Skip to main content

Nokia and newly acquired Withings may be a match made in tech heaven

Withings Active Pop 5
Giuliano Correia/Digital Trends
Nokia may not be back in the phone game just yet, but a yearning to make cool, smart tech products for all of us is still obviously there, proven by the news it has acquired French connected health technology company Withings. The deal values Withings at 170 million euros, or around $191 million, and helps Nokia push into several of the hottest markets in tech: The Internet of Things, wearables, and mobile health.

Withings will become part of Nokia Technologies, and when the deal is finalized later this year, will operate as part of a new Nokia Digital Health division. Withings co-founder and CEO Cedric Hutchings will lead the new unit, although there’s no confirmation whether the Withings name will be joined by Nokia’s on future products.

Recommended Videos

Since selling its mobile division to Microsoft, Nokia has dabbled in hardware partnerships around the world, resulting in devices such as the Nokia N1 tablet. However, it has concentrated on its infrastructure and networks business, particularly in promoting and building hardware that will enable 5G connections. Why is that important here? Because 5G will push the Internet of Things forward in a way we’ve not seen yet.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Withings may be best known for its activity trackers and connected scales, but it also produces connected security cameras for the home, a very cool sleep tracking system called the Aura, and several other connected health products. All these products link up with Withings own mobile apps, and operate with others too. Beyond the compatibility with Nokia’s own 5G-driven IoT dreams, Withings usually beautiful, understated designs, often with bold splashes of color, are reminiscent of the Finnish company’s own cool aesthetic.

Nokia has recently made it very clear the company wants to give the world of consumer electronics another try, and has in the past said it would prefer to find partners rather than build up another massive manufacturing division again. If the Withings acquisition is Nokia’s first step back, it appears to be an excellent fit. Provided all the regulatory bridges are crossed, the acquisition should close just after the summer.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
New iPad Air incoming? There’s a low stock warning
A person holding the Apple iPad Air (2024), showing the screen.

Less than a year has passed since the release of the current iPad Air. However, a new one could launch very soon. As Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman notes, the inventory for the popular tablet is dwindling, suggesting that a new model is set to launch.

The 2024 iPad Air was launched in May 2024, introducing a new 13-inch model alongside the traditional 11-inch model. Both versions feature Liquid Retina displays that offer vibrant colors and sharp details and are powered by the M2 chip, which provides improved performance compared to the previous generation. Beyond this, there were a few changes made between this and the previous model, which arrived in 2022.

Read more
Samsung might return to all-Exynos for its Galaxy S26 lineup
A close up of the triple camera on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus

Samsung has seen a smoother development with its Exynos 2600 chip than it did with the 2500, according to a new report. Prior to the release of the Samsung Galaxy S25, rumors suggested the phone could use the Exynos 2500 or the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and leaks provided a lot of conflicting information. Now, a report from a Korean news outlet says the company has already achieved a 30% yield from its manufacturing process.

The company is using a 2 nanometer production process, and it's initial yields were higher than expected according to The Bell. Samsung plans to start mass production of this chip in the second half of the year and say it could improve performance by 12% and power efficiency by 25%.

Read more
Google Messages might let you unsend awkward messages in RCS chats
The Google Messages app on the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Google Messages, the default messaging app on Android phones, could soon get new features that will let you unsend texts like third-party messengers. The unsend functionality is reportedly under testing and will be available for chats over RCS protocol, which succeeds traditional SMS with improved support for multimedia, emoji, reactions, etc.

Presently, when you delete a message, it is only removed from your device without impacting other participants in the chat. Now, Google appears to be testing a new "delete for everyone" functionality for conversations that will delete messages for all parties, similar to instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram. 9to5Google spotted references to the under-development functionality, suggesting it might be available for a wider audience to benefit from -- though the exact timeline of remains unknown.

Read more