TomTom has always excelled in the “navigation on the road” market. Millions of motorists have benefitted from the personal navigation devices – but there has never been a significant focus on the running community. That was up to now…
Nike and TomTom have announced the SportWatch GPS, a watch aimed at runners that can track your route, tell you how far you’ve gone and how many calories you’ve burnt.
The watch links directly to the www.nikeplus.com community, so you can upload the data to be stored and to compare with your previous runs. You can get bring up the data from previous runs on your watch for instant comparisons.
The clear, readable interface means that you can take the information in while you’re running without having to stop, and there are audible sounds to motivate you, giving you encouragement, offering reminders and setting challenges.
The GPS chip in the watch works in tandem with the shoe-based Nike+ Sensor. There are only three buttons on the watch, so it is easy to use even while mid-run.
“This is a game-changing product that furthers our commitment to provide all athletes with unparalleled motivation and the tools to get better,” said Stefan Olander, VP of Nike Digital Sport.
“It is part of TomTom Consumer’s strategy to move into the fast-growing sports and fitness market. This true partnership with Nike combines the strengths of two leading companies to deliver a game-changing product for runners,” said Corinne Vigreux, Managing Director of TomTom Consumer.
The SportWatch GPS is available to buy now in stores and online and costs £179.
In September last year, Nike released the Nike+ GPS app http://www.macworld.co.uk/ipod-itunes/news/index.cfm?newsid=3238600 for iOS.
[Info from a story by Ben Camm-Jones appeared on Macworld.co.uk]