Withings ScanWatch Nova review: Style in spades

Though Apple and Samsung may seize the headlines with Extremely smartwatches, Withings continues to be quietly going about its enterprise making smartwatches with a distinction. 

If you happen to’re like me and get pissed off concerning the cons of smartwatches similar to poor battery life and touchscreens, Withings makes among the greatest hybrid wearables in the marketplace and the ScanWatch Nova is one in every of its newest efforts. 

The gadgets takes the core innards and options of the ScanWatch 2 and places them in a premium dive watch fashion casing. It’s a kind of upgraded model of the Withings ScanWatch Horizon which continues to be on sale.

Design & Construct

• 42mm stainless-steel case
• Three colors
• 10ATM

The hybrid design, if it’s new to you, means you may have a standard analogue watch with minute and hour palms joined by a small dial with a 3rd analogue hand monitoring your step purpose. 

On the high half is a small display screen which offers the smartwatch options such because the date, coronary heart fee, pores and skin temperature, ECG, blood oxygen, respiratory workouts and extra. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

This display screen may be activated with raise-to-wake or urgent the digital crown on the aspect. The crown is then used to scroll by means of the interface and all of it works effectively and intuitively.

What units the ScanWatch Nova aside from rivals and the agency’s different watches is its chunkier and extra premium design. The stainless-steel casing has a 10ATM water resistance ranking and the design additionally options anti-reflection sapphire glass and a ceramic rotating bezel.

There’s just one dimension accessible at 42mm and it weighs 63g with no strap which is heavier than many smartwatches, though lighter than the ScanWatch Horizon.

The palms and indexes are ‘Tremendous-LumiNova’ or in different phrases actually actually glow at nighttime. The mirror-polished edges end issues off properly. 

I’m a giant fan of the feel and appear of the Nova which oozes craftsmanship and it’s accessible in three colors: black, blue and inexperienced.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

In contrast to most smartwatches, the Nova is provided with each a fluoroelastomer strap (color matching the watch face and bezel) and a steel Oyster wristband. Within the field you’ll discover all of the instruments you must take away or add hyperlinks to get it the appropriate dimension, too.

I really like the design and actually solely have one gripe which is placing the straps onto the case is admittedly fiddly, significantly the steel band which has two little quick-release tabs at both finish.

It’s catered for a masculine style so if you’d like one thing extra female then Withings has since unveiled the ScanWatch Nova Sensible Version which we gave a Greatest in Present award to at IFA 2024. It is available in a smaller 39mm case and two colourways.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Options & Monitoring

• Steps, flooring and extra
• Coronary heart fee
• Pores and skin temperature
• Blood oxygen

You won’t suppose by the look of it, however the ScanWatch Nova has a variety of exercise and health monitoring talents. Across the again and inside it has a TempTech24/7 Module, Excessive Dynamic Vary accelerometer, Multi-wavelength PPG with 16 channels and an altimeter.

This implies the watch can observe all types of stats and exercise together with steps (which you’ll see on the analogue dial), coronary heart fee, pores and skin temperature and blood oxygen ranges.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

The little display screen on the Nova can present you your coronary heart fee, pores and skin temperature, steps, distance, flooring climbed then you’ll be able to optionally set off exercises, an ECG, blood oxygen verify or guided respiratory.

Opening the companion app will then provide you with a way more detailed breakdown of your every day, weekly and month-to-month stats. Once more, you’ll be able to take a look at your steps or dive into sleep monitoring when you’re glad to put on the Nova in a single day (which I discovered surprisingly comfy with the fluoroelastomer strap).

A number of the monitoring I noticed reported within the many months I’ve been utilizing the Nova appears completely in-line with different smartwatches. Nonetheless, I got here throughout varied inaccuracies which I wasn’t anticipating from a tool this high-end from an organization like Withings, which is concentrated on well being merchandise.

Flooring climbed is sort of at all times undercounted and from time to time I noticed uncommon spikes in my coronary heart fee (as excessive as 180bpm) which I believe I’d learn about have been it true. The blood oxygen verify on the watch usually says ‘inconclusive’ which will get irritating.

Sleep monitoring is fairly strong total however once more, some nights would suppose I used to be awake after I wasn’t and would additionally repeatedly suppose I fell asleep as quickly as my head hit the pillow which I do know just isn’t true. It does lead to a greater sleep rating so not so dangerous when you like that placebo impact within the morning.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

This was all utilizing the fluoroelastomer strap which supplies you a greater match for the sensors to work. If you happen to get unfortunate with the match of the steel band, because you’re restricted to eradicating or including hyperlinks, the monitoring might be worse.

Moreover, the watch can mechanically detect some exercises however received it mistaken extra occasions than I can recall. The app has loads of swims and cycles logged after they have been truly simply informal walks, maybe confused by me strolling a canine with one had and pushing a pram with the opposite.

It may observe menstrual cycles however I haven’t been capable of take a look at that, after all.

Loads of less expensive smartwatches present extra correct monitoring and in addition sometimes have GPS which the Nova doesn’t possess. One other shock whenever you’re paying over £500/$500.

Battery Life & Charging 

• As much as 30 days
• Low-cost, straightforward to lose charger

Surprisingly, the ScanWatch Nova comes with a charger that appears and feels prefer it’s from a sub-£50/$50 smartwatch. Merely a small plastic cradle with a USB-C port, it doesn’t match the premium nature of every little thing else within the field. 

I’d a lot moderately a wi-fi charging stand that would dwell on my bedside desk at this value. Fortunately, the charger isn’t wanted fairly often in any respect because the ScanWatch Nova can final a whopping 30 days. 

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

If you happen to do desire a ‘correct’ smartwatch that may last more than a few days, look to the OnePlus Watch 2 and 2R.

Throughout my testing, I repeatedly forgot the Nova was a tool that wanted charging which makes for a refreshing change in comparison with most smartwatches.

It takes a few hours to completely cost from flat however with 30 days battery you don’t want to attend for it to get to 100% even when you’re occurring vacation for every week. 

Value & Availability 

For the privilege of sporting the ScanWatch Nova in your wrist, Withings expenses £549.95/$599.95.

You should purchase it straight from Withings in addition to the likes of Amazon, Argos and Currys within the UK or Amazon within the US.  

That’s a good distance from being inexpensive and though it’s not in direct competitors, you will get the likes of a Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely for £599/$649. 

As you should have gathered from the assessment, the smartwatch has a special attraction from what Samsung, OnePlus, Apple and others have to supply. If you need a less expensive Withings then take a look at the ScanWatch 2 or ScanWatch Gentle.

It’s a premium expertise relating to particulars just like the field, straps and the hybrid design so could also be price each penny.

Take a look at our listing of one of the best smartwatches for the highest choices proper now.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Must you purchase the Withings ScanWatch Nova? 

The ScanWatch Nova isn’t low cost so you must be certain it’s precisely the type of wearable you’re on the lookout for.

And to that finish, it matches a fairly explicit invoice being a high-end fashionable analogue watch however with a variety of sensors and good tech packed in.

If you happen to don’t like the thought of a full-screen smartwatch with brief battery life, the ScanWatch Nova is a really neat resolution so long as you don’t thoughts the exercise monitoring not being as correct as you may count on at this value.

Specs

• 0.63-inch Grayscale OLED show, 282 PPI
• TempTech24/7 Module
• Excessive Dynamic Vary Accelerometer
• Multi-wavelength PPG 16 channels
• Altimeter
• Respiratory disturbance detection 
• Bluetooth Low Vitality 
• Silent alarm 
• Heartrate, steps, distance, calorie, and elevation monitoring 
• 30+ exercises 
• Sleep monitoring 
• As much as 30-day battery life 
• Requires iOS 14 or Android 8 or later
• Stainless-steel case (316L)
• Ceramic and stainless-steel rotating bezel
• Anti-reflective sapphire glass
• Stainless-steel crown
• 63g (42mm)
• 10ATM