AllSportGPS Application for Smart Phones

AllSportGPS is available for a variety of mobile smart phones. It is a simple downloaded application that enables your smart phone to measure your speed and distance continuously and to view your progress on a map. You can review your workout details on your phone. The data is uploaded to the Trimble Outdoors web site where you can view your workouts in detail, including map, distance, elevation, and speed during the workout.

From the AllSportGPS web site, search for the supported cell phones and providers to see whether you will be able to use the application. As of this review, NexTel supported several Motorola models for $5.99 to $9.99 per month, while T-Mobile and AT&T supported it only on Blackberry models, for $5.99 per month or $39.99 for a year.

The download and installation was easy. I received an email on my Blackberry with a link to the software download. With a click, it was downloaded and installed. Now it appears under the Applications folder on my Blackberry.

I registered it with my cell phone number and created a phone password. On the web site, I signed up for a free account at TrimbleOutdoors.com and added my phone application to that account. Now my phone would communicate with the web site to automatically upload my workouts. You can choose to disable automatic uploads.

You will also set whether you want English or metric units, and input your weight in order to get calorie counts for your activities.

GPS is designed to be used outdoors. I didn't have any difficulty acquiring the GPS signal inside my house, but you would probably lose the signal in a larger building. You can carry your cell phone in a backpack or on your hip. If you have difficulty maintaining contact with the signal, it may be wise to wear it on an armband where it has better access to the signal. GPS won't work for treadmill workouts, as you really aren't moving anywhere. GPS uses your change in position to determine your speed and distance.

No calibration is needed to use the AllSportGPS. Just open the application on your cell phone and select between Running, Walking, Road Biking, Mountain Biking, Trail Running, or Board/Ski. Because your cell phone will use GPS satellites to determine how far and how fast you are moving, it doesn't matter which mode of travel you use, just that you actually move. Walking in place or on a treadmill won't record any distance.

When you select Walking, the AllSportGPS communicates to the GPS satellites. This can take a few seconds to a minute. My Blackberry found the satellites far faster than other GPS units I've tested over the years. It will then tell you that you can start, and with a press of the OK button, off you can go.

The AllSportGPS program will continuously display your elapsed time, current speed, average speed for the workout, distance and calories burned. You can take phone calls without interrupting the program.

I found the speed and distance to be accurate.

In addition to simply tracking a walk or run, you can select a pre-set program for mile or kilometer splits, or interval workouts. You can also have a virtual race with yourself over a previously saved course.

It automatically detects when you are at rest and doesn't use that time in the speed calculations. You can choose an option to pause and restart a workout when you make a longer stop.

At the end of your workout, simply choose Stop and it will stop and upload the data.

You can view the results for your session and for past sessions on your cell phone or on the Trimble Outdoors web site.

AllSportGPS will also display your route on a street map. It starts by simply tracing it, but you can select an option to download the street map, aerial map, or topographic map and see your track being drawn on it as you walk, run, or bike. You can download saved maps and routes to follow as well. I love this map function. I have TeleNav on my Blackberry, but the AllSportGPS downloads maps even faster.

On the Trimble Outdoors web site, you can draw a route using a mapping tool to later upload to your phone. Or, you can choose from route provided by other users who choose to make them available.

Viewing Your Workouts on Your Cell Phone

Summary Data: For each session, you can see date, time, distance, elapsed time, average pace, and calories burned.
Speed Screen: The speed screen graphs your pace throughout your workout session.
Elevation Screen: The elevation screen graphs the elevation changes during your workout.
Map Screen: The map screen shows a map of your workout, and you can download a street map, aerial map or topo map to display with it.
Weekly Log: The weekly log shows how many sessions you recorded, with total distance, time, and calories. You can also review each day.

Compared to other GPS units I've tried, the AllSportsGPS is the most flexible to view walking and running workouts on the unit itself. The interface is intuitive. I was able to easily find and use all of the features. I was especially happy that going from one function to another -- including answering phone calls -- didn't stop the current workout session.

If you have enabled uploads, your workout data is saved on the Trimble Outdoors web site. You can choose to make any session public or to keep it private.
Map: View your workout route on a street map, satellite view, hybrid view (both street and satellite), terrain or topographic map. You can zoom in and out. You can embed this map in other web pages or documents.
Summary: Lists date, activity, distance, average speed in minutes per mile and miles per hour, elevation gain and loss, difficulty, user created tags and user rating.
Elevation Profile: View graphs of the elevation of your session over distance or over time. Great for bragging about hilly walks!
Speed Profile: View graphs of your over distance or over time.

Saving and Sharing

Each workout session is called a "trip" on the Trimble Outdoors web site. You can send a trip to your cell phone or to Google Earth, or save it to your computer as a .gpx file to use in other applications.

If you make a trip public, it can be viewed by anyone. You can send the URL to friends.

Comparison to Other GPS Speedometers

I've used the Garmin Forerunner and the Timex Speed+Distance System. Both give a good continuous workout data display, but lack real-time street maps while you are walking or running. I also found them more cumbersome when uploading data to my computer and saving or viewing it. By combining the GPS speedometer with my cell phone (which I'd carry anyway), I've eliminated one gadget.

Overall: I rate the system as excellent in its ease of use and real-time functionality.