Garmin has unveiled Garmin Fit for iPhone and Android – the company’s first fitness app that lets users track metrics such as speed, pace, distance, time, calories and, with the help of Garmin accessories, displays heart rate and cadence. Garmin Fit also maps and automatically uploads workouts to the Garmin Connect online community.
The latest app from Garmin joins a number of apps targeting multisport enthusiasts, such as:
- The recently launched iPhone app from Triessential
- The Vodaphone sponsorsed app from Triathlon Ireland
- Suunto’s Movescount.com iPhone app
- Athlete tracker apps from Life Time Fitness Inc and Best Buy Mobile at Life Time events such as the Toyota US Open Triathlon and Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon
- Tour Tracker mobile monitoring at the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge
- The inaugural Interbike Mobile App sponsored by Strava
- The Scosche myTREK pulse monitor and app
- The Wahoo Fitness app for multiple online training sites
- Speedo Pace Club from Speedo USA
- Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU World Championship Series iPhone app
- Event sign-up via the Active.com app
- Velocomp iBike Coach
- The Speedo TriathELITE app
Accompanying its new Garmin Fit app, Garmin has also introduced its ANT+ adapter for iPhone, allowing users to use their Garmin ANT+ accessories with their iPhone.
“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.”
Whether running on a local trail, cycling around the neighbourhood or traveling for business, Garmin Fit makes it easy to see how far, how fast and where users have been. Garmin Fit ensures users will never be stuck without a way to track their workouts even when they forget to charge their Forerunner GPS-enabled watch or fail to pack it for a trip.
With the tap of a button Garmin Fit displays time, distance, pace and calories and allows users to control their music from within the app. Never miss that important call – during a workout users will also be able to view and answer incoming calls and text messages without interrupting Garmin Fit (US$0.99).
Upon completion of a workout, users will be asked to name the activity and will have the opportunity to input notes about how the workout went or what the weather was like. The data will then be automatically sent to the user’s account in the ever-expanding and free Garmin Connect community.
Here users can quickly and easily log their workouts, track their totals, set goals, share workouts with friends and family and participate in an online fitness community of more than 70 million activities around the world. Garmin Connect displays metrics such as time, distance, pace, elevation and heart rate. This information is shown through charts, illustrations, reports and a variety of map representations including street, photo, topographic and elevation maps. Garmin Fit will display the previous 30 days of Garmin Connect history as well as charts directly on users’ smartphones – giving them an extra tool to achieve their goals.
With Garmin’s ANT+ adapter for iPhone, available now at www.Garmin.com (US$49.99), users will be able to monitor and record their heart rate and cadence directly on their phone when paired with those optional accessories. One such accessory is a foot pod sensor – which allows users who are training indoors to track their speed, pace, distance and run cadence.
Garmin Fit is the latest solution from Garmin’s expanding fitness segment, which ‘focuses on developing technologies and innovations to enhance users’ lives and promotes healthy and active lifestyles.’
