Update note: My In-Depth Review of the Smart Run GPS has now been published, check it out here!
Last week Adidas announced their first foray into the GPS device world with their Adidas Smart Run GPS watch. While this may be the first physical GPS unit for the company, they’ve actually been fairly involved in the sport tracking world for a bit now – with previous connected sensors such as footpods designed to go into your soccer cleats, as well as other speed sensors for running related activities.
Following the announcement I spent time in a deep-dive discussion with the Adidas Smart Run team peeling away the layers of the device to get beyond the typical press releases. The discussion dove into every aspect of the device and we literally went through every single menu and button press – via conference in a device simulator. As a result, I’ve consolidated as much of that as possible into the below.
They’ll be sending me a device in roughly the next 7-10 days, ahead of release. Obviously, I won’t be able to put together an in-depth review in the matter of a day, but given the interest I’ll definitely fast-track it as quickly as possible towards a mid-November review release.
With that, let’s dive into it…
General Use and Overview:
Perhaps the single biggest item of note is that this is the first GPS watch with built-in optical heart rate recognition. This means that your heart rate is optically measured at your wrist, rather than requiring you to wear a heart rate strap. The Adidas team partnered with Mio, who makes the Alpha optical HR watch to provide the optical sensor portion. That’s good, because in my testing previously – it does quite well. While Adidas hasn’t released any photos of the back of the unit yet, I’ve been told the sensor is virtually identical to that used in the Alpha. Which means it’ll pretty much look just like the below:
They have made some changes though, specifically around the Alpha’s single biggest weak spot: The strap. The Adidas team went with a completely new strap that better integrated with their device (since they only used the optical sensor portion of the Alpha unit). They noted that they spent a lot of time testing the device against smaller wrists, in particular both women and interestingly many smaller test subjects in Asia (which tend to have smaller wrists).
Once you’re ready to run, you’ll swipe right on the touch screen to get into the running mode. The unit only has a single button at the bottom, which is used for starting/pausing your workouts, as well as triggering a lap. All other operations take place via the touch screen with swipes and taps – similar to the Motorola Motoactv in some ways.
Within the running page you’ll have a small bar graph that shows you your total running time that week. This is customizable with different metrics of your choosing. Further, your scheduled workout is also displayed at the top.
The unit focuses on two basic types of running modes: Free workouts, and structured workouts. In free workouts you simply go out and run at whatever pace/heart rate you’d like. The unit will track your location for later viewing on a map, as well as record any other metrics such as heart rate.
Outside of the free mode, you’ve also got training plans, which are designed as coached workouts. These workouts have specific goals (such as heart rate zones) that the unit will walk you through (audibly) the different phases of the workout.
Below you can see an example of this. The unit will tie your heart rate (HR) zones to colors: Blue, Green, Yellow, Red. This forms the basis of the training plan platform.
When you’re ready to get going, you’ll tap ‘Get Ready’, which will go ahead and start up the optical HR recognition, as well as enable the GPS.
Next, as the workout progresses it’ll walk you through each of the zones. In this case I’ve transitioned from Blue Zone to Green Zone. My current heart rate is displayed in the center (152), and the time into the run is displayed on the chart (12:47).
If there’s a zone mismatch, the unit will tell you to “Speed up to Red Zone”, or, whatever the zone you’re supposed to be in. Such as below where I’m below the intended zone at 152, versus yellow zone which is higher than that.
The unit also contains vibration alerts. The audio alerts however require Bluetooth headphones.
Meanwhile, I can swipe up/down to view my configured data pages and fields. In this case, a data page with my current pace, my lap pace, and the total number of laps.
I can also at any point swipe to the right to access music, and increase the volume. But more on that later on in the music section.
I can hold the button down down at the bottom for a few seconds to pause the workout. Here you’ll see a brief graph of my progress plotted against the goal zones. Personally, I think this is pretty cool.
I can also swipe up to see other metrics while paused, such as distance, average heart rate and pace.
Finally, upon completion of the workout the unit gives me a summary screen (pretty similar to the above), as well as starts the WiFi initiation process to look for a preconfigured WiFi access point for uploading the workout to the miCoach site.
Strength and Flexibility Workouts:
When talking to the Adidas team it became clear that they believe a significant component to making a stronger runner is improving areas such as core strength. In an effort to focus on that they’ve included a slew (about 400 to be exact) of different exercise to download to the unit.
Each one of these different activities/movements includes a short animation that demonstrates how to complete the movement.
In addition to completing a specific singular exercise, you can also string together a bunch of them to create an entire workout. You can either utilize ready-made workouts from Adidas, or you can create your own combo platter. All of this is done online, and then sync’d to the watch via WiFi.
The actual tracking of each activity is manual. Meaning, the unit doesn’t leverage any of its internal accelerometers to track your movements and record whether or not you’re doing them correctly – or doing them at all for that matter.
As you complete each movement the required number of reps you go ahead and tap the checkbox. Ultimately, you’ll get a summary screen at the end of the workout (which contains multiple different movements/reps).
Music/MP3 Player:
The unit’s 4GB internal storage allows for 3GB of end-user accessible space, primarily to store music files. These files can be uploaded in standard music formats including MP3, WMA, and AAC. However, like most devices out there it cannot handle any form of DRM/Rights-Protected music files.
To load music onto the device you’ll simply use the included USB cable, where the device will enumerate as a standard USB mass storage device. Drag and drop is the name of the game here. This is ideal in that no special drivers are needed, so if you’re running an operating system outside the lands of Windows or Mac, you’re still pretty much good to go.
The device doesn’t have a headphone jack on the side. Instead, it relies on Bluetooth to connect to any standard Bluetooth audio device, such as wireless Bluetooth headphones.
This is probably a good move, as the headphone jack was perhaps one of the fatal flaws of the now-discontinued Motorola Motoactv unit – letting in water that would ultimately kill numerous Motoactiv’s. Many parallels can be drawn between the Motoactv and the Adidas unit – in terms of underlying core operating system (Android), as well as the color screen, music capabilities and connectivity options (WiFi).
The device supports a number of basic playback modes, such as by artist, album, or directly picking songs. Further, it also supports playlists and the ability to shuffle songs.
From a battery standpoint, the music playback takes a pretty big whack at the battery life. In fact, about 50% hit to battery. With full-GPS tracking and MP3 playback, you’re going to get about 4 hours of battery life. With music playback turned off, it’ll be closer to 8-9 hours.
Connectivity & Uploading:
The device is ‘connected’ wirelessly, but not in the way most of the mainstream press thought. In fact, despite having the word ‘smart’ in there, there’s no aspect of a traditional smart watch. It doesn’t connect at all to your phone directly via Bluetooth or good vibrations. Period.
Connectivity and uploading is only done via WiFi (except to place MP3 files, which is done via USB). The unit can store multiple WiFi networks and will automatically connect to the networks upon completion of the activity. The Adidas team noted that in the vast majority of cases, by time you walk into your home, take off your running shoes and get to your computer – the file is already there and ready for viewing.
The device can connect to any password protected WiFi network, or non-password protected network. However, it is unable to deal with any form of proxies in the network, or any sort of ‘I agree’ type pages that are common at most public WiFi spots (such as Starbucks or the like). There is no method for the device to display that page and allow you to press ‘I agree’ (or similar).
As noted above, the device does not connect to your phone via Bluetooth (though, the device does contain a full Bluetooth 4.0 chipset in it). This means that it neither uploads data via your phone, nor does it offer any form of live tracking. Bluetooth on the device is only used for playback of music to headphones – not to phones. As seen above, there’s also a flight mode to disable the connectivity pieces while on an aircraft.
As part of this playback though via Bluetooth, you’ll also get audio announcements of status related items such as pace, heart rate zones, and heart rate.
Once the data is uploaded via WiFi, it’s published to the pre-existing Adidas miCoach platform, which offers display of your running route, as well as metrics over the course of the route.
Here you can see the graph mode, where you can drag along the graph and then display the corresponding heart rate/pace/elevation/stride rate data for that point in time.
3rd Party Compatibility:
Next, we get to what I suspect is probably the single biggest deal-killer for most advanced runners (which is the stated target market for the watch): It has no ability to export the files to 3rd party services.
In fact, there’s no connectivity at all to any 3rd party providers. Thus no uploading to Strava, neither to TrainingPeaks, or to Daily Mile. In fact, there isn’t any supported way to get data out of the platform at all (no CSV/TCX/FIT/anything). It’s the dreaded Nike+ island scenario all over again…well, until Nike got smart back a few months ago and opened up their platform (and then further announced expansion of those efforts early last week).
Finally, there’s no API offered to either the web platform or the watch, outside of a few minor partners primarily with insurance providers (for use in corporate wellness programs).
Customization:
The unit contains a web-based data field customization tool, which allows you to configure all your data fields/screens online and then push the to the unit via WiFi.
You can customize up to 5 screens, with each holding between 1 and 4 pieces of information (metrics). Below for example, is a screen with four pieces:
And here’s one with just a single piece:
You just drag and drop the different metrics shown along the bottom onto the screen up above, after selecting a display template (field arrangement).
There’s also an additional screen with lap-focused metrics. You can use either auto lap based on distance/time, or you can press the button to create a lap.
The metrics available to put on your display are as follows: Heart Rate, Speed, Distance, Calories, Time, Pace, Stride Rate (Cadence).
Product Comparison & Functionality Table:
In an effort to better be able to understand all of the functionality included within the Adidas Smart Run GPS unit, I’ve gone and and completed the typical product comparison table database for the product. I worked with the Adidas team to fill this out. For those components that were more subjective (meaning, I decide whether it’s true, not marketing), I’ve left them as TBD/TBA.
I’ve gone ahead and populated the units on the market that the Adidas unit is most likely competing against – primarily based on a combination of price and functionality. As I’ll talk about in the summary, the unit is in a bit of an odd spot price-wise relative to the functionality of other GPS running watches on the market today.
Note that you can swing over to the product comparison tool to mix and match any units you’d like. These are just the ones I figure make the most sense.
| Function/Feature | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 |
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| Copyright DC Rainmaker - Updated April 9th, 2021 @ 10:16 am New Window |
| Price | $399 | $399 | $249 | $215.00 |
| Product Announcement Date | OCT 16, 2013 | SEPT 16, 2013 | SEPT 16, 2013 | AUG 13, 2012 |
| Actual Availability/Shipping Date | Nov 1 ,2013 | OCT 31, 2013 | OCT 31, 2013 | SEPT 2012 |
| GPS Recording Functionality | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Data Transfer | WiFi | USB, WiFi, Bluetooth Smart | USB, Bluetooth Smart | USB |
| Waterproofing | 1ATM (~IPX7) - No Swimming | 50 meters | 50 Meters | IPX7 |
| Battery Life (GPS) | 6-8 Hours (Updated) | 10 hours | 10 hours | 12 Hours |
| Recording Interval | 1s | 1-second & Smart | SMART RECORDING (VARIABLE) | 1-Second |
| Alerts | Vibrate/Visual (Audio only with headphones) | Audio/Visual/Vibrate | VIBRATE/SOUND/VISUAL | Sound/Visual |
| Backlight Greatness | Configurable, great. | Great | Great | Good |
| Ability to download custom apps to unit/device | No | No | No | No |
| Acts as daily activity monitor (steps, etc...) | No | No | No | No |
Connectivity | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | Bluetooth Smart to Phone Uploading | Yes (Added Summer 2014) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Phone Notifications to unit (i.e. texts/calls/etc...) | No | No | No | No |
| Live Tracking (streaming location to website) | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Emergency/SOS Message Notification (from watch to contacts) | No | No | No | No |
| Built-in cellular chip (no phone required) | No | No | No | No |
Cycling | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | Designed for cycling | No (can show speed) | Barely (Speed mode only) | Barely (Speed mode only) | Yes |
| Power Meter Capable | N/A | No | No | No |
| Speed/Cadence Sensor Capable | N/A | Yes | No | Yes |
| Strava segments live on device | | No | | |
Running | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | Designed for running | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Footpod Capable (For treadmills) | Yes | Yes (internal accelerometer) | Yes (also has internal accelerometer) | Yes |
| Running Dynamics (vertical oscillation, ground contact time, etc...) | No | Yes | No | No |
| VO2Max Estimation | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Race Predictor | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Recovery Advisor | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Run/Walk Mode | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Swimming | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | Designed for swimming | No | No (protected though just fine) | No (protected though just fine) | No |
| Record HR underwater | N/A | No | No | No |
Triathlon | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | Designed for triathlon | No | No | No | No |
| Multisport mode | N/A | No | No | No |
Workouts | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | Create/Follow custom workouts | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| On-unit interval Feature | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes with firmware upate |
| Training Calendar Functionality | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Functions | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | Auto Start/Stop | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Virtual Partner Feature | Yes (added June 2014) | Yes | No | No |
| Virtual Racer Feature | Yes (added June 2014) | No | No | No |
| Records PR's - Personal Records (diff than history) | Yes on site (not on unit) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tidal Tables (Tide Information) | No | No | No | No |
| Weather Display (live data) | No | No | No | No |
Navigate | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | Follow GPS Track (Courses/Waypoints) | No | No | No | No |
| Markers/Waypoint Direction | No | No | No | No |
| Routable/Visual Maps (like car GPS) | No | No | No | No |
| Back to start | No | No | No | Yes |
| Impromptu Round Trip Route Creation | No | No | No | No |
| Download courses/routes from phone to unit | No | No | No | No |
Sensors | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | Altimeter Type | GPS | GPS | GPS | GPS |
| Compass Type | N/A | N/A | N/A | GPS |
| Optical Heart Rate Sensor internally | | No | No | |
| Heart Rate Strap Compatible | Internal | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ANT+ Heart Rate Strap Capable | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| ANT+ Speed/Cadence Capable | No | Yes | No | No |
| ANT+ Footpod Capable | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| ANT+ Power Meter Capable | No | No | No | No |
| ANT+ Lighting Control | | No | | |
| ANT+ Bike Radar Integration | | No | | |
| ANT+ Trainer Control (FE-C) | | No | | |
| ANT+ Remote Control | No | No | No | No |
| ANT+ eBike Compatibility | No | No | No | No |
| Shimano Di2 Shifting | No | No | No | |
| Bluetooth Smart HR Strap Capable | No | No | No | No |
| Bluetooth Smart Speed/Cadence Capable | No | No | No | No |
| Bluetooth Smart Footpod Capable | Yes | No | No | No |
| Bluetooth Smart Power Meter Capable | No | No | No | No |
| Temp Recording (internal sensor) | No | No | No | No |
| Temp Recording (external sensor) | No | No | No | No |
Software | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | PC Application | No | Garmin Express | Garmin Express | PPT/Websync |
| Web Application | Yes | Garmin Connect | Garmin Connect | PPT.com |
| Phone App | Yes | iOS/Android | iOS/Android | Polar Beats |
| Ability to Export Settings | No | Yes | No | No |
Purchase | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | Amazon | Link | Link | Link | Link |
DCRainmaker | Adidas Smart Run GPS | Garmin Forerunner 620 | Garmin Forerunner 220 | Polar RC3 | | Review Link | Link | Link | Link | Link |
Again, to mix and match any units beyond the default ones – just go here.
Summary:
So, what are my thoughts? Well, I’m mixed. There are some areas that I like (such as the Bluetooth Audio and music playback), and then there are other areas that I think are missed opportunities (such as connectivity to the phone).
The $399US/EUR price is pretty tough. On one hand, you have to keep in mind that it contains a full-on optical heart rate sensor in it. And that’s pretty darn cool. But on the other hand, if you exclude that functionality, the price-point doesn’t match the rest of the market. A simple look at the comparison table above will illustrate that nicely.
Next, looking at connectivity I actually couldn’t use the device personally. For example, shortly after this post publishes I’m headed to the airport (like almost every week). I won’t come back for 7 days. During that time I’ll be using typical hotel internet, which requires some form of authentication. Because the unit doesn’t permit USB downloads of the data, nor does it link to a smartphone for uploading – I’m completely out of luck for uploading my data during my trip. The team argued you could create a WiFi hotspot with your phone, which is true. Except, many cell phone plans these days don’t permit that except for extra charges.
The workout functionality around movements typically found in the gym is really interesting. I don’t think it’ll appeal to the average (or even advanced runner) though. But I do think that the combination of that functionality with the music piece will greatly appeal to those that spend more time in the gym doing circuits than running. In fact, I think that Adidas is probably missing the boat from a marketing standpoint focusing on runners, and should instead really be focusing on the larger strength audience.
I like aspects such as the web-based ability to configure data fields (though, I believe you should be able to do the same on the unit as well). I wish more watches out there blended these two worlds together. And I like the flexibility in the sizes of the screens and the quantity of screens you can display, even if the number of different metrics is quite low.
Lastly – and perhaps most importantly – is the lack of 3rd party platform support. I’ve stated before that I simply won’t recommend anyone purchase a unit when the company islands your data. I stand by that statement. Your data should be yours, and you should always be able to take it somewhere else.
Update: I have received the Adidas Smart Run GPS, and placed a slew of unboxing photos into The Queue. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions, Odds & Ends:
There’s a lot of random things I asked that I figure you’d find the answers interesting. Rather than try and writing a bunch of text in a paragraph around them, I figured I’ll just go ahead and include them here rapid-fire style. Additionally, as I see trends in the questions below in the comments, I’ll add them up here too.
General: Day to day watch mode, and are there alarms?
Yes, the watch can display the current time in standby mode (for up to 14 days), and also displays the date (i.e. 21 OCT). It does not however have any alarm functionality. This is because the unit doesn’t include an audio speaker. It only contains vibration alerts and visual displays. In fact they do not see this device as a replacement for your non-running watch, noting that the unit is “Not an attempt by us to replace anyone’s day to day watch.”
General: Does the unit have a cycling mode?
Sort of. It can be configured to display the ‘Speed’ metric (i.e. 20MPH or 30KPH), but it doesn’t have a strict cycling mode and doesn’t connect to any Bluetooth Smart speed/cadence sensors. Fwiw, this is in-line with the initial release of the Garmin FR620.
General: What’s the price and when’s it available?
The price is $399 (both USD and Euros is the same), and is available to ship starting November 1st, 2013.
Sensors: How accurate is optical heart rate (HR) in the wrist?
The Adidas Smart Run GPS leverages the Mio Alpha platform that I reviewed last year. It’s the same sensor, just stuffed into this unit. Now in that case I found it very accurate for myself during activity (unlike for example, the Basis B1 optical HR unit during exercise). However, my wife found it highly inaccurate. Her problems stemmed from the oversized wrist strap that the Mio Alpha unit had. Whereas with the Adidas unit they’ve got their own wrist strap that they noted specifically goes much smaller. Obviously, accuracy testing of this implementation will be a core component of my in-depth review.
Sensors: Can the unit record pace/distance and cadence while indoors on a treadmill with GPS off?
Partially. It can record your cadence (stride rate), but cannot record pace (speed) nor distance. The wrist accelerometer is currently not setup to do so. However, you can purchase the Adidas Bluetooth Smart Speedcell, which the unit will pair to and then allow you to track pace/distance while indoors.
Connectivity: Can you update the firmware? And how?
Yes, you can update the firmware on the unit. This will be done via WiFi.
Connectivity: Does the unit have ANT+?
No, the unit does not contain ANT+, thus it’s unable to connect to ANT+ sensors.
Connectivity: Can the unit connect to Bluetooth Smart accessories?
Some. It can connect to the Adidas Bluetooth Smart Stride sensor. It cannot connect to a Bluetooth Smart HR strap however (but, it has optical HR internal to it).
Connectivity: Will they enable smart phone uploading or live tracking?
I asked this, and was told neither are in the plans today.
Platform: Can the unit run Android apps?
No, it cannot. They are focused on “their own experiences for now”.
Functionality: Is there a virtual partner and/or ghost runner type functionality?
No, not at this time. In their discussions with runners, they did not see significant demand for this type of functionality.
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Thanks for reading!
Means I have to wait for Garmin to incorporate something like the Mio sensor instead of the heart rate strap.
Same as yannis : the built in graphs, music and HRM are just incredible! But no waterproofing and the other points raised by Ray (thanks for helping me taking one step back and look at the product from different angle) => will have to wait
Likewise – all I can say is that they had it – I mean finally a GPS watch with music! Then they took it one step further and completely lost it to the point where I wonder if they will even sell units to their target public of advanced runners. If it does not link out to third parties, why even bother? And that battery life is to the point where I can hardly squeek out a marathon (just over 4 hours for me, but you have to count the time in the box as well…). So, I’ll stick to my combo of a garmin 910XT with an iPhone for the music (and the ability to call for backup in case you twist an ankle or so).
For me it’s the looks – it’s just not cool.
wrist heart rate sensoring and integrated music are the sexiest aspects of this watch IMO. But…
In my personal case, being a Sporttracks user completely leaves me out. Adidas should really listen and open up their platform, so they have a winner. Also, with the chipset already there, a smartphone connection for data uploading is a must, and I imagine that should be easy to get via firmware update right?.
Also, battery life, ouch!!
Poor battery life, closed platform, only wifi upload, very limited metrics… Next one, please!
PS.: Dear Garmin, please integrate the Mio HRM tech to your next flagship tri-watch. Thanks.
Pass. Not being able to have my data centralized, s/b/r, for all the data makes it worthless to me. Although the graphs and functionality are there it doesn’t seem worth the price.
“In fact, there’s no connectivity at all to any 3rd party providers” for 399$? Designed for “advanced runners/athletes” who already have a track record for many years?
The ADIDAS product team sits around a table, discussing the subject above and all agree: That’s it? Honestly, do not they talk & listen to customers? I know what “pinky madam” from the book “The White Tiger” would have said.
Ray,
before I bought TRT, I used mycoach app on my android phone.
In Mycoach website, I couldn’t export my training data and, in order to save them, I used this site: http://www.runningfreeonline.com
Here I could upload data from MyCoach and then export them.
link to i.imgur.com
Maybe it will work with these watch too, considering it uses MyCoach system
Also:
link to acadis.org
I did the same until I bought a Garmin and left Micoach. What would happen if runsaturday went down?
Sounds very interesting, however the non connectivity to any 3rd party provider is absolutely a no go for me. Sorry but Adidas missed the point completely. Collecting for long time data online or on the Mac (Rubitrack) and giving this all up now and moving to micoach because of a new watch. No way.
Another concern would be the micoach website.
It seems to go down for maintainance a lot and the user experience could do with a thorough review. Having said that I enjoyed using MiCoach and the associated app before moving on to Garmin.
Like everybody else. HR and music are very interesting, no WP and no 3rd party = no go.
One button?
When I try to use my phone with sweaty fingers it is a crap shoot. Seems like it could be the bezel all over.
Wow, this watch looks cool. Heart rate without that fiddly strap, those animated workouts for core strength. This looked like a likely candidate to replace my 910xt next year.Then I got to the bit about not being able to use strava and no waterproofing and no ant+ functionality and it might ra swell be made of cheese for all the use it would be to me. Come on garmin, get that 910xt replacement with optical hrm and some music out there next year.
Amen, that would be something!
If only Garmin came out with a HRM wrist unit that worked well for women, I would run out and buy that in an instant.. if they do this for the new version of the 910xt I will RUN RUN RUN to buy that even though I’m probably getting the 620 once it starts shipping. I don’t care about the music (in fact Id prefer to use my separate ipod nano or my phone with non-bt headphones, since in my experience most headphones, even the nice bt ones, fail wayyy too often and I would constantly be losing money on replacements) and I would rather they save the extra battery that would take to just run the watch. I’d rather be able to run an ipod nano for 15-hrs or so and my watch for 20+ hrs :).
For the ability to get rid of the horrible HRM straps, though..and even the HRM bras that I have resigned myself to spending $100/bra on… I would pay extra, and probably prioritize that feature above all others except free access to my data.. that and the lack of any option to upload data besides just wifi are the deal breakers for me with this watch.
Would have been an interesting watch for me (and for orienteering in general) – but without direct export of GPS-data to file, this is completely unusable. Interesting concept, bad implementation, Adidas.
I really like the heart rate monitor and increased battery life. However, at this price point it lacks too much in the areas you pointed out. I will cling onto my Motoactv as long as I have to. Especially since It paid half as much almost two years ago.
This watch looks really tall. But the lack of connectivity to strava or anything else is a killer for me. I’m not interested in this one.
I was almost sold on this guy (and I’m most certainly not in the market for a new watch it just sounded pretty awesome). Then hit the “no export of any kind of data period” bit. Dead. No deal, even if it were $40.
Too bad, sounds like a pretty interesting unit otherwise. Especially since I have super tiny wrists – would love to see how well it works. Hopefully they will change their mind.
What amazes me is the sheer stubbornness. They gain nothing by prohibiting file downloads from their website. If they had a huge established userbase then I could understand their (still misguided) theory, but they don’t! Were you able to get any insight into their decision making process here?
I apologize if it was mentioned somewhere and I missed it, but how much does this thing weigh? It looks monstrous in size. I guess I have gotten spoiled with my TomTom Runner, which is so light and sleek. Really a shame that it was such a missed opportunity as I love the idea of the integrated HRM but the lack of 3rd party data (I am a SportTracks user), the low battery life (I run ultra distances) and the wifi only connectivity just kill it for me. It is so odd that they took the next step forward with the HRM and and took three giant steps backward with the closed connectivity.
I am fairly new to the world of running and GPS tracking. It looks like this watch allows you to see your HR and pace at a given point in time on a map or graph. Is there another platform/software/online service that does this? I am currently using a Garmin 305 and am unsure about which software/service to use for tracking my data.
Hi Ilan – Pretty much all platforms out there enable this. For example, Garmin Connect does this, even with your FR305.
Thanks for the response! I can see this information on graphs using Garmin Connect, but it’s still not clear how I can see the information on a map of my route. I’m also not sure yet that I can see this information on a map using Training Peaks unless I sign up for a premium subscription. However, I did figure out how to add HR, pace, etc. to the map information in SportTracks. So, I guess for now I’ll be using a combination of Garmin Connect and SportTracks.
I like the way Adidas presents the information a bit more; it looks cleaner and more modern. As everyone else has pointed out, however, the restriction on exporting data is not good. I also don’t need the integrated mp3 player, at least not the way Adidas has implemented it. I’m using a Sansa Zip Clip with a 32 GB card for a total of 36 GB of FLAC files, so the Adidas watch would be a bit of a step down as far as music is concerned. I also don’t want to have to buy new headphones, which would be necessary since there is no headphone jack.
I had high hopes for the Adidas Smart Run because of the optical HR sensor, but it looks like choosing between the Smart Run and the FR620 will not be that hard after all.
I love that they mention about testing on smaller wrists, since I have tiny wrists. But with all of this thing’s limitations, no sale. I’m really curious if Adidas will make any dent into the market with this.
Adidas severely limited people who might by this watch by killing the 3rd Party compatibility… no ANT I get if… it is a chip issue and not programming – if programming then another huge miss. Having the HR on wrist will not be enough to keep this watch from having a sizable market share with no 3rd party. Will not belong before someone comes along with 3rd Party compatibility and ANT with HR on wrist… there are a lot of people out there ready to drop the HR strap… myself being one. First company to do it with 3rd party will reap the benefits of having a head start from competition.
Unless something changes I’m out.
can you say MotoActv on but with HR?
Ray they say you have to use Blue Tooth headphones for the music. Wasn’t the moto watch supposed to have a BT headphone that would stand up to a sweaty workout, but never delivered it for some reason. Have you ever came across a BT headphone that you would recommend for running?
On another topic have you seen the new Garmin D2 Pilot Watch. Really think it has some interesting features, one thing I was thinking would be cool is if they had a site to load your flight data to similar to the way you keep track of your runs.
Thanks for the service you provide!!
I use the Jaybird BluebudX. They are great once you get the fit right(lots of options). Wore them in the rain with no issues. Before I got these I had the Jaybird Freedoms. No issues either. Bluebuds are smaller, go behind or in front of the ear, better antenna reception, no beep when the battery gets low, etc. Pricey but they are great for all sorts of workouts, including running. I use my Motoactv at the gym as well as on runs so the combination of one less device, and no wire is great! Just remember, bluetooth will drain a battery fast.
I too like the incorporated HRM and ability to play music.
That said, there are too many shortcomings that make this watch a fail for me. The lack of proper waterproofing, closed platform, connectivity issues and price are all deal-breakers.
If I have a say, I see no reason to fast-track this to a full review any time soon.
Thanks for the work!
This watch looks like a great platform IF they would open it up. Sounds like all the shortcomings could be fixed with software – data export, watch syncing & connectivity, Bluetooth sensors, cycling, could, battery life. Maybe even ANT with firmware (they have WiFi, ANT is right “next door” so to speak.)
If they leave it closed, it will be another also ran.
Meh. Give me a 910Xt with a Mio heart sensor and the ability to upload and program via my phone.
STILL no compelling reason to stop using the MOTOACTV? I want to drop it, but there are no offerings that touch it (or the bargain basement price I got it for). Even the defunct MOTOACTV site supports GPX/TPX exports, sheesh.
@Tim, I’ve been using the Motorola S10-HD Bluetooth headphones for a couple years now. If they aren’t water-resistant, then nothing is. I sweat like nobody’s business, and I have run with them in the rain here in Seattle and just can’t seem to make them die! I’m not sure if they are even making that model anymore, but it’s worked for me.
I can´t see Garmin being overly concerned with this. Between the new 620 and this, the Garmin wins hands down. Garmin is still the market leader.
I agree Brian. Looking at the price e features of the 620 compared to this Adidas, the Garmin is a better choice. The good thing is we have another important brand in the game. This can cause price cuts in the mean time.
As just about everyone has already said it’s a dead dead duck with no data export. Suspect Garmin FR630 will have OHR.
Tim: Bluebuds X are decent bluetooth running headphones. I did “sweat kill” one pair, but the warranty replacements have held up. The nicest feature: audio quality is fantastic. 2nd nicest: you can configure it either as a headset (cord in front so you can use the microphone) or running headphones (cord in back).
The reality distortion field is a powerful effect… Adidas spent all that time on doofy-looking strength training animations instead of BT 4.0 sensor integration, biking (speed/cadence, power), and 3rd party interoperability.
A device with accelerometers and the mio/philips technology could have really knocked Basis out. An app could turn on the HR sensor intermittently during the day. Correlating the heart rate with the past level of activity would yield a time series of resting and active heart rates.
My conclusion: if this were an open Android platform (including generic app store support), it would be an absolute game changer. As it is: meh!
I’ve been running for two years now with the Motoactv and for almost a year with the Mio Alpha. The Smart Run is the evolution. It lloks like they solved most of the complains about Motoactv. The headphone jack doesn’t work all the time and I already had 3 BT crap out on me. The vibration alert is a great idea for interval training. I never used the virtual racing thing and I never could get the GPS route to work. It looks like the miCoach website is ten times better than the Motoactv one, too bad it doesn’t export. I have 4 years of data in Nike+ and I’ld love to keep that data. One thing I like about the Motoactv is the way it creates a playlist with the music from your better runs.
Too bad I spent US$200 on my Alpha in March… I’m thinking about waiting to see if the price drops, because I think my Motoactv+Alpha will last for a couple of years, and there isn’t much else Adidas has to offer.
Granted I’m only beginning to work my way into this part of the running experience, and as such I’m not crushed by not being able to use my (non-existent) current and long time 3rd party site, but even so I definitely understand the issue. . . and yet I can’t imagine they won’t figure that out and fix it.. it’s nothing hardware related that restricts the data they can simply flip the proverbial coding switch and allow export to 3p sites, same thing with the bt connectivity with your phone. Bottom line people like money, and make these to get it. . . like most people here have said “it’d be great if…” and all those major ifs (minus of course the waterproofing which isn’t a deal breaker for me) are things that can be updated via firmware patch, and if nike figured it out in short order I would think Addidas will manage as well, especially considering the price point and the directly correlating increase in impact on the company if the watch fails. Finally on the price point issue.. yes it’s expensive. but so is a 220 after you buy a chest strap monitor for 50$ + and the equivalent (for example) ipod nano for music purposes (whatever watch I end up buying I fully intend to have some form of hr monitoring as well as a way to listen to music without lugging my phone along with) again, newbie in the gear world of running so might be some uninformed thoughts but there they are.
“with the strap it’s 263.1mm long, 48.4mm wide, and 15.6mm thick, not to mention 2.8oz in weight” – link to slashgear.com
I have been using the miCoach system (running & strength training programs) for a few years now and it works very well.
I create the miCoach workout for my Garmin 910xt via the Garmin Connect site and then upload. I always carry my mobile phone with the miCoach app running and (hopefully) in sync with the Garmin.
The strength training programs work best when using a tablet as the animations guide you through exactly what you should be doing.
I have always recommended miCoach and if Adidas reconsider their stance on the issues raised above, they could have a winner here.
Can you program it to give you a prompt to do some of the ‘strength and flexibility workouts’ at intervals in a run or is it separate to the run?
If it can be integrated it’d be a huge plus point for me as I often do interval runs with stuff in between: half mile run, 20 burpees, half mile run, 30 push ups, repeat.
If it could auto-pause for me at the interval and remind me which activity i was doing and track the time it took, I might be willing to consider the watch – and use a phone app for tracking my run in an exportable format.
Even better would be if they’d been smart about it and allowed run to export anywhere and other activities to export to places that can track them – eg Fitocracy.
@ Chris, I run and strength train on separate days, though I like your workouts.
I did take a look at miCoach and there is no way (at the moment) to create a workout like yours. Maybe you can take a look yourself. They do have a tonne of workouts – it is a real treasure trove.
Check out their single workouts here: link to micoach.adidas.com.
Best of luck.
@ Dr. D – Thanks, I should have thought to look at the smartphone app.
Generally I keep the workouts separate too – I just do those kind of routines when i’m training for an obstacle course race, such as Tough Mudder and Spartan Race.
Also I couldn’t control the impulse and picked up a Garmin 620 at the NYC Marathon convention today so no longer in the market for the Adidas watch – just praying I don’t regret the decision now.
Incidentally, there was a stand there for the Adidas watch. Strangely they were showing the watch turned off and relying on an iPad running a simulator (presumably the same thing Ray saw) to show its features. Just thought that was a bit odd so close to release date.
Pretty much a continuation of my 2 year old Motoactv, which is still going strong although these days I use a Garmin 310xt, and the Motoactv has become a bit of a white elephant. $400 puts it at double the price I paid for the Motoactv, and even after I’d paid for the separate HR monitor this is still significantly more expensive. As for non 3rd party compatibility I imagine that as it’s running Android it’s only a matter of time before it gets rooted and someone writes a third party app to extract the data to a tcx file. As is the case with the Motoactv here: link to forum.xda-developers.com
Wifi only upload is a deal killer (and no third party connectivity).
The reason my Leikr will never be my go to watch is because I cannot connect via wifi when traveling overseas. So just like Ray said, wifi has its limitations…..
Interesting first try Adidas!
Non strap HR is cool!
Music is cool!
Bar graphs are cool!
Workouts nice gimmick.
No ANT+ is no go.
No 3rd party connectivity\export is no go.
No phone connectivity is no go.
Features comparison vs price is no go.
I’m looking forward what the first firmware update will be!
Thanks for your initial thoughts Ray!
Tim,
I’ve been using these Denon Bluetooth headphones for a month w great success: link to amazon.com
Ray,
curious about the pricing: Same in $ and €. That’s unusual! Are they doing some sort of global sourcing? Curious about the economics of that, though without 3rd party data uploads this is likely a $399/€399 product launch fail/loss per unit for Addidas, regardless of currency.
Ken I checked them out but as with most of the BT headsets Im a little leery when a product has about the same amount of 5 star review vs 1 star. Seem like they are getting closer to a good product but the sweat proofing is still a issue for most BT headsets.
Looks gay. Like a lunchbox on your wrist.
Hi Phil/Euro/A lot of other names-
I suspect there’s probably a different way to express your displeasure in that first two-word sentence. Then again, in looking back at all the comments you’ve ever made on the site (18 of them), none have ever been terribly constructive.
Just a thought…
Sorry-comment stands. PC is a bad thing…
You’re free to believe and do whatever you’d like. But, here on this site your options are more limited. You can focus on delivering useful and/or constructive comments, or, you can not comment. I’m not giving you a choice in the matter.
Criticism of any product is more than welcomed here (done in language that’s appropriate). Criticism of specific people however, has not, nor will ever be permitted here. This isn’t a CNN or Fox News forum or one of their story comment sections.
The other few thousand people that comment on posts every month seem to find no problems following this single rule.
I think data geeks become running geeks. For many runners, we have been running for 20+ years. We have log books, excel files, text doc and the like. None of that is eportable. The idea that only “serious” runners need exportable data is laughable. Data geeks need exportable data, not serious runners.
I have used both and find it not to be too bothersome. I’m not an olympic level athlete by any means, but I worry that the over reliance on data is taking the wrong focus for our sport. That’s is really for another discussion.
The lack of exportable data wouldn’t be a killer for me and many runners that I know.
Good point! Have not even thought about it.
“Data geeks need exportable data, not serious runners.”
EXACTLY!
I remember a review on this site lamenting the lack of a USB data cable for the Soleus 1.0 which cost, like $90. Less than some Timex watches without GPS. The lack of transferability to your computer for Strava, etc. was seen as a “deal breaker.”
I don’t want to share my workouts with the internet. I write them down, or put them in a spreadsheet. I don’t need to brag about my 9 minute mile easy runs.
I think you may be misunderstanding my point slightly. It’s not about sharing your workouts online. For example, I actually don’t share many of my workouts – perhaps one per week.
Rather, it’s about using whatever tool you want to analyze your workout. While you can do simple ‘total time’ style analysis, that’s really not the point of buying a unit like this. There are much cheaper ways to go about that goal.
As for the Soleus watch, I’m relatively certain I didn’t say it was a “deal breaker” (or anything like that). Far from it. I noted that it was a solid unit for that $60-$100 price point. I also noted that for about $30 more you could get download capabilities. For some, they wanted that, for others not so much.
Finally, as for the unit being for advanced/serious users – that’s their words (Adidas), not mine.
I have to agree with Ray on this one.
There is no way I am purchasing a device that does not allow me to take the data it records to my analysis platform of choice.
Look at it this way. I consider myself both a data geek and a serious runner, I like to dive into my data to extract conclusions and apply them to my future training, and I think this has significantly helped me to advance as a dedicated amateur. I use sporttracks with several plugins, and I have reached a point where I am very comfortable using this. Adidas is completely forcing users to live in their closed environment, which is a no-go for me.
One of the limitations of the Mio was that it can’t do R-R recording, so data collected with the optical sensor couldn’t be used from Training Effect analysis with programs like Firstbeat Athlete.
Is this thing for real? What an idiotic contraption.
Didn’t read after the line: “It has no ability to export the files to 3rd party services”
Hi Ray,
You mentioned Adidas noting “Not an attempt by us to replace anyone’s day to day watch”.
How is that?
Not having an alarm does not prevent many people having day to day watches…
Does it feel too bulky and heavy to wear day to day?
They explained (again, their words), that they heard from runners that most wanted a watch that was focused on running, rather than trying to be a number of different things. They noted they were focused on pure-running features, rather than a superset of interesting by non-critical path features.
I personally don’t use the watch alarms, so it doesn’t stop me from using it day to day. But, I’ve learned that a very vocal portion of the population does, and generally screams bloody murder when they aren’t in there. ;) To each their own!
As for weight/bulk, I’ll let ya know next week.
Wow. No export. Adidas, what are you thinking? I gave away my Nike+ after they sealed their data.
Nice to integrate HR if it works well.
But, at that price the Garmin 620 devastates this Adidas device. Why close the data? I just won’t even consider anything that does this.
You can export your data out of micoach.com using either a command line application called miCoachBackup (windows/.NET) and micoach-backup (Python) from Manuel Vonthron. Micoach-Backup is graphical but you have to build it yourself and it requires programming knowledge to make it work as it should.
+1 “Lastly – and perhaps most importantly – is the lack of 3rd party platform support. I’ve stated before that I simply won’t recommend anyone purchase a unit when the company islands your data. I stand by that statement. Your data should be yours, and you should always be able to take it somewhere else.”
This is a deal breaker that pretty much obviates everything else about the device (or any other) for me, too.
hi,rainmaker.The micoach data can use “micoach backup master” to export data to 3rd party platform.
Really late getting to this review; and I appreciate the points you raised that are comparative to the Motoactv. I actually just lost mine (and it was still under warranty, but not repairable…uhmph) and so the Adidas watch has some appeal. Looks like they did their homework towards the Motoactv crowd, and made some hard decisions in the process.
The price would be hard to bear, and I’d personally need the upload via mobile capacity. But, if it could just upload by itself using WiFi, I’m sure I could work around that and the lack of export issues and have some fun with this. Its a contenda… but only by a few notches.
Hi Ray,
do you know if the run smart is able to register the r-r interval (heart rate variability)?
Thansk in advance.
Nemo
No, it does not.
Shut up and take my money!
Does this watch allow you to use pace based training instead of heartrate based training by connecting the stride sensor? The Pacer unit by Adidas allows for either, but I like the pace based training much better. That would be the deal breaker for me.
Looking forward for Ray’s in-depth review, in meantime here is some first unpacking experience written down:
link to t3.com
Indeed, I got back tonight with a unit here to unbox tomorrow and start the review process.
Just as a quick heads up to folks, I’ve uploaded a bunch of unboxing shots and some wrist comparison shots to The Queue: link to dcrainmaker.com
No export to runkeeper and no virtual racer? I’ll pass.
well, i’ve just ordered on adidas website. i came from a nike+ sportwatch so i don’t mind the lack of 3rd party services. i’ve already experimented with nike+ and it doesn’t bother me at all. the plus? HR without any chest strap and music without any other device in my pocket. i want to run free from phones or ipod nano or hateful chest strap. i’ve only one device. it makes me happy. so curious to test it…
What gps system does it have?
The GPS antenna is a dielectric antenna manufactured by Cirocomm. The product name of the antenna is PA010AA0005 and part number is 03A01B3B0051020.
Full antenna details within the FCC Antenna Details report (including internal photos of unit): link to apps.fcc.gov
(Note: The above link may expire. Just manually search for Adidas as e-filer or FCC ID: ZLGSMARTRUN)
It’s often pretty cold when I go out for a run so I regularly wear gloves when running so touch screen isn’t going to very useful for me. Does it have any buttons at all?
It has one physical button, to pause or end the workout or mark laps. You’ll need touch to start, but if you don’t need to view different data during your run or fiddle with music player, you might get away with gloves. Also if you are using BT headset it probably has its own buttons for volume and skipping tracks as well.
For 399$ you could expect a battery power that lasts longer than 4 hours (using music and gps). I ran marathon usually between 4:30 an 5 hours. So that would mean the smartrun woud not be able to support me.
Come on adidas! Where are those skills of German engineering?
So I just got my Smart watch in yesterday. Running with it today. I like the interface and the looks. But the watch band seems small to me. I have what I consider normal sized wrists and on a timex or casio watch with a rubber band I close it about halfway up the band. On the smart watch I’m closing it 2 notches from the end and it’s a tight fit then. If I had any bigger wrists I wouldn’t be able to wear it. So I suggest if your interested in it and have larger wrists try it on first before you buy it if you can.
Can someone please let me know if you can switch this to pace based coaching like you can with the MiCoach app on iPhone? I want the watch to measure my heart rate, but I want to be coached by pace. It should be easy to do using GPS as long as it has the feature. Please help! Thanks!
@Andrew – yes you can. I use the miCoach app and the pace-based training though I wear an HRM. In fact, I have created the same workouts on my Garmin too. I hope this helps.
@Andrew,
According to the Manual you can. I’ll be making a run tomorrow with the watch so I’ll try and switch it.
You can find the manual and instructional videos at:
@Dr. D @Dave
Thanks so much for replying…I’ll wait for some performance and support feedback, but this helps me a lot in making my choice!
You can select before you start your run if you want heart rate or pace coaching, but you can’t have pace coaching if its indoors (i.e. GPS turned off and using speedcell). In terms of performance I have had one indoor and one outside run along with my 610 and its being fantastic, both the heart rate (within 1 bpm) and pace (slightly different but same run average, a lot less fluctuation and faster response to change in speed) have being great. Fit you use the micoach program its a great addition.
I don’t really see the point in getting this over the Nike+ Sportswatch…
link to versus.com
As the comparison shows t’s about the same quality and much more expensive!
Well there’s actually a world of differences between this and the nike watch : wifi, integrated HR, interval training, touch screen, integrated audio player,…
That doesn’t mean the Nike+ is not a very viable choice, just keep this in mind those differences before comparing only the price tags
Agree, lots of differences. That does remind me, it looks like I need to add Music Player to the comparison charts. And probably split out the HR piece to integrated vs strap, since integrated will likely be the standard for watches going into next year.
Too bad I bought the Smart Run without waiting for your final review – I just had the worst running experience ever. Battery dropped about 30% after 10 min, Bluetooth pairing was ok, but the sound got disconnected every other second (I used Denon Exercise Freak BT headphones). Bluetooth only seems to work with the headphones when I keep on running with the watch next to my ears…
Too bad, because I really wanted to like the Smart Run watch. I like the general idea of the watch & the workout programs on the micoach website – but it looks like I have to go back to Garmin.
Interesting on the headphones. I’m seeing similar with a pair of Jaybird. It only works if I wear the watch on the same side as the receiver within the headphones (right, in this case).
As for battery…
Hi, i am italian and use this watch from 3 days. Bluetooth no problem with plantronics only a little bit less of volume, never disconnected. Battery very poor but i use motoactv and works like it. I am happy, i hope for future upgrade of battery (like motoactv). The assessment workout doesn t work also if in the manual is written that is possible to use it. Excuse me for my poor and old english
hi,Ray I’m waiting for you depth review.when will you finish your review process to smart run watch?
Time permitting, I’m targeting later this week.
At present though, without some significant firmware updates addressing: Battery life (active and passive) and Touchscreen during rain – it’s going to be a ‘no buy’.
There are also other concerns I have around Bluetooth reception and file export (previously noted above).
Their web site chat people have been tremendously helpful. The first time I asked what the crystal was made out of. She said she “thought” it was “some kind of glass.” I wasn’t looking for an opinion, just a fact.
The second time I asked if it was possible to see sample charts from MiCoach. the answer was “no.” Sheez, was is this, national secrets?
Glad I read your review… I almost bought one assuming it could connect to my phone (I mean who wouldn’t assume a $400 device WITH BLUETOOTH 4.0 could not connect to a phone). Talk about a product fail. This is one of the worst fails I’ve seen yet.
I wouldn’t say so, I’m using the micoach system for 4 years now (pacer then smartphone app) and I was quite exited when this product came out, The idea to wear the watch and my bluetooth headphones and go is very good from my point of view. I currently have to wear the HRM, then my phone in its arm band, then the headphones connect them all and go. This makes me most of the time run without any gear at all.
Since it can connect to my wifi when it get back home and upload the stats on the micoach website I don’t see much interest in connecting it directly to my phone.
Now the battery and bluetooth issues it seems to have may be a deal breaker for me…
Does this have a lap spit button? And if so when you hit it will it show your finished lap time and then reset the timer and then be able to hit spit again and be able to see your lap you just completed all the while keeping total time as well? This may seem confusing, but was a huge disappointment on my previous watch (TIMEX Marathon GPS) and i was hoping with an upgrade to this watch it will not disappoint.
-Blaine
Yes, the single button is the lap button (and a long hold to pause).
Hey mate, you’ve got it is compatible with a footpod but I don’t think it is? I’m testing one and it doesn’t seem to have anywhere to sync it.
You’ll pair it through the Bluetooth menu, same place as where you pair headphones. Enjoy!
I have the smartrun having just upgraded from the Garmin 610. The Garmin was/is a solid device but the strap was difficult to travel with (had to dry it in hotel rooms – not ideal) and the strap was leaving a scar on my chest from constant use (I run 7km about 6 times a week). It even got to the point whereby I was using a baby wipe to cover the strap and insulate me from the abrasive edges.
The smartrun fixes this and is a pretty good unit. The cadence feature is a big step-up as well. The music function is a waste of time (I use an ipod shuffle and get my music from there) as bluetooth headphones aren’t as functional as the sweatproof (Phillps) ones I use. Maybe I’m just a creature of habit.
Anyway, enough ranting. Quick question. How do I turn off the music feature? IF this will increase battery life, I NEED IT. Please help.
To turn off the music feature, you simply don’t pair Bluetooth headphones to it.
(As a side note, on your FR610 causing rash/burn/etc, that’s a known issue with earlier units that Garmin will happily swap out your FR610 for you, no matter how old it is).
Wow. I’ve never paired headphones and the best I get is about 2 hours. Battery life is crap but the unit is a step up in my eyes from the garmin if you’re a runner. I’m stunned that the battery is so bad. Adidas, you should be ashamed
Hi All-
Just as a heads up, my in-depth review of the Adidas unit has been published. It can be found here: link to dcrainmaker.com
As is usual, I’ll be closing this post to new comments (old ones are still visible), and ask that any new comments/questions/etc be put on the review instead (to minimize confusion). Thanks!