Connected watch delivers detailed health and fitness data using Nordic Bluetooth LE connectivity

Global prestige watch brand Festina has launched the latest in its connected watch range, the ‘Festina Connected D’, providing users with advanced health and fitness data in a stylish, modern design. Festina Connected D is simultaneously both a traditional watch and an activity tracker which monitors the user’s heart and daily activities, providing them with the means to better understand their health. 

 

Powerful nRF52840 SoC application processor 

The stainless steel timepiece features an authentic physical dial plate and watch hands with a cut-out for the OLED display. It integrates a heart rate sensor and accelerometer to track heart rate, VO2 max, energy expenditure, activity, steps, and sleep. In addition to the sensors, the watch employs Nordic Semiconductor’s  

nRF52840 SoC to provide low latency Bluetooth® LE wireless connectivity between the device and the user’s smartphone, and to perform as the watch’s application processor. The nRF52840 SoC’s 64 MHz, 32-bit Arm® Cortex®-M4 processor with floating point unit (FPU) provides ample computational power to run the complex sensor algorithms allowing the watch to precisely track and calculate movement and activity data.  

“The mark of our connected products is that we want to help the user filter through the clutter of information they are drowned with daily,” says Mattias Wideheim, CEO, Festina Group Technology. “The watch is not only about keeping time, it is about the user and their everyday life, and with Connected D we want to put the user in control, allowing them to decide which type of notifications they will receive and those they won’t. A gentle vibration on the wrist will notify the user only about people and events they care about most.”  

The user can navigate the watch’s features and the information shown on the OLED display via the programmable physical crown and two pushers on the watch case. Once connected with the user’s smartphone, in addition to health and fitness functionality, features include music and camera control, timers and alarms, phone finder, weather information, world time, ‘If This Then That’ (IFTTT) control, as well as a ‘walk-me-home’ security feature and workout tracking using integrated GPS. From the ‘Festina Connected’ iOS and Android app, the user can set the notification filtering and quick actions for the crown and pushers, as well as access wellness, health, and workout data including long term trends and history.  

 

Ultra low power for extended battery life 

The watch is powered by a rechargeable Li-ion PD2430 cell providing extended battery life in normal operation, thanks in part to the ultra low power characteristics of the Nordic SoC. The nRF52840 SoC has been engineered to minimize power consumption with a fully-automatic power management system 

“We selected Nordic’s nRF52840 SoC for the Connected D because Bluetooth connectivity range and quality are very important to us in delivering our customers a high quality product,” continues Wideheim. “In addition to the radio performance, the SoC’s low power consumption was also a key factor in our decision, as was the fact we use the nRF52840 SoC in other products, so we know how to use it and what to expect. 

“We also used the nRF Connect SDK for developing, testing and product certification and are pleased with the tools and support Nordic provides.”

 

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