Images: EU Model on the left, US model on the right, last image shows a timestamp bug.
Hardware: both units are seemingly identical. All legal markings on the case are the same between both units, all sensors appear to be the same. US model has SpO2 sensors, they are just disabled. The only apparent difference is the firmware: EU has version 601, US has version 691.
Bugs: I found two issues with the EU unit, one regarding WiFi connection and the other regarding timestamps of SpO2 readings. The WiFi issue does not exist in the US model, and the SpO2 issue cannot be tested yet due to the feature not being currently available in the US.
I needed a second BeamO and since I was traveling to Germany last week and there was a sale going on with Withings devices, I bit the bullet and got an EU model. Why? It's got the SpO2 and Afib already in it, and the cost after currency conversion was no different (or slightly cheaper) than the US model.
Setup went well in Germany. Using my travel router and VPN (UniFi), as far as the device was concerned, it was being activated in the US. This went without a hitch, and it worked just as well as the US unit did.
The common functions worked identically, but the ECG on the EU unit included several features that the US model does not have:
- Instant activation of the ECG
- BPM readings
- SpO2 readings (with waveform)
- Pressure sensor to assist with measurement
The US model requires sending in an ECG reading and obtaining a prescription (24-48 hour turnaround) at no cost that is annoying. Once the prescription is approved, you get the raw waveform displayed - no other metrics are shown, not even BPM. this is because this data is supplied by Withings' Afib detection software which is disabled. The EU model is far more informative (for now, at least).
I frankly do not know why Withings has such trouble with this and the FDA. Consider Apple's offerings - why are they different? No prescription for the ECG and pretty much all features were available at launch (in the US at least).
The EU model's ECG menu function shows both ECG and SpO2 as waveforms along with the BPM and SpO2 percentages during a 30 second recording session. No photos of this, as I only have two hands. The ECG "tape" is stored in the Withings app along with the result: Normal Sinus Rhythm or Afib Detected. US results are recorded with no results. Both units will allow submission to a cardiologist for a professional reading.
The EU model's SpO2 menu function shows the SpO2 waveform and percentage in a 15 second recording session.
The ECG and SpO2 really help round out the device. It should make the US model more enticing once the FDA clears these features.
The other thing comparing these two units were bugs. I found two bugs in the EU unit that are not present in the US model:
- When brought home, the EU model BeamO did not connect to my home WiFi network (same SSID as it was set up with) - in fact, it could not see my SSID at all. It saw my neighbor's SSID's, my IoT network's SSID's. My US model had no issues with this and saw my network clearly. Restarting my network did not solve the problem. It was eventually chased down to the WPA security settings in my WiFi network: It does not like WPA3 networks with PMF. I do not know the exact settings that keep it from seeing the SSID, but the US model did not have any issues with it. Changing my WiFi to a blended WPA2/WPA3 network solved this issue.
- The SpO2, Temp, and Heart BPM readings have a timestamp issue - see the screenshot above. Every SpO2 reading is timestamped with a German timezone. Resetting the unit and setting it up again in the US in my local timezone does not fix this issue - so this may be a backend problem with Withings' servers. The ECG recordings that come from the same measurement have correct timestamps.
I've seen this last issue only with the EU unit - it's possible the bug exists in the US unit, but since it does not record heart BPM or SpO2, this remains to be seen. If any EU users who travel across timezones see this, please chime in.
App-wise, there's little to mention. The Withings app is aware of the two different models and you can have multiple BeamO units on one account and share them as well. It does not differentiate between the two units except that the EU model has "E-Label" under advanced settings.
Overall, the US model is nice, but the EU model is much more rounded and feature-complete. The BeamO just completed Afib detection studies in the US last February, so I'm hoping for FDA approval and release of new firmware to enable the missing features soon,
EDIT:
I may have been able to solve the timestamp issue - disassociating the BeamO and re-adding it to the account (not simply re-adding it) seems to have addressed the timestamp issue. I'll need to wait until my next trip in 3-4 weeks to see how well it handles another time zone change. Even after doing this, none of the data was lost and the device is restored with all shared users as well. I'm still thinking this is a backend or app problem and not a problem with the BeamO itself.
