Announced mid-2014, the Withings Activité set itself apart by offering a stylish, traditional analogu watch design alongside discreet fitness tracking tech. The company is back with a new model that offers a more wallet-friendly take on the attractive wearable.
The main thing to note about the Activité Pop is that, like its pricier sibling, it doesn’t just look like an analog watch, it is one. Unlike the LG G Watch R or Moto 360, which use circular displays to mimic analogue watches, Withings offerings are analog first, smart tech second.
The Activité Pop looks very similar to the existing Activité, but with one key difference – the price. Whereas the Swiss-made model retails for a hefty US$450, the Pop hits a decidedly more wallet-friendly $150 mark. The body of the watch is made from PVD-coated metal, and there’s no leather strap this time around, with the company instead opting for silicone. It’s available in dark grey, blue and beige.
Aside from a slight facelift and materials change, the Pop offers the same fitness functionality as before. It’s designed to track steps, and automatically recognizes when the user is swimming or running. Everything ties into the Withings Health Mate iOS and Android app that provides analysis, leader boards, achievements and optional food logging.
On the watch itself, user feedback is minimal, and consists of a small secondary dial that shows progress towards daily goals, as set in the companion app. Once the goal is achieved, the watch will vibrate to alert the wearer.
While the Pop may feature an analog movement, it’ll still keep time if you’re a keen traveler, with the hands moving automatically to adjust for different timezones. The Pop runs on a standard watch battery, which should last around 8 months. It’s also waterproof up to 30 meters (98 ft).
The Activité Pop goes on sale at Best Buy from today, with more general availability scheduled for March 2015.
Source: Withings
Just after Apple announced its upcoming Watch, Nike made an announcement to indicate they weren't going to do any further updates on its iconic Nike + Fuelband. Ostensibly, they either don't want to compete head to head against Apples Watch (which will offer similar functionality) or they plan to build into Apple's health ecosystem directly.
It's too bad - as I like the Fuelband a lot and would have continued to buy the upgrades (I'm on my second one now). But the writing is on the wall: what assurances does anyone have that Withings will continue to build and upgrade once the Apple Watch is out there? I fully expect them to put out of the health wearables market - and sooner rather than later.