Nokia launches new Withings connected scale with additional cardiovascular health measure

By Jonah Comstock
11:14 pm
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Withings, the connected health device company that was recently acquired by Nokia Technologies, has launched a new connected scale, the Withings Body Cardio. 

The company's original wireless scale was, of course, Withings' first product, launching in 2009. Since then the company has added activity trackers, blood pressure monitors, sleep sensors, and a thermometer to its product line, as well as a few non-health products: a security camera and a baby monitor.

Body Cardio is the fourth generation of Withings scale. The most recent scale from the company, the Body Analyzer, came out in 2013. The new scale shows users their weight, body mass index, body composition (fat, muscle, water and bone mass), standing heart rate, and Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) -- a new feature not present in previous Withings scales. Withings defines PWV as "the speed at which heartbeat-generated vibrations spread out along the arterial wall". It's a key predictor of hypertension, according to the company.

“Body Cardio is the most advanced device we have ever made," CEO Cedric Hutchings said in a statement. "Body Cardio redefines how people use connected scales, providing them with a tool to manage their weight as well as heart health. It is like getting information from your annual physical every day.”

The scale is 0.7 inches thick, has a one year battery life, and sends data to Withings' Health Mate app. In the app, patients can see their health data, track trends over time, and use in-app coaching features that let them set goals and earn rewards for meeting those goals.

Body Cardio will retail for $179.95, making it a little steeper price-wise than Withings' other scales, which go for $149.95. It will be available from Withings' online store and at select Apple Stores immediately, with rollouts to additional retailers July 7th.

Nokia Technologies spent $191 million to acquire Withings, and completed that acquisition May 31st. Nokia Tech president Ramzi Haidamus described the acquisition to MobiHealthNews as a "reverse takeover" that would put Withings in charge of Nokia'a digital health strategy.

"Nokia is paying the bill, but it’s really Cedric [Hutchings, CEO of Withings] and his team that will come into Nokia and run the whole show,” Haidamus said at the time. “All our digital health efforts inside the company will report to Cedric and his team and he will determine the strategy and the product roadmap moving forward.”

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