This stylish and luxurious hybrid watch (almost) I abandoned my Apple Watch

all Great smartwatch There are three boxes to check.They should track health indicators, look good on your wrists and prevent you from constantly grabbing you phone.. However, not all smartwatches are the same. Some are better phone alternatives, while others offer a more chic and watch-like look. This is the biggest difference between traditional smartwatches ( Apple watch) And hybrid smart watches, etc. Recently reviewed WithingsScanWatchHorizon..

Traditional smartwatches do a little bit of everything. They are relatively stylish, rich in health and activity tracking capabilities, and packed with phone-like features such as NFC for mobile payments and speakers and microphones for receiving calls. Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Fitbit Sense And in the future PixelWatch It falls into this category.

However, hybrid watches, as the name implies, usually combine the quality of analog watches and smartwatches. They tend to look like regular watches and have a traditional face that physically holds the hour and minute instead of digital numbers. Hybrid watches don’t have that many “smart” features, but they usually last longer on a single charge and still have many health tracking options.

I like traditional smartwatches, usually Apple watch.. But after spending a few weeks with the $ 500 Withings ScanWatch Horizon, I remembered why hybrid smartwatches are attractive and why they aren’t as good as general-purpose smartwatches.

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Connected to my phone

When switching from the Apple Watch to the ScanWatch Horizon, I felt more dependent on my phone. Withings hybrid watches can display notifications (calls, text, app alerts, and more). You can also use your watch to set timers and alarms.

But even these basic tasks are easy to do with a traditional watch. The ScanWatch Horizon isn’t ideal for reading full notifications because it only has a small circular screen that occupies part of the watch’s face.As I wrote My reviewSince the ScanWatch Horizon doesn’t have a touch screen and voice controls, it was also inconvenient to set the time and alarm from the wrist.

If you need a smartwatch that can remove some of your burden phone When it comes to everyday tasks, ScanWatch probably doesn’t. Think of the ScanWatch Horizon as a watch first, then a smartwatch.I don’t have Apple watch Even if connected to my data plan, it’s a convenient surrogate for my phone. You don’t have to take your phone out of your pocket for tasks such as replying to text messages, browsing news headlines while waiting for the elevator, and checking out at your local Rite Aid cashier.

This is not the case with ScanWatch Horizon. Whenever I felt the buzz of notifications, I grabbed my phone almost immediately. The ScanWatch Jewelry feels like a fashion accessory with built-in health tracking. I liked the look of my wrist, but I didn’t realize I was using the screen for anything other than checking the time or starting training. Most of my engagement happens within the Withings Health Mate app. This app provides physical indicators and a breakdown of activities.

read more: How Apple Watch Becomes A Greater Fitness Tracker

The ScanWatch Horizon has more limitations than the Apple Watch in that it mimics the functionality of a mobile phone, but it has another advantage. With a stainless steel casing, a rotating laser engraved bezel and an analog watch face, the ScanWatch Horizon is one of the most elegant smartwatches. Needless to say, it’s also cheaper than the stainless steel version of the Apple Watch Series 7, which starts at $ 700.

Amazing battery life

The Apple Watch may be smarter, but you can’t get close to the battery life of the ScanWatch Horizon. According to Withings, the ScanWatch Horizon lasts for 30 days on a single charge and lasts much longer than a standard smartwatch. In my experience, the ScanWatch Horizon battery has drained to 35% in just over a week. I haven’t spent enough time to see if I can meet Withings’ 30-day claim, but it’s still impressive.

The Apple Watch Series 7On the other hand, it usually lasts for 1-2 days on a single charge. But that’s also because Apple Watch has more technology built into it. Compared to the small ScanWatch Horizon display, the OLED color touchscreen alone has a significant impact on the battery. Also, other wearables like Garmin Venu 2 Plus that use OLED displays can last up to 9 days. You can get more battery life from today’s smartwatches without sacrificing a bright color display.

Both watches are deeply involved in health, but their strengths are different.

If neither watch has one area that is not at risk, it is health tracking. With ScanWatch Horizon Apple Watch Series 7 Both can measure all the characteristic health indicators found in high-end smartwatches. This includes ECG (EKG or ECG) measurements (both watches have FDA approval for this feature), as well as general heart rate data, activity and exercise, sleep and blood oxygen saturation. Withings blood oxygen function FDA approvedDifferent from Apple.

While there are many similarities when it comes to health tracking, smartwatches have their own strengths. Withings, for example, can provide much more sleep data. You can see how long you spent light or deep sleep, your average sleep heart rate, and a breakdown of your breathing problems. It also publishes sleep scores that assess sleep quality, similar to Fitbit products. Oura And Amazon.

Apple Watch only shows your sleep time, time spent in bed, and sleep breathing rate. That information is useful, but having access to sleep quality data can help you understand why you get tired and healthy in the morning. Also, if your sleep score isn’t very high these days, you’ll start hitting the bag faster than usual.

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The design of the Apple Watch is superior to the Withings ScanWatch Horizon in several other areas. Small and light, the Apple Watch is much more comfortable to wear during training and sleep (although I usually charge the Apple Watch overnight instead). In addition, the Apple Watch has a built-in GPS for tracking outdoor driving, but the ScanWatch Horizon needs to rely on the GPS of the mobile phone. Apple Watch can also customize the display to show the activity ring, which can also help encourage you to stay active all day long.

Conclusion

Withings ScanWatch Horizon inherits some of the greatest benefits of analog watches. It has an elegant design and a battery that doesn’t need to be recharged every night.It’s also a prestigious fitness tracker that doesn’t require a subscription to unleash deeper insights like devices. Fitbit Oura does.

That said, I’m not sure it will deviate from traditional smartwatches like the Apple Watch. We value the convenience of being able to verbally ask the watch to start a workout or respond to text from the wrist, rather than a good-looking watch. I might have appreciated the excellent design of the ScanWatch Horizon in 2013, when the smartwatch still looked like this. Now that smartwatches are smaller, lighter and more common, you won’t feel any discomfort on your wrist at weddings and dinner parties.

The ScanWatch Horizon is perfect for anyone who wants to have both a classic watch and a fitness tracker in one device. I see why some people like the simplicity of ScanWatch Horizon. That means it doesn’t get in the way of the watch itself. But the Apple Watch does a better job of freeing you from your phone, and it’s more important to me.