Yahoo Finance RunIQ review: New Balance pursues runners with new smartwatch
New Balance has entered the race for dominance of the wearables market – and its new device appears to keep up.
The footwear company has teamed up with Intel to release its RunIQ Android Wear smartwatch, which is marketed specifically for runners.
The device, which is loaded with all the sensors you need to track a workout and retails at about $399, is competing with the other heavy hitters in the market, including the Apple Watch Series 2, the LG Watch Sport and the Garmin Fenix 3.
The design
The RunIQ is big. There’s no doubt about that. It boasts a massive 1.39-inch, 400×400 pixel, AMOLED display that’s wrapped in a matte-black case. The side of the watch has three buttons: the top opens its RunIQ running and cycling tracking app, which is “powered” by Strava, the middle goes to the main interface and the bottom allows users to count a lap while recording a run.
Clocking in at 14 millimetres thick, the RunIQ isn’t exactly aerodynamic and takes up a lot a space on your wrist. However, that’s not surprising given that it contains a GPS, an accelerometer and optical heart rate monitor.
The watch also has a black, 22-mm silicon band with heart-shaped and square holes, which make for easy adjustment.
It is water resistant up to five metres and can be worn while swimming, but it isn’t designed to track it.
The default watch face is black with a New Balance insignia at the top. It’s got three touchscreen buttons at the bottom that give you easy access to its heart-rate monitor, the RunIQ app and a step counter. However, you can change the appearance to several analog watch displays, Google Fit trackers and set it to display photos, among other options.
Overall, it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing watch for everyday wear, I personally find the Apple Watch Series 2 and especially the LG Watch Sport as well as the Huawei Watch 2, much better looking.
The specs
In addition to its tracking tools, the RunIQ also boasts a 410 mAh battery, which New Balance claims last 24 hours with “typical use” or five hours of continuous life with the GPS and heart-rate monitor enabled.
During the week-plus that I tested it, I found it generally lasts about 12 hours with GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on.
It was less than ideal when it died during several trips to the gym after work.
So plugging it in every night, or even at work to get an extra boost, is likely something you would have to get used to.
The RunIQ also packs 4GB of storage, which means users don’t have to worry about carrying a heavy phone in their pocket to listen to music — you only need Bluetooth headphones. That’s great for runners such as myself who need any advantage they can get.
Users can store and stream music on the watch using Google Play or Spotify. You can also sync your personal Google Play account, however, that only works when connected to an Android phone. Sorry Apple users.
But this is a great feature, as I personally find it impossible to do any sort of running without music to give me that extra boost.
Features
The main draw of the RunIQ is its ability to provide users with data in real-time, and after a run, so they can get a full picture of their performance that day and overall.
And the smartwatch definitely delivers.
The RunIQ relies on its in-house app to provide essential stats while your running, or cycling, such as distance travelled, pace, heart rate, steps and laps.
The app is very simple to use and the big white letters the watch’s black background make it easy to read at a glance.
I never had any issues with the readings it provided either while on the treadmill or while biking.
The RunIQ app also outclasses the regular Strava app because it displays a variety of stats, while Strava only has duration, distance and pace.
The only issues I seemed to have with the watch were related to its GPS.
While it’s marketed at runners, I’m not particularly fond of running and the RunIQ is also capable of tracking cycling. Instead, I used it primarily to track my commute to and from work.
So, before I hopped on my bike I would turn on the RunIQ app, put on my gloves and roll out.
However, on several occasions, when I arrived at work or at home, removed my gloves and went to stop the recording, I received an error message saying that there was inadequate GPS data points and my trip was not recorded.
This was pretty disappointing, to say the least.
However, for the most part, I found the app pretty effective at tracking my daily bike rides.
But if you’re looking for a smartwatch that can measure other types of activity on regular basis, besides running, walking and biking, it might be worth it to look elsewhere.
The LG Watch Sport can also record data related to strength training, while the Apple Watch 2 tracks open water and pool swims.
In addition to providing real-time data, you can also get a look at your overall fitness stats by synching it to a Strava app, Google Fit — or any sports app on Android Wear — on your phone.
The one issue related to its software is that you are required to download the My New Balance app for its initial setup and it is largely unnecessary.
It is a rather limited app that allows to connect to your Strava account, learn how to sync to Google Play and manage the watches settings.
The settings option is where you can make changes to its appearance — you can also do this directly on the RunIQ – the metrics you want on the main display and the types of notifications you received.
But no actual fitness data is compiled on the app.
Besides fitness-related activities, the RunIQ also allows users to answer calls when connected to Bluetooth headphones, view messages and reply with voice commands or open them on your phone and allow you to check notifications that are normally sent to your phone.
I personally found this especially useful as an avid fantasy sports players because I didn’t get tripped up while checking scores and updates on the treadmill or wipe out on my bike.
The finish line
If you’re a runner or a cyclist, the RunIQ offers you all you need to track your activities. Its 4GBs of internal storage means you can leave your bulky phone at home and still listen to music. It’s also easy to use and offers all the essentials you would expect to get with a smartwatch.
However, if you’re looking for something with more battery life and versatility in terms of fitness tracking, it might be worth checking out its competitors or holding out for new offerings.
