The Withings Activite Pop might be debated if it can really be classed as a smartwatch, but the one thing this watch certainly achieves is encouraging healthy habits. We have been hands-on with the Withings Activite Pop for around one month, although our review included two watches thanks to the first breaking where you need it most.
On one evening out in February, just 2 weeks after purchasing the Withings Activite Pop, we looked at the time and saw glass missing thanks to the smashed display. It wasn’t clear how the Activite Pop glass could crack, but it did and we managed to get a replacement from Curry’s UK. After looking at other activity trackers and watches, we decided that none offer the battery life needed and features for tracking our activity, so naturally we wanted another Activite Pop rather than a refund.
Second time unlucky – While the Activite Pop did help us “embrace healthy habits” and it was great seeing our steps with a simple hand on the watch face, we discovered in a short time that the cheaper Activite Pop has been built very cheap in terms of glass display. The price in the UK is just under £120 and just under $150 in the United States.
Withings state the glass is made from, “mineral glass” and not the more expensive Sapphire glass seen with the original Withings Activite at $450. Considering the features explain you can use this watch up to 165 feet deep in water and while swimming, you wouldn’t expect the glass to just break with the slightest knock even on a flat laminate floor.
In our opinion, there should be a recall for the Withings Activite Pop and the second generation should release with improved glass on the watch face. Even if we don’t see a recall, you can be almost certain that we will be linking to this article in the future after Withings release a new generation with improved glass for the display.
We have reached out to Withings for a statement and haven’t had a reply at the time of publication. From our testing every day for a month, we wouldn’t recommend this generation of Activite Pop and hope Withings either include the Sapphire glass with a slightly higher price, or something else stronger than the current design. It’s worth noting that Curry’s customer service was amazing, much better than we first experienced and they refunded right away, so most people shouldn’t have a problem if they act shortly after purchase.
The metrics tracked include sleep, swimming, running, calories, distance, and steps. Activite Pop does this very well with slight inconsistencies. The app support is great right now if you are an Apple device user, Android development is underway at the time of writing, although the bottom-line is – all the features are useless if the screen keeps breaking with the slightest knock.
Have you purchased a Withings Activite Pop and if so, did the glass crack for you?
