Training Tools - Battle of the iPhone GPS

One of the best features of the iPhone is the App Store and its ability to extend the functionality of the hardware beyond its original intentions. For instance, simply browse through the Health and Fitness section of the iPhone's app store and you will find a plethora of tools that can be used during your training. Last week, I touched on RunKeeper and promised a detailed breakdown how it stacked up against some of the other available options. Well, I've had a little time to fool around with them all and I'm ready to give you my honest assessment.

How the Apps Work and What Exactly They Do.

The iPhone has a built in technology known as aGPS. This basically means that it can locate you very quickly and with little interference from the surrounding buildings. The phone is able to use cell signals and the cell network to help it find your location and calculate your movement without totally wasting all of your battery life. These particular apps manage to use this technology and apply it to our training purposes, by tracking where you run, the total distance traveled, and how fast you run it. It can also tie into other important information like elevation and weather if need be. This information is then stored on the phone for future reference, or sent to a website so you can view all of your workout data from your PC.

For this article I've included 9 apps. I think I just about covered all of the options that are out there, but let me know if there is one I missed. They all do the same basic thing, but each has their own twist. They can be used for biking, hiking, walking and any other outdoor activity....some can even be used indoors, but more info on that below.

Lets get started...

DistanceMeter - Free

This was one of the earliest entries into the App Store. It was actually the first app to integrate into MapMyRun's website, and was rendered obsolete the day that MapMyRun's own set of apps came out.

Score = 2/10 - Don't Bother


The Bike Computer - Free

A very basic tracking tool that's only distinction is that it was designed in landscape mode (displays everything sideways). Yes, Landscape mode is nice to have in an app, it is not a reason to download a totally new app. Lets just hope one of the other offerings out there takes note of this and adds a landscape mode.

Score = 3/10 - Not even worth the time


iRPM+- Free

The program looks promising, but requires the use of Additional Hardware. However with the hardware, it can track your RPMs and Power, as well as heart rate. If you are going to shell out $175 for the iPhone receiver, then you might as well buy a dedicated GPS device. If they can find a way to bring the price down, this may be a compelling tool, but until then it is relatively useless for most of us.

Score = 3/10 - If you want to spend more money, it may be good, but unless you have a spare $175 laying around, then it is pretty much worthless.


Running GyPSy - Free

• No Map
• bad reception
• Very Basic and yet still not as user friendly as Fitnio
  

Score = 4/10 - Just doesn't have the features to make it stand out.


Track Trainer Lite - Free

Geared more towards people who are training at the track. The app is meant to be your trainer, telling you what to run and helping you get faster. If you run Track for your school, this is your tool, but for my purposes, it was pretty useless. No Maps, no web portal. Not for me.

Score = 5/10 - Not for me, personally, but may serve a purpose for others


TrailGuru - Free

One of the first GPS apps to hit the app store, months ago, TrailGuru seems to be geared more towards hiking than for actual workouts. It allows you to track your distance traveled, speed, and elevation, and lets you view a map while it's tracking. It also has a built in function that allows you to snap pictures while you are on the trail....something that you probably won't use during a run or a bike ride, but could be nice during along hike.

Score = 5/10 - Good app, but maybe not the best for workouts.


Fitnio - Free
















Pros

• simple, easy, intuitive - I can't stress this enough.
• Does not require that you sign up for the web portion, allowing you to get up and running that much faster.
  
• Website is extremely easy to use, though not very feature rich - There's a theme here with these guys... and its "easy".

Cons

• You can set goals online....but they're not visible on the phone
  
• Keeps a running tally of total distance....but not specific to activity type on the phone
• no "non-distance" based workouts (ie. lifting, treadmill, etc), limits you to outdoor activity
  
• No maps in the program, can be viewed online afterward though.
  
• No voice prompts or audible queues. If you wear your phone on your arm, it'll be quite hard to seethe screen. this is when audible queues come in handy..
  

Score = 7/10 - Good for someone who wants a simple solution with no frills and no distractions. Offers web integration to those who want it, but does not require it.


RunKeeper - Free and Paid Versions
















Pros

• Keeps very detailed data of your run...Trending your pace by the minute. Worried that you slowed down around mile 2? Runkeeper knows.
• User interface on the iPhone is very aesthetically pleasing.
  

Cons

• doesn't appear to have a map function while it is tracking....this would be helpful for biking, if lost
• Free version does not have voice prompts, and has ads...the ads aren't obtrusive though.
  
• Website is pretty limited in functionality. You cannot log a workout without having used the app.
  
• Workouts are just listed, there is no calendar, or anyway to keep your workouts organized well.
  

Score = 8/10 - OK phone interface, great data collection and progress reporting. Web site and organization is lacking though. Still a good option, but could be improved upon.


iMapMyRun - Free - also includes iMapMyRide, iMapMyHike etc, as all of the apps are identical
















Pros

• You can view maps while it is tracking, great for a long bike rides, if you get lost.
  
• It has voice prompts and can tell you your total distance, pace, total time, etc. Just make sure the phone ringer is turned up...and not set to vibrate.
• The website is the most robust of the bunch. Allows you to create workouts from the site, in case you didn't use the phone app. It also lets you create workouts that are not distance based, ie lifting, treadmill, etc.
• Website also lets you plot out routes ahead of time, which is great for things like long bike rides, or business trips to unfamiliar areas. It even creates Cue sheets for the routes if you need them.
  
• The App is relatively simple and intuitive. If you don't worry about any of the additional frills, it is simple enough to get started.
  

Cons

• Cue Sheet for bike routes are not available on the phone (supposedly it's in development)
• Workout data is limited to the aggregate of the whole workout. It is not as detailed as RunKeeper and can't give you minute by minute pace info.
• The web portion can do so much that it may be overwhelming to a new user. Tracking gear mileage and workout notes like "mood", "effort" and "odor" may come in handy for some, but to most it is probably overkill.
• The voice prompts are great, I have to say, the actual voice is a little scary. Don't let her scare you, when she cuts into your favorite song to tell you your current pace.
  

Score = 9/10


The Bottom Line

After all was said and done, there were 3 clear cut leaders...and each for their own reasons. The first, Fitnio earned my respect because of their overall ease of use and simple design. You could hand that app to even the most tech-challenged of folks and they'd be able to use it instantly. However RunKeeper set my heart a flutter with the overall detail that was available about your workout. I could see exactly which part of my run I struggled with, and then try to diagnose the problem next time I got out there. But finally, iMapMyRun won me over because of their shear overload of features. The website integration, workout calendar, calorie tracking, mapping tools, workout versatility, and voice prompts were all just too much for the other apps to stack up to. The combination of iMapMyRun and www.mapmyrun.com is the perfect workout companion, allowing you to track all of your training in one place.

That's not to say, I don't think there isn't room for improvement. iMapMyRun would benefit from a landscape mode (ala Bike Computer), minute by minute pace data (ala RunKeeper) and visbile Cue Sheets while biking. But as it stands now, iMapMyRun will be my running/biking/hiking companion moving forward, and I suggest you give it a whirl.