Withings rolls out $150 version of its handsome Activite health watch

LAS VEGAS — The health tech and wearables company Withings announced a new version of its handsome Activité health watch today, the Activite Pop.

The new watch is much less expensive that its forerunner, selling for $150 versus the Activité’s $450. The new Pop also comes in more colors — Azure, Shark Grey, and Sand.

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The Pop is an analog watch that features a lightweight design, like its predecessor. But it uses slightly less deluxe materials — a PVD-coated watchcase and the smooth silicone strap — to get the price down.

With the new Pop, Withings may be answering a market demand for fitness wearables at lower price points. But, it hopes, the cool design of the device will keep people wearing it.

“The activity tracker category has a huge problem with abandonment, and so consumers don’t really get to see the benefit of long-term data and the impact it can have on their health,” Withings CEO Cédric Hutchings said in a statement. “It is time wearables step up to what they claim to be!” he added.

Like the original Activité, the Pop has two hand dials, one showing the time and a sub dial showing percentage progress of specific activity goals. The step count goal is set in the accompanying Withings app. At night, it monitors sleep quality and wakes the user up with a gentle vibration.

A single standard watch battery powers it for up to 8 months. It’s water resistant up to 30 meters.

The new watch will be available in limited quantities at bestbuy.com on January 5th, 2015 for $149.95. It’ll become available at Best Buy stores nationwide and online in March 2015.