Withings Sleep Analyzer: Firmware problems caused failures
Anyone who has had problems with the French manufacturer's sleep tracking mat in the past few days should wait a little longer: new software will help.
Sleep Analyzer von Withings.
(Image: Withings)
If you want more accurate – or watch-free – sleep tracking at night, you can use the Sleep Analyzer sleep tracking mat from Withings. The device, which costs 150 euros, is placed under the mattress and can record heart rate, breathing, movement, and snoring – and, among other things, detect possible sleep apnoea. The problem: In the past few days, the device has been causing problems due to a firmware error. However, Withings told Mac & i that this has now been fixed.
Bug fixed with new firmware
The issue could be recognized by the fact that the Sleep Analyzer initially only recorded short sleep intervals, such as 2 hours or even just 10 minutes, over several days – starting around 26 May –. Then it sometimes failed completely and the Withings app received no data at all. Neither resetting the mat nor deflating it helped. The error was apparently in a firmware that Withings had automatically delivered to Sleep Analyzer customers. This happens during the day and can only be recognized by the fact that a new version number is displayed in the app.
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However, the new firmware had bugs. It took quite a while before these were fixed. The rollout should have been completed around last Friday (June 13). Anyone still having difficulties with their Sleep Analyzer should definitely leave it connected to the power supply during the day so that the new firmware can be installed on the device via WLAN.
The pitfalls of automatic – and missing user information
This example shows that the automatic installation of device software can also have its pitfalls. Normally, the Sleep Analyzer firmware can only be installed by reconnecting the mat. The updates then take place in the background without the user being able to control this. In the event of firmware errors, the manufacturer should actually inform the users, but this was not the case this time. They were simply surprised that the tracking was not working and possibly thought that it was due to the placement of the sleeping mat.
The tactic is similar to that used by Apple with its popular AirPods headphones: here, too, the user cannot officially initiate the update manually. However, Apple has now made a different decision here and will integrate a way to update the earbuds manually with iOS 26 and the like from the fall, partly because users have frequently asked for this.
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