Withings, a company better known for its WiFi weighing scales than with smartwatches, has unveiled its second smartwatch. Called the Activité Pop, this may well be the start of a new generation of smartwatches that do not look like the futuristic wrist-computers of today.
What if smartwatches do not actually look “smart”? Today’s smartwatches try to look just as capable as the devices can be, but end up looking less desirable than they should be. Withings attempted to change that perception with the Activité, a minimalist $450 (about RM1,600) watch packed with sensors to collect data such as steps taken, distance travelled and even your sleep pattern. More importantly, its exterior is more “luxury Swiss made watch” than a piece of technology.
Then again, not everyone can afford to pay over RM1,500 for a watch, let alone a smart one. So Withings did something pretty interesting: strip the Activité of its premium tag, but retain the sensors and drastically reduce its price tag. The result is the Activité Pop, a youthful smartwatch that will retail for $150 (about RM530).
The Withings Activité Pop also retains the visually minimalist feel of the high-end Activité, which coupled with the various colour options lends this watch a pleasant and youthful vibe. It also uses a standard watch battery, giving it an eight-month battery life, and easy access to replace them when needed.
The Activité Pop is made from PVD-coated metal, and is water-resistant up to 30 meters. Instead of leather straps, the Activité Pop opts for a silicone strap that would not go out of place among its target market. In fact, the only indication that this is a smartwatch lies in the secondary dial on the watch face that goes from 0 to 100 – it is a step counter, showing your progress in percentage for the day.
While the smartwatch packs the hardware, the second part of what makes this watch “smart” is in the Withings Health Mate app for iOS (and soon to Android). The app lets you keep track of all the data collected when you were wearing the watch, with more bar graphs and charts than you will probably need.
The Withings Activité Pop will also feature “alternative” watch straps in other vibrant colours, allowing owner to mix the straps to match their style
The best part? Unlike another minimalist smartwatch like the Névo crowd-funded smartwatch, which will only be delivered in March 2015, the Withings Activité Pop will be available at selected Best Buy outlets and Withings’ own online store starting from today, with a gradual rollout to happen in the coming weeks. That being said, the Activité Pop (and the flagship Activité) are both not officially available in Malaysia.
(Source: The Verge)
