For someone like me, who doesn't really care
about how many steps he takes, but does want to know if he's really pushing
himself as hard as he can on a run, Armour39 does well. However, if you are
looking for something that will calculate your calories and monitor general
activity levels, Under Armour has nothing to offer you.
Under Armour always boasts the science and
technology that goes into its sports equipment. But, honestly, the company
could spend four times as much on R&D for a shirt as HTC did on the One,
but it would still never make a real similar fanfare. Certainly, a heart rate
monitor and app still aren't going to drive the tech blog world crazy, but it
might be the move that could help the company gains the respect that it
deserves. The Armour39 system combines a small Bluetooth LE-enabled pod with a
distinctive belt wrapped around the chest and an app that monitors your efforts,
awarding you WILLpower points. However, the system is not a
"lifestyle" product or an "activity tracker." Clearly,
Under Armour is looking for people who want to be athletes. Obviously, the
question is whether the sportswear company has anything valuable to offer in this
area. Does the foundation of its new training
equipment really encourage you to try harder and be anything other than the
FuelBand with a dose of testosterone supplements? The answer lies
in the right place you wait: below.
Armour39
Hardware
Interestingly, with the role of a heart
rate monitor, the Armour39 strap and pod aren't really meant to be seen, but
they still have quite a unique look. Under Armour didn’t stick with the
one-piece, all-black design that companies like Polar favor, but laced its
strip of elastic with aggressive yellow accents. The yellow waves come from the
black plastic well at the center where the data-tracking bug is located. The strap
is a bit like a rubber band, but the sensor-laced pads are much softer than of
those models of other companies. It's a small detail, but gives the product a
little luxury. And we would say "luxury" is not the word we ever
thought it would be attached to a heart rate monitor. One complaint about the
design is the closure, that’s mean you have to put the rubber ring around the
top of the plastic hook. The problem is that hook is far over to one side,
making it difficult to reach. Its location also pushes the slide to adjust the
size of the strap around to the back. That means you will do a lot of twisting
and turning to make sure you have the right fit, especially because it can be
quite hard in the first couple of times you lock it on.
With
yellow accents and a gaudy paint job, the Armour39's design isn't for the
timid.
"The bug" actually contains
hardware monitoring, along with Bluetooth radio, a small amount of storages and
a watch-style battery, is also bright yellow with the signature U and A logo painted
on it. That logo hid a small LED that glows blue when trying to connect to the
iOS app and slowly pulses green to let you know everything was ready.
Orientation sensors determine how stressful a particular position is, so it can
differentiate between jogging on the treadmill and doing push-ups. The built-in
memory also means that you can put the phone down and walk away while
exercising and still keep tracking. As you walk back to the Bluetooth coverage
area, your progress will be updated automatically. The tabs at the top make
sure you insert it the right way and make it easy to take it out of the strap.
There is little resistance when you try to release it, really reassuring
because you don't want it to be loose when sprinting or training Burpee.
The
tracker uses a watch battery that's replaceable, but not rechargeable.
