Withings Activity Pop and Steel HR - almost smart watches in the classic version

Witchings - french brand. Exists since 2008, the main specialization is technology for improving health and quality of life. One of the company's developments is smart fitness watches. Witchings smart watch features include a pedometer, heart rate monitor, calorie counter, and a sleep analysis program. Below is an overview of two models of watches Witchings - Activity Pop and Steel Hr.

Witchings Activity Pop

The Activity model is the first Witchigs watch, which exists in two versions, with and without the Pop prefix. A distinctive feature of the device is elegant and presentable appearancewhich is no different from conventional mechanics. In a beautiful business building hidden device for monitoring physical activity, namely a fitness tracker.

Important! It should be understood that this is not a smart watch, that is, the function of displaying notifications, calls or calling a taxi is not here.

Appearance

Against the background of most watches that look cumbersome and do not hide their essence, the Withings Activity Pop watches are designed like classical mechanics. This is a neat little watch with a round dial that has physical hands. There are three of them. Two are the standard hour and minute hands. Instead of a second, on the separate dial, located below and to the right, is an arrow, which displays physical activity, namely, how many steps in percent are left to the task.

An interesting feature is that double-clicking a finger on the glass sets the arrows in motion, and they show how much the alarm clock is set.

The glass is convex, but unlike the older model is not sapphire. There are no buttons on the case, all setup is done using the app on the smartphone. At the bottom there is a reset button, its task is to reset the clock to its factory state. It is impossible to press the button accidentally, you will need a clip from the kit.

The number of belts, namely color solutions, is high: there are blue, burgundy, orange and more classic colors - white, gray and black. The color of the device itself may also vary, but black and white are more common. Smart watch Withings Activity Pop shipped complete with silicone strapDespite this, no one bothers to buy another belt. It is suitable from the usual hours. The replacement mechanism is very simple.

The device has a high class of protection and can withstand a pressure of 5 atmospheres, which, according to the manufacturer, allows you to dive with them to a depth of 50 meters. Obviously, this can only be done with a silicone strap, and if the user has separately purchased a leather version, it will not work for these purposes. Due to the fact that the device has a removable battery housing opens. To do this, use the key from the kit.

Functions

The functionality of the model is quite simple - counting steps, time, alarm clock. The model is also able to analyze the phases of sleep and understands when the user has fallen asleep. Setup of the device is carried out directly through smartphone app. It is universal for all devices of the company and when you first start will require registration, user data, as well as the desired number of steps. Initially, it will ask to put the hands at exactly 12 o'clock. To do this, on the smartphone you need to move the slider. It looks very interesting, because the arrows are sensitive to the adjustment on the smartphone.

Hours can track swimming, running and walking, that is, they understand the different type of movement. The result is displayed only in the application. Also in the application displays information about sleep cycles. Synchronization with the smartphone is carried out using Bluetooth version 4.0.

An interesting point is that the device not only shows the completed steps, but also offers interesting cases, for example, it compares the distance covered with real objects, for example, the height of buildings known in the world.

Advantages and disadvantages

Due to the fact that the device is not a smart watch in the classical sense, there can be no claim to functionality or hardware. Of the advantages - the correct counting of steps, the versatility of the straps, moisture protection, work from a conventional battery (life expectancy of 8 months), in addition, there is a spare battery included.

There are a couple of drawbacks, which most likely relate to the design.

Important! At the moment there are no problems with buying a watch, and you can find them on Yandex.market. The price tag is about 12 thousand rubles.

Withings Steel HR

Withings Steel HR is a younger version in comparison with the previously reviewed device. A feature of the model is the presence of a heart rate sensor, namely the heart rate monitor. Also appeared small display, which reports on sms, notifications in social networks, alerts from the calendar and calls.

Appearance

The case of the model is made of of stainless steel. Display - mineral glass. The strap of the device is made of silicone, but it is pleasant to the touch and fits comfortably on the arm, which is very important during physical activity. On the right side is a small button that controls the display. By itself, it is very small, round and located under the number 12. A single button click scrolls through the mini-display, which is configured in the application. OLED display typethat speaks of its brightness and image clarity.

In the lower part, strictly below the display is located dial of activity, or rather a pedometer.It is the same size as the display, only the physical arrow runs here and shows the completed percentage of steps.

Device case made in two sizes - 36 and 40 mm, that is, female and male version. The color of the dial can be black or white.

It is worth noting that on a white background, the black display looks more noticeable and contrasting. To say that it is bad, it is impossible, only a matter of taste.

On the back of the case, which is not very different from the Activity Pop, is located the pulse sensor. Charging device by using inductive standwhile the device and it need to be properly combined, which is less convenient than simply inserting a USB cable. Battery life up to 25 days. It is an order of magnitude longer than most smart watches. Full charge time from 0 to 100% is 2 hours. The case in this case is not opened, since there is no need to change the battery here.

Functions

Among the functions of the model, in addition to the pedometer, alarm clock and sleep analyzer, there was a heart rate monitor and the ability to display applications, calls, SMS on the device. You can not read the message or reply to it from the clock, but you can see who called or sent SMS.The alarm clock can be configured to wake the user based on his sleep phases.

The heart rate monitor measures the heart rate every 10 minutes by default, but a long press on the button until the vibration includes a constant counter, which is convenient and useful when playing sports.

Setup and all information about physical activity is displayed in the application, which can be downloaded on Android or iOS. Connection to the smartphone is carried out using bluetooth 4.0.

An interesting feature is the ability to see the results of other owners of the device, so you can find a competitor and try to beat it. And if you have friends with the same watch, then you can compete with them.

Advantages and disadvantages

Withings Steel HR is a worthy device from the class. combination devices, that is, they combine the functions of smart watches and ordinary ones. Advantages:

The model has drawbacks, but they are few - the inability to fully see the message or respond to it, inconvenient charging.. Also, some users note that the data is not always displayed correctly, but this question is controversial, as many users do not agree with this information.

The price of the model depends on the size and type of strap. You can buy immediately with a leather option, which, naturally, will affect the price and will not allow using the device in water.

Sales began in 2016. The first price tag for the 36 and 40 mm case was 179 and 200 dollars respectively. There are currently no devices for sale.

Conclusion

Devices from the brand Withings is always a tribute to stylish design and a good set of features. Models Activity Pop and Steel HR are no exception. They are suitable for those who want ordinary watches with an increased number of functions, but they do not need a lot of settings and features that are offered in a smart watch.