Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    Smartwatch Maker Withings Unveils a $150 Model

    By
    Todd R. Weiss
    -
    January 5, 2015
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Withings smartwatch

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Smartwatch buyers have another new model to consider for purchase with the announcement of a lower cost, $149.95 device from Withings, which makes a range of health-related smart devices.

      The new Withings Activité Pop smartwatch, which will be available in limited quantities starting Jan. 5 through BestBuy.com, sells for one-third the cost of the company’s luxury device, the $450 Activité model. The company unveiled the new device in a Jan. 4 announcement and will show it off during this week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

      The Activité Pop smartwatch can be used by wearers to track their physical activities, such as walking, running and swimming, while also tracking their sleep and more, according to the company. The new device uses a small battery that provides eight months of power, so it doesn’t require frequent recharging like other smartwatches. It also includes a silent alarm that can wake up its wearer using vibration and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity.

      The watch face includes two dials—a time dial and an activity dial—so that users can track their activities more easily, according to Withings. Unlike its more expensive cousin, the Pop model includes a lightweight design that uses a PVD-coated watch case and a smooth silicone watch strap. The Pop model comes in three colors—Shark Grey, Bright Azure (medium blue) or Wild Sand (tan).

      The Pop model also includes Withings’ Health Mate app, which gives users opportunities to earn activity badges for their fitness accomplishments, while also providing a leaderboard so users can compete with friends as they plot their fitness goals.

      “We’ve paired Activité elegant Parisian design with fun-to-wear materials and pop colors in order to create a very personal device that people would want to wear and never take off,” Cédric Hutchings, the CEO of Withings, said in a statement. “It is time wearables step up to what they claim to be.”

      The first Activité Pop devices will only support iOS users, while an Android-compatible version will follow in the future, according to the company. No timeline has been announced for the Android release.

      Withings hopes that the new device will help users buy a smartwatch and then continue to use it in the long term, Hutchings said.

      “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,” he said. “Activité Pop’s fashion-forward styling, price point, and ease of use combine for the most accessible activity tracker that we’ve ever seen.”

      Widespread distribution of the new smartwatch will be available starting in March in Best Buy stores and on the Best Buy Website.

      Withings makes other connected health products, including a body analyzer smart scale, a Pulse activity tracker, sleep products and more.

      The company unveiled its original luxury Activité smartwatch in July 2014, according to an earlier eWEEK report. The original Activité has high style, with a watchcase made of stainless steel 316L and a crystal of sapphire glass that includes touch-screen capabilities to tap between modes.

      The Swiss-made analog watch also functions as an activity tracker that monitors steps taken, calories burned, distance traveled and sleep patterns.

      The original watch features no buttons, instead responding to simple taps to change between modes. Powered by standard watch batteries that last a year, the device also is water (5ATM) resistant, meaning users can wear it in the shower or while swimming in a pool. The original watch comes in black and silver finishes.

      Smartwatch Maker Withings Unveils a $150 Model

      Todd R. Weiss
      As a technology journalist covering enterprise IT for more than 15 years, I joined eWEEK.com in September 2014 as the site's senior writer covering all things mobile. I write about smartphones, tablets, laptops, assorted mobile gadgets and services,mobile carriers and much more. I formerly was a staff writer for Computerworld.com from 2000 to 2008 and previously wrote for daily newspapers in eastern Pennsylvania. I'm an avid traveler, motorcyclist, technology lover, cook, reader, tinkerer and mechanic. I drove a yellow taxicab in college and collect toy taxis and taxi business cards from around the world.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×