Nike+ SportWatch GPS Powered by TomTom (Black/Volt)

by Nike

• 1 Nike + Sportwatch
• 1 Nike+ Sensor
• 1 USB Cable

Product Description

Amazon.com

What is the Nike+ SportWatch GPS?

Combining Nike’s understanding of the athlete with the GPS expertise of TomTom, Nike+ SportWatch GPS is a game changer for runners. Nike+ SportWatch GPS powered by TomTom uses both GPS technology and the Nike+ shoe sensor to capture every step of your run. Runners can then upload their data to the nikeplus.com website, where new mapping features allow them to see their runs and find popular routes, track their goals, receive coaching tips, challenge friends, and share their progress through Facebook and Twitter.

Tracks your time, distance, pace, heart rate and calories burned (view larger).

Keep Track

• See or hear your distance, pace, time and calories burned
• Get detail on every run when you upload to Nike+

Personalize the data that you want to see during your run (view larger).

Get a Push

• Set goals to keep you moving
• Use Nike+ Challenges to motivate yourself and others
• Get custom training programs that help you prepare for a race, event or sport
• Receive trophies, medals and attaboys as rewards for your efforts

Battery life: 8 hours of run time with GPS and sensor turned on. Standby for up to 50 days (view larger).

Stay Connected

• Use Nike+ to stay connected with your friends and millions of runners worldwide
• Find the most popular areas to run

Quick Start:

GPS and the Nike+ sensor combine to give you accurate info -­-­ indoors or out -­-­ without the wait. Using the Nike+ sensor, you can start a run without having a GPS signal. Also, if you’re running outdoors in an urban canyon or tunnel where the GPS signal is obstructed, the Nike+ sensor kicks in for seamless data tracking.

Personal Coach: Reminds you to run, stores your Nike+ run history, and remembers your PRs. Set up the type of program you want based on your experience level, event distance and how frequently you are able to run each week. Nike+ Coach will track your individual runs via graphs, allowing you to compare your times and better understand the trends in your overall performance. You’ll also get tips and advice to ensure you’re training properly.

What's in the Box

Nike+ SportWatch GPS, Nike+ Sensor, Quick-start Guide, USB Cable (for Hard-to-access USB Ports)

Features:

Stopwatch: You can start, stop, pause and mark up to 50 laps by tapping the screen. Once you are done, you can review your total time, best lap time, average lap time or individual lap times. This data is stored on your watch until you rest it and will not be uploaded to nikeplus.com.

Alarm: You can set an alarm on your watch. When the alarm is set there is a visual indication on the watch face.

Time Set: The time of day or date can be set on the watch without needing to plug it in and use Nike+ Connect.

Pace/Speed: Runners can now choose between displaying pace and displaying speed on the watch.

Laps: The sensitivity of the tap feature has been improved so that users can confidently get a tap when they want, and not when they don't.

Ultimate Tracker:

Tracks your time, distance, pace, heart rate and calories burned. Nike+ SportWatch GPS works with the Polar Wearlink Transmitter to track your beats per minute.

Inverted Screen: The screen can be inverted to display black text on a white background for those runners that prefer it.

Favorite Metric: Runners can choose between displaying lap time or a different favorite metric when in auto or manual laps mode.

Auto-Looping Metrics: In addition to pushing the buttons to scroll through secondary metrics, runners have the option for their metrics auto-­loop.

Product Description

Nike+ SportWatch GPS powered by TomTom,Release Date: January 6, 2011.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 1.4 x 0.6 inches ; 2.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Origin: Made in USA or Imported
• ASIN: B004WIUDGM
• Item model number: WM0069-077
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (400 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,898 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

332 of 356 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Has some flaws, but gets the job done July 14, 2011

By B. Wueste TOP 1000 REVIEWER

First word of advice - do not buy this watch on Amazon.com until the product is available for the MSRP of $199.99 that it is currently selling for on the manufacturer website.

Initial Setup

The packaging for this watch is compact and easy to open - very similar to how Apple packages their nanos and related products. The box contained the watch, a foot pod, cord, and very very brief instructions. The instructions basically tell you to plug the watch into your computer and download the user guide (and then this is repeated in 15 different languages). The edge of the watchband serves as a USB port so you literally just plug the watch right into the computer. This port has a plastic hinge which I'm already afraid will break, but so far so good. Once plugged you download some software and either set up a nikeplus account or login using your existing nikeplus account. While your watch is charging you can customize your settings giving you a display that most interests you (i.e. average pace, distance, clock, etc.)

Nikeplus.com

If you've been using nike+ products with your iphone or your ipod nano then you can simply login with your same username and life is good. If you're new to nikeplus you have to set up a free account. Nikeplus has some issues like it's not great on Macs and sometimes it repeatedly asks you to login, but once you're in it's a pretty user friendly basic site. Runs are tracked showing mile splits and you can set up goals, challenges, or training plans. The GPS feature adds some really new and beneficial features to nikeplus where you can see your run mapped out and it shows you the spots where you ran the fastest and the slowest.

I don't understand all the reviews completely bashing the website - maybe they're all Mac users?... It's annoying that it always asks you to login every single time, but the data displayed on the GPS route is everything I need (mile/lap splits, elevation, fastest/slowest point, etc.)

Running Experience

So far I've had no problems connecting to GPS and the watch has measured out extremely close to what my previous nike+ shoe sensor (and mapmyrun) was telling me. The watch is definitely less bulky than some of those older Garmin models and it fits very well. The plastic fittings make me a little nervous, but better than having hot metal against you skin I suppose. I have big clumsy fingers and I can press the buttons no problem in order to cycle through the stats that I want.

I've gone on about 30 runs and 26 of those time the watched linked perfectly and worked flawlessly. 2 times the watch never could link to a satellite so I was stuck running with only the footpod, which yields slightly different results than using GPS. Another 2 times about 5 minutes into the run my average pace would start to sore up into the 4:00/mile pace, which clearly was faster than I was actually moving. Ending that run and starting another fixes the problem, but you have to delete that messed up run from the website or all of your records will be skewed. (The GPS map of that messed up run showed me running straight through a mountain and a lake - clearly a satellite issue). I also lost a few runs in the beginning because of some issue connecting the watch to my computer, but that issue has not happened again thankfully.

Final Thoughts

The watch itself is great and so easy to use and see while running. You can easily take the data from the watch and track your progress in Excel, which isn't a bad idea given some of the website issues/bugs. I wasn't willing to spend twice as much on a new Garmin so I'm willing to accept some of the risks that come with this product. As a novice/intermediate runner this has really helped me get more out of my training, particularly my interval and tempo workouts where I can set laps in minutes or meters and really make sure I'm training appropriately. Read more ›

124 of 132 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nike Plus for Marathon Training December 4, 2011

By Maxximus 76

Amazon Verified Purchase

I've run 6 marathons so far (a little over 1 per year), and always love to have new technology to play with during training. I bought the Nike Sportwatch shortly after it came out. I was not impressed. It really liked a lot of critical features, and the website was constantly having issue.

Multiple months and 600+ mileson it later, I'm happy to say that I really enjoy it. Nike has been incredible about this launch. Every couple of months they've continuously added more and more new features. The website is still slow, but they are launching a new one in ealy 2012. The new features on this watch put it among the best out there.

New features:
- Walk/Run timer (interval timer as well)
- Avg, Pace
- Improved Mapping
- Set time on the device (no computer needed)
- Incredibly fast satellite connection (even in the city)
- Auto calibration of foot pod
- Faster upload speeds to add your runs
- Integration with Facebook

All in all, a great watch. This one will work for new runners and advanced runners. The only people that this isn't a great choice or is ultramarathon ruuners. Battery life with GPS is 8-10 hours...not long enough for a 50-80 KM.

Having owned Polar RS800, Polar RCX5, Garmin 305, Garmin 310XT, and Garmin 210, I would put this up there as one of my faorites. The website is the best one out there, and the sites detailed training programs are worth using to achieve your best time yet.

106 of 123 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Track Your Runs: A Nike+ SportWatch GPS Powered by TomTom Review November 27, 2011

By L. T. Beasimer TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I was familiar with using Nike+ GPS on my iPhone to track distance and pace while taking our dogs on long walks. Then I signed up with Team In Training to compete in my first half marathon. I trained with a large group of runners with varying experience levels who were split between using nothing, a wrist trainer, or a smart phone. I considered purchasing the Garmin Forerunner 305, but my coach advised against spending the money. At the time it was probably good advice, but now I want something more sophisticated than the Nike+ GPS app.

The stylish Nike+ SportWatch GPS, made in China, can be worn as a fashionable watch. When used for tracking runs, the SportWatch utilizes GPS satellites used by TomTom to map and track your run while auto-calibrating the shoe pod sensor. When the SportWatch isn't linked to the TomTom GPS satellites, the shoe pod sensor will track your run but may not be as accurate since there are no manual calibration methods. The double clasps secures the SportWatch to your wrist and also functions as the USB connection for transferring your data to the Nike+ website and customize settings.

On the left side of the SportWatch are three buttons, two black directional for up and down, and a colored button to select, or begin various options. SportWatch options include clock for manually setting time and alarm functions, run with the ability to turn on/off the sensor, GPS, laps, or intervals individually and tracking, history, records showing several stats and bests, and a stop watch....

When plugging in the watch from the hidden clasp USB connection for the first time, the user is sent to Nike's website to download the user interface, a simple tool which regularly transfers data to the Nike+ website, and updates the SportWatch's firmware and satellite positioning data. If you already have a Nike+ web account set up, your profile info will automatically transfer into the user interface. When you don't have an account, you can either create a new one or provide the information in the profile section of the interface. Additional customizable settings in the user interface include clock settings, run reminders, sounds and the stat loop can be set as well as lap and interval settings. The SportWatch is also charged by plugging in the USB.

To see GPS mapping with a run histogram or pace graphs, a Nike+ account is required. Other options available on the Nike+ website include coaching programs, goal setting, challenges, linking to friends, a world map showing all your GPS mapped run locations, and forums. Finding friends is based on a connection and postings to Facebook or submitting an email address. Looking for someone in your neighborhood to run with is difficult unless you're already friends with them.

The shoe pod sensor is your backup system for when the satellite is unavailable or running on a treadmill. It can also be used to quick start your run while the Nike+ SportWatch is linking to the satellite. Be sure to link your sensor by selecting Run -> Options -> New sensor. The shoe pod sensors can be problematic, as I have personally experienced, but are simple to deal with when the method is known. The shoe pod's solid white back has a small button, which when held down for five seconds will deactivate the sensor to preserve battery life. This is helpful for those without dedicated running shoes, or when the sensor won't be used for an extended period. A quick tap of the button, some recommend a few quick taps, will reactivate the sensor for use. If the sensor won't connect, it could be deactivated or need rebooted. If this is the case, deactivate the sensor, wait a minute, then reactivate to see if this resolves the problem. If the sensor is dead, you will need to replace it.

The TomTom satellite is finicky and requires a clear line of sight to the sky. Don't expect to link with TomTom satellites when running indoors. Nike recommends updating the SportWatch before use as satellite locations change regularly. (Take a laptop with you when you travel.) Then stand in a clear area with the SportWatch facing away from the body while linking, which could take from a few seconds to a couple minutes.

My first run with the SportWatch was frustrating as I couldn't get my sensor or satellite to link. After several firmware updates, I've concluded the SportWatch was rushed to market. Firmware updates are currently a regular occurrence, and the SportWatch seems to be more accurate or usable with each. Using firmware version 3.3.0 and a satellite link, the mapping information is accurate. I can fully track my runs, upload them to Nike+, and analyze my runs with trustworthy data.

Without detailed instruction, it has taken a lot of time and research to understand how to get the best results from the SportWatch. I've finally gotten the Nike+ SportWatch to work, and now it performs as expected. The consistent firmware updates, annoying as they are, shows Nike is committed to working out the kinks and making the SportWatch an effective running tool. If you use runkeeper or other apps, this may not be the best option. However Nike+ app users may find the SportWatch is a nice integrated upgrade.

PROS:
Stylish appearance
User-Friendly software
Lap and Interval settings
Weather resistant
Can use optional polar heart rate monitor

CONS:
Troublesome satellite linking
Constant firmware updates Read more ›

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a nice watch and a great purchase. February 4, 2012

By Grigory

Amazon Verified Purchase

I would like to post my personal observations and feelings about this SportWatch.
1) the band is relatively small. My wrist is not big at all, but I have to close it on a next to last row of holes. This can be an issue for men over 200 pounds or with broad bones.
2) build quality is awesome, the band is comfortable and doesn't become rigid on a hand even at -20C (tested)
3) alarm noise is not loud and it's not ajustable. For me this is a drawback, becase sometimes I can't hear it in the morning.
4) water resistance is enough to forget about the watch while having shower (tested) or visiting hammam (tested). Although I wouldn't risk to swim in it.
5) backlight feature is very cool and usefull
6) GPS satellites are usualy found in 2 minutes in a city, my mobile phome needs much longer time for this. So, compared to Android's Endomondo Nike+ SportWatch is faster, more compact and usefull.
7) charges from USB, no batteries needed.
By the way, thank you Nike for an USB cable provided!
I like this watch so much that I often wear it with business clothes without hesitation. In my opinion it's a great gift both for men and women.