Withings ScanWatch Nova review: Style in Spades

Value When Reviewed

$599.95

Finest Costs Immediately: Withings ScanWatch Nova

$599.99

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

For those who’re like me and get pissed off in regards to the cons of smartwatches comparable to poor battery life and touchscreens, Withings makes among the greatest hybrid wearables available on the market and the ScanWatch Nova is certainly one 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 type 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 have got a standard analogue watch with minute and hour fingers joined by a small dial with a 3rd analogue hand monitoring your step aim. 

On the high half is a small display 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 could be activated with raise-to-wake or urgent the digital crown on the aspect. The crown is then used to scroll by way of the interface and all of it works nicely and intuitively.

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

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

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

I’m an enormous fan of the appear and feel of the Nova which oozes craftsmanship and it’s out there in three colors: black, blue and inexperienced.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

In contrast to most smartwatches, the Nova is equipped 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 it’s good to take away or add hyperlinks to get it the proper dimension, too.

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

It’s catered for a masculine style so in order for you one thing extra female then Withings has since unveiled the ScanWatch Nova Sensible Version which we gave a Finest 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 assume by the look of it, however the ScanWatch Nova has a whole lot of exercise and health monitoring skills. 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 every kind 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 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 day by 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 in case you’re comfortable to put on the Nova in a single day (which I discovered surprisingly snug with the fluoroelastomer strap).

Loads 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 numerous 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 nearly all the time undercounted and occasionally I noticed uncommon spikes in my coronary heart fee (as excessive as 180bpm) which I feel I’d find out about had been it true. The blood oxygen verify on the watch typically says ‘inconclusive’ which will get irritating.

Sleep monitoring is fairly stable general however once more, some nights would assume I used to be awake once I wasn’t and would additionally usually assume I fell asleep as quickly as my head hit the pillow which I do know isn’t true. It does end in a greater sleep rating so not so unhealthy in case 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 provides you a greater match for the sensors to work. For those who get unfortunate with the match of the steel band, because you’re restricted to eradicating or including hyperlinks, the monitoring may very well be worse.

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

It might observe menstrual cycles however I haven’t been in a position to take a look at that, in fact.

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

Battery Life & Charging 

• As much as 30 days
• Low-cost, simple 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 all the pieces else within the field. 

I’d a lot reasonably a wi-fi charging stand that might 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

For those who 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 usually 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 in case you’re happening vacation for every week. 

Value & Availability 

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

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

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

As you’ll have gathered from the evaluation, the smartwatch has a distinct attraction from what Samsung, OnePlus, Apple and others have to supply. If you would like a less expensive Withings then try 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 record of the perfect 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 it’s good to be certain it’s precisely the form of wearable you’re in search of.

And to that finish, it suits a fairly specific invoice being a high-end fashionable analogue watch however with a whole lot of sensors and sensible tech packed in.

For those who don’t like the thought of a full-screen smartwatch with quick 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 would possibly anticipate 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