In October, Google pushed an update to their new Android Wear platform that allowed smartwatches to become even smarter–now, they are able to use GPS technology, and the tech world rejoiced. But, as it turned out, app developers weren’t ready for it, and the list of apps that use Android Wear’s GPS technology is pretty small. The list of apps that utilized Android Wear’s GPS without the addition of a smartphone was even smaller and included Google’s MyTracks app. Now, two months later, the popular app RunKeeper is joining that lineup.
With this most recent update, RunKeeper now allows you to use your Sony SmartWatch 3 or other Android Wear smartwatch just like a GPS watch–with no additional smartphone pairing necessary. You can run the app on your smartwatch before the run and sync it with your phone when you get back.
With the recent popularity of fitness trackers, I think this is going to be a boon for the smartwatch market, but probably isn’t going to be nearly enough to convince serious runners and GPS trackers to change over to the less-tested market. Regardless, the app is free so if you were lucky enough to snag a smartwatch, it might be worth a look.
