Withings has been quietly building itself into a home health giant in recent years, save for a brief on-again, off-again relationship with Nokia. The French company may not have the big-name appeal of Apple or Samsung, but it has been making some elaborate devices designed to get important readings outside the doctor’s office.
Although the name is reminiscent of an ’80s toy manufacturer, BeamO looks to be one of the company’s more compelling healthcare products. It’s not a fitness watch or a sleep tracking pad, but a new category for Withings. The company believes that the “MultiView” is designed to allow patients to easily understand vital signs during teleconference health calls.
From that perspective, the product makes sense. According to the U.S. government, telemedicine visits (understandably) jumped 15-fold during the pandemic. While the numbers have undoubtedly regressed as the world reopens, the relative ease and timeline compared to non-emergency office visits is really indisputable.
Image Source: Withings
The system, which Withings describes as “smaller than a smartphone,” provides four key health metrics. It’s a supercharged digital thermometer that also works as an EKG, oximeter, and stethoscope, giving your healthcare provider a deeper understanding of your immediate condition.
“Telemedicine is commonplace post-pandemic,” CEO Eric Carell noted. “While convenient and cost-effective, remote access lacks the ability of health professionals to conduct routine exams in person. BeamO will enable this remotely through a device that combines the capabilities of four different medical devices.”
The system can simultaneously read SpO2, heart rate and electrocardiogram (which Withings calls “medical grade”) and display the relevant information on a monitor. Headphones can be connected to the system using a USB-C to audio jack adapter. This information can also be sent to healthcare providers through the app.
The system is still awaiting FDA approval for features such as AFib detection. Withings expects the product to hit shelves this July, priced at $250.
