TomTom – New Spark3 / Runner3 Announced

Lots of announcements today of new stuff from TomTom. Let’s start with the SPARK 3 / RUNNER 3.

The previous version in the UK was the similarly-looking RUNNER 2 which itself followed the UK’s original RUNNER product. The RUNNER 2 was released in the US as the SPARK (Sept 2015). To cut a long story short, there is no SPARK 2 just a SPARK 3.

The SPARK3 / RUNNER 3 remain watches for serious runners.

The RUNNER2/SPARK was highly successful and I would argue was a key reason why TomTom quickly grew its MySports user base beyond a million users. Expect more growth with the improved v3 product. Here’s why:

Latest v3 advertised features-

• Route exploration (GPX upload+follow and breadcrumb modes)
• Compass
• Customizable straps (thinner than current/V2, better for 247 wearability)
• Sleep tracking
• Built-in music player (still a rare feature in the market)
• Built-in cardio sensor (optical HR – TomTom have a sound oHRM)
• GPS tracking
• 24/7 activity tracking
• Multisport mode
• 3 weeks of activity tracking
• 11 hours of GPS tracking
• Water resistant (40m/130FT)
• Interval training
• Race mode

The feature set marks an incremental and creditable upgrade from the v2 product BUT also with a whole new set of ROUTING/EXPLORATION functionality. Whilst the new product is similar-looking to the v2 there are further options to customise the appearance with alternative, thinner straps.

FIRST THOUGHTS

I’ve not seen the device yet close-up. It looks to build hardware and features around what runners are looking for. So: it builds multi-sports around what a runner might want; it builds activity tracking around what a runner might want; it builds music around what a runner might want; and it builds routing/exploration around what a runner might want. It’s called the RUNNER3 because it is a watch designed for runners in every respect.

So you won’t get power meter support (you will get speed/cadence), you won’t get a true triathlon-mode (you will get successive multisport modes), and you won’t get turn-by-turn navigation.

The price points are competitive mainly because, for the full feature set, there is no other product that can do the same for the same price! It’s a unique product.

You can pre-order now for delivery in October:

There will likely be many variants to exclude certain features such as music, headphones &/or optical HR as well as options for different band/wrist sizes.

More to follow.