Compare Withings ScanWatch Nova vs Garmin Forerunner 570

Reviewers generally found automatic activity detection useful, especially for walking, cycling, and everyday movement, though a few false detections show it is not flawless.

Reviewers noted helpful race/activity automation, especially AutoLap timing gates and finish-line cleanup, but evidence is narrow rather than a broad auto-detection theme.

The Withings ecosystem is a major strength when paired with the app and other Withings health devices, with integrations into major phone health platforms.

Garmin's app ecosystem is useful through Connect IQ and watchface downloads, though reviewers repeatedly describe it as more limited than Apple or Wear OS.

Band quality is mostly praised for included metal and fluoroelastomer options, but sizing and micro-adjustment complaints keep it from being universally positive.

The silicone/translucent bands are generally praised for softness, fit, sweat comfort, and durability, with one reviewer noting a strap tail/bump annoyance.

Battery life is one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers repeatedly reporting weeks of use and far less charging anxiety than standard smartwatches.

Battery life is divisive: still far better than mainstream smartwatches for some users, but several reviewers saw a drop from the 265 and short always-on endurance.

Blood oxygen tracking is consistently treated as a useful core health feature, usually easy to trigger and presented clearly in the app.

Blood oxygen tracking is present and used in overnight health tracking, but reviewers mention it as part of the health suite rather than a standout accuracy feature.

Bluetooth is only lightly discussed, with one review tying workout drain to an extended phone connection rather than offering broad praise or criticism.

Bluetooth supports calls and pairing with phones/sensors, but one reviewer reported frequent phone disconnect notices, making connectivity evidence mixed.

Brightness is generally adequate thanks to automatic adjustment, though direct-sun visibility and reflections can still be an issue depending on the model.

Brightness is one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers calling the AMOLED screen brighter, vivid, and among Garmin's brightest.

Build quality is repeatedly described as premium, watch-like, and appropriate for the price, especially because of the case, bezel, glass, and finishing.

Build quality is viewed positively thanks to a robust-feeling case and upgraded aluminum bezel, with no major build concerns outside price-tier omissions.

The crown-based control system is simple and often intuitive, but one reviewer found the crown placement awkward because it presses toward the arm.

The five-button setup is repeatedly praised for sweaty, rainy, gloved, and swimming use, while also complementing the touchscreen well.

Call handling is basic: callers can be shown or alerted by vibration, but the watch does not replace phone-based call interaction.

Call handling is a solid new smartwatch feature via microphone, speaker, and Bluetooth, though reviewers usually treat it as handy rather than essential.

Calorie tracking receives limited but positive evidence, with one reviewer finding estimated calories more accurate than a previous Fitbit experience.

Calorie tracking is available and tied into activity details, including pack-weight calculations, but reviewers do not deeply validate calorie accuracy.

Charging convenience is mixed: the long battery life reduces how often charging matters, but several reviewers disliked the proprietary or cheap-feeling charger.

Charging convenience is acceptable but not premium: Garmin's connector is functional and fast enough, yet the lack of wireless charging is a recurring caveat.

Charging speed is acceptable rather than exceptional, usually around two hours, with one reviewer reporting a faster recharge in real use.

Charging speed receives positive user evidence, with one long-term reviewer saying it can recharge during a morning shower.

Coaching is mostly app- and subscription-driven, with health scores, VO2 max context, and wellness programs providing guidance rather than deep on-watch coaching.

Coaching features are a major strength, including Garmin Coach, triathlon plans, daily workout suggestions, and adaptive training guidance.

Comfort is widely positive, helped by lighter models, silicone strap options, and all-day wearability, although the metal band can feel heavy for some.

Comfort is broadly strong, with reviewers calling it light and wearable all day; only larger-size sleep comfort and strap buckle issues temper the praise.

The companion app is a standout, repeatedly praised for clear presentation, useful explanations, seamless syncing, and dashboard-style health tracking.

Garmin Connect is powerful and data-rich, though one reviewer notes its learning curve and depth can feel overwhelming.

Contactless payments are explicitly absent, reinforcing that this is not a full-featured smartwatch.

Contactless payment support is confirmed through NFC payments, but reviewers mention it briefly rather than as a major buying reason.

Cross-platform support is strong, with Android and iOS compatibility plus Apple Health, Google Health Connect, and Google Fit integrations mentioned.

Cross-platform use is solid for notifications on Android and iPhone, but iPhone reply limitations keep it short of Apple Watch-level integration.

Customization is practical rather than deep, covering notification permissions, menu order, workout order, OLED functions, goals, and strap choices.

Customization is strong across watchfaces, widgets, data fields, layouts, colors, and report options, with several reviewers highlighting personalization.

Display quality is mixed-positive: the small OLED is sharp and legible, but its tiny monochrome format limits detail and smartwatch interaction.

Display quality is a standout: the AMOLED panel is sharp, vivid, responsive, and frequently cited as a major upgrade.

Durability is supported by premium glass, water resistance, and real-world comments about the watch staying pristine through travel and use.

Durability evidence is mostly positive, with bezels, bands, water use, and glass holding up well, though one review noted small scratches or heat-related unresponsiveness.

ECG functionality is one of the strongest health features, with repeated praise for on-demand readings, medical framing, and AFib-related capabilities.

ECG functionality is the clearest omission: many reviewers criticize the lack of ECG despite the newer heart-rate sensor and the price.

Fit depends heavily on the band: some reviewers achieved an easy, secure fit, while others struggled with bracelet sizing or looseness affecting tracking.

Fit is praised for secure, no-bounce wear and useful size options, particularly for smaller wrists.

Fitness tracking accuracy is good for casual use and workouts, but reviewers consistently caution that the Nova is not aimed at serious athletes.

Fitness tracking accuracy is strong overall, anchored by consistently praised GPS and heart-rate performance across running, cycling, and multisport use.

GPS is a recurring weakness because the watch lacks built-in GPS, relying instead on connected phone GPS that limits phone-free workouts.

GPS accuracy is one of the strongest attributes, with reviewers repeatedly calling tracks excellent, flawless, near-perfect, or among the best tested.

Health tracking accuracy is broadly praised, with reviewers comparing favorably against other devices and highlighting accurate sensor results.

Health tracking is broad and useful, covering heart rate, sleep, stress, skin temperature, respiration, and wellness metrics, but some illness/sleep limitations appear.

Heart rate accuracy earns strong marks in the reviews, including direct comparisons to other devices and even a chest strap.

Heart-rate accuracy is highly rated across most reviews, especially for running and intervals, though lab-style testing found some delays and dips.

LTE connectivity is not offered; reviewers explicitly note the lack of cellular connection or cellular smartwatch capability.

Navigation is the biggest tradeoff: breadcrumb routing works, but the absence of offline/topographic maps is repeatedly criticized at this price.

Materials quality is consistently premium in the evidence, with stainless steel cases, sapphire glass, ceramic bezels, and polished finishing repeatedly cited.

Materials quality improves over the 265 with an aluminum bezel and Gorilla Glass, giving the watch a more premium feel.

Menu navigation is simple and crown-driven, generally praised as intuitive despite the tiny display.

Menu navigation is mostly intuitive and easy, supported by buttons, touchscreen, Glances, and refreshed menus, though phantom clicks hurt one review.

Music controls are explicitly missing, making the Nova a poor fit for users who want watch-based media control.

Music controls are available alongside notifications and calendar previews, but reviewer evidence is brief.

Onboard music storage is supported through 8GB storage, MP3s, and streaming-service syncing, giving it better music capability than many sports watches.

The updated operating-system experience is cleaner and more modern, with Garmin aligning the 570 with newer Fenix/Forerunner UI styling.

Outdoor visibility varies by reviewer and model, with sunlight readability praised in one review but reflections and direct sun criticized in others.

Outdoor visibility is excellent, with reviewers praising sunlight readability and the bright AMOLED display in harsh outdoor conditions.

Pairing and sync reliability are generally strong, with setup and app syncing described as simple or seamless.

Pairing and syncing are mixed: some reviewers found smooth iPhone/Strava syncing, while another saw repeated phone disconnects.

Recovery insights are weak or future-facing in the evidence, with one review noting recovery-related features were expected later rather than present.

Recovery insights are a major reason reviewers liked the watch, especially Training Readiness, Body Battery, HRV, and sleep-informed rest guidance.

Reliability is mostly good for daily wear and forget-it use, but connection loss and false activity detection appear as caveats.

Reliability is mixed: core tracking is reliable, but reviewers cite occasional crashes, overheating unresponsiveness, software bugs, and phantom clicks.

Safety features center on heart-health alerts, AFib detection, ECG, and illness-related temperature signals, making this a strong health-first wearable.

Safety features are solid, with LiveTrack, Incident Detection, and safety/tracking features mentioned as part of the package.

Size options are limited on the regular Nova but improved by the smaller Brilliant model, so the evidence is mixed by variant.

Size options are a strength because the 570 comes in 42mm and 47mm, making it more accessible than single-size Garmin alternatives.

Sleep tracking is useful and often accurate enough for trends, but reviewers report missed split sleep, rosy or anxiety-provoking analysis, and limited sleep-stage detail.

Sleep tracking is useful but not class-leading; some found it reasonably accurate while others called it less robust or less complete than competitors.

Notifications are basic and polarizing: they can alert users, but the small display and lack of replies make them limited.

Smartphone notifications work, but evidence is mixed because one reviewer found notification handling intrusive during workouts.

Smartwatch features are intentionally minimal, with reviewers repeatedly framing the Nova as a health-first hybrid rather than a phone-on-wrist device.

Smartwatch features improved meaningfully with mic, speaker, calls, voice commands, music, NFC, reports, and notifications, though it is not a full smartwatch.

Software smoothness is strong around app syncing, although some activity/map issues suggest the software is not perfect.

Software smoothness is generally positive, with reviewers describing the interface as polished, faster, and modern, but not bug-free.

Step counting is one of the more reliable daily metrics, with reviewers praising the subdial and accurate step results.

Step counting appears accurate in direct step tests and is part of the daily tracking suite.

Stress tracking feeds into readiness and wellness guidance, giving it practical value for recovery decisions.

Style and design are the most consistent praise point, with reviewers emphasizing the luxury analog look and traditional-watch appeal.

Style and design are a standout upgrade, with reviewers praising the colorful, expressive, more premium look.

Third-party app support is a clear limitation, with direct evidence that users wanting such access should look elsewhere.

Third-party app support exists through Connect IQ, but reviewers view Garmin's store as useful yet limited versus full smartwatch platforms.

Touchscreen responsiveness scores low because the watch has no touchscreen; all interaction is crown-based.

Touchscreen responsiveness is widely praised as responsive, fast, and useful, especially alongside the physical buttons.

The user interface is intentionally minimalist: reviewers like its simplicity, but the small display makes notifications and richer interactions constrained.

The user interface is cleaner and easier to navigate than before, though Garmin's learning curve and rare menu quirks remain.

Value for money is mixed: reviewers admire the quality and health features but repeatedly flag the high price and subscription angle.

Value for money is the most common concern: reviewers like the watch but repeatedly say the price is high versus the 265, 965, 970, and rivals.

Voice assistant and command quality is good for watch tasks and commands, while phone-assistant workflows can be clunky or dependent on the phone.

Watch face quality is positive overall, with analog hands, glow-in-the-dark indexes, subdial, and hidden display giving it a real-watch identity.

Watch face quality is strong thanks to customization and readable data layouts, with reviewers highlighting clean default faces and useful widgets.

Water resistance is a strength, especially on the 10 ATM standard Nova, though Brilliant models are rated lower at 5 ATM.

Water resistance is well supported for swimming and real-world water exposure, including pools, lakes, ocean use, and a 5ATM rating.

Wellness insights are strong in the app, especially for health scores, trends, ECG review, dashboards, and actionable explanations.

Wellness insights are deep and actionable, especially Body Battery, readiness, stress, sleep, and recovery metrics that shape daily decisions.

Workout tracking variety ranges from limited basic modes in some reviews to more than 40 sports in others, so it is useful but not elite.

Workout tracking variety is excellent, with triathlon/multisport support, many sport modes, open-water swimming, gym profiles, and new activity types.