The Magellan Echo collection keeps getting better. We wear tested the Magellan Echo Smart running watch over a year and a half ago and is very impressed with its future when we wrote:
With an open API, exciting and innovate third-party accessories can integrate with various compatible fitness apps and Magellan ECHO to quantify an athlete.
Think of it as an extension of your smartphone – sort of like the Dick Tracy phone. And it will only get better with more developers jumping onto the bandwagon with innovative apps (sport specific, health, fitness, etc.) and third-party accessories.
The new Echo Fit builds on the success and app support of Echo with built-in activity and sleep tracking to keep athletes motivated between sports activities. It also added wireless synchronization to Magellan Active. These are the three major improvements and added features to the original Echo Smart running watch.
Activity Tracking
Capture your 24×7 activity by tracking your steps, distance traveled, and calories burned throughout the day.
Sleep Tracking
When it’s time to recover, Echo Fit keeps tabs on your sleep by tracking how many hours you slept.
Wireless Sync and Sharing
With wireless uploads to the Magellan Active app, you can monitor your performance and post to Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. The data is synced and viewable online at Magellan Active for more in depth analysis. With an open data policy, Magellan make it easy to automatically sync your data with third party services.
Ever since we last reviewed the Echo Smart running watch, firmware updates have made the existing model even better (other than a lack of an every day alarm clock). The new Modern typeface and Stop Watch with Lap Timing have made it ultra-valuable that I can almost ditch other running watches because the Echo Smart watch is so light, streamlined, and has a battery that lasts 4 to 6 months!
We’re looking forward to wear testing the new Magellan Echo Fit when it becomes available in Fall ’14. Here is the full Echo Fit press release:
SANTA CLARA, CA – Aug 5, 2014 – Magellan, a leader of innovative GPS devices for vehicles, fitness, outdoor and mobile navigation, has introduced its latest Smart Sports Watch, Echo Fit. Echo Fit builds on the success and app support of Echo with built-in activity and sleep tracking to keep athletes motivated between sports activities. With the free Magellan Active app and website, monitoring progress is easy with daily goals, detailed analysis, and sharing capabilities. The new Magellan Echo Fit will be on display in Magellan’s booth #23008 at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City, August 6-9.
The Magellan Echo Fit monitors steps, distance and calories burned throughout the day. When it’s time to recover, Echo Fit tracks how many hours slept, creating a complete picture of the day. With wireless uploads to the Magellan Active app, users can set daily goals, monitor their performance and post it to Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The data is synced and viewable online at Magellan Active for more in-depth analysis and activity trends, as well as the ability to automatically sync with third party services.
“Echo Fit is a 24×7 sports smartwatch with the ability to interact with your favorite sports app and track your daily steps and sleep, eliminating the need for a separate activity tracker,” said Clark Weber, senior director of fitness and wearable products at Magellan. “We’ve built Echo Fit on the success of Echo with added features to improve the Smart Sports Watch category. Echo Fit does it all — sports, activity and sleep.”
Like Echo, Echo Fit leverages Bluetooth Smart and the power of a smartphone to stream real-time app data to a user’s wrist, as well as act as a remote control for the app and music. Whether it’s running, hiking, cycling, golfing, or other sports activities, Echo Fit’s deep integration with apps makes it customizable to meet the unique needs of each athlete. Compatible apps include Strava, MapMyRun, MapMyRide, MapMyHike, Wahoo Fitness, iSmoothRun, iMobileIntervals, AllTrails, Golf Pad, RunKeeper (in September) and more. With an open platform, Echo Fit is designed to keep pace and evolve as sports apps are updated and added.
“We’re thrilled to further enhance the RunKeeper experience through our integration with the Echo Series,” said Jason Jacobs, RunKeeper CEO. “The watches are an ideal fitness form factor that enables users to instantly get the feedback they need to push themselves, without interrupting the flow of their workout. We’re excited to see how this partnership motivates our community to stay active and hit new fitness goals.”
The Echo Series are the only smartwatches designed for sports with a rugged design, including waterresistant capability for rainy-day workouts or the shower. Their lightweight, sporty designs include a 1″ high-resolution display that performs well in all lighting conditions, especially direct sunlight. A backlight may be turned on for darker conditions, while the screen background and characters can be inversed from black to gray.
Using ultra-low power components and running off a replaceable coin-cell battery that will last 4-8 months with typical usage, athletes can depend on the Magellan Echo Fit 24-7 without having to recharge it. Its sleek design and watch functions (time, alarm and stopwatch) make Echo Fit the perfect everyday watch for tech-savvy athletes. Customizable, it comes with 3 watchfaces to choose from and is available in four sporty colors: black, blue, gray and pink.
The Magellan Echo Fit is compatible with the latest iPhones and Android 4.4 smartphones. It will be available at retailers this fall for an MSRP of $149 or $199 with Heart Rate Monitor.