Dig The Analog Watch Look? I Found A Hybrid Smartwatch That Combines The Best Of Both Worlds

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Withings ScanWatch 2 is disposable for $369.
• It's a hybrid smartwatch, pinch some integer and analog characteristics and wellness search features.
• It has nan accustomed drawbacks of a hybrid smartwatch, including nan deficiency of elaborate graphics, GPS tracking, and constricted notifications.

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The Withing ScanWatch 2 is an absorbing hybrid instrumentality because it looks for illustration a regular watch (complete pinch analog hands), but it has features you would usually spot connected a smartwatch, for illustration an OLED surface and wellness search features.

How often do you complaint your smartwatch? Once aliases doubly each day? Too often? Doing truthful regularly often makes maine wonderment precisely really overmuch worth I'm getting retired of those occasional notifications and alerts, and it's a large logic why I still person an affection for hybrid smartwatches.

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One of these is nan first Withings ScanWatch, released successful 2021. I've worn it regularly complete nan past mates of years, chiefly because it feels awesome connected nan wrist while capturing cardinal wellness data. Each complaint tin past up to 1 month. 

At first glance, nan newer ScanWatch 2 is reliable to separate from nan original, but it packs a fewer important upgrades that make 1 of my go-to wellness trackers moreover better.

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I tested nan ScanWatch 2 successful Black (pictured below), but it is besides disposable successful Pearl White for nan larger size. The Black exemplary has hands that characteristic a Super LumiNova coating truthful they glow successful nan acheronian for a short clip aft vulnerability to light. If you for illustration a smaller 38mm size, that's disposable successful Pearl White, Black, Sand, and Blue. Interestingly, some sizes costs $349, truthful you don't request to salary much for a larger watch face, which is nice.

The 42mm ScanWatch 2 I've been wearing weighs astir 52 grams and fits mildly connected nan wrist. As overmuch arsenic I've enjoyed nan watch's health-tracking capabilities, nan look and consciousness of nan ScanWatch connected my wrist are easy 1 of my favourite features. 

The original ScanWatch (left) adjacent to nan caller type (right).

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

A domed sapphire solid covers nan analog watch hands and soul OLED display. When paired pinch nan stainless alloy lawsuit and rotating crown button, nan watch screams elegance. So debar this if you for illustration rugged, multi-textured sports watches.

Navigating nan watch is arsenic easy arsenic rotating nan crown fastener done nan various displays and pressing successful to make selections. There is nary backmost button, truthful you must scroll done nan disposable screens successful each widget to get to nan backmost action connected nan show and return to nan original main show carousel.

Also: One of nan lightest sports watches I've tested doesn't sacrifice features for build

The ScanWatch 2 is built pinch a 5 ATM level of h2o resistance, truthful I was capable to deterioration it while moving successful nan rain. If you are a swimmer aliases surfer, you tin deterioration it and way those activities successful nan h2o arsenic well.

Withings states that nan ScanWatch 2 charges up successful 2 hours and whitethorn past up to 30 days. I tin corroborate nan charging clip is accurate, but I haven't been utilizing nan wearable connected "watch mode" only, truthful I can't corroborate nan 30-day artillery life. I ran pinch nan watch respective times while training for a marathon and connected it to my telephone to trial nan connected GPS capability. When you usage it for an activity, particularly pinch connected GPS, nan artillery life will beryllium importantly reduced. 

On a affirmative note, I've been capable to deterioration nan watch overmuch longer than my accustomed fittingness trackers. I erstwhile took it connected 3 runs, varying from 35 to 55 minutes, and saw nan watch still past for complete a week earlier I had to complaint it up.

The Withings smartphone exertion is amazingly powerful and tin stock its collected information pinch Apple Health, Google Health Connect, and Google Fit. The exertion besides brings successful information from different Withings devices, including its scales, humor unit monitors, and much truthful a afloat position of your full beingness authorities is disposable successful nan app. The watch will shop up to 7 days of data, truthful I propose syncing it astatine slightest erstwhile a week.

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On nan app, tegument somesthesia changes are shown astatine nan bottommost of your regular activity metrics (it initially took maine a while to find wherever this tegument information was being presented) pinch a baseline crippled and minimum and maximum changes passim nan day. This accusation whitethorn beryllium utilized erstwhile moving retired successful lukewarm environments wherever power exhaustion whitethorn beryllium a concern. The only point missing present is longer-term trends for assemblage temperature, which I person my fingers crossed that Withings will adhd successful a early package update. 

The ScanWatch 2 (right) has larger sensors and a flatter search aboveground connected nan backmost than nan original (left).

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The ScanWatch 2 tin besides execute an ECG assessment, measurement humor oxygen levels, way bosom complaint passim nan day, measurement sleep, and way wide beingness activity. One gripe I person pinch nan slumber search connected nan watch is that it can't separate betwixt heavy and REM sleep, truthful it's not nan astir informative sleep-tracking instrumentality disposable today. 

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Lastly, successful summation to nan watch, Withings launched a subscription work akin to Fitbit Premium, wherever further insights and metrics are provided astatine a cost. The work besides includes "Missions" intended to thief animate you to move aliases eat well, while different modules will assistance you successful building amended fittingness habits, specified arsenic improving your slumber scores. The monthly subscription is disposable for $9.95 aliases $99.50 per year.

ZDNET's buying advice

Not only is nan Withings ScanWatch 2 a awesome timepiece acknowledgment to its always-on analog hands, but it feels awesome connected nan wrist, has a agelong artillery life, and measures nan cardinal wellness and wellness information needed to thief you amended your lifestyle. At $349, nan smartwatch is reasonably priced and competes good pinch others successful nan hybrid watches I've tested.