iPod nano Pedometer Review

Beginning with the 5th generation version, the iPod nano includes a pedometer function. Unlike the Nike + iPod Sport Kit, this pedometer is built-in and doesn't use a separate sensor. It it suitable for recording total daily steps as well as individual workouts. The steps can be viewed from several screens on the iPod nano, as well as uploaded for free to the Nikeplus.com web site and shared with friends via Facebook. The pedometer only counts steps and estimates calories, it does not estimate distance or speed. I found the pedometer to be fairly accurate when carried in a pocket.

To set up the pedometer, users go to the Extras menu. You can set the following functions:

Manual vs. Always On. Change this to Always On if you prefer to track total daily steps. Or, you can select Manual if you will only be tracking workouts rather than total daily steps.

Workout Goal: Set your total daily step goal, choosing from a list or setting your own.

Weight: Set your weight to get an estimate of calories burned.

Screen orientation: choose vertical, left or right.

Using the Pedometer

To start the pedometer, select Extras, Fitness, Pedometer and press the center button to start tracking steps. Steps are counted after five continuous steps, eliminating junk steps.

Once you have started the pedometer, it displays steps, time, and calories. You can click out via the Menu button to use the other functions of your iPod nano, such as listening to music, recording video, using the stopwatch function, or tuning into FM radio.

The total steps are visible from several screens on the iPod, such as the main menu, so you can view them without returning to the Pedometer function.

To stop recording your steps, return to the Pedometer menu and press the center button. The iPod will store your sessions so you can review them later, and will upload them to the Nikeplus.com web site once you visit iTunes.

Accuracy of the iPod nano Pedometer

I compared the iPod nano Pedometer, carried in a pants pocket, with an Omron hip pedometer, both for total daily steps and for a dedicated walking workout. The totals compared within 5%, which is a reasonable amount of accuracy for step totals.

You can view your steps counted in the current session by hovering over "Pedometer" in the main menu of your iPod nano.

To see the current total, elapsed time and calories, select Pedometer. To see further graphs and review sessions, click Menu when in the Pedometer screen and select History. You can also get to this via the Main Menu, Extras, Pedometer. I found it tricky at times to get to from the Pedometer screen.

Selecting History, you will see a calendar with a dot below each day that has a session or sessions recorded. You can hover over a date to see a daily total. Or click on a date to see a screen with the total steps, step goal, duration, start time, end time, calories,steps for the week and steps for the month.

Now rotate your iPod to horizontal and a step graph of the date will appear. The steps each hour appear as a bar. If you recorded only one session, it will show totals for that session. If you recorded more than one session, you can highlight each session (turning it red from green) and click the center button to see a total of steps, calories and duration for that session.

The data does not include speed or distance. It would have been easy for Apple to include a distance estimate by allowing the user to set their stride length. By not including it, it preserves the Nike + iPod Sport Kit as the only way to get distance and speed data via your iPod.

iTunes includes free access to the Nikeplusa.com web site. With your iPod nano plugged into your computer and iTunes launched, select the Pedometer tab. Select to upload your sessions automatically to the Nikeplus.com web site. The pedometer will upload the current data and track it on a variety of step goal challenges. To begin, these included:
Climb a 100-story skyscraper for 4500 steps.
Beat a frosted donut for 5500 steps.
Climb a 160-story building for 7000 steps.
The screen shows your daily average, the community's daily average, your best day, total steps for the week and all-time steps.

The Nikeplus screen has a convenient Facebook button to post your challenge total to your Facebook page to brag to your friends.

Nike + iPod Sport Kit

You can use the Nike + iPod Sport Kit with the fifth generation iPod nano. By using the transmitter and shoe pod, you can also record speed and distance. Nike + iPod Sport Kit Review. However, the sport kit doesn't record steps, so if you want to track steps as well, engage the Pedometer function.

If you want to time laps, the iPod nano's stopwatch function is easy to use and stores data by session. From the Main menu, choose Extras and Stopwatch. Press Play/pause to start the stopwatch. To record a lap time, press the center button. The times for the two most recent laps appear above the total elapsed time. I haven't found the limit on the number of laps you can record in one session.

With the stopwatch running, you can use the Menu to click out and use other functions. But to record a lap, you will have to return to the Stopwatch.

To stop the overall time, press the Play/Pause button again. To resume the same session, press Play/Pause again. To end a session, press Menu and select New Timer.

View the session logs by date, with a lap time for each lap, total time, shortest, longest, and average lap time.

Logs can be deleted by pressing the Center button when viewing the daily log and selecting Delete Log.

The stopwatch function can be very handy for people who want to time their laps and figure out their speed.