I put on the Withings Activité Pop midway through my time in Las Vegas, during the always-insane CES show. Pop was a surprise debut at the event; after all, Withings had just unveiled the high-end Withings Activité weeks earlier. But the Activité was three times more expensive than the new Pop -- despite an identical feature set.
What is the Activité? You can see from the pictures above: it's a wristwatch, but it's got fitness tech lurking inside. An accelerometer for step-counting and sleep-tracking; Bluetooth to sync to your phone; and a vibration alarm that can be set to wake you up. This is a Fitbit-style tracker baked into an everyday watch. It's waterproof for swimming and showering, and has an eight-month replaceable battery. And it's brilliant.
Sarah Tew/CNET
The first Activité was Swiss-designed, had a sapphire crystal, calf-leather band, polished stainless-steel body... and cost $450. (It retails for £320 in the UK, and Australia availability is unknown, but the US price converts to around AU$550.) The miracle of the Activité Pop is that it has exactly the same features, but in a step-down material design for $150. (It's £120 in the UK and while availability is unknown there, the US price converts to around AU$183.) It still vibrates, tracks fitness, can be worn in the water, and doesn't need charging. It's just not made in Switzerland.
For a $300 savings, I'm willing to accept that step-down. Most of us would. This is a Swatch for a new generation; this is a regular watch that's just a bit smarter. It's a trend I expect to see across most major watch brands by the end of this year, simply because it's too good not to pursue. Right now, it's my favorite watch.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Design: Undercover smarts
You can't tell that the Activité Pop is smart. That's the subtle brilliance. I've been told the watch looks nice, that the design is sharp. People also have wondered, have I given up on smartwatches? Have I taken a break with an analog throwback?
From the silicone band to the round mineral glass-domed analog watchface, the Pop looks like your better-looking everyday watch. The three colors it's available in -- blue, black and white -- are all attractive, but the flat colors sometimes makes the Pop look more low-end than it actually is. The watch body is still steel, but it's permanently treated with a colored, matte texture. The hour and minute hands are painted, versus gleaming metal on the higher-end Activité. The mineral glass is a bit duller than the gleaming sapphire of the step-up version. But you probably won't notice. The price is right on the Pop, and that makes all the difference.
I'd worn the more expensive Activité for weeks, and then shifted over to the Activité Pop. It feels like a more casual watch, and definitely lacks some of the extra gleam of the fancier version, but otherwise it feels identical.
The everyday fitness watch comes of age
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