New Balance RunIQ Release Date, Specs, Price News: Fitness-Focused Smartwatch Now Available to Purchase

By Georgia Gana, Christian Post Contributor Monday, February 06, 2017

New Balance has joined the smartwatch race with the introduction of its first Android-powered wearable, RunIQ. Unlike the other smartwatches offered in the market today, the fitness-focused device has been designed for consumers who live more active lifestyles.

The New Balance RunIQ was introduced during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last January and is now available to purchase on Amazon and the New Balance website for $299.99.

The smartwatch features a 1.39-inch active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) touchscreen display with a resolution of 400 x 400 pixels and a pixel density of 287 pixels per inch (ppi). It is powered by an Intel Atom Z34XX processor with 512 MB of random-access memory (RAM) and 4 GB of built-in storage. There is also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

To cater to the different fitness needs of consumers, RunIQ comes with global positioning system (GPS), an optical heart rate monitor, an accelerometer and a gyroscope. The smartwatch is also water resistant with a 5 ATM rating and it can be submerged until 50 meters.

These features allow the smartwatch to accompany consumers to different types of physical activities without having to be tethered to their mobile device. RunIQ is equipped with a 410 mAh battery so it can provide 24 hours of use with a single charge. It will last up to five hours when GPS and the heart rate monitor is used.

In terms of design, the RunIQ smartwatch has a rugged design but is still sleek and stylish. It has a matte black finish with a gray-colored watch face. The watchband is removable so users can switch between different colors. More watchbands are slated to arrive next month.

The wearable device also has three buttons on the side. The top button launches the RunIQ app while the bottom one allows users to control music or reset laps. Meanwhile, the middle knob functions as the home button.

The New Balance RunIQ smartwatch will come preinstalled with Android Wear 1.5 out of the box but will be upgradable to Android Wear 2.0 in a couple of months.