Given the recent influx of connected fitness devices that often offer their own companion smartphone apps, it may come as no surprise that at least one existing fitness app developer has decided to launch its own branded suite of devices to feed data into its app: Austria-based Runtastic. This week the company announced the availability of a GPS-enabled pulse watch and a heart rate chest strap.
Runtastic's mobile app has now been downloaded 5 million times, according to the company. About 1.4 million downloads occurred this past January alone, according to Runtastic. The app is available for iOS devices, Android, BlackBerry, Windows devices and more. About 2 million Runtastic users have registered as users on the company's online portal, Runtastic.com. The site is available in 7 different languages while the app is available in 15 different ones. The company launched in 2009.
“We have gotten a lot of feedback of users the last two years. It was a logical next step to integrate this knowledge in the development of our own fitness hardware. As an entrepreneurs view we are widening our value chain which will affect our growth strategy," Florian Gschwandtner, CEO of Runtastic, stated in a press release.
The GPS watch tracks heart rate data and locations and does not require a user to have a smartphone. The chest strap tracks heart rate data that it wirelessly transmits to a tiny receiver peripheral that plugs into the user's smartphone.
For more on the new hardware, read the press release below:
PRESS RELEASE: Runtastic, leading provider of mobile fitness apps launches own fitness hardware. The first products of the new runtastic products line, a GPS pulse watch, runtastic chest straps and the compatible receivers and a sports armband are launched by runtastic today. The products are available in the runtastic online shop as well as special retail stores in a lot of countries all over the world.
The runtastic fitness hardware is the perfect match with the mobile apps of the company. Just in January 2012 about 1,4 million sporty people loaded the app of runtastic on their smartphone. runtastic cracked the 5 million downloads in January and over 2 million users are already registered on runtastic.com.
Especially the ones who don’t owe a smartphone or don’t want to take it with them when doing sports will be happy about the runtastic GPS watch. The watch, which will be offered in a set with Apple and Windows software as well as a charger uploads all tracked GPS and heart rate data automatically to the runtastic fitness site. The user can not just analyze his/her performances but can also share the sessions with more than 2 million runtastic users or on facebook and twitter.
The runtastic Receiver will be plugged into the audio port of the smartphone (iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7). The data of the runtastic Chest Strap will be transmitted to the receiver which includes the data in the fitness apps. The combination of the runtastic PRO app and the hardware equipment the smartphone turns to be the perfect fitness computer. With optional training plans, which are already available for the runtastic app the mobile turns into a full personal fitness coach. The runtastic Sports Armband is a great add on to the runtastic portfolio. The Armband is worn on your upper arm while doing your workouts.
“We have gotten a lot of feedback of users the last two years. It was a logical next step to integrate this knowledge in the development of our own fitness hardware. As an entrepreneurs view we are widening our value chain which will affect our growth strategy”, tells Florian Gschwandtner, CEO of runtastic.
Download Photo runtastic GPS Watch: http://bit.ly/GCosjr
Download Photo runtastic Receiver & Chest Strap: http://bit.ly/GCuDnM
Download Photo runtastic Sport Armband: http://bit.ly/GC14Tq
About runtastic
runtastic is an international mobile fitness company that develops apps, hardware products, and services like an online training log, detailed analyzes, comparisons to others and many more to help improve your fitness. You can use runtastic apps in combination with our hardware to measure your data directly in the app, or use the runtastic GPS watch to track your activities. No matter what you choose, you have the right partner to monitor your goals and assist in your personal fitness improvement. runtastic changes the way you work out, monitor and share progress, and improve your health. It is THE fitness social network.
Since launching in 2009, the company has grown rapidly. In January 2012 runtastic cracked the 5 million app download mark, and our apps track more than 1 million kilometers every day. The fitness site is translated into 7 languages, and the runtastic app is available in more than 15 languages.
runtastic products are devices for your most important asset—YOUR BODY—and can be used for all sports, fitness, and health activities. Professional athletes use and help develop runtastic products, but they are made with everyone in mind. Most important, runtastic can be used by everybody, everyday, everywhere.
For more information visit: www.runtastic.com
