With the acquisition of Withings, Nokia has made an important entry into the world of wellness, a key sector in the future, with a series of products that cover different needs: in these pages, we tell you about the Steel smartwatch and its ecosystem, which also includes the Body Cardio scale, the BMP + blood pressure monitor and the small Nokia Go Activity Tracker (for the latter we will talk more in-depth in an upcoming review).
We immediately liked the idea of integration: although not new, the possibility of having a whole series of products that refer to a single App simplifies management a lot, especially for those who are not accustomed to smart issues and are only looking for a way to control the state of form without sporting extremism.
The creation of this ecosystem, however, requires time and effort, and we are still at the beginning: as we will see the Withings legacy has been well exploited by Nokia but to fight c Big names still need something more.
Steel, a Nokia on the wrist
Out of the box, Steel looks like an elegant watch with a deliberately classic cut: the case has no button (visible), and the attachment to the strap it is standard, so you can either change it with the official Nokia strap series or, taking it to the watchmaker, get one ad hoc.
The supplied strap, in our version, was made of black rubber, soft and apparently firm, very comfortable in practically all situations, especially in summer where the watch is worn in a thousand places (even in the water).
The design of the watch is minimalist, in the dial peep out the two hands for the hour and minutes and a second small dial that shows daily activity in real-time. The look is very classic, in a mixture of metal and glass that gives it a timeless look, a kind of smartwatch in tails.
The MicroUSB cable for load the scale 
The data display via browser, here on Safari from Mac
As we said there are no buttons, except a very small one on the back of the case which, however, requires a tool used in various smartphones for the extraction of the SIM compartment to be pressed, and which basically serves for the first pairing with the smartphone and then that’s it.
Everything the rest is managed by the App, which in addition to keeping track of steps, calories, sleep, and movements, also adjusts the time, both automatically and manually (always from the App).
The coat the beginning it is stranger to see the Nokia writing on the dial: a brand that does not clash, at least in the popular imagination that identifies it as a logo of elegant, functional, and sober products.
Integration yes, but still there is to be done
The operation of the Steel is quite simple and, even if it has no sensors for the control of the beat, the detection seemed to us in line with other Activity Trackers used for comparison in the same period.
The watch is very light and practically like not having it: the shape is perhaps a bit small for an average male wrist, but it is only a matter of point of view (there is however only one size), and considering the rubber of the strap, you can use it anywhere, even in water (since it resists up to five atmospheres, so take a bath or keep it even to go running).
The idea of integration and with other tools we checked it in the trial period with Body Cardio, the smart scale: interesting because as we said we refer to a single App, and if you want there is also the possibility to consult everything via Web from Mac and PC.
The impression we had, however, is that the App has chosen a very original direction, with a vertical scrolling of all the fields, with tabs that open to the other sections: perhaps it is due to the fact that the App is a lot, but very different from the others on the market but our opinion is that the consultation takes more effort than necessary.
But we want to be clear: the information on the App is all there, from daily steps to middle school, from goals to medals, with some events too. The only flaw is the consultation, which is sometimes a bit chaotic and does not make the best focus on the data we are looking for, as if the goal of the App was perpetually to show the set of data, rather than the specific data.
This impression is certainly due to the experience on various other Apps of other similar devices, which instead opt for a tabbed consultation (instead of scrolling), but it is undeniable that for a consultation that is more than superficial and therefore needs a clear and quick focus, a little more work on the part of Nokia is needed, even if the original direction taken so far is not bad and we appreciate the idea Basic.
Signs, Surveyor, signs
During the test, as mentioned, we were also able to test the new Body Cardio scale: basically, it is a scale that integrates an LCD display, a Wi-Fi chip for connection to the internet, and a small memory where to store the temporary data detected.
The work done by the scale is the classic one of the other analog scales: detect and show the weight, but Body Cardio also does some
First of all, the display also shows additional information (such as the weather, for example) and the average, indicating increases or decreases in weight over the period.
In addition to this, it also takes care of sending data to the Nokia Health system, which are then collected by the Steel App itself and by the portal: everything works fine, only in our case the data is sent, which can be assigned to various users (the system is multi-user) arrives after several hours, also, in this case, a sign that there is still something to fix, even if it will be a simple firmware update.
Considerations
Nokia’s new course in the world of health has in Steel a first, exemplary, and very important step: excellent hardware set in a functional, sober, and conquering design.
The choice of a replaceable battery with an autonomy of eight months is functional to the project and will cheer up those who hate having a second object to recharge in addition to the phone, just as the idea of an integrated project with a single App for all devices is one less step to face for those who are not very smart, or for those who are approaching the first time.
Something still needs to be done in the App, but it is quite normal, and all the improvements will come with constant and functional software updates, for a company that has always had simplicity and effectiveness in its DNA.
Readers can find Nokia Steel in the official online store (where there is also Nokia Body Cardio), or on Amazon.it both in the version with Black and White dial.
Pro :
- Great hardware and design
- Minimalist yet functional design
- The integrated environment is interesting
Against:
- The App must grow
Price: 129.95 Euro (for Steel), 179.95 Euro (for Body Cardio)
