Fitness gadgets are the new thing, and if you need proof, just check out our arms, which are beginning to turn into dumbbells for exercise tech. GPS maker TomTom looks keen to add to our weighted arms with two watches that will track your heart.
The heart monitoring watches from Garmin and Samsung are about to receive a double dose of competition, with TomTom delivering their own equivalent to Australian stores shortly.
Like the GPS watches we’ve seen in the past, the new TomTom watches manage to pack in GPS technology for tracking where you’ve been, but now include a feature called “QuickGPSFix” which is supposed to grab that lock more quickly.
It’s not just running outside that’s tracked, mind you, with indoor tracking also a part of the package, measuring pace and distance when using a treadmill, so you know how far you’ve run when you haven’t gone anywhere.
But tracking where you’re going is only one part of the equation, with an optical heart rate monitor (above, look for the green) built into the wrist strap, measuring how well you’re doing with a red light, similar to how the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Samsung Gear work to measure your heart rate.
The display on the watch is also bigger, much more resistant to scratches and water, and features a battery capable of lasting up to eight hours of life with the GPS and heart rate monitor engaged, and up to ten with the GPS running without the heart rate tracker.
Two versions of the watch will be on their way to shelves now, with the TomTom Runner Cardio catering to runners with all of the features and a touch of water resistance for $349, while the TomTom Multi-Sport Cardio watch brings the water-proofing to 50 metres and adds a bike mount for $399.
