Armour39 review: a fitness tracker for the wannabe elite athlete

Armour39 review: a fitness tracker for the wannabe elite athlete

Under Armour has always prided itself on the science and technology that goes into its sports apparel. But, let’s be honest, the company could spend four times as much on R&D for a shirt as HTC did on the One, and it would still never generate the same fanfare. Sure, a heart rate monitor and app still aren’t going to set the tech blog world on fire, but it could be the move that earns the company the respect it deserves. The Armour39 system combines a small Bluetooth LE-enabled pod with a distinctive chest strap and an app that tracks your level of exertion, awarding you WILLpower points. What the system isn’t, however, is a “lifestyle” product or an “activity tracker.” Under Armour is clearly going after those who fancy themselves athletes. Obviously, the question is whether or not the sportswear company has anything valuable to offer in the space. Does its new training platform actually encourage you to push yourself harder and is it really anything more than a FuelBand with an extra dose of testosterone? The answers are exactly where you’d expect them: after the break.

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Under Armour launches Armour39 performance tracking system, we go hands-on

Armour39 hands-on

Under Armour has always touted the scientific underpinnings of its sports apparel. From moisture wicking to heat trapping and everything in between, the company is quick to assert that it isn’t just another athletic clothing company. But, performance enhancing shirts and pants have their limitations and, arguably, performance monitoring is a far more interesting and burgeoning field. In 2011 it dabbled with E39, a compression shirt with a space to insert a “bug” that included and accelerometer and heart rate monitor. Today, at an event in beautiful, chilly New York City, it officially unveiled the next evolution of that toe-dipping, Armour39. While there may be a shirt in the future, for now the system consists of a traditional chest strap, an iPhone app and an optional watch for those that don’t like to carry their expensive smartphone with them on runs.

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Armour39 Performance Monitoring System Unveiled by Under Armour

Armour39 Performance Monitoring System Unveiled by Under Armour

Under Armour Inc. is all poised to launch its new performance activity monitoring equipment under the brand Armour39 TM in March 2013. The system consists of a chest strap equipped with sensors and sends data to an app on the user’s phone. Optionally consumers have a choice of buying a watch that shows the same information. Armour 39 calculates “Willpower” which means that the system measures heart rate, calories burned, and intensity and then using an algorithm, gives a score in the range of 0 to 10.

Under Armour has been in the performance monitoring industry since 2011, when it first launched Under Armour E39. This system was widely used at the 2011 NFL scouting combine. Now Under Armour is getting into the ring with competitors such as Nike, FitBit and JawBone.  Nike’s FuelBand is perhaps the toughest in the competition, since Nike has been producing performance monitoring equipment since 2006, when it partnered with Apple and sold the Nike and Ipod Sport Kit.

The price of Armour39 is set to $ 149.99, and the watch can be purchased for an additional $199.99. What is yet to be seen is if Under Armour can get a sizeable share in the pie of performance monitoring equipment.  [Press Release]

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple iWatch Team Stands At 100-Strong, Starship Enterprise Gets Kre-Oed,

Under Armour’s Performance Monitor Tracks What Actually Matters

Look, I know what you’re thinking and I’ve been thinking the same thing, too. But Under Armour is going for something a bit different with the Armour39 performance monitor they’ve been teasing. What differentiates it from the crowded field of wearables is that it’s a “performance” monitor, not an “activity monitor” like Nike’s FuelBand, the Fitbit or even the Basis Band. It doesn’t care what you do at work or on your walk to the mailbox. Armour39 wants to show you how intense you are about your workouts and nothing else. More »