Withings smartwatches get new features and improved battery life thanks to free software update

Withings recently upset parts of its community after removing some features that were previously advertised on certain product pages. These included heart rate variations during sleep and respiratory rate measurements.

That being said, the manufacturer has now added several functions to the ScanWatch 2 as part of a new software update with the version number 7.5. According to a changelog shared on Reddit, it adds several features, including the heart rate variability measurement. Heart rate variability can now be measured by many wearables and can provide insights on the current recovery state, and can alert athletes of an impending central nervous system overload.

Respiratory rate and heart rate variability are now also included in sleep analysis of these Withings smartwatch. The U-Scan has been revamped as well, as measurements can now be intelligently scheduled or skipped for the day. According to Withings, the way other devices are displayed on the wearables has also been changed.

Morevoer, the Withings Nova is also getting a firmware update. Compared to the previous software version, the wearable’s battery life is expected to increase by up to 5 days, although the actual numbers naturally depend on the specific usage pattern. Various bugs have also been fixed. The Withings ScanWatch 2 is available on Amazon for $369, the Nova currently retails for $669.