Withings is back with the $130 Pulse HR fitness tracker

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Withings has had a busy year. After buying itself back from Nokia, the company went on to release the Steel HR Sport back in September. Now they’re back with their second wearable back under their own name, the Pulse HR. This fitness tracker is water-resistant, has a heart rate monitor, connected GPS tracking, and a staggering 20-day battery life.

The tracker comes with a silicone wristband that can be swapped to two other colors. It features an OLED display that can show real-time workout information like daily activity goal progress and calories burned. It can also show smartphone notifications, detect sleep duration, and track sleep patterns. It can also be used as a morning alarm that uses vibration to wake you at optimal times in your sleep cycle.

It all started with the original Pulse

The original Pulse tracker from Withings launched in 2013 and was a clip-on tracker the size of a matchbox. Sure, it’s not to everyone’s tastes, but thankfully, the industry has shown that wristband trackers are more usable and a lot more user-friendly. This updated version is more in line with the industrywide designs used on other traditional fitness trackers. It comes with Withings own OS2 operating system, which is also the operating system used on the Steel and Steel HR.

We prefer the designs of their stylish analog watch hybrids of the past, such as the Steel HR or Activité Pop, but have no doubts that the Pulse HR will sell well.

Image: Withings

Pricing and availability

Preorders will go live today on Amazon and Withings.com for $129.95, with an availability date of December 5th. Only the black wristband is available at launch, other colors like silver and red will be available in January 2019.

If the Pulse HR doesn’t suit your needs and you still find yourself looking for a fitness tracker, it’s the same price as a Fitbit Alta HR. However, the Fitbit doesn’t come with connected GPS functionality though. Just keep in mind, the Pulse HR doesn’t have a GPS module, it still needs to be connected to your phone to record GPS coordinates.

What are your thoughts on the Pulse HR? Do you plan on getting one or not? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook. 

Editors’ Recommendations:

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.