TechRadar Verdict
A simple fitness tracking watch that doesn’t do a lot, but looks and feels good enough to appeal to some wearable tech fans.
Pros
- +
Great battery life
- +
Pretty design
- +
Auto activity tracking
Cons
- -
Basic fitness tracking
- -
No heart rate monitor
- -
No major new features after the Nokia takeover
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The Nokia Steel is the re-branded version of the Withings Activite Steel. Nokia bought the wearables champ in 2016, and has now given its fitness trackers the Nokia brand treatment.
If you don’t follow the wearables scene as closely as we do, though, that doesn’t matter. The fact the Nokia Steel is a very low-key, minimalist fitness tracker does matter.
Wearing one is just like wearing a watch, but it’s a watch that also tracks your steps and sleep.
Nokia Steel price and release date
- Originally $130/£120 but we've seen the price drop as low as $100 or £80
- Previously known as Withings Steel, now available under Nokia name
The Nokia Steel has an RRP of around $130/£120, making it a chunk cheaper than the smarter Nokia Steel HR that starts at $179.95/£169.95.
There’s also a slightly more expensive rose gold version of the Nokia Steel that costs £130/$149. We've seen the price of the normal Nokia Steel drop to around $100 or £80.
You can get fitness trackers with similar features for less money, but almost none will look quite as good as the Nokia Steel.
Design
- Minimalistic design looks much more like a watch than a fitness tracker
- No screen, unlike the Nokia Steel HR
- Step counting dial to show you how far you're from your goal
Effortless, stylish minimalism is a key appeal of the Nokia Steel. Just look at its face: a slim band of shiny steel borders a curved glass top and a delightfully plain black or white face.
Even among non-smart watches, the Nokia Steel is deliberately neutral. It looks just like the older Withings Activite Steel, but with a different name and altered fonts on the front.
Trust your own eyes on this one, but we think the Nokia Steel looks great.
It’s also very comfortable. The watch face is relatively small among smartwatches and the strap is soft, pliant silicone.
A few times during testing we’ve forgotten we were even wearing the Steel, and keeping it on at night for sleep tracking doesn’t feel like a trial.
You can also change the strap very easily. Nokia makes silicone straps in seven colors, leather ones and a few made of woven polyester.
As it is water resistant to 50M, you can wear the Steel in the swimming pool or bath. However, Nokia recommends getting the battery replaced by a jeweler rather than doing so yourself if you want to keep the water resistant in-tact.
