Monday, April 04, 2011

First Look Review: Nike+SportsWatch GPS

See also my more recent complete review:
Just received my Nike+SportsWatch GPS .  A very neat and not too crazy looking watch. Might even wear it every day! Rated at 40 days of use in non GPS mode as unlike the Garmin 205 the clock mode is separate from run mode. Kit includes a Nike+ foot sensor. You can add sensors such as the Polar Heart Rate Wearlink.



Numbers are very clearly visible on the white on black LCD screen. There are only 3 buttons on the left side: a yellow select and scroll up and scroll down. I have not yet tried the tap function for laps.

A bit thicker than I expected but far less bulky and narrower than my Garmin 205. Very comfortable on the wrist as the antenna pod (below 34 in first picture and at top of the second picture)  is far thinner and smaller than the Garmin.



Charging, updates and synch is via a USB cable or directly into your USB port (Mac or PC) . The male end of the standard size USB is built into the wrist clasp and folds out. I hope it is not to fragile or subject to corrosion. Here I am using the included male/female USB cable to synch and charge via my Mac.


More after a first run.

2 comments:

brider (aka David) said...

Yeah, that USB hook-up looks like a real weak point.

Sam Winebaum said...

The USB snaps back against the secondary closure for wrist band slack. The primary closure are 2 beefy metal hooks. The secondary closure which keeps the slack up is a plastic plate which serves as the holder for the closed USB with 2 plastic snaps which go through the wrist band holes. I think it will be OK but there is a risk if not snapped in that USB tongue could get caught on something, say in a pack or bag. I also worry that the wire connections between the watch and the connector embedded in the wrist band might break over time. I can say that the unit appears far more rugged than the adidas miCoach Pacer or wrist band. I did once have the Nike Sportband + but in a trail run crash the unit popped out of the band never to be found again.