LuxuryWatchesA Week on the Wrist with the Pininfarina Sintesi HybridSecond time lucky for Pininfarina’s smartwatch division?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
LuxuryWatchesA Week on the Wrist with the Pininfarina Sintesi HybridSecond time lucky for Pininfarina’s smartwatch division?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Second time lucky for Pininfarina’s smartwatch division?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Legendary Italian design house Pininfarina burst onto the smartphone scene in 2023 with theSenso Hybrid. Being a certified petrolhead and a huge fan of Ferrari sports cars – which Pininfarina designed for decades – I was excited to see the results.
Pininfarina Sintesi Hybrid: Design and features
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
First impressions are just as good as they were with the Senso. Pininfarina’s new hybrid watch is beautiful, with a stainless steel case, leather strap and sapphire crystal – all the things you’d expect from a £379 timepiece.
For me, the case isn’t quite as distinctive as the beautiful cushion-like design of the Senso, but it still packs a visual punch thanks to the textured grey dial (reminding me of the dashboard of a ‘60s Ferrari) and the bronze detailing of this particular model. The watch is also available in black with white hour markers, blue with a matching blue strap, and cream with a sand-coloured strap.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Like the Senso, the new Sintesi has an analogue sub-dial at the six o’clock position. This is used to show what percentage of your daily activity goal you have completed, and adds a nice dose of traditional watch design to the face.
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Just a few years ago, it was perfectly acceptable for smartwatches and hybrids to be this large. But improvements in battery technology and processor efficiency have led to slimmer, smaller devices. TheApple Watch Series 9is significantly more compact in every dimension than the Pininfarina, and so too are hybrids like theWithings Scanwatch 2. I appreciate that some people like bigger watches, but I still hope Pininfarina will bring out a smaller hybrid soon.
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
What’s the Pininfarina Sintesi Hybrid like as a smartwatch?
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
I’m pleased to report that the software problems I encountered with the Senso have largely been fixed for the new Sintesi. The app (free foriOSandAndroid) still isn’t a match for those from Apple or Withings, but it’s an improvement nonetheless and acts as a perfectly decent place to adjust settings and check in on your daily activity, exercise and sleep.
There are still some quirks to be ironed out – like how the Pininfarina app talks about an ECG function in the heat health section, but goes on to say that capability is missing from his watch (it’s only on the slightly more expensive Senso).
Also frustrating is how the app does not work properly when your phone has no internet connection, and how text often feels like it has been crudely translated rather than being the work of a native copywriter. An example is how the Active Minutes section of the weekly highlight states: “Stay active, stay young. Cheer up!”
The calories section shouts: “Get started, don’t quit!” without any context on what I’m supposed to be starting, or indeed quitting. As with the Senso, it’s down to Globics, the technology company that designed, manufactures and distributes Pininfarina’s smartwatches, to up their game and offer a software experience that lives up to the hardware and the price tag.
The rest of the watch works largely as you’d expect from a hybrid. Notifications are delivered to your wrist with a subtle vibration, there are stopwatch, alarm and timer functions accessible through the watch’s own interface, and you can see a basic weather forecast (temperature highs and lows) for the next few days at a glance. There’s a compass too, which shows your heading on the digital screen and uses the hands to point north. As ever with hybrids, I prefer to limit notifications to the bare essentials, like calls and text messages.
Pininfarina doesn’t state a battery life for the Sintesi, but the “up to 14 days of typical use” of the Senso feels about right. As ever with smartwatches, this will depend greatly on how you use the device.
Should you buy the Pininfarina Sintesi Hybrid?
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
The Pininfarina name carries a lot of weight among petrolheads and design buffs, and in some cases that alone will be enough to make a sale. I personally prefer the more distinctive look of theSenso, but still appreciate the new Sintesi, especially in blue with the matching strap.
There’s no escaping the size, but if you’re happy with a 44 mm case then you’ll be happy with this watch. It’s a handsome timepiece that feels very well made and, like any good hybrid, quietly gets on with tracking your health without looking like a smartphone strapped to your wrist. There is still room for improvement with the Pininfarina app, however, and those who want enhanced heart health functions – like ECG, heart rate variability and stress level tracking – will have to spend an extra £20 on the £399 Senso instead.
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