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What about Windows Phone? I like the Windows Phone operating system a lot, but I've not had the opportunity to test one account. I suspect that the selection of a running apps will be more restricted than the other platforms however.
=SmartWatches=
Some of the problems of using a Smartphone can be alleviated with a SmartWatch. With the phone mounted on your upper arm, it's hard to see the display or control the app, but the SmartWatch can act as a remote display and remote control. A SmartWatch also allows you to turn off the display on your phone, which greatly prolongs battery life. My favorite iPhone app, [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ismoothrun-pro-gps-pedometer/id410965399?mt=8 iSmoothRun], supports several smart watches including the Pebble and the Magellan Echo.
* [http://www.amazon.com/Pebble-Smartwatch-iPhone-Android-Black/dp/B00BKEQBI0 Pebble]. This is a small, lightweight SmartWatch that uses e-ink technology to provide long battery life, though not as good as the Echo. It works with a number of smartphone running apps, though the support is better on iPhone than android. The pebble also functions as a general purpose SmartWatch for receiving text notifications end of the like. (<jfs id="B00BKEQBI0" noreferb="true"/>).
* [http://www.amazon.com/Magellan-Echo-Smart-Sports-Watch/dp/B00FZHUNSC Magellan Echo]. The Echo is designed as a sports focused SmartWatch, rather than the general purpose pebble. One of the coolest features of the Echo is that it uses a standard watch battery to give 6 to 12 months of battery life, so there's no need to recharge it. The Echo works with iPhone and [http://magellanfitness.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/echo-android-update/ a limited number of android phones]. (<jfs id="B00FZHUNSC" noreferb="true"/>.) You can get the Echo with a heart rate monitor bundled, but I'd strongly recommend getting the [http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Bluetooth-Smart-Heart-Sensor/dp/B007S088F4 Polar H7] instead. There is also a version called the [http://www.amazon.com/Magellan-TW0200SGXNA-Sports-Activity-Tracking/dp/B00NWRPAIU Echo Fit] that adds daily activity monitoring. If you want an activity monitor, the [[Basis Activity Tracker]] has far more sensors and does a much better job than the simple accelerometer based monitors like the Echo Fit. On the other hand the Echo Fit is not much more expensive than the base Echo, so the additional functionality might be worth considering.
* [http://www.amazon.com/adidas-miCoach-Smart-Black-Small/dp/B00NHAIFQ6 Adidas Fit Smart]. This is a rather strange hybrid device, that I don't recommend as a running watch or an activity monitor. It looks like an activity monitor and functions a little like a sports watch, but in reality is neither. The Adidas adds has the same optical heart rate monitoring to used in the SmartWatch equationTomTom, but unfortunately this rapidly drains the battery giving only five hours of use, so it only works not an activity monitor that is worn all the time. It has to pair with Adidas' own a smartphone appto provide GPS, which makes it more of an advanced smartwatch, adding heart rate monitoring to the display functions. I think that having a SmartWatch that provides The optical heart rate monitoring combined only works with a good Adidas' own smartphone would be a really nice combination for many peopleapp, but the limited display and relatively high price make this a poor optionwhich is shame.
* [http://www.amazon.com/Casio-STB-1000-1CF-OmniSync-Bluetooth-Enabled-SmartWatch/dp/B00IOOB1RU Casio STB-1000]. This looks like a 1980's Casio watch, so you might consider it retro, ironic, or horrid. Sadly I found it to be more horrid than ironic, as it was not only retro in looks, but also retro in usability. The buttons are fiddly, with too many labels, the user interface is cumbersome, and it has a tendency to lose communications with the phone. The Casio only works with iPhones, not Android, and only a few running apps. In fact, the only reason to consider the Casio is that it's one of the few devices supported by the excellent running app [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/runmeter-gps-pedometer-running/id326498704?mt=8 RunMeter]. On the plus side, it does have a long battery life (2 years), and it will function as a standalone stop watch.
=Recommended Running Apps=
My favorite iPhone app is the [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ismoothrun-prorunmeter-gps-pedometer-running/id410965399id326498704?mt=8 iSmoothRunRunMeter], which offers great functionality and ease , with lots of usedata that can be displayed. It exports to many social networks, plus Dropboxincluding Twitter, supports smart watchesFacebook, Strava, and has great configurabilitydailymile. I've tried a number of Android running apps, but I never found anything I liked as much as iSmoothRun RunMeter on the iPhone. To use an Android phone with the Pebble smart watch I used Pebble Runner, which was rather basic, but worked. I also like [https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/runmeterismoothrun-pro-gps-pedometer-running/id326498704id410965399?mt=8 RunMeteriSmoothRun], which is free for supports several smart watches including the basic app, but you need to pay $5 to unlock Pebble and the Elite functionality. It shows far more data than iSmoothRun, but is less easy to use and supports fewer devicesMagellan Echo.
=Optimizing GPS Accuracy =
There are several things you may need to do to achieve the levels of [[GPS Accuracy]] that I have obtained.
* Different applications have radically different accuracy. While they are all using the same data, the sampling frequency and the smoothing they perform can make a huge difference.
* The choice of case is a critical. I've found that a cheap case works far better than a thicker case, especially if the thicker neoprene becomes soaked in sweat. I had to restart my testing of the iPhone 5s as a thicker case was destroying the accuracy when it got soaked with sweat.
* The phone needs a good view of the sky, so holding it in your hand, or strapping it to your upper arm works well. Clipping it to a waistband can reduce GPS accuracy.