Withings Unveils Three New Smart Health Devices at CES, Reinforcing Its Leadership in Digital Health
At CES 2019, health remained one of the most prominent topics of interest. Withings, the French digital health company that had recently parted ways with Nokia to regain its independence, successfully drew attendees’ attention with its new product launches at the event.
Withings, founded in 2008, is one of the earliest wearable device companies to prioritize product design and has gained significant recognition in the industry. As early as 2014, before the release of the Apple Watch, Withings launched the Withings Activité smartwatch, which features a design resembling a traditional timepiece.
However, Withings has experienced considerable turbulence since 2015. After selling its mobile phone business to Microsoft in 2015, Nokia sought to re-enter the consumer market through wearable devices and initiated plans to acquire Withings, formally completing the acquisition in March 2016, thereby making Withings a part of Nokia.
However, Withings failed to demonstrate sufficient competitiveness under Nokia’s ownership. Facing dual pressure from Apple Watch in the high-end market and brands such as Huami in the low-end market, Nokia-led Withings was defeated in the fierce market competition. In the first quarter of 2018, Nokia’s net sales amounted to €4.9 billion, but its digital health business generated only €16 million in revenue.
In May 2018, Eric Carreel, co-founder of Withings, acquired the company from Nokia, restoring Withings’ independence. However, judging by Withings’ presence at CES 2019, these upheavals did not significantly disrupt the company’s new product development.
VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that Withings showcased three new health products at the exhibition: Move, Move ECG, and BPM Core. The first two are smart fitness watches, with the Move ECG featuring electrocardiogram (ECG) functionality, while the third product is a blood pressure monitor that tracks users’ ECGs and valvular heart health.
Image source: Withings official website
Move is a smart fitness watch that combines fashion with technology, and it is the only fully customizable smartwatch on the market. The product targets users who wish to track their health status in the most convenient and cost-effective manner. Move features three dials: two for displaying the time and one for recording the user’s step count and distance traveled. Additionally, Move monitors sleep patterns and provides all-day heart rate tracking.
After connecting to GPS, Move can automatically recognize various forms of physical activities performed by the user, including swimming, running, walking, and cycling. The recognized data is then automatically saved via Bluetooth to the Withings Health Mate app. Users can view the duration of these activities and the number of calories burned within the app.
Image source: Withings official website
This smart fitness watch is water-resistant up to 50 meters, allowing users to run in the rain or swim without worrying about damaging the device. The Move model boasts a battery life of up to 18 months, ensuring that users need not worry about the watch running out of power when they need it most.
Currently, the pre-order price for Move is $70, with shipments beginning on February 5, 2019. Consumers can choose from five color options. In 2019, Withings will continue to expand the range of case styles, straps, watch faces, buttons, colors, and materials available for this product, enabling fully unique, customized designs.
Move ECG is an enhanced version of the Move, offering all its predecessor’s features while also serving as Withings’ first analog smartwatch with on-demand ECG measurement. The watch boasts a battery life of up to one year and is currently available in black and white at a price of $130. It is expected to receive FDA and CE approval in the second quarter of this year.
Image source: Withings official website
In fact, lower-priced electrocardiogram (ECG) devices were already available on the market before the Apple Watch debuted. The KardiaBand ECG wristband, designed by AliveCor for the Apple Watch, made its debut in late 2017. However, the launch of Move ECG indicates that ECG technology is poised to enter the more affordable fitness wearable device market this year.
Withings has also integrated ECG functionality into its latest blood pressure cuff product, the BPM Core. As an upgraded version of the wireless BPM blood pressure monitor, this device is a smart blood pressure monitor that combines three monitoring functions: blood pressure measurement, electrocardiogram (ECG) recording, and digital auscultation. The BPM Core is priced at $250 and is currently under review by the FDA and for CE marking, with its launch scheduled for the second quarter of 2019.
Withings stated that the BPM Core is an upgraded version of its blood pressure monitor and is currently the world’s most advanced home cardiovascular monitoring device.
Image source: Withings official website
The design of BPM Core is similar to that of a traditional blood pressure cuff. Users simply place the cuff on their upper arm and press a button to complete a comprehensive heart health check—including screening for hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and valvular heart disease—within 90 seconds. The measurement data is transmitted via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to Withings’ Health Mate app, allowing users to record their results. Additionally, these data can be shared with healthcare providers to facilitate early screening and detection of atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease.
“Withings’ mission is to leverage digital internet health technologies to help people prevent disease and adopt healthy lifestyles,” said Eric Carreel, President of Withings. “We provide users with a health early-warning system that monitors common risk factors threatening cardiovascular health through the Withings BPM Core. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and early and regular monitoring is key to identifying, preventing, and managing cardiac conditions—which is why we have developed portable wearable devices.”