The Series 7 (pictured) has a larger screen with a QWERTY keyboard. It's much easier to read notifications and respond to texts on the Apple Watch. As I wrote in my review, the ScanWatch Horizon's lack of a touch screen and voice controls also made it less convenient to set times and alarms from my wrist.
Since the ScanWatch Horizon only has a small circular screen that occupies a fraction of the watch's face, it's not ideal for reading full notifications. Withings' hybrid watch can show notifications (like calls, texts and app alerts), and you can also use the watch to set timers and alarms.īut even these basic tasks are easier to accomplish on traditional watches. I felt more reliant on my phone when switching from the Apple Watch to the ScanWatch Horizon. Read more: Google Pixel Watch: What We Know (and Don't) So Far Tethered to my phone But spending a couple of weeks with the $500 Withings ScanWatch Horizon reminded me why hybrid smartwatches can be appealing - and also how they fall short compared with general-purpose smartwatches. I prefer traditional smartwatches and usually wear an Apple Watch. Hybrid watches don't have as many "smart" features, but they typically last longer on a single charge and pack plenty of health-tracking options. They tend to look more like regular watches with traditional faces that have physical hands for the hour and minutes instead of digital numbers. The Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Fitbit Sense and upcoming Pixel Watch fall into this category.īut hybrid watches usually combine the qualities of analog timepieces and smartwatches, as the name implies. They're relatively stylish, have plenty of health and activity tracking functionality, and are packed with phonelike features such NFC for mobile payments and a speaker and microphone for taking calls. That's the biggest difference between traditional smartwatches (like the Apple Watch) and hybrid smartwatches such as the Withings ScanWatch Horizon, which I recently reviewed.Ĭonventional smartwatches do a little bit of everything. But not all smartwatches are created equal: Some are better phone substitutes, while others offer a more chic, watch-like look. They track a variety of health metrics, look great on your wrist and put your mind at ease when you're not near your phone. The best smartwatches succeed at three important jobs. You should know what you're getting for your money, and whether alternatives might be worth investing in. But I spent a couple of weeks trying out a hybrid watch called the Withings ScanWatch Horizon. Settings: Like a typical settings menu, here you can access account details, manage notifications, review your privacy settings, and more.I normally wear an Apple Watch.Notices: Here you will find updates from the Samsung team including changes within the app and information about Samsung Health content.Promotions: Under Promotions, you will find marketing plugs and current deals for other Samsung products.For you: For you is where you will find weekly summaries of your tracked results including activity and sleep data.This menu includes four options additional options: You can access the app’s overflow menu from any of the tabs above by tapping the three horizontal dots in the top right corner of your screen.
Beyond your basic profile, the My page tab provides big picture data like weekly summaries, personal bests, and earned badges. You can also set your typical daily activity level on a scale of one to four.
Add your gender, height, weight, and birth date to calculate important values like calories burned and heart rate ranges. My page: This tab is where users can edit their Samsung Health app profile.
This tab houses an extensive library of exercise and wellness resources, including workout programs, videos, content from Samsung Health TV partners, and tools for mindfulness and women’s health. Fitness: Tap on the Fitness tab to jump into a 15 min workout video, listen to a sleep story, or read up on PMS.You can also invite and connect with others to keep friends motivated on their own health journies. Together: The Together tab is where you can enter challenges and compare your data to other Samsung Health users.If you scroll down to the bottom of this tab, you can tap Manage items to add or remove specific measurables from your home screen. Scroll the Home tab to review your stats or to manually add data, including weight, periods, or food and water intake. It is where you can set and track goals and view all of your current health metrics. Home: As the name implies, this tab is your home base within the Samsung Health app.Once you’re signed in, there are four main tabs to navigate: Home, Together, Fitness, and My Page.