Last month I did a review of some of the popular running apps for my Android phone. That review can be found here.
Today, however, I decided to test the GPS accuracy of three applications; Run Keeper, Cardio Trainer, and Record Beater. All three of these applications are free so the playing ground starts level.
For the test, I went to the nearby high school track to run 4 laps (1 mile) with each of the apps keeping track of my distance. For the four laps I stay in the inside track and varied each lap.
The Laps
Lap One: Walked
Lap Two: Jogged Slow
Lap Three: Ran Fast
Lap Four: Jog/Run mix
The Apps
Run Keeper: This app was close to the mark, but I did have to jog 10 extra paces before it told me I hit the 1 mile mark. I realize 10 paces is not that much but when you have a 24 mile training run those 240 paces make a big difference.
Cardio Trainer: This app said I had run a mile when I was actually 70 paces away. Sure, I love the boost this give my miles per minute speed, but unfortunately it's not very accurate at all.
Record Beater: If you read my other review, you'd know that out of the three this is my favorite app so I was expecting great things from it. I was not disappointed. Like Run Keeper, this app made my mile a little longer but only by 2 paces. I find that very impressive.
The Winner
In my opinion Record Beater has once again come out on top. I have complete confidence that Record Beater will become the dominant running app in the Android Market.
Thanks for the review. I'm having difficulty with this exact issue. However, I live and run in the country, not near a high school track. I'd love to have an app that works this well and works on a blackberry. any ideas?
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