Withings' new Scanwatch 2 has a heat flux sensor for more accurate health tracking

French consumer electronics brand Withings is famous for its smart scales and hybrid smartwatches. The Withings Scanwatch currently tops T3's best hybrid smartwatch guide; no wonder we were excited to share the news about the launch of not one but two wearables from the company!

Announced at IFA Berlin – said to be the world's largest consumer electronics and home appliances trade show – the new Scanwatch 2 becomes the brand's flagship health tracker, optimised for continuous health assessments of advanced metrics. The more affordable Scanwatch Light offers a 'robust' daily health assessment at a more attractive price point.

What sets Withings hybrid watches apart from the best smartwatches is their design, which effortlessly blends style with smart functionality. Unlike, let's say, the best Apple Watches, Withings' wearables focus on health tracking with a side serving of fitness capabilities.

The original Scanwatch is FDA-cleared for atrial fibrillation detection using ECG and for oxygen saturation of arterial haemoglobin (SpO2) from the wrist while performing multiple wellness functions such as monitoring sleep quality, physical activity and a range of cardiovascular measurements. 

The Withings Scanwatch 2 adds more sensors and improves its software to facilitate continuous health monitoring and precise assessment of new health metrics. Additional capabilities include more advanced baseline body temperature monitoring, female cycle tracking, heart rate variability, and the automatic recognition of 40+ activities.

The real showstopper is the new temperature-sensing system featuring the TempTech24/7 module. It's a duo of sensors that combines a miniaturised heat flux sensor (measuring energy transit) with a high-accuracy temperature sensor (measuring ambient & skin temperature) alongside heart rate and accelerometer input calibrations to deliver a 'best-in-class' body temperature variation assessment.

The Scanwatch 2 also features a new MultiWave PPG Sensor that collects health data using four wavelengths and 16 PPG channels, and a High Dynamic Range Accelerometer that adds additional directional sensors allowing more precise identification and automatic tracking of activities and workouts as well as more sports to be automatically detected.

Despite the lower price, the ScanWatch Light still provides a comprehensive overview of heart health, activity and cycle tracking, and sleep monitoring. It misses out on temperature tracking and some arterial assessment features but enjoys the same HealthSense technology and long battery life (up to 30 days). The Scanwatch Light has a Gorilla Glass lens and a 316L stainless steel case.

The Withings Scanwatch 2 (38 & 42 mm) is available now for pre-order at Withings for a recommended retail price of £319.95 with a Silver Black (42mm), silver white (38mm), silver black (38mm) and Rose Gold sand face (38mm) and later on with a Silver white face (42mm) and Rose Gold blue face (38mm).

The Withings ScanWatch Light has a 37mm case and is also available for pre-order priced at £229.95 with a silver black, silver white and rose gold sand face and later with a light blue and light green face. Both models will be widely available from selected retailers from October 2023. Each model features an OLED grayscale display and is available with optional coloured wristbands.