Running app Endomondo has added Android Wear and Samsung Gear S support, for those looking to hook up their watch on their runs.
Until now it was only Runkeeper and Runtastic that enabled you to control your run tracking from your smartwatch, which is a great way of eliminating those awkward fumbles in your pocket or bag to start, pause or stop a run. Now Endomondo has joined the fray, offering at-a-glance information on your pace, which is great for training.
Essential reading: Running watch vs running app
Unlike other smartwatch integrations from app makers, Endomondo takes full advantage of the tech inside your wearable. It can access the information from the built-in heart rate monitor on the Moto 360, Samsung Gear Live and Gear S, adding a whole new metric to your training.
This is certainly the way running apps and watches will evolve over the coming year, but unfortunately wrist-based optical sensors leave a lot to be desired, especially when exercising. Check out our report on the forthcoming Basis Peak to see why.
Mette Lykke, Endomondo’s CEO, said that integration is part of its mission of making fitness fun:
“With interest in wearables expanding at an incredible rate, Endomondo has spent 2014 aggressively developing for these devices,” Mette said. “Our aim at Endomondo is to utilise these new technologies in a way that still supports our core belief that social interaction and support is a key motivator when it comes to people getting and staying fit.”
The new features haven’t been totally seamless so far, and the features only seem to be available when using the free app, rather than the upgraded PRO version, which has irked some users.
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James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.