The Withings ScanWatch 2 is here
At IFA 2023 in Berlin, Withings announced the ScanWatch 2 and ScanWatch Light. And I'm very excited.
I’m not shy about my love of hybrid smartwatches. Not only do they look abundantly different compared to traditional touchscreen watches, but they also come with very similar feature sets and insane battery life. One of my personal favorites is the ScanWatch from Withings, which I use a lot more than my Apple Watch thanks to its classic design and seamless feature set.
At IFA 2023, that watch is getting an upgrade. Withings has announced the ScanWatch 2 which tweaks the design a bit, swaps the display tech for something new, and boasts some seriously impressive health-tracking tools.
It’s certainly no small update. While the original ScanWatch was good, it was clearly missing a number of features that leading smartwatch alternatives already had for years. Obviously, given its hybrid form factor, there’s only so much you can do, but the ScanWatch 2 seems to prove that there’s much more territory to explore when it comes to hybrids.
ScanWatch 2
The $349.95 ScanWatch 2 looks a lot like the original model, save for a slightly thicker bezel on the 42mm model. You can get it in 38mm and 42mm case sizes, it’s still rated 5ATM for water resistance, it comes with a stainless steel case, and there’s sapphire glass on the front. Withings is sticking with its guns and offering an “elegant alternative to strapping a mini smartphone to your wrist,” and I’m here for it. This thing looks beautiful.
Packed into the design is a renewed focus on tracking your health with more useful data and advanced sensors. It also seems that Withings wants you to wear it as often as possible.
The biggest selling point? The TempTech24/7 module, a body temperature sensor that can be used not just for measuring your skin temperature at night or during a woman’s menstrual cycle, but also throughout the day. Withings says this can help detect the onset of an illness, other health conditions, and the temperature you reach when working out and recovering from strenuous activities. It’s one of the first wearables to sport continuous temperature tracking, which gives it a leg up over competitors like the Apple Watch Series 8 and Galaxy Watch 6.
The TempTech24/7 module itself consists of four different sensors: a thermistor, heat flux, PPG (photoplethysmography), and an accelerometer. Together, the sensors collect data and pour it into an algorithm that calculates your body temperature and shows you your baseline over time. It can also send you notifications when the data gets skewed by a new trend.
Menstrual cycle tracking is also new to the ScanWatch, and it works similarly to other smartwatches. You can log the various stages of your cycle either on the watch itself or in the Withings app, and all the data you collect will be used to help predict future period dates.
The ScanWatch 2 is also picking up more proactive heart health tracking, which can send you notifications when it thinks it might be helpful to record an ECG based on your average heart rate. You also get blood oxygen monitoring, which was previously available on the first ScanWatch and requires FDA certification.
Withings is also making it easier to track workouts on the ScanWatch 2 with automatic activity detection, available on all 40+ workout types.
All of this requires that you wear the ScanWatch 2 a lot during the day, with as few interruptions as possible. If you do take it off, the watch is now smart enough to detect it and stop tracking your health data, as part of Withings’ new PowerSense Pro (Gen 3) software package that optimizes battery life.
Speaking of software, Withings is finally branding the OS the watch runs on. Called HealthSense, Withings is promising to deliver a more robust fitness tracking experience on your wrist with new activity UIs, health trends, and more. A lot of these features were previously exclusive to the app, leaving the ScanWatch with a barebones window into your health data as you tracked it. With this new generation, that seems to be improving quite dramatically.
Of course, you still get smartphone notifications on the ScanWatch 2, which are now displayed on a 282 ppi OLED display as opposed to the old PMOLED display. There’s still an analog activity tracker below it for keeping track of your fitness goals during the day, and the crown remains the only button on the watch. The watch works with both iOS and Android and can sync all of your health data with either OS’ primary health app, whether it be Apple Health or Google Fit.
It can also still last up to 30 days on a charge, which is by far the biggest perk of owning a hybrid watch. It’s the primary reason I use my ScanWatch over my Apple Watch, and it’s incredibly hard to go back to a watch that can only last a day as a result.
ScanWatch Light
Withings is also introducing the $249.95 ScanWatch Light, a cheaper version of the ScanWatch 2 that comes in a single 37mm size and leaves a few features on the cutting room floor. It can still track your activities and looks just as good while doing it, but you won’t get some more advanced features like body temperature monitoring, ECG recording, high/low heart rate notifications, and blood oxygen monitoring.
It syncs with your phone just like the ScanWatch 2 can and sends you your phone’s notifications, tracks your workouts, and helps to add a little style to your daily fit. Withings was also able to retain the same 30-day battery life, which makes this watch even more appealing.
It also runs HealthSense, sports an OLED display, and is 5ATM water resistant. The glass has been swapped for Gorilla Glass, which I suppose is slightly cheaper but should stand up well against scratches and cracks.
Pricing and availability
The ScanWatch 2 costs $349.95 regardless of which model you get, while the ScanWatch Light comes in at $249.95.
The former’s 38mm case size is available with a silver case and either a black or white face, as well as a rose gold case with a sand face. The 42mm is only shipping with a silver case and black face for now. A silver case and white face model will ship eventually, as well as a rose gold case and blue face option for the 38mm.
Meanwhile, the ScanWatch Light is available with a silver case and choice of black or white face, or a rose gold case and sand face. Later on, Withings will add a rose gold case with blue face option, as well as light blue and light green face options.
Various colored wristbands will also be sold for the new ScanWatches.
Both watches are going up for preorder today from Withings.com, with orders shipping in October. You can get your bottom dollar that I’m working on securing some review samples, so stay tuned.