In the race for smartwatch dominance, few companies have taken such an elegant approach as Withings.
The French watchmaker has launched a brand new smartwatch that, once again, blends activity tracking and luxury design.
It’s called the Withings Activité Steel, and lands as a mid-tier device for the firm, pricing at £140.
To that end, it’s more elegant – and more pricey – than the Activité Pop (£120), but not so premium in terms of price or design as the Activité (£320).
“We’ve paired Activité’s elegant Parisian design with more relaxed and edgy materials to create a very relatable device,” said Cedric Hutchings, CEO of Withings. “
Unsurprisingly, the Activité Steel retains all of the fitness tracking capabilities of its predecessors.
Pairing with the Withings Health Mate application, users can track various metrics like steps taken and sleep patterns.
The app now also features food logging capabilities thanks to a partnership with MyFitnessPal.
But what’s different about the watch design? TrustedReviews had a chance to see the smartwatch early on, and noticed a few changes from previous Withings devices.
For a start, it doesn’t use a sapphire screen like the Activité, which explains the significantly lower price – the Activité retails at £320.
However, it still looks like a high-end timepiece, and features a stainless steel watchcase, silicone strap, and chrome analogue hands.
The step-tracking dial has also increased in size compared to older models, which makes it much easier to see your progression each day.
Related: Best Fitness Tracker 2015
“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,” Hutchings explained.
He added: “Activité Steel’s fashion-forward styling, price point, and ease of use combine to create a tracker users won’t want to take off.”
The Activité Steel is available to buy from November 16, exclusively on Withings.com, at a price of £139.95.
It’s worth noting that the Withings Activité Pop won TrustedReviews’ Wearable of the Year Award 2015.
Check out our ‘Apple Watch Race Across London’ video below:
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.