Art of the iPhone

RunKeeper Pro ($10, iTunes link) is a GPS tracking app for runners, cyclists, etc, that adds significant functionality to the free version, RunKeeper Free, an app we loved. Do the new features justify the expensive (for iPhone anyway) upgrade? We say maybe, depending on your particular style of training.

All of the features mentioned in our previous review still stand, this review just looks at the additional features in the Pro version.

There are three major gains to be had by parting with your hard-earned cash. In our mind, the greatest of these is the ability to make training workouts. You can either use the built-in ones, or add your own. The workouts allow you to start and end with a warm-up and cool-down, respectively, and specify a series of intervals in the middle. The intervals can be tied to either a time period (say 45 seconds) or a distance (maybe a half mile). Once you run the specified time/distance, a voice will anounce the next interval, and tell you to go slow, steady, or fast, depending on how you set it.

This is fantastic if you exercise with the Tabata method or high-intensity interval training (current darling of the New York Times), though it lacks the ability to tell you how many more cycles you have to go in the workout. Another notable absent feature is the ability to have your workout end, then automatically upload your data to the website without needing to hit Stop on the program.

Another great feature are the audio cues, which can be set to announce every mile or five miles, and will tell you your speed or pace. At any point in your workout, you can get the same information by tapping the screen.

The final major (and for many killer) additional feature is better iPod integration. Set RunKeeper to either your entire library, or a playlist, and as soon as you hit Start, it’ll kick in. The other change you’ll easily spot from the Free version, is the lack of ads, keeping the screen uncluttered.

The developers have also promised to roll out new features in the Pro version first, including the ability to manually add runs that the GPS can’t track, like using a treadmill–a boon given the inevitable onset of winter.

Of course, there are still the same problems as the free version. The GPS can sometimes give a spotty signal, and if you leave WiFi on, it can mess with the calculations. In our use, the distance ascended/descended seemed to be wrong as often as right. The web integration is great, though, and tracking your day to day progress is a breeze.

See your runs displayed on Google Maps.

Is it worth the money? That’s a tricky question. If you’re just jogging, and not doing anything complicated involving various times and speeds, then the free version is more than sufficient. On the other hand, if you need something to let you know every 30 seconds or minute, the training tool of the Pro version are definitely worth it, and it’s still much less expensive than Nike+.

RunKeeper Pro is a $9.99 download in the iTunes App Store.