Withings ScanWatch has finally arrived as an FDA-approved medical-grade smartwatch after years of waiting. It is the first of its kind hybrid smartwatch cum medical device.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two of Withings’ features- ECG and SpO2. The approval means Withings’ ScanWatch can be used as a medical device to-
- Monitor heart rate irregularity for Atrial Fibrillation(AFib) through electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Detect severe COVID symptoms by measuring blood oxygen saturation (SpO2)
Withings, a France-based company, is one of the pioneers in connected health. It manufactures medical-grade devices like:
- Hybrid ScanWatch
- Wi-Fi smart scales with body composition and heart rate measurements
- Wi-Fi smart blood pressure monitor
- Under-mattress sleep tracker
- Smart Temporal Thermometer
All Withings’ smart devices connect to its Health Mate app and transfer health data using Wi-Fi. You can store all your health data records from different devices in the Health Mate app and share them with your healthcare provider when required.
What do you mean by hybrid smartwatch?
Withings’ hybrid smartwatch, ScanWatch, looks like a classic wristwatch but works like a smartwatch. The watch looks great on all your outfits, plus it tracks your health.
It is equipped with advanced medical-grade sensors to monitor heart rate, breathing disturbances, atrial fibrillation using ECG, blood oxygen levels using SpO2, sleep, physical activities, and fitness activity.
What makes Withings different from other smartwatches?
All the smartwatches in the market, including Apple, Samsung, Fitbit, etc., are health trackers and give you information about your health. However, they are not medical devices. Withings ScanWatch is an FDA-approved medical-grade smartwatch. Its readings are accurate and weighed equal to readings from medical devices.
Withings ScanWatch is developed in coordination with cardiologists and sleep experts and is also validated in two clinical studies. During COVID, a hospital in Germany used Withings ScanWatch to monitor COVID patients remotely.
To add on, Withings is currently under a clinical study to make its watch medically approved to detect sleep apnea and breathing issues.
Other health features offered by Withings ScanWatch
- Monitoring cardiovascular health
With its FDA-approved ECG and optical heart rate monitor, ScanWatch is a go-to device to monitor your cardiovascular health on the go. It passively measures your heart rate using the PPG sensor. If it detects any irregularity, the watch prompts the user to take an ECG in 30 seconds. This detects Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) even if you do not feel any palpitations.
The heart rate monitor also notifies the user of high and low heart rates and allows you to track your heart rate while working out or performing any other activity.
- Monitor respiratory issues
The FDA-cleared SpO2 functionality allows the watch to keep a check on blood oxygen levels. It helps in detecting issues due to respiratory disorders like COPD or COVID.
The watch can also detect breathing difficulties by its inbuilt algorithm that analyses heart rate, blood oxygen levels, respiratory rate, and movement.
- Sleep monitoring
Withings provides sophisticated sleep monitoring. It analyses every aspect of your sleeping patterns like length, depth, and quality of sleep. It also detects nighttime breathing issues that may indicate sleep apnea.
The watch also wakes you up with gentle vibration during the best time of your light sleep to avoid sleep disturbance.
- Activity and workout tracking
ScanWatch, like all other smartwatches, can be used for activity and fitness tracking. It monitors steps, elevation (floors climbed), calories burnt, workouts and 30 other daily activities like walking, running, swimming etc. It also gives a fitness assessment of your exercises by estimating VO2 Max.
By connecting to Withings Health Mate App, you can get detailed insights into your health data captured by the watch. You can also set goals and manage achievements through the app.
Effectiveness of health features of Withings ScanWatch
| Latest-model | ScanWatch Horizon |
| Health features↓ | (Out of 10) |
| Activity monitor | 8 |
| Heart rate monitor | 10 |
| Sleep tracking | 9 |
| Fall detection | 8 |
| ECG | 10 |
| Fitness tracking | 8 |
| Blood oxygen Saturation | 10 |
Withings is more of a health watch than a smartwatch
Though Withings ScanWatch is a hybrid model, it is more of a health watch than a smartwatch. You cannot connect it with your phone to answer calls, reply to messages, listen to music, or search routes using Withings. Neither will you be able to view your health data on the watch.
All your health data is transferred to your Health Mate App to view and store. In the app, you will get a complete breakdown of data with insights that help you understand the meaning of numbers, figures, and charts. The Health Mate app does an excellent job of explaining the readings taken by the watch.
To conclude
Withings ScanWatch is one of its kind analog watch incorporated with medical-grade sensors like ECG and SpO2. It is unlike other smartwatches that help users in proactive health management.
Withings ScanWatch is meant for deriving advanced health metrics and helping people identify and seek medical attention for serious health issues. It is also a great option for those who want to track their health and fitness metrics in a classic way.
