Back in the day, people used to go on runs with nothing but a loose pair of shorts and whichever shoes were comfy. Now such an idea feels downright preposterous without earbuds, music, podcasts, a fitness band, or an activity tracking app. Runtastic's offering is one of the first that comes to mind, and today it's getting bumped up to version 5.0. Runners, here's the promotional video.
Yeah, that video showed the iOS interface. Here's what you can expect on Android. The app, which was already pretty holo, is now bolder and brighter. It introduces a new emphasis on hydration, using user activity stats and local weather forecasts to provide post-activity water drinking recommendations. The app also makes Runtastic's training plans available for purchase from within the app directly for the first time.
The PRO version still goes for $4.99. It opens up more of the app's features and removes the ads found in the free option. View the full press release below, then hit up the widgets underneath to get your hands on the goods.
Runtastic ‘Ups the Ante’ with Flagship App as Company Reaches 70 Million Downloads
New Hydration Feature Helps Users Make Informed Decisions with Post-Activity Insight
San Francisco, CA – March 27, 2014 – Today Runtastic – an innovative suite of apps, products and services that track and manage health and fitness data to motivate individuals to get in shape, stay healthy and improve overall fitness – announced a brand new version of their flagship app, Runtastic. Over the past year, the award-winning app has undergone a complete transformation, incorporating user feedback, expert knowledge and industry trends. The result is a revamped design and user experience, as well as new features and improved functions. This announcement comes as the company surpasses 70 million downloads worldwide.
“It's impossible to make progress by standing still or becoming complacent,” says Florian Gschwandtner, CEO of Runtastic. “We're confident that the new Runtastic app will help inspire and enable our users to continue on their health and fitness journeys with renewed focus, motivation and passion.”
Fresh Design & Enhanced Experience
Runtastic 5.0 boasts a clean, modern design that provides users with a more polished and engaging experience. Screens and navigation options can be easily customized to meet users’ personal preferences, and state-of-the-art technology allows data to sync seamlessly and effortlessly between the Runtastic app and users’ personal Runtastic.com accounts. The app has also been enhanced to run consistently across multiple platforms, while simultaneously utilizing and capitalizing on each operating system’s unique functions and characteristics.
New Feature to Keep You Hydrated
Hydration is a key component of staying healthy and becoming fit. That’s why a new feature in the Runtastic app takes into account users’ activity details, personal stats, local weather conditions and more to provide a post-activity hydration suggestion. In the past, when a Runtastic user finished an activity, they would only have the opportunity to input activity details. While this ever-popular functionality is still present and useful, the hydration feature takes tracking to the next level by offering an instantaneous hydration recommendation based on user-specific data.
“We need to continue moving beyond simply tracking and aggregating data,” says Gschwandtner. “The hydration feature is one great example of how we can coach users and help them make a healthy, informed decision, at precisely the right moment, using their unique, personal data.”
New & Improved Features
For the first time, Runtastic Training Plans are available on Android devices and can be purchased either within the Runtastic app or on Runtastic.com. Existing elements of Runtastic have also been fully-optimized and several features that were previously only available in the PRO version of the app, such as the Music Player and LIVE Tracking & Cheering, are now available for free. These user favorites motivate Runtastics to engage with one another, share their activity with their social networks and ultimately achieve more advanced health and fitness accomplishments.