a measurement of arterial stiffness. Additionally, nerve activity is assessed using Nerve Health Score, which involves measuring the sweat glands in the feet.

The Health+ service, on the other hand, unlocks additional features with the native Health Mate app. It showcases health data with tools like actionable insights and motivations that tend users to change behavioral patterns and outcomes. The primary goal of the new coaching service is to improve health by changing behavior.

The Health+ service further creates continuous motivational loops: Measure, Act, Improve, and Repeat. Starting with Measure, the Health+ measures Body composition, after which users get their daily on what to do as part of the 'Act' loop. The 'Improve' section seemingly correlates the data and provides weekly interactive reports of the Body Comp scale users' progress. The 'Repeat' part is self-explanatory as it allows users to repeat the steps and aims to motivate by celebrating milestones.

The new Body Comp here appears to be taking the assessments to a new level. Earlier devices like Withings Body Cardio smart scale could tell you your BMI, fat percentage, heart health, and bone mass. And Body Scan, launched early this year, arrived to provide readings for individual body parts and track sweat gland activity for nerve fiber health.

It's already March, which means I should be gearing up for the summer. That means more time at the gym and trying to figure out what I need to do to get into my ideal shape before I hit the beaches. I already own a smartwatch to help me keep track of my workouts and activity, but that only tells me what I'm doing and not what I should be doing. That's where the Withings Body Cardio comes in.

Withings makes some of the best smart scales on the market, and even though the Withings Body Cardio was launched nearly four years ago, it still offers plenty of what you should look for in a smart scale and then some. It takes the best of the Withings Body+ and upgrades it with helpful insights into your body composition and your cardiovascular health. For anyone looking to get in shape or improve their health, this smart scale is an excellent way to get yourself motivated for the summer.

Where to buy

The Withings Body Cardio went on sale in 2016 and retailed for $180. It has since gone down in price and can now be purchased for $150 at most retailers. You can purchase the Withings Body Cardio from the Withings website, Best Buy, Amazon, and Apple.

What I like

As scales go, the Withings Body Cardio is a good-looking device. It features a slim design and is built with a nice tempered glass top and aluminum bottom, with enough strength to withstand nearly 400lbs of weight. So not only does it look premium, but it also has a quality feel to it.

As far as how it works, as a smart scale, it does exactly what you'd expect it to do. It tells you your weight, but thanks to bioelectrical impedance, it can also give you a ton of other metrics, including bone mass, muscle mass, water weight, fat weight, and so much more — all of which it can display to you on the small screen. This is perfect for anyone that's trying to achieve a physical goal, such as myself because it gives you a picture of your body composition and lets you see what you need to focus on. For me, it's important to lose body fat and gain muscle, and the Withings Body Cardio has allowed me to hone in on exactly what I need to work on and what kind of changes I need to make.

However, the best part is the app experience. With the Health Mate app, you can better look at how your weigh-ins are trending to see if you're on the right path. The home screen shows all your latest measurements and trends, including your sleep score, while the dashboard tab shows you all the metrics you want to track. The profile tab is sort of where it all comes together in the form of achievements that you can earn based on activities. Here is also where you can sync up all your data with apps like Google Fit, MyFitnessPal, and more. This is particularly useful for me because Google Fit is where all my fitness information goes from my smartwatch and Oura Ring, and I can choose what metrics in the Health Mate app I want to be imported to and from Google Fit. This way, I can get a fuller picture of my weight goals and activity.

However, where the Health Mate app beats many other services is features like the "Health Insights," which takes your metrics into account to guide you to where you want to be. It's sort of like a one-way chat between the app and myself as it gives me helpful information on how I can cut my body fat percentage. The app also lets you set reminders for various things, such as drinking water, sleeping, eating breakfast (something I have to get better at), and much more. Honestly, I love these little nudges, and I feel like Withings is offering exactly what I need without trying to make me pay for things that might sound cool, but I'll ultimately never use. My colleague Michael Hicks is a runner and says that most of these services aren't worth what you pay for them. With the Withings Body Cardio and Health Mate app, you only pay for the hardware. The motivation comes free.

The Withings Body Cardio also measures your heart rate and pulse wave velocity, which is the main reason why they added "Cardio" to the name. I personally did not find much need for these features, but they can be good indicators of your overall health and well-being. The scale can also tell you your vascular age, which is the "apparent age of your arteries," and can give you a picture of how healthy your heart is. After you set up the scale, it has to take five different measurements before it's able to give you your vascular age, and it does so by measuring the time it takes to send a pressure wave through your "arterial tree." From here, the app can give you tips on how to improve your vascular age.

The app also has other features, such as a pregnancy tracker, meditation, and even a leaderboard to help you stay motivated. You can also customize what you want the scale to show you during your weigh-ins, and it's even smart enough to recognize up to eight people to feed them their individual metrics. I live alone, so I couldn't try that last one out.

What I don't like

Honestly, it's difficult to find something that I don't like about this scale. That said, while it's not a huge deal, the Withings Body Cardio only charges via micro-USB and not USB-C. Fortunately, Withings says that it can last up to 12 months on a single charge, so you won't have to charge it too often. And it's not like a smartphone or something that I'll constantly be using, so battery life is not a huge downside, especially if you can have your scale somewhere near an outlet.

A small gripe that I have with the Health Mate app is that while it allows me to sync weight information with Google Fit, for some reason, I can't sync body fat percentage, meaning I'll have to input that information myself. And frankly, I'm much too lazy to do that.

Probably the biggest problem that potential buyers may have is the price. At $150, it's much more expensive than many smart scales on the market. Withings' own Body+ smart scale is $50 cheaper, and you can often find it for less with a good deal. If you're not looking to spend too much on a smart scale, I might almost suggest that model instead, if you can do without the cardio features.

Competition

If you're a Fitbit user and you're looking for something more basic, the Fitbit Aria Air is a good place to start. It's much cheaper than the Body Cardio scale, and it syncs your weight and Body Mass Index to your fitness tracker. However, the cheaper cost means you lose out on other helpful metrics that you can find on the Body Cardio.

The QardioBase smart scale is another option that can get you all your metrics, including bone mass, muscle mass, BMI, and more. It comes in a round design with a centered LED display that can give you a smile if you're on track to meet your goals. However, like the Withings Body Cardio, this scale is also pretty pricey, and you'll miss out on heart rate monitoring and other cardio-related measurements.

The Eufy Smart Scale is another affordable option, but this one manages to include body composition measurements. You can connect up to 20 accounts, and it connects to all your favorite health and fitness apps. However, the triple-A batteries are expected to last only between three and six months, so you'll need to stock up.

Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You are trying to reach a fitness goal
• You want a scale for the whole family
• You don't want to worry about subscriptions

You should not buy this if...

• You're looking for an inexpensive scale
• You're not interested in cardiovascular health
• You want in-app guided workouts

The Withings Body Cardio is a great smart scale for anyone that's looking to step up their personal health and fitness. It measures a ton of different metrics and has a helpful companion app that gives you better insights into your health, provides valuable tips, and syncs up with all your favorite apps. For those of you with cardiovascular concerns, this would be an ideal smart scale to help you keep track of your vascular health.

That said, it's not a cheap smart scale, and you'll have to decide whether or not your health and fitness goals are worth the investment. Personally, I think this smart scale is fantastic, and I have no complaints about its actual functionality, which is beyond what most smart scales offer. But if you don't care about the cardio features, then I would probably recommend the Withings Body+, which can be had for a more affordable price.

What you need to know

• Body Scan is the latest smart scale from Withings.
• The scale features a retractable handle for advanced body composition measurements.
• Body Scan can provide readings for individual body parts and track sweat gland activity for nerve fiber health.
• The new scale will be available sometime in the second half of 2022.

Withings is known for its impressive smart scales that can do more than just tell you your weight. Devices like the Withings Body Cardio smart scale can tell you your BMI, fat percentage, heart health, bone mass, and more in just a few seconds. However, Withings is taking things up a notch with its latest Body Scan smart scale, announced at CES 2022.

With the new Body Scan smart scale, Withings aims to top some of the best smart scales by putting an entire health station in your home. However, unlike what you'll find at gyms or health centers, this version is scaled down (no pun intended).

Body Scan is made with a single high-strength tempered glass with four weight sensors and 14 ITO electrodes. Ticked in at the top edge is a retractable handle that houses four stainless steel electrodes. This combination of sensors gives the scale precise weight management that Withings says is accurate to 0.1lbs (50 grams). It also enables more advanced readings with 6-lead ECG and segmental body composition analysis.

Thanks to Body Scan's multi-frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) sensor (similar to what's found on the Galaxy Watch 4), users can take various measurements such as whole-body fat and water percentage, muscle and bone mass, and much more in less than three seconds. Plus, it can give readings for individual body parts from your torso to your arms and legs, which is particularly useful for health professionals and athletes to identify fat mass distribution or muscle imbalances.

Withings partnered with Impeto Medical to enable track sweat gland activity tracking. This sends small currents to the feet to measure the response of the sweat glands, which can help determine the health of small nerve fibers. This can help you determine ways to improve your lifestyle, such as adopting healthier eating habits or getting in regular activity, something a lot of us could probably get more of.

Of course, many of these readings, which will soon include heart rate, ECG recordings, and vascular age, can be viewed on Body Scan's 3.2-inch color LCD, but they all come together via the Withings app. Users can sync many of their measurements to other apps such as Apple Health and Google Fit, and Withings' app also provides access to actionable insights and personalized plans for users to set and maintain their goals.

When Body Scan becomes available sometime in the second half of 2022, buyers will be treated to a three-month subscription to Withings health and wellness programs to get premium access to its services. However, Body Scan's exact price and availability is unknown as it awaits CE and FDA clearance. It will be available in black and white.

What you need to know

• Withings has unveiled the successor to last year's ScanWatch hybrid smartwatch, complete with a new design and updated health monitoring capabilities.
• The ScanWatch Horizon is equipped with ECG monitoring, atrial fibrillation detection, heart rate monitor, and sleep tracking features, among others.
• It is available in France, Germany and the UK from today for €499.95 or £499.95.

Withings announced today a new "medically advanced" smartwatch that hugely improves on its predecessor in terms of design and functionality. The Withings ScanWatch Horizon has a slew of advanced health monitoring features that you'd be hard pressed to find in many of the best Android smartwatches and even the Apple Watch Series 7.

The luxury timepiece is billed as the world's first smartwatch that can detect breathing irregularities and alert users to a possible case of atrial fibrillation. Its headline feature is the sleep apnea detection that analyzes blood oxygen levels, heart rate, movement, and breathing frequency. ScanWatch's accelerometer and optical sensors collect these data to detect breathing disturbances, which can indicate sleep apnea.

Another notable feature is its medical-grade ECG monitoring capability, which can detect signs of atrial fibrillation. ScanWatch Horizon has an embedded PPG sensor that monitors your heart rate and alerts you if its rhythm is irregular. In that case, the device will prompt you to take an ECG reading.

The smartwatch also boasts sleep tracking capabilities that can analyze the length, depth, and quality of your sleep. It can also monitor your steps, calories, elevation, and workout routes through GPS. Additionally, the device can measure how your heart and muscle convert oxygen into energy through its VO2 Max estimation.

You can view your health data with the Health Mate app. The accompanying app allows you to set reminders and goals as well as manage your achievements.

Like last year's model, the ScanWatch Horizon has an analog face design and watch hands. It also has a 43mm PMOLED display with a blue or green color variant. Its casing has a titanium finish for a luxury appearance and it is made of sapphire glass with anti-reflection coating.

Its design takes inspiration from the luxury diver watch tradition with a stainless-steel rotating bezel engraved with markings that show standard diving codes. The smartwatch also has Luminova hollow watch hands, indicators, and indices that are easier to see in low light conditions.

With a 30-day battery life and water resistance up to 100 meters, the smartwatch is the "perfect accessory for swimming, snorkelling, and water sports." These activities can also be monitored using the Health Mate app.

The ScanWatch Horizon is available in France, Germany and the UK from today for €499.95 or £499.95. Later this year, Withings plans to introduce the smartwatch to the U.S. market once it's approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

When you think of a smartwatch, normally you'd imagine a large touchscreen with faux watch hands, confusing navigation, and short battery life. Fortunately, hybrid smartwatches break from much of that, and Withings is one of the best brands to manufacture these kinds of watches. When it comes to the best Android smartwatch Prime Day deals, the Withings Steel HR Sport may not be first or even second to come to mind, but you may want to consider this as your next smartwatch.

The Steel HR Sport launched in 2018 as a sportier version of the original Steel HR and has since hovered at or around $200. In fact, it's still $200 on Withings' website. Fortunately, Prime Day kicks that down to just $140, which is actually quite a great deal considering all you get from this smartwatch.

The Steel HR Sport may be a few years old, but thanks to Withings' expertise, there hasn't really been a need to upgrade this already fantastic watch. It also helps that hybrid smartwatches don't require full operating systems like many of the best Android smartwatches. This brings the best of both worlds; smart health features and fitness tracking with the simplicity of a regular watch. The Steel HR Sport has 24/7 heart rate monitoring, more than 30 sports modes, sleep tracking, and a whopping 25-day battery. And it's able to sync all this health information to your Google Fit, Apple Health, and much more.

Hybrid smartwatches like the Steel HR Sport are great for people who just want the basics. You can still receive notifications from your phone thanks to a small circular screen on the watch face, but there's no touchscreen, no apps, no confusing menus, or outdated operating systems to deal with. It just works.

And for those that want something even simpler, the Withings Move ditches the display while keeping most of the same features. It also has a long 18-day battery life, which is nothing to sneeze at. You can find the Withings Steel HR Sport at Amazon for 30% off, and the Withings Move for 21% off on Prime Day.

The Withings Sleep Tracking Mat is down to $79 at Best Buy today only. This pad normally sells for $99 and rarely drops far from that price. It averages around $95, so anything lower than that is worth going for. If you prefer to shop at Amazon, you can get it for just $1 more there.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

Withings Activité Steel Activity and Sleep Tracking Watch

$34.66 $35.90 Save $1 1537156800

Withings Activité Steel Activity and Sleep Tracking Watch

$35.99 $35.90 Save $0 1537156800

Withings Activité Steel Activity and Sleep Tracking Watch

$34.47 $35.90 Save $1 1537156800

Withings Activité Steel Activity and Sleep Tracking Watch

$34.65 $35.90 Save $1 1537156800

Nokia Withings Sleep Tracking Pad

$69.95 $99.95 Save $30 1523851200

Withing's under-the-mattress pad will monitor your sleep cycles so you can get a better pciture of how well you're sleeping and what facotrs might be affecting your restfulness. It can tell the difference between deep, light, and REM sleep, analyze your heart rate, detect snoring, and quanitfy your sleep quality. It can even help you improve your sleeping habits when paired with the free Health Mate app thanks to an in-app coaching program to help improve bedtime routines

What's more, the Withings Sleep Tracking Mat can act as a switch to control lights, music, and room temperature in your smart home. Using something like IFTTT, you can have your thermostat turn up upon you waking, or you could use an Alexa-enabled device to ask how you slept last night.

If you'd prefer a fitness band that keeps tabs on your sleep, check out our list of the best fitness trackers for plenty of options that can do just that. We've also round up the best smart scales, including one from Withings, that can help you hit some weight loss goals or maintain your current physique.

Withings Steel HR

The Withings Steel HR is another example of a hybrid done right. You still get to enjoy the traditional analog watch face and subdial along with a unique OLED screen. It's also packed with great features, including connected GPS tracking.

Garmin Vivomove HR

It might look like your everyday fashionable timepiece, but the Garmin Vivomove HR is much more than that. This innovative hybrid smartwatch features a touchscreen with a hidden display and plenty of helpful features to go around.

When you want to reap some of the benefits of owning a smartwatch but you're not ready to part with the traditional aesthetic of a stylish analog watch, a hybrid is the perfect middle ground. You don't have to settle for one or the other thanks to this marvelous combination of design and features.

Two popular players in this game are the Garmin Vivomove HR and Withings Steel HR. As the names suggest, both of these hybrids come with a heart-rate monitor, but that's not all they have in common. Some other similarities include sleep and activity tracking, 5 ATM water resistance, smartphone notifications, and more. Their price tags are just about the same, too. This is an extremely close call. Want a bigger watch that's all about fashion with some sweet features sprinkled in? Go for Garmin. If you prefer a smaller watch with connected GPS and swim tracking, Withings is a winner.

Close competition

While these two hybrids share many of the same features, there are a couple of differences that might determine which one is a better fit for your needs. For example, if you're a fitness fanatic who wants to be able to track workouts with GPS, you'll want to opt for the Withings Steel HR. It doesn't have built-in GPS, so you'll need to have your phone with you when you exercise. It's still better than no GPS at all, which is what you get with the Garmin Vivomove HR.

On the other hand, if you want to be able to control the music playing from your watch, you'll probably find the Garmin Vivomove HR more appealing. The OLED display isn't as small as the one you'll find on the Withings Steel HR, either. However, neither of these screens do particularly well in direct sunlight. That's going to be a bit of a bummer for those who like to get their steps in when they're outdoors rather than inside on a treadmill.

Otherwise, the Garmin Vivomove HR display can be managed by a series of taps and swipes, but the touchscreen can be a bit finicky at times. The Withings Steel HR has a side button for easy navigation.

On the topic of design, the Withings Steel HR is available in two sizes: 36 mm and 40 mm. It's nice to have a choice, especially if you have an especially tiny wrist that does better with a smaller watch size. The Garmin Vivomove HR is only available in the 43 mm size. Some users prefer a larger watch, so not having an additional size option may not be a deal-breaker in this case. They're also both made of stainless steel and come in various colors. Garmin offers Rose Gold, Slate, and Silver, and Withings offers Black, White, and a more-expensive Sapphire. You'll enjoy interchangeable bands with both, too.

While there aren't many major differences as far as tracking is concerned, there are a couple of points worth noting. Both of these hybrid smartwatches are water-resistant up to 50 meters, but only the Withings Steel HR offers proper swim tracking — automatic, in fact. In this area, the Garmin Vivomove HR only offers a basic rest timer for pool swimming. However, it does offer all-day stress tracking with a relaxation timer, which isn't a dedicated feature on the Withings Steel HR.

One very important feature that deserves some attention is battery life. Most regular smartwatches will last a day or two at best, but you get a little extra juice with a hybrid. The Vivomove HR promises to last for up to five days in smartwatch mode and can go for an additional two weeks in watch mode. However, the Withings Steel HR wins this round with a whopping 25 days of battery life with typical usage. Keep in mind that it will last for up to five days in activity mode. You can get 20 additional days in power reserve mode, which offers time and activity tracking only.

Bottom line

Now that you know everything there is to know about the Garmin Vivomove HR and Withings Steel HR, it's time to decide. Given their nearly-identical price points, it might be as simple as choosing the design you like better. Those who prefer big watches will likely be drawn to the Vivomove HR, which is arguably the more fashionable option. If you want something a bit more modest in size and flashiness, the traditional aesthetic of the Withings Steel HR might be your pick.

That being said, if you're a stickler for features, your choice may carry a little more weight than what's on the surface. If you're set on having GPS for tracking your workouts, you'll only find that on the Withings Steel HR. It also has longer battery life and swim tracking in its favor. If music controls and stress tracking are more important to you, then the Garmin Vivomove HR is the way to go.

The Withings Steel HR might be the best deal for most people since you get the connected GPS at the same price as the Garmin Vivomove HR. Luckily, both of these hybrid smartwatches have a lot to offer and it doesn't hurt that they're relatively affordable.

What you need to know

• A 30-second ECG reading can be taken via the three built-in electrodes on the watch.
• An Sp02 sensor on the watch will track your oxygen saturation levels while you sleep to help detect sleep apnea.
• The new ScanWatch is due out in Q2 2020, pending CE and FDA clearance.

Withings, known for its connected health products and analog-style smartwatches, is back with a new watch that merges those two product lines even further. Today at CES, Withings announced the ScanWatch — a watch with Withings' familiar watch face but with more health tracking capabilities.

The ScanWatch's outside keeps the classic analog watch hands that we have come to know Withings for, but scales up the size of its POLED digital screen. The other change to the look of the watch is the inclusion of a new digital crown. This can be used for navigation on the watch and for selecting various functions, such as dismissing alarms, notifications, starting an ECG reading, and more.

Yes, that's right, the new ScanWatch has the ability to allow for an ECG reading directly on the watch — all in about 30 seconds. This is done using the three built-in sensors within the watch, two on the sides and one on the bottom. It's continuously monitoring your heart rate and looking for irregularities that could indicate AFib. If the watch senses there is something amiss in your heartbeat, it will prompt you to take an ECG reading.

The other new health tracking feature that comes to the ScanWatch is sleep apnea detection. Utilizing a Sp02 sensor, the ScanWatch can monitor your blood oxygen saturation levels to help detect if you may be suffering from inadequate breathing while you sleep. The watch also tracks your quality of sleep and includes Smart Wake-up to help wake you at the optimal point of your sleep cycle.

The health monitoring is saved to the Withings Health Mate app to review, as well as share with your doctor. The ScanWatch can also automatically track over 30 different exercises, your V02 Max levels, and integrate with over 100 third-party apps. Topping all of this off is 30-day battery life.

Product release is planned for Q2 2020, pending CE and FDA clearance, in the U.S. and Europe. Pricing will be €249/£229/$249 for the 38mm size and €299/£279/$299 to get the larger 42mm ScanWatch.

Best Smartwatches for Fitness

What you need to know

• Withings Health Mate now supports key Android 10 features.
• Improved Google Fit and Strava Integration are along for the ride.
• The update is available directly from the Google Play Store

Withings Health Mate has picked up support for Google's most useful Android 10 features. The update, as spotted by Android Police, delivers a couple of key changes to users.

The most noticeable one is the addition of dark mode. While not entirely a game-changing feature, the addition of dark mode is a crowd pleaser and one that has only accelerated ever since Google made it official with the Android 10 update. Withings says it'll work with your device's global settings.

A bit subtler but still useful is the addition of the sleep sync to Google Fit. Users like me who make use of Google Fit to track their activity levels will be delighted to learn that Health Mate now automatically syncs your sleep times to Google's app. For Strava users, you can now export your Health Mate workout data to the service.

Finally, the app now supports Android 10's new permissions structure and be more confident that the Health Mate app isn't poking its nose in places where it shouldn't. With Android 10, Google's done a lot of work in making sure users can take firmer control of their devices either via customization options or permissions control. Uptake from developers like Withings is one way of actually letting these changes trickle down to consumers.

Withings Health Mate is available for Android users via the Google Play Store.

Withings Health Mate

With improved Google Fit Integration and Android 10 support, Health Mate gets better for Android users.

• Free at Google Play Store

If you want to get fit, it's worth checking out Withings' newest Steel HR Sport smartwatch which is discounted at Amazon by $40. This hybrid smartwatch was designed with athletes in mind, and it's built to stand up to weather, water, and more. Right now, you can get your hands on one in either white or black for $159.94. These devices were released in September and we've seen them drop in price a few times, but the discounts usually don't last too long. Today's price is a match of the best we typically see outside of special days like Prime Day.

So, why would you want this smartwatch? It combines a heart rate tracker with GPS (from your connected phone) so you can get the most out of your workouts while mapping your pace and distance. It's water-resistant up to 50 meters and can last for almost a month on a single charge of its battery — something that can't be said for the vast majority of smartwatches. There's a sleep tracker too, which also offers a few features to help you make the most of your time asleep. Smart notifications are enabled as well, so you can receive alerts regarding calls, texts, events. and messages from apps on your phone.

With Workout mode, you can choose from over 30 sports and then track your progress using the Withings Health Mate app for iOS or Android. There's even a feature which can assess your cardiovascular fitness level. All in all, it gives you a pretty complete picture of your health and fitness levels.

If you're not too keen on the look of the sporty band this smartwatch comes with, or you want to grab a spare or something smarter, Withings offers several other silicone and leather band options to purchase separately at Amazon, and they are easy to change out.

The Withings Body+ Body Composition Wi-Fi Scale is now down to $65.09 on Amazon. This is one of its best prices ever, having only dropped lower than this a couple of times in the past; it's more commonly found selling for $100 although it did hit $50 earlier today for a brief spell. If you missed your chance to grab it at that low price, you can still get it right now for a price better than anything else we've seen since the holidays. This offer is valid only on the black version, with others currently discounted by $20.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

Nokia 1.3 Fully Unlocked Android 10 Go 5.7-inch HD+ smartphone

$89.22 $100.00 Save $11 1602422951

The Nokia 1.3 includes AI powered imaging, a removable battery that lasts up to two days, and a 5.71-inch HD+ screen that works great indoors and out. It's powered by the Qualcomm 215 Mobile Platform and has Google Assistant built in.

Nokia 4.2 - Android One (Pie) - 32 GB - 13+2 MP Dual Camera - Dual SIM Unlocked Smartphone (AT&T/T-Mobile/MetroPCS/Cricket/H2O) - 5.71" HD+ Screen - Black - U.S. Warranty

$119.99 $149.99 Save $30 1557806400

Nokia 6.1 Android One 32GB unlocked smartphone

$199.00 $199.00 Save $0 1523592000

Nokia 3.1 Plus - Android 9.0 Pie - 32 GB - 13 MP Dual Camera - Single SIM Unlocked Smartphone (AT&T/T-Mobile/MetroPCS/Cricket/Mint) - 6.0" HD+ Screen - Charcoal

$124.99 $159.00 Save $34 1538366400

Nokia 9 PureView TA-1082 128GB Smartphone

$499.99 $579.00 Save $79 1551070800

A smart scale is one of the easiest ways to keep track of those extra pounds you find yourself with after the holiday season. It can send data straight to the app on your smartphone, and this Withings Nokia Body+ happens to be compatible with hundreds of third-party apps as well. You can even sync it with your smartwatch. The scale monitors weight, body fat, water percentage, muscle and bone mass, and more. Not only can you record weight for up to eight people, the scale will automatically recognize who is who.

You can also save 30% on Withings' Body Cardio smart scale right now, which is currently down to $105. This model can also track your heart rate and has a rechargeable battery unlike the version above.

The Withings Nokia Body Smart Scale is more capable than most scales when it comes to helping you lose weight, and that's because it does much more than just tell how much you weight. Right now, you can even save on its purchase at Amazon, where it's currently on sale for $48. That's just cents above the lowest price it's ever had there and $12 off its regular cost.

Up to eight users can utilize this scale to track weight, BMI, and more. It also pairs with a free app for iOS and Android to help you set goals, view calorie budgets, and see your history. The scale syncs with hundreds of health apps, including Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit, and there are even special tracking features for pregnancies and infants. You can also use the scale to get weather reports, if that's your jam, which means it could be a big time saver in the mornings.

Remember that weight is only one number when it comes to fitness and health. If you're trying to change your weight, consider adding a tape measure to your order so you can track inches, too.

The Withings Smart Wi-Fi Digital Scale usually costs $60, but today Amazon has dropped the price by 20% down to $48. That deal is valid for both the black and white colors. It's also a match of a low we haven't seen since last year.

The deal given is no longer valid and we do not have a better one. However, we have found some similar deals

Withings Activité Steel Activity and Sleep Tracking Watch

$34.66 $35.90 Save $1 1537156800

Withings Activité Steel Activity and Sleep Tracking Watch

$35.99 $35.90 Save $0 1537156800

Withings Activité Steel Activity and Sleep Tracking Watch

$34.47 $35.90 Save $1 1537156800

Withings Activité Steel Activity and Sleep Tracking Watch

$34.65 $35.90 Save $1 1537156800

Nokia Withings Sleep Tracking Pad

$69.95 $99.95 Save $30 1523851200

Up to eight users can utilize this scale to track weight, BMI, and more. It also pairs with a free app for iOS and Android to help you set goals, view calorie budgets, and see your history. The scale syncs with hundreds of health apps, including Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit, and there are even special tracking features for pregnancies and infants. You can also use the scale to get weather reports, if that's your jam. Could be a time saver in the mornings.

Remember that weight is only one number when it comes to fitness and health. If you're trying to change your weight, consider adding a tape measure to your order so you can track inches, too.

Best answer: The ECG in the Withings Move ECG enables users to take an on-demand electrocardiogram right from their watch. This test records your heart's electrical activity, which can determine if you're experiencing an irregularity that could lead to something more serious.

• Monitor your heart: Withings Move ECG ($130 at Withings, Coming Soon)
• Instant Results: Health Mate App (Free at Google Play)

How does it work?

An electrocardiogram (ECG) records your heart's electrical activity and can detect when your heartbeat is irregular. This type of irregularity is often be caused by atrial fibrillation or AFib, which is the most common heart rhythm disorder. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to diagnose because irregular heartbeat episodes don't always occur when you're at the doctor's office having a test.

The good news is that Withings Move ECG can help. This watch has three electrodes that can take an on-demand measurement for you. All you have to do is place your hand on the ring surrounding your watch for 20 seconds when you're experiencing shortness of breath or palpitations. You'll notice that your ECG signal will instantly appear in the Health Mate app on your smartphone. It will alert you to an irregularity and let you know if you need to consult a specialist. If necessary, the records can even be sent to your doctor.

The importance of an ECG

If you've mostly been focused on activity tracking, you might be scratching your head and wondering why you'd need an ECG heart monitor in the first place. Anyone who's concerned with the bigger picture when it comes to their overall health would benefit from this feature. More specifically, it's great for those who have already had symptoms that point to heart-based health problems. If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, rapid pulse, or heart palpitations, this could be a worthwhile investment.

Looking ahead

Most fitness enthusiasts already know that regular activity can have a positive impact on heart health, which is why the Withings Move ECG comes with several other tracking features to get you moving. You can expect a year of battery life, water-resistance up to 50 meters, automatic activity tracking, connected GPS when paired with your smartphone, and an altimeter to track floors climbed.

If you're getting excited about the Withings Move ECG and all it has to offer, you're not alone. Earlier this year, it was estimated the the watch would be released by the end of Q2 2019. Summer is fast approaching and there is still no sign of this bad boy. The company's website states that the Move ECG is currently under review to be FDA/CE cleared, which would explain the hold up. A feature this important needs to be just right before hitting the shelves. If we had to guess, it'll be well worth the wait.

Best answer: Yes, you can connect the Withings Move activity tracking watch to your Android phone using the Heath Mate app, free to download from the Google Play Store.

• Amazon: Withings Move ($70)
• Amazon: Withings Body+ Smart Scale ($80)
• Google Play: Health Mate app (Free)

How does the Withings Move connect to your Android phone?

The Withings Move is an affordable fitness band that tracks your steps, exercise activity, and sleep data while maintaining the appearance of an analog wristwatch. That means there's no digital display or touchscreen to interact with on the Move itself and everything happens on the Withings Health Mate app.

The good news is the Health Mate app is one of the best health apps for Android that's easy to use with or without a Withings smart health product. WIth the Withings Move on your wrist and the Health Mate app on your phone, you'll be able to track and view all your step, exercise, and sleep data just by wearing a comfortable watch.

The app also features different programs that could be suited to your personal health needs. You can compete with friends and family who also have the Health Mate app on their phone in step competitions — even if they don't own a Withings fitness tracking— and there are also programs for tracking a pregnancy as well as a program for losing body fat.

To get the most out of all that the Heath Mate app has to offer you're going to want the Withings Move and a compatible smart scale like the Withings Body+.

Why use a Withings Move?

There is no shortage of smartwatches and fitness trackers to choose from because everyone has specific needs and wants from wearable tech. Based on its price and design, the Withings Move is clearly meant for more casual users who are mostly looking to track steps and sleep without wearing a beefy smartwatch packed with more features than most would realistically use.

At a glance, the Withings Move just looks like a basic wristwatch which might be just the look you're after. Not needing to charge or replace the batteries for up to 18 months is another great feature for a device you'll want to wear all the time.

Sure, it lacks the smart features you'd get in a more expensive watch like heart rate monitoring, NFC, or even a digital watch face. But all that means is you'll pay significantly less for a product that will stand out on your wrist for the right reasons at an affordable price.

There's really something to be said for a fitness tracker that doesn't look like a fitness tracker. Aside from the subtle step counter that tracks your progress towards your step goal, the Withings Move just looks like a bright and fun wristwatch, with all the sensors hidden behind the analog watch face and all the data processed on the Heath Mate app. Available in five funky color options for just $70, it's a great option for anyone wanting to save on a new fitness tracker.

Just like the Withings Move, the Withings Body+ is an affordable smart health product that sends data to the Health Mate app. Used in combination, the Move and Body+ will give you a full picture of your body health as you work to establish healthier habits or get fit. It's totally optional but a great choice if you want to get the most out of the Health Mate app.

Back at CES in January, Withings announced a new wearable that aimed to combine a fitness tracker and a stylish watch into one hybrid package for well under $100. That wearable is the Withings Move, and as of April 3, it's finally available for purchase after missing the initial February launch.

At first glance, the Withings Move looks like nothing more than a stylish watch. It's offered in a few different case colors with colorful band options and truly looks like a traditional timepiece. Behind those good looks, however, is a very capable toolset of fitness tracking goodies.

Withings Move tracks multiple workouts types, including walking, running, swimming, and biking. When paired to your phone, it also features connected GPS so you can map out where you went on your running or biking session. Speaking of swimming, it's waterproof up to 50M.

You can also track your sleep with Withings Move, and when you do, you'll see a Sleep Score to measure the quality of your sleep, Sleep Cycles to indicate how your sleep changed throughout the night, and a Smart Wake-Up feature will gently wake you up "at the optimal point in your sleep cycle."

All of the data that the Move collects is synced to the Withings Health Mate app, and when it comes to battery life, the Withings Move will last up to 18 months without ever needing to be charged up.

In addition to selling a few pre-made configurations on Amazon, you can also order the Move on Withings website. More colors will be added throughout 2019, and at some point later this year, Withings will launch a customization tool that allows you to fine-tune the exact look of the dial, case, activity hand, and watch band before ordering.

How's that New Year's resolution coming? Hopefully you've been keeping up with your goals, but if you're looking to make things a bit easier, consider grabbing the Withings Body Cardio Wi-Fi Smart Scale while it's on sale at Newegg Flash. For the next few days only, it's discounted to just $64.99 there, saving you around $50 off what you'd spend on average for one at Amazon. Today's deal is also $25 lower than we've seen it drop before. Shipping is free, though only the white model is on sale at this price.

This scale syncs with the free Health Mate app (available on iOS and Android) automatically after its initial setup, allowing you to view your current weight and stats from anywhere in the world, including stats like body fat, muscle and bone mass, and standing heart rate. Up to eight people can track their weight stats with the scale, and it's even capable of recognizing who is who automatically. It's designed with a solid aluminum base and heat-tempered glass, and even features a Pregnancy Tracker and Baby Mode. There's nutrition tracking as well.

The Withings Body Cardio Scale is even compatible with the Apple Watch and over 100 fitness apps like Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit.

The trials and tribulations of Withings are well documented. The once-independent hardware startup known for creating stylish, functional wearables, released a number of impressive products under the Activité and Steel lines back through 2016 — until it was acquired by newly phone-free Nokia.

Nokia, like Intel and many larger companies that struggled to integrate wearables into their long-term focus, ended up releasing minor iterations of Withings' existing products until it reached a deal in mid-2018 to sell the firm back to its original founders.

Newly independent once again, Withings is back at CES 2019 with a new lineup of products led by the Move and Move ECG wearables. Both are analog watches that measure steps and sleep and accrue workout metrics automatically from walking, running, swimming, and cycling.

The Move, available in early February for $70, is interesting because of Withings' long-term strategy for the line. While there will be five colors available at launch, including delightful aqua-and-white and red-and-white options, the company says it will release new colors on a monthly basis. And by year's end, Withings will allow users to completely customize every aspect of the watch, from the shade of the aluminum body to the strap to the color of the dials.

With an 18-month battery, the Move series will likely be the more universal and interesting of Withings' CES announcements, but it's not the only one worth noting.

The Move ECG has the same basic design as its cheaper counterpart, but adds three electrodes that facilitate the measurement of one's heart rhythm. In late 2017, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 4 with the ability to measure heart rhythm, mainly with the intention of diagnosing — or getting as close to as possible without a hospital visit — Atrial Fibrillation, or AFib.

Because there's no screen, the Move ECG records on the watch and synchronizes the metrics with an iOS or Android app. Withings says that the ECG functionality is currently under review by the FDA.

Because of its additional functionality, the Move ECG only has a 12-month battery life, but both can easily be replaced using a standard watch cell.

Move ships February 5 for $69.95, while Move ECG comes a few weeks later, sometime in Q2, for $129.95.

See at Withings

Various models of the Withings Nokia Steel HR Hybrid Smartwatch are discounted at Amazon today, and some are even at all-time low prices that haven't been reached before until now. The most affordable of the watches on sale currently is this standard white/black activity tracker for $94.50, which regularly sells for $130 and sold for $104 on Black Friday. It's worth noting this model doesn't allow for notifications from your phone to be sent to it, unlike the options below.

For a smartwatch that's a bit more elegant, you could choose this black HR option for $143.96, nearly $40 below its regular price and the lowest it's ever been before without a coupon. There's this Rose Gold Black HR version for $160, which first dropped to this price as a Black Friday offer just last month. and regularly sells for $200.

Today's sale also includes a selection of wristbands for these smartwatches, including options like this black Silicone Wristband for $19.97. That saves you $5 off its regular price.

Focusing in on the Rose Gold Black model, you'll be able to get up to 25 days of battery life after a single charge, plus another 20 days when using the Power Reserve mode. It's capable of continually tracking and monitoring your heart rate while in Workout mode, and it also includes activity tracking that automatically tracks walking, running, swimming, and more activities in terms of distance and calories burned. It's water-resistant up to 50 meters too, so you can wear it while snorkeling, running in the rain, or even singing in the shower. Best of all, it receives notifications directly from your phone so you can know when someone's calling or texting, if you're about to miss an appointment, and more. Amazon Alexa is integrated as well. The other watch models are similar though the specs do vary slightly depending on the version you choose.

Take a good look at the discounted Withings smart watches at Amazon and be sure to take your pick before they sell out!

See at Amazon

SAVE 20% ON STEEL HR THROUGH MAY 31!!! The Steel HR activity tracker/watch/heart rate monitor retails for $199 for the 40mm version ($279 for the 36mm), but this month you SAVE a bunch o' 💰💰💰. ... Use this link to get on it!!!

I spent a lot of years wearing a lot of smartwatches. Until I didn't. At some point, I just gave up having one more thing to charge every night. Or maybe being able to swipe away an email at a moment's notice just wasn't important anymore. And, so, I went analog. (Thanks to my lovely wife for this Christmas present.)

But I screwed up. I wore my Shinola (this one, since folks will ask) to the gym, twice, and very quickly ended up with sweat stains in the leather. (Let that be a lesson to you!) Time to be smarter about things. And one of the best pieces of advice I think there is when it comes to fitness tech is to try to stay in a single ecosystem. I was already using the Withings Body scale and Wireless Blood Pressure Cuff.

Time to try its fancy watch, too. This is the Steel HR.

See at Withings{.cta.shop}

The short, short version: The Steel HR is what I'd call a semi-smart watch. It's got an analog face and an indicator for activity level gauge, dialing up from 0 to 100% (or beyond) as you go throughout your day. It's also got a small digital display for basic notifications.

On the underside is a heart-rate monitor — the HR part of the Steel HR.

It'll check your heart rate once every 10 minutes or so when you're just walking around. But hold down the button on the side of the watch and you enter "workout mode," and the watch starts taking heart rate measurements continuously. Press the button again and you can see how hard your pumper is pumping and how much time has elapsed in each session.

You're forgiven if you look at the Steel HR and don't see it as a smartwatch. I don't. For one, it doesn't have the telltale color display. That's actually a good thing in this case, for two reasons. The first is that when I'm doing the fitness thing, I don't want to be futzing with the watch all the time. Back when I was wearing full smartwatches, I was always swiping at the darn thing. The Steel HR, however, doesn't bother me much, if at all. It tells the time, it tracks me in the background, and it notifies me of important incoming events — but those are pretty few and far between.

The other thing is that because it doesn't have a big, color display lit up all the time, the battery lasts for what feels like forever. As I type this, I honestly couldn't tell you the actual capacity of the battery, because I simply don't care. I haven't gone less than a week before I even thought about getting near a charger. Actual run time will vary a bit depending on how much you're using the active workout mode. The literature says you get up to five days' use in workout mode and up to 25 days in normal mode. And that's really not an exaggeration. The only times I've charged is when I've felt like it — not because I had to. And the watch charges pretty fast, too, quoting up to 80% in an hour, with another hour to hit 100%.

Hardware is nothing without software, of course. And so this all (like the scale and BP cuff and other products) ties into the Health Mate app, available on Android, on iOS, and on the web.

When you use the "active workout" mode, the watch will sync back to the phone and try to figure out what it is you were doing. Walking and running are the obvious ones. Swimming, too. I usually have to edit things when I'm on the elliptical, but that's sort of the point. It makes importing your workouts pretty seamless. You just need to double-check the activity and maybe calories expended. Elapsed time and heart rate are handled for you.

(The Nokia folks tell me the Steel HR also will try to automatically recognize tennis, ping pong, squash, badminton, weightlifting, basketball, soccer, volleyball, dancing, and boxing. And if it doesn't figure those out, it's got a bunch more you can select from yourself.)

I've been wearing the Steel HR for a few months now. Not 100% of the time (I don't wear my Shinola 100% of the time either), but almost every time I exercise. I'm to the point where I kind of kick myself a little if I forget to strap it on in the morning when I walk — gotta have my steps counted!

But the Steel HR absolutely comes with me to the gym, every time I go to the gym. I love having a log of my exercises and how hard (or not) I was working.

But mostly I love having a semi-smart connected watch that can stand up to my sweaty body (I'll let that visual sink in for a minute) and run for weeks at a time. That it looks decent — more than decent, actually — is an added bonus.

See at Withings{.cta.shop}

OK, let's get one thing straight. Knowing how much you weigh won't actually cause you to lose weight. The scale is just the messenger, right? But I've been a HUGE fan of the Withings Body scale (it's actually my second one, having upgraded from the older model) for a couple years now.

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The gist: You stand on it. It weighs you and uploads the data to The Cloud™. Weight, BMI, even things like air quality and how much of your body is made up of water. And it's smart enough to handle multiple family members. (My wife and kids all weigh different enough so that we're easily discerned, anyway.)

And then? You follow the trend line. Don't worry so much about the daily numbers. Look at it weekly. If you're losing weight, you'll know it. Same if you're gaining. It's super smart, and super easy. An app for Android. And one for iOS. A web-based dashboard. HealthKit. Google Fit. Withings ties into it all, and made all of this super-easy for me.

See at Amazon

That's the bad news. ... The good news is that 2016 was the year I decided to take my health a little more seriously. Step 1: Get a doctor. That led to Step 2: Find out that I indeed had high blood pressure, and start dealing with that. And that led to Step 3: Keep track of how the ol' blood beater is beating on a daily basis.

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So it was time to snag a blood pressure monitor. I started with your basic Amazon best-seller. And that was fine. It did the job, and it even had a little bit of smarts to it. But I wanted something even smarter, even more connected.

So I turned to Withings, whose connected scaled I'd already been using for some time. And their wireless blood pressure monitor has served me very well since I started keeping track of things. Probably as impressive as anything is that in the six months or so that I've been using it, I still haven't had to change out the batteries. (Which, strangely, was my biggest concern.)

This one works excellently with Android and Google Fit, as well as iOS and HealthKit.

See at Amazon

Withings has announced its latest analog fitness tracker, the Steel HR. This is the first analog fitness tracker that adds heart rate monitoring to it, without taking away from the incredible design of the watch. At first glance, it is hard to tell that it is a fitness tracker, let alone that it can monitor your heart rate as well. It will be available in both 36mm and 40mm cases this time around, so depending on your wrist size you'll be able to purchase the one that fits you best.

You won't need to worry about charging the Steel HR every day as it is said to last for around 25 days per charge with heart rate monitoring. After 25 days of monitoring, it will transition to a power saving mode which gives you an additional 20 days of battery life. While in power saving mode, the Steel HR will continue to track your activity, just not your heart rate.

As for pricing, the 36mm will retail for $179.95 and the 40mm for $199.95 and both will be available beginning in October.

Press release:

Nokia Launches Withings Steel HR, the First Analog Activity-Tracking Watch with Heart Rate Monitoring

Steel HR brings a new level of health tracking: Heart rate monitoring with style, ease, and unsurpassed battery life

September 1, 2016

BERLIN, GERMANY–Withings, part of Nokia and a leader in the connected health revolution, today announced an extension to its activity tracker portfolio with the introduction of Withings Steel HR, a connected health watch with fully-featured activity tracking, heart rate monitoring and smartphone notifications. Continuing to spearhead the unique category of beautifully designed trackers within fashionable timepieces, Steel HR marries classic French design with advanced heart rate monitoring and a 25-day battery life. Steel HR can automatically measure continuous heart rate during workouts, average heart rate during the day, and resting heart rate while sleeping, while also offering a dynamic digital screen that displays your overall health data and smartphone notifications.

Seamless, Modern Design Steel HR has all the features of a stylish analog watch that users actually want to wear: French design, stainless steel casing, chrome hands, and modern silicone straps. In addition, Steel HR will be available in two sizes: 36mm and 40mm. The standard 36mm case with an 18mm strap will be available in black and white. The new 40mm case will be available in black and comes with a 20mm strap.

Like its predecessors, Steel HR features hand dials that show the time and a sub-dial that shows the percentage of personal daily activity goal achieved. The activity goal (e.g. 10,000 steps) is set within the free Withings Health Mate application (available on iOS and Android) and keeps users up to date on their progress. Steel HR also boasts a new dynamic digital screen at the top of the watch face, which displays health data and smartphone notifications. Users can choose the information they would like to be shown on this screen through a multifunctional button on the side of the watch. This button allows users to navigate through data options including calories burned, daily steps, distance, sleep duration and smart alarm, and to receive notifications forcalls, new emails, texts and event reminders.

Best-In-Class Battery Life

Steel HR is powered by a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 25 days, the best battery life for a heart monitoring activity tracker available. After approximately 25 days of heart rate monitoring, Steel HR will transition to power save mode, giving users an additional 20 days of battery life. In power save mode, Steel HR will continue to track basic activity, including steps and swims.

Holistic Approach to Heart Rate Monitoring

Steel HR goes beyond tracking steps by providing users with a more detailed look into their overall health and fitness performance. This is accomplished through a technology called photoplethysmography (PPG), which monitors heart rate using green LED lights to detect variation in the level of blood in the wrist.

During a workout session, users can launch a continuous heart rate session simply by pushing the multifunctional button on the watch. Moreover, Steel HR will automatically initiate continuous heart rate while running. During exercise, seeing real-time heart rate at a glance can help optimize workout intensity and can motivate the user to improve performance. Post-workout, user will then be able to view maximum heart rate, calories burned, and a "time in zone" graph directly within Withings' free Health Mate App.

On a daily basis, users can visualize how much time was spent in each heart rate zone, providing a holistic picture of their activity output. At night, Steel HR also automatically monitors the user's pulse while sleeping to provide resting heart rate - a key metric to assess overall health over time.

"Whether you're an athlete or simply trying to lose a few pounds and get a better handle on your health, knowing your heart rate can help you better understand your overall health and reach your fitness goals,"said Cédric Hutchings, VP of Digital Health, Nokia Technologies. "With the wealth of insights it provides and the extended battery life for a health watch of its type, Steel HR truly is the first of its kind."

Automatic Activity Tracking

Steel HR, like all activity trackers from Withings, has highly-advanced automatic activity recognition capabilities that detect a wide variety of movements and speeds associated with various activities. For walking and running, the device analyzes number of steps, distance covered, and calories burned as well as the duration of the running session. Steel HR is also water-resistant (5 ATM) and automatically recognizes when the user starts swimming, providing the time of the session and the calories burned. At night, Steel HR analyzes light and deep sleep cycles, as well as wake ups, to give users a full understanding of their sleep patterns.

Personal Health Coach

The new Steel HR connects to the free, award-winning Withings Health Mate iOS and Android application. Acting as a powerful resource to manage many aspects of everyday health, Health Mate provides detailed information about activity including heart rate summaries, a daily timeline, personalized advice, and advanced food logging capabilities. It even allows users to share their data and challenge friends via "in app" interactive leaderboards and through social media channels. Health Mate also integrates with over 150 top health and fitness apps to further add to the 360° wellness experience.

Availability

At the beginning of October, both versions of Withings Steel HR will be available exclusively at www.withings.com. The 36mm will retail for $179.95 and the 40mm for $199.95. Retail availability for both versions will follow at the end of October.

Connected health tech usually is all about strapping gadgets to your body in order to feed data to an app on your phone. Wear this thing when you run, this thing when you sleep, this thing when you go swimming, and so on until you're never not wearing some kind of connected health bauble. Using data to help keep yourself healthy is great, but sometimes the way we go about it is clumsy. The folks at Withings have released a new model in their line of highly successful connected scales that takes aim at some of these other connected health gadgets, making it so your bathroom scale is all you really need for a detailed look at how healthy you are.

We've been using one for a couple of days now, and here's how it works!

Withings Body Cardio is all about adding data to your body profile, using pulse wave velocity measurement on top of the existing sensors to help determine heart rate as well as body water percentage, muscle mass, and your body fat percentage. You step on the scale and get your weight immediately, but stick around for this extra information. If you're connected to a Withings step tracker you'll see that information on the small display as well as a glance at the weather as you reach the end of the readout. This additional information is fun for a data junkie to look at on the scale, but when that data is synced to the app it is used to offer a more complete picture of your personal health.

Data tracked over time, specifically your heart rate and total body water percentage, add to the "butterfly" Withings tries to create with your personal profile in their app. Withings claims the use of pulse wave velocity gives you a better sense of heart health, and tracking this daily gives you a way to see your resting heart rate decrease over time as you exercise. The company is also quite clear that their statement haven't been evaluated by the FDA, and that this scale shouldn't be used in the diagnosis of anything. Which is good, since our tests revealed some significant variance in heart rate measurement when climbing on the scale repeatedly and comparing the results to wrist and finger-based heart rate monitors.

Withings gets credit for once again releasing a nice-looking scale that is crammed with sensors for giving you a better sense of how more of your body is behaving from day to day. The scale itself looks nice, and Withings claims the battery on this scale will go for a whole year before needing to be recharged. These scales are the closest thing to a set-and-forget connected health appliance, and when used with the recommended software there's a lot of useful information about your body available. Whether that means you'll lose weight or be more active as a result is, of course, entirely up to the user.

Withings is launching this scale available exclusively at Apple Stores and Withings.com for $180, with plan to make the Body Cardio scale available at other retailers by the end of the summer.

In addition to general Android compatibility, tomorrow's update will bring compatibility with Google Fit, the fitness platform announced by Google at I/O 2014. Users will be able to upload their Withings Health Hub data to Google Fit, including their Weight data, steps, and heart rate.

The Withings Activité is available now for $450, while the Activité Pop will go on sale for $149.95.

The Future of Wearables comes to Android

Withings range of analogue watches with built-in activity trackers and fashion forward design are now compatible with world's biggest mobile platform

March 1, 2015 - Withings, the leader in the connected health revolution, has today announced that both the Withings Activité and the Activité Pop will be compatible with Android mobile platform tomorrow, March 2. The two analogue watches are innovating the space of wearable health trackers by making the convergence of fashion and mobile technology accessible to everyone, including Android users across the globe. Withings also reiterates its commitment to the Android ecosystem by announcing compatibility with Google Fit, the new health hub by Google.

Activity trackers made for everyone

Activité and Activité Pop are at the crossroads between timekeeping and activity tracking, they are fashionable accessories that bring a new face to smartwatches. By fitting into anyone's lifestyle, Activité and Activité Pop are the first watches that will address a global audience, going beyond the tech-savvy user. The introduction of the two analog watches at CES 2015 has generated high expectations about their potential. Android compatibility was then a priority for Withings; it is now available, one month after the European launch of Activité Pop, and right on time for the US launch.

"Following on from the overwhelming reception that both the Activité and Activité Pop have received on their elegance and design, we have listened to our dynamic Android community and it seemed natural for us to quickly provide Android compatibility for each product," said Cédric Hutchings, CEO of Withings.

Withings and Android, a long term relationship

Withings has always acknowledged the potential of the Android community, and was committed to provide compatibility as soon as possible. Most devices of the ecosystem are already Android compatible, such as the Smart Body Analyzer, Withings' bestseller, and the Smart Blood Pressure Monitor, now coming with Bluetooth connectivity. Withings Aura and Home will also soon be compatible.

Moreover, Withings Health Mate app offers the same features for iOS and Android; the app allows its users to track their steps on the largest range of iOS and Android smartphones.

Withings is also announcing compatibility with Google Fit, the new health hub by Google, to enable its users to automatically upload their Health Mate data into Google fit application. With its wide range of devices, Withings will be a key actor for Google Fit users, sharing the following measures:

• Smart Body Analyzer: Weight
• Withings Pulse 0x: Steps and Heart Rate
• Withings Health Mate app: Steps

Activité and Activité Pop, revolutionising activity tracking Apart from their design and dual compatibility, both Activité and Activité Pop include a set of game-changing features that make them truly wearable in the long run. Always up-to-date, Activité's hands move automatically when it crosses time zones or the clock changes. There is no need to recharge it as a single standard watch battery powers it and lasts up to eight months. Activité and Activité pop are both waterproof up to 30 meters and can be worn during any type of activity.

"The activity tracker category has a huge problem with abandonment, and so consumers don't really get to see the benefit of long-term data and the impact it can have on their health," said Cedric Hutchings. "The Activité and Activité Pop's design, ease of use and now Android compatibility combine for the most accessible activity tracker that we've ever seen." Availability

Activité is available to buy from Withings.com for a MSRP of $450.

Activité Pop will be available at Best Buy stores nationwide and online in March 2015 for a MSRP of $149.95.

With the holidays right around the corner, we're staring down the ugly double-barrel of gifts and the inevitable New Year's resolutions. Finding the right gifts for the fitness freak in your life can sometimes be a chore, but here at Android Central, we've got you covered.

And what about those folks who'll pledge to be more active and exercise more in the new year? Well, there's gifts for them on this list, too.

Join us after the break for the whole shakedown of what'll get yours (or their) blood pumping.

Apps

1. Calorie Counter: If you're into fitness and exercise, you're probably into counting calories. For that, there's nothing better than Calorie Counter. You open the app up, give it some personal information about yourself (like age, weight, and level of activity), and it tells you your recommended daily intake.

Tracking your RDI is easy with Fatsecret’s extensive food database. Search for foods, scan barcodes, and pick from foods you’ve recently eaten to populate your graph for the day. You can also add in calories you’ve burned, and best of all, it’s free. [Market Link]

2. C25K Pro: From what I hear, running is a good form of exercise. If you’re just starting out but want to be able to go the distance someday, C25K Pro is the app for you. It has every workout in the Couch to 5K program in it, broken up by week and then by day.

You’ve got options on how you want to be notified to start running or start walking, and with the Pro version, you can access your music and leave the app without the timer pausing itself. C25K Pro is $1.99. [Market Link]

3. Endomondo Sports Tracker PRO: Now that you’re doing all this calorie counting and physical activity, you’re going to want to make sure you’re keeping track of it (and all those pesky calories you burn). There are a couple of apps that’ll do the job, but one of the best is Endomondo Sports Tracker PRO.

Endomondo has a ridiculously long list of activities it can track (like fencing and polo), syncs all of your workout info to a detailed online portal, and has a built-in audio coach that helps you challenge your old times to keep improving. Endomondo Sports Tracker PRO is $3.99. [Market Link]

Accessories

4. Plantronics BackBeat 903 Bluetooth Headset: Listening to music is a great way to pass the time when you’re feelin’ the burn, and the Plantronics BackBeat 903 Bluetooth Headphones are a great way to keep the beats coming while keeping the wires away.

Featuring Altec Lansing technology, the speakers put out a pretty respectable range of sounds for wireless, and they also boast music controls and dual-microphones for enhanced call quality. Lightweight and comfortable, they’re the perfect companion during a workout. The Plantronics BackBeat 903 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones are $89.95. Find it at ShopAndroid.com

5. Tune Belt Sport Armband: Carrying your phone while you work out can be a hassle, so grab a Tune Belt Sport Armband and slap it on your arm. If you’re rocking one of those phones with a 4-inch screen or larger, have no fear; Tune Belt has an armband specifically for that.

While it’s not custom-tailored for a particular model, it fits everything from the Droid X2 to the Thunderbolt to the EVO 3D, so no matter your device, you’re covered. The soft, elastic arm band is comfortable no matter the exercise, and the clear screen makes it easy to get to your screen when you need to. The Tune Belt Sport Armband is $14.95. [Amazon]

6. Zephyr HxM Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor: Knowing your heart rate when you exercise is a big deal. It helps you keep track of how hard you’re working, lets you see if your endurance is improving over time, and gives you an idea if you’re hitting your target rate for maximum fat burn.

The Zephyr HxM Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor lets you do all of this in a small, comfortable package. Put the elastic band around your chest, snap the monitor into place, and pair it up with your phone. From there, it’s usually auto-detected by your fitness app, and you’re good to go. The Zephyr HxM Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor is $99.00. [Amazon]

7. MOTOACTV: No Android lover's fitness list would be complete without the MOTOACTV. It’s your all-in-one fitness tracker, with Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-fi, and 8 or 16 GB of storage right on the device. Small, lightweight, and tough-as-nails, the MOTOACTV is for the enthusiast who plans on working out and working hard.

You can also keep it on you at all times to track your steps walked and an estimate on how many calories you’ve burned over the day. When you’re done, check out Motorola’s complete online portal to see how you’re doing, set goals, and bask in the glory of your fitness. The MOTOACTV is $245.40 for 8GB or $299.99 for 16GB. [Amazon]

8. MOTOACTV Sports Wrist Strap: Now that you’ve got your shiny, new MOTOACTV, you need some way of keeping it on you. Enter the MOTOACTV Sports Wrist Strap for all of your stylish, fitness needs.

The Sports Wrist Strap lets you wear the MOTOACTV like a watch (great for the all-day tracking) and is made out of a sweat-resistant, plastic material that’s also comfortable all day. With the Sports Wrist Strap, your MOTOACTV is always within easy reach, so you’re free to change music, check notifications, or start a workout at your leisure. The MOTOACTV Sports Wrist Strap is $29.99. [Amazon]

9. MOTOACTV Sports ArmBand: Not a fan of wearing your MOTOACTV like a watch? No problem. For you, there’s the MOTOACTV Sports ArmBand. With it, you can wear your MOTOACTV in a more traditional style, without worrying about compulsively checking it every time your arm goes past your face.

It’s made of a soft, comfortable mesh material and the Velcro/hook design promises to last many a workout (and still stay tight). The MOTOACTV Sports Armband is $29.99. [Amazon]

10. Withings Wifi Body Scale: Stay up-to-date as you shed the pounds with the most hi-tech scale there is: the Withings WiFi Body Scale. With a design that suggests it should be anywhere but the bathroom floor, the Withings Wifi Body Scale is as functional as it is gorgeous.

Save up to eight profiles on the scale and track stats such as your weight, fat mass, lean mass, and BMI. When you’re done, the information is uploaded to a private, password-protected website so you can see your progress, and there’s also an app built just for Android, to boot. [Amazon]