Adidas has followed the launch of Nike’s new FuelBand SE fitness-tracking wristband with the unveiling of its own piece of fitness-focused wearable tech – the miCoach Smart Run smartwatch.
Available November 1 for $400, the new standalone device runs Android 4.1.1 and features a 1.45-inch, 184 x 184 color touchscreen, 4GB of storage, and an impressive 14-day charge in casual mode via its lithium-ion battery. However, switch to marathon mode where data is collected every five seconds and this plummets to eight hours, while training mode, where data is collected every second, will give you around four hours of battery life.
The Smart Run’s GPS technology offers on-screen stats for speed and distance, and logs your route, too. The device also monitors your heart rate using built-in optical technology and counts your steps.
A built-in MP3 player with Bluetooth wireless audio allows you to listen to your favorite tracks and also receive audible coaching guidance via Bluetooth headphones. In other words, no more annoying cables or separate music player to lug around.
Set up a miCoach account and you can follow all your fitness-related data via your mobile device or computer over the long term, with training plans, completed workouts, and settings all synced between your watch and your web-based account. Free miCoach apps are also available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 8 devices.
“As part of the miCoach training system, [the Smart Run] truly unlocks human potential by making smart training easy and accessible,” Adidas’s Simon Drabble said in a release. “Whether you’re starting a new running program, training for a 10k or competing in another marathon, miCoach Smart Run will make your training more efficient so you get the results you want.”
Fitness-focused wearable tech is a fast-growing sector, with Nike, for example, this week announcing the second iteration of its popular fitness-tracking wristband.
The $150 FuelBand SE keeps constant track of how much, how often, and how intensely you move, offering real-time feedback and move reminders. It comes with Bluetooth 4.0 for pairing with the iOS Nike+ FuelBand app, though unfortunately Nike failed to add Android support to its updated device. Other fitness-related gadgets on the market include the Withings Pulse, Fitbit Flex, and Jawbone UP, to name but a few.
As for smartwatches, Samsung’s recently released Galaxy Gear comes a number of fitness-related apps, though future iterations of the device, along with other yet-to-launch smartwatches, are bound to come with even greater functionality for fitness fanatics as the technology develops.
