Withings Steel HR review: A simplified smartwatch worth considering

This hybrid element is what gives the Steel HR its magic. The device adds a small circular OLED display that lets you see extra information, such as smartphone alerts, calories burned, and even your heart rate. This inclusion is a huge improvement over past Withings smartwatches.

The primary purpose of the Steel HR is to track activity. From that scope, its main competition should be activity trackers like the Fitbit Blaze instead of the Apple Watch. But its neat stainless steel design, subtle OLED display and marriage with the Withings app break it out of the mold of the activity tracker and into the arena of full-featured smartwatch.

The OLED screen displays seven different clusters of information: time/date, alarm, battery, heart rate, step tracking, calorie count and step count. Four of those screens are focused on activity tracking. It’s also water resistant up to 50 meters, meaning you won’t have to worry about sweat or water damage while working out.

On the bottom side of the watch face is a third dial, a circular countdown of your daily activity goal. Say you want to walk 10,000 steps per day, as you get close to that number, the dial begins its journey clockwise, showing you how much you’ve done. It’s a nice visual reminder without being obnoxious.

The Steel HR excels in tracking activity, but it can also do more. The watch provides notifications for phone calls, text messages and calendar notifications. The vibration feedback is subtle and understated. Obviously, this isn’t on par of other smartwatches, but it is still a helpful addition.

The thing that brings the Withings smartwatch experience together is the Withings app, which give users the full-scope of activity information the device is meant to deliver.

Article source: https://www.technobuffalo.com/reviews/withings-steel-hr-review-a-simplified-smartwatch-worth-considering/