Magellan’s fitness-oriented Echo smart watch is billed as the industry’s first “sports smart watch” because it is ruggedized and water-resistant.
It is positioned for use with a variety of compatible smartphone sports app, including some for golf, hiking and skiing.
The device is compatible with the iPhone 4S and later Apple phones and select Android phones that support Bluetooth 4.0. It connects wirelessly via low-power Bluetooth Smart technology to a smartphone to control select smartphone fitness apps, control smartphone music-playback functions, display messages, and display fitness data calculated and streamed in real time from multiple compatible sports apps running on a smartphone. The Echo shows elapsed time, distance, running pace, distance to a golf green, maximum speed on a person’s last run and the like.
The Echo watch retails for a suggested $149 without a Bluetooth Smart heart-rate monitor, or $199 with the monitor.
The Echo does not require recharging like other smart watches because it runs on a replaceable coincell battery that lasts eight to 10 months with typical usage.
