Nokia Steel HR Review: Hybrid Smartwatch With Classic Timepiece Flair

Nokia is perhaps better known for their smartphones and strong telecommunications presence, but the company also has a foothold in the digital health market. The company has embraced the “connected health” wearables trend since their acquisition of French consumer electronics company Withing in April 2016. Nokia has continued to offer and relaunch many of Withing’s award-winning products, including items like the Nokia Steel HR activity tracking hybrid smartwatch we're looking at here today.


Withing launched multiple versions of their Activité activity tracker in 2014 and 2015 and Nokia quickly released the Nokia Steel shortly after purchasing Withing. The Nokia Steel was similar to Withing’s Activité line in almost every way, as both devices automatically tracked sleep and activity and reset in new time zones. The devices did not have have any buttons and were controlled strictly through their smartphone apps. The Steel and Activité boasted a traditional watch face and a smaller secondary dial that tracked a user’s step goal progress, but beyond that users would need to look at their app for any additional information.

Withing continued to release devices under their own name until June 2017. One of these device was the Withing Steel HR which incorporated all of the features of its predecessors as well as a heart rate tracker and a small notification subdial. Nokia then released their version of the Steel HR in December 2017. The device is intended to move “...with you—from the office, to the gym, to the pool, to a big night out.”


The Steel HR comes in two sizes -- 36mm and 40mm models. The 36mm model has a 36.3mm diameter (1.4’’), 13mm thickness (0.51’’), 18mm wristband width (0.71’’), and weighs in at 39 grams (1.27 ounces). The 40mm model has a 39.5mm diameter (1.6’’), 13mm thickness (0.51’’), 20mm wristband width (0.79’’), and weighs 49 grams (1.73 ounces). The device incorporates Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), a heart rate infrared sensor, a day and night motion sensor, and a MEMS 3-axis accelerometer. The Steel HR features a traditional round analog dial, an OLED notification screen, and a subdial that tracks a user’s step progress.

Nokia Steel HR Specifications & Features

Dimensions	36mm - 36.3mm (1.4") diameter, 13mm (0.51") thickness, 18mm (0.71") watchband width 40mm - 39.5mm (1.6") diameter, 13mm (0.51") thickness, 20mm (0.79") watchband width
Weight	36mm - 39g (watch only), 40mm - 49g (watch only)
Display	OLED Notifications + Analog Watchface & Subdial
Battery Life	25 Days normal use, 5 Days workout use
Sensors	Day & Night Motion Sensor High precision MEMS 3-axis accelerometer Optical Heart Rate Sensor
Water Resistance	Up to 50m (165 ft, 5 ATM)
Watchface Color	Black (40mm + 36mm) or White (36mm only)
Case Material	Stainless Steel
Crystal	Mineral Glass
Wristband	36mm - Fits up to 200mm (7.9"), 40mm - Fits up to 230mm (9.1")
Connectivity	Bluetooth low Energy (BLE, Bluetooth Smart Ready)
Compaibility	iPhone 4s and higher (iOS 8.0+) iPod Touch 5th Gen and higher iPad 3rd Gen and higher BLE compatible Android 6.0+ Device
Pricing	Starting at $179.95

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The Nokia Steel HR starts at $179.95 USD with a silver face color and a black silicone wristband. Customers can choose from two case colors, two face colors, and fourteen different leather, woven, and silicone straps. The rose gold case costs an additional $20, while the extra wristbands range from $24.95 to $49.95. The 40mm model is only available with a silver case color, a black face color, and a black leather or blue or red silicone wristband. The 36mm model is available in all of the offered color and texture options.