14 DAY TRIAL // One thing that smartwatch products these days stand accused of is their bad looks. Apparently, customers aren’t inclined to purchase an intelligent timepiece yet because they are put off by the design.
Offerings such as the Moto 360 might have solved the problem, but the truth is that nothing compares to a lush Swiss-made watch.
Withings Activité is a special kind of watch
So far, Swiss watch makers have stayed out of the wearable arena, but Withings somehow managed to bring the expertise of these reputed timepiece carvers onboard of its own products.
The Withings Activité is a Swiss-made watch on the outside but underneath packs a bunch of fitness sensors that give the wearable a few “intelligent” capabilities of its own.
The device has been built to be capable of monitoring steps, tracking how many calories you’ve burned, distance traveled, plus sleep patterns via an accelerometer and other internal sensors.
The tracker can also pick up whether you are awake or in the process of falling asleep, and if needed, it will gently nudge you back to reality via a vibrating alarm.
Like it’s the case with Swiss designer watches, the Withings Activité takes advantage of a special Connected Movement time mechanism.
Furthermore, the watch makes use of a tough sapphire glass that doubles as a touchscreen display, allowing users to switch between different modes by virtue of a single tap.
The fitness tracker/watch has two dials: one used for telling the time, while the smaller one keeps the established fitness check under surveillance.
Something smartwatch enthusiasts might find cool is that one does not have to charge the Withings Activité. The device draws power from a button cell battery, which has to be replaced every eight months or so.
For the time being, the watch can connect to an iOS device via Bluetooth LE, but we imagine that the Android app version will be made available at some point. Users will then receive their customized activity plans and progress reports via the Withings Health Mate app.
Last but not least, the Withings Activité can be worn to the pool without worry, because the stylish activity tracker is water-resistant.
A major downside: price
If you’re interested in getting your hands on this classy wearable, we have to tell you that the Withings Activité doesn’t come cheap.
The Swiss watch is up for pre-order on the company’s website, but it will come with a hefty $450 / €280 price tag, placing it well above offerings such as the Apple Watch or Samsung Gear S with 3G connectivity.
