Withings announces new Steel HR with continuous activity tracking and 25-day battery life

Withings, a company with a solid record of making fitness accessories and connect devices, has announced the newest watch in its collection of smart activity trackers: the Withings Steel HR. While it may look like the company’s previous top-of-the-line activity tracker, the Activité Steel, Withings’ newest offering is packing much more under the hood while keeping its analog watch and stainless steel design.

Withings took the Activité Steel’s activity tracking and raises it to a whole new level with the Steel HR. The Withings Steel HR tracks the user’s steps and sleep activity automatically as well as the user’s heart rate. The built-in sensor uses green LED lights to monitor your heart rate while exercising, following your daily routine, and sleeping. To conserve battery life, the sensor only comes on periodically to monitor the wearer’s heart rate but with a quick press of the physical button found on the side of the watch, the Steel HR will track your heart rate constantly so that you get a reliable reading while working out.

Another new and welcome addition to the Steel HR is a small digital display. This screen is capable of presenting the number of steps that the user has taken, their current heart rate, and even simple phone notifications. Using the same button on the side of the watch, the wearer can switch between different bits of information.

While the older Activité fitness trackers used standard watch batteries to power themselves, the HR has a rechargeable battery. The difference here is that the Steel HR with its digital screen and heart rate sensor will use a lot more power. Thankfully, Withings is still promising an extremely long battery life of 25 days which can be extended an addition 20 days once it activates its low-power mode that turns off the heart rate sensor.

The Withings Steel HR will be available to purchase exclusively from Withings.com beginning in early October and at other retail outlets at the end of October. The 36mm variant will cost a total of $179.95 and the 40mm version will be available for $199.95.