Garmin has just announced their new Garmin Fit app for the iPhone and Android-based smartphones.
The app is just 99¢ on iTunes and tracks metrics like speed, pace, distance, time and (estimated) calories all on its own. Add their ANT+ dongle ($49.99) and it’ll capture data from their heart rate monitors and speed/cadence sensors. It maps and can automatically upload your ride data to their Garmin Connect.
“Garmin Fit is the ideal solution for users who are new to the fitness tracking landscape and for those looking to stay totally connected,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “To be able to utilize Garmin’s powerful fitness accessories with the same device that plays music, makes calls and uploads workouts automatically to share and analyze, makes Garmin Fit a must have app.”
Yep, you can play your music and take a call while the app is doing its business, even text message. It should work even stuffed in a jersey pocket or hydration pack if you’re not keen on sticking a $300 iDevice to your handlebar. That last bit is why it may not totally kill the market for their dedicated (waterproof, durable, compact) GPS cycling computers. That, and there’s no mention of Power Measurement at present. Hopefully that’s just an update away.
Screenshots and more details after the break…
The app will show the last 30 days of activity from your Garmin Connect account.
Following completion of the workout, you can name it and it’ll upload. This last bit is perhaps the true killer app: there’s no longer a need for you to hook anything up to your computer or download data or a program. Everything should just auto-upload to Garmin’s “cloud”.
Data on each bout of exercise is available for quick review.
Now there will be one more reason to be buried in your own little iWorld at the coffee shop post ride.
Oh, and if you’re into running, it’ll work with their Foot Pod to track steps and such. If you’re into that.
