The Withings ScanWatch Horizon is finally available in the United States, and it packs lots of health and fitness tracking features in addition to a premium price tag. Withings is a familiar name and one of the popular brands in the hybrid smartwatch segment. Originally an independent company, it was purchased by Nokia in 2016.
However, in 2018, Withings co-founder, Éric Carreel, purchased the company back from Nokia, which wanted to sell its health tech business which Withings was a part of. The deal was completed in May 2018. In addition to watches, the French company also makes other health-related products such as fitness trackers, smart scales, blood pressure monitors and thermometers.
The ScanWatch Horizon is a premium hybrid smartwatch, and it shows in its design and choice of materials. Withings says the dial is covered with sapphire glass, the case is made of 316L stainless steel, and the dial is brass. The serrated bezel can also rotate, just like the bezel of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Owners will also be able to use the watch in the dark thanks to the Luminova indices, pointers, and bezel, which glow in the dark. The ScanWatch Horizon also has superior water resistance that's rated 10 ATM (100 meters), double that of most smartwatches. Attached to the watch is an Oyster Metal band, but owners can decide to switch to a fluoroelastomer Sport band included in the box or a third-party 20mm band. Interested buyers can pick it up in green or blue for $499.
Premium Health Tracking
The ScanWatch Horizon packs all of the features expected of a high-end smartwatch. Just like the Apple Watch, there is an ECG sensor for detecting atrial fibrillation (AFib), and owners can record their ECG by placing their hand on the bezel, which doubles as an electrode. The watch also has a PPG sensor that measures the blood oxygen level, while an optical heart rate sensor tracks heart rate. Users can display select health data on the miniature subdial, but for more detailed info, the companion app, which is available for both Android and iOS devices, is the way to go. Withings says the health data can be easily shared with a doctor, health coach, or loved one from within the app.
For fitness enthusiasts, the hybrid smartwatch can track over 30 different activities and even supports automatic detection for sports such as swimming, cycling and running. There is also a pedometer, and the subdial will display the total steps taken. And after a long day, the ScanWatch Horizon will record sleep cycles and assign a sleep score based on the data analyzed using a proprietary algorithm. In addition, a Smart Wake-up feature will let the watch choose the best time to wake the user up, depending on their sleep state (light or deep) and schedule. The device can also analyze breathing during sleep by using a combination of the accelerometer and data captured by the SpO2 and heart rate sensors. In addition to health and fitness tracking, the watch will vibrate and display previews of notifications (calls, texts, and app alerts) on the PMOLED subdial.
The ScanWatch Horizon connects via Bluetooth LE. It doesn't have GPS but can latch on to the one on the connected smartphone. Since this is a hybrid smartwatch, the battery life is expected to be superior to a regular smartwatch. Withings says it will last up to 30 days on a single charge with nominal use, and it can even survive an extra 20 days when in power-saving mode. It charges via a magnetic charging cable which is included in the box.
Source: Withings