Filed under: Peripherals, iPhone, iPod touch, App Review
TUAW First Look: Nike+iPod on your iPhone 3GS
When the second generation of iPod touch was announced, one slide on the presentation included built-in support for the Nike+iPod sensor. The cool thing was that you no longer needed the unsightly dongle hanging off your device. The touch just "sees" the Nike sensor and you could add it to the device quite easily. Plus, the app looked great on the bigger screen of the touch, and allowed you to multitask -- not that you should play Dizzy Bee while jogging, OK?I hadn't thought about it until I got my phone home, but the sensor works just fine with the 3GS. As expected, the app is identical to that on the touch, although Apple posted a tech note regarding answering calls while using the Nike app, something you don't worry about on the touch. If you've never tried using the Nike sensor with either a touch or the iPhone, read on. Oh, and I don't have a Nike remote watch doohickey, but apparently those will work on the 3GS as well. If the Nike thing isn't your bag, we ran down some competitors a while ago.
To pair the device, go to Settings > (in App-specific settings) Nike+iPod and flip the switch to ON. At the bottom (you can see in our gallery) choose either Sensor or Remote, depending on what you've got, and you'll be prompted to move around (sensor) or press a button (remote). That's all there is to it -- the proprietary wireless connection kicks in and pairs the two devices instamagically.
Just like previous iterations of the Nike system, you can change the PowerSong, voice, and units. One new twist: a new Lock Screen pref that will alter the locked-screen display to read in portrait or 2 available landscape modes. Very handy if you have a mount on your treadmill. What, you don't have a mount on your treadmill? Me either.
Now, after pairing, you should have a shiny new app on your screen that has the Nike logo and a plus sign. Unfortunately, my sleepy morning eyes couldn't find the app, but a Spotlight search found it for me. Here's Apple's notes on setting things up.
Keep reading for a short round-up of how the unit works while running.
Gallery: Nike+iPod on your iPhone 3GS
Once I found the app, it was a trivial matter to get started. You select what type of workout you want (I generally choose a simple time limit) and start moving the sensor. Of course, you can just choose "basic" and start running, and it'll keep track. Or choose distance or a caloric goal. There's also a calibration tool, which seems easier to use because of the big, shiny buttons. Plus, you can calibrate for walking stride and running stride.
You can save workouts with specific goals in the "My Workouts" view in the app. A History view provides a quick summary of your runs, but with only one in the queue so far, I'm not sure how well it tracks over the long haul. Naturally, Nike would rather you go to their site and indulge their Flash-based app-mania to see graphs and other goodies. (I would happily pay money for an app that showed me a simple graph, just so you know, Apple and/or Nike.)
Anyway, in practice the app is simple enough. You can play/pause using very large buttons, see your progress along whatever goal you set on the big green bar up top, skip songs, play your "power song" and end the workout all from one convenient interface. You can also do most of these things from the lock screen, which is presumably what you'll see once your iPhone darkens the screen. While you run, as expected, you'll get timed reminders by voice of how far you've gone. When you wake the device (meaning, hit a button to awaken the screen), it'll also announce your current progress.
So what happens if you want to do other things while running or walking? First, as I advised earlier, be careful. It might be fun to tweet while jogging through the park, but running headlong into a lamppost hurts no matter what. The Nike app appears as a backgrounded app, with a large red bar across the top of the iPhone's Springboard (the pages of apps) and other apps. I didn't try this with apps like Space Defense, Sway, or other fullscreen games, but I wouldn't recommend it to begin with. Instead, as you can see in the gallery, I did tweet while running. It worked great and it was one click to get back to my workout screen.
Unfortunately this app only works with the 2nd-generation iPod touch and the newest iPhone, our now less-spacey 3GS. Sorry 3G folks, another onion in the ointment for you, I guess. Don't worry, in a year we smug 3GS owners will get our comeuppance when Apple introduces the 4G X Y (three blank spaces after the name).
If you already have a Nike+iPod sensor and just got a 3GS, however, this is terrific. I had been slogging along with my nano mostly for workout purposes, but it looks like I can finally hand that down to someone else. Now I just have to remember to properly safeguard my iPhone from sweat damage. Oh, and if you're cheap like me, you can fashion your own sensor strap using some rubber bands and duct tape, as I did over on DIY Life long ago -- or check out these other hacks and mods here. Enjoy!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
melllvar said 4:40PM on 6-24-2009
WHY don't they also support Nike+ iPod on older iPhones and iPods?
It's now possible to officially use the dock connector and the nike+ kit comes with an adaptor for that. What the fuck?!
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Dewey said 5:14PM on 6-24-2009
Exactly what I was thinking. They could then just place the app in the App Store so users of the older models could get it that way.
Think Adrian said 2:53AM on 6-25-2009
The Nike+ dongle still fits into the iPhone G1 and iPhone 3G, why not just support the peripheral?
jay said 3:12AM on 6-25-2009
I get tired of this too. They make all the new apps around the new iphone. They want us all to upgrade so we can use the new stuff. They don't have to be like that. Pink Laptops
Stanley said 4:58PM on 6-24-2009
Thanks for the overview, Victor.
Every GPS-based running/biking iPhone application I've tried has been rather disappointing, so maybe this dedicated sensor approach is the best solution. While limited, the background process capability of the Nike+ sounds nice.
Hopefully the external accessory support in the iPhone OS 3.0 will lead to some compelling alternatives soon.
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jasonehrlich said 5:00PM on 6-24-2009
Does it decrease the battery life to turn on the Nike+ mode? They don't specifically address this, but I would figure there must be some impact, otherwise why wouldn't it be on all the time...?
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Mike said 5:03PM on 6-24-2009
How do you run with such a large device? Arm band? Placed on the treadmill? I've found the earbud cord a bit short for placing it on the treadmill. Just looking to see what others are doing.
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Victor Agreda, Jr. said 11:14PM on 6-24-2009
I sit it on the treadmill, but @Dave's idea about the jumper cable had me doing a facepalm. I have those jacks on the treadmill and didn't even realize it!
dmwilsonh said 11:02PM on 6-24-2009
I've only used Nike+ app while walking with the iPhone. I've a iPod Nano with a Nike armband to use when running. The Nike armband is very secure and I hope that they come out with a similar armband for the iPhone.
One peeve about the app, perhaps I just haven't found a setting, but I don't understand why they didn't tweak the app to allow the iPhone to send the data to the Nike+ website, instead of having us dock/sync to do so.
Dhave said 5:15PM on 6-24-2009
You guy's should post some real news, such as how Apple released an update to the Apple TV today!
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richard said 6:24PM on 6-24-2009
They have to read the news on all the other sites before someone echos a post about it here (probably under the headline "Apple releases brand new AppleTV", and then you read the article to find out it's just a software update.) ;)
Victor Agreda, Jr. said 6:25PM on 6-24-2009
Actually we've been in testing on the update since it hit. We're working on a post like, an hour ago.
Calexifan said 5:33PM on 6-24-2009
I've completed 7,200 Nike+ miles as recorded by my first-generation iPod nano, which is still going strong.
I've also got an iPhone, but I don't know whether I'd be comfortable using a device that large (and fragile) for my Nike+ workouts.
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James W said 5:37PM on 6-24-2009
I've been using Nike+ with a wide nano for some time now, and will continue to do so. I was very excited to see this feature, but upon realization that they didn't do a damned thing to actually improve the app except build it into the OS is a waste.
A perfectly capable GPS functionality built into the phone and Nike/Apple continue to use what's essentially an over priced pedometer with data links. I've used mine for 18 months now, and the Nike+ system is notoriously loose in it's measurements. 5.25 miles this morning ON A TRACK and it came back at 6.14 miles on the pod. I've calibrated, walking and running, and it's just so bad at measuring distance. It's fine if you're willing to accept +/- 15%, but if you want something more accurate, you'll have to talk to Garmin or Polar.
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Pete47 said 5:50PM on 6-24-2009
Just did my first run with Nike+ and my 3GS yesterday. Worked like a charm. I've been running with my old iPhone 2G for some time now using an armband (belkin if you're interested). It's nice to know now that my normal route is actually 2.5 miles and what my pace is (too slow to post). It was also nice to discover that my running shoes already had a little pocket for the Nike+ sensor so all I had to do was pick up the sensor at the Apple store when I got my 3GS.
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Tony said 6:05PM on 6-24-2009
I've been using the Nike+ with my Nano for a while, and I have the Nike+ watch, which I LOVE.
Seriously, the watch makes all the difference. I can keep the Nano tucked away, and when I want to change the volume, skip tracks, start, pause, orstop the workout...I can do it almost without looking using the big buttons on the watch. Very nice...
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tomgale001 said 6:27PM on 6-24-2009
A nice feature with the iPhone 3GS rather makes the remote watch pointless, and that is the new headphones. The remote on there will do pretty much everything the watch does except end workout, but you can just pause it using the remote and then go to the screen to end.
I had been meaning to get the nike+ for ages and having got the iPhone 3GS last friday it pushed me to getting a sensor and to start running again, and i love it so much i've run more in the last 5 days than the whole previous month!!
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Dave said 6:39PM on 6-24-2009
Thanks for the review. I walked around the house with my sensor and 3GS today, about an hour before you posted to check things out. I too am glad to be able to hand my (first-gen!) Nano down, as all I used it for was Nike+ activity, and I couldn't agree more about Nike's Flash-fest - as much as I love the Nike+ functionality, I may hate the Nike+ website more!
@Mike - my treadmill has a jumper plug that I plug into the iPhone/iPod - my headphones then plug into the treadmill, so if my arms/hands get tangled, I unplug the headphones, as opposed to throwing the iPhone/iPod across the room. Regarding running with the phone: since I travel a lot, and run while out of town, I always have the phone with me anyway - in case of emergency - so for me I'll be lighter by one Nano.
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epor said 8:29PM on 6-24-2009
I just tried it for the first time today with a pair of bluetooth headphones (plantronics voyager 855) and the nike+ wrist remote. The headphones worked very well, but there seemed to be some sort of power struggle between the headphones and the remote. The two would work together ok at first, but after pushing a button, the headphones would kick off the remote, or the remote would kick off the headphones. This might be related to the fact that the headphones has basic volume controls and a pause button which both work in the nike+ application, but the headphones won't change the song. I will have to experiment more.
I was also a little disappointed that you cannot shuffle a playlist in the nike+ app like you could with the nano, (at least not that I could find).
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epor said 8:31PM on 6-24-2009
Also, if your nike+ was calibrated on your nano, it will need to be re-calibrated for use with the iphone. My numbers were a bit off using the old nano calibration.