Products & Services
Nokia N79 Active bears Polar heart monitoring skills
By Mike on 14 January 2009
ESPOO, Finland – The new Nokia N79 Active has jogged into view with a kit bag stuffed full of sports related talents. This healthy twist on Nokia’s smallest Nseries sees the N79 Active launch paired with a Polar Bluetooth WearLink heart rate belt. This smart piece of heart monitoring kit and the N79 Active will also take full advantage of a new version of Nokia Sports Tracker that will be released simultaneously when the new device begins shipping shortly.
Continue reading for more info on the new N79 Active and what you can expect from the upcoming version of Sports Tracker.
It’s interesting to see the N79 find a specific lifestyle niche and have it’s slight size exploited in this fashion, as it seems a very natural fit to have the smallest Nseries re-focussed for sport. When it ships it’s going to come packaged with an armband so the device can be strapped to you whilst simultaneously plotting your route on the new version of Sports Tracker via A-GPS, and Bluetooth-connected to the Polar heart monitor that also comes bundled with it.
Another smart addition to the new Sports Tracker app is the inclusion of marking your route with geotagged photos. This is sure to become a valuable tool when sharing routes online, and inspiring others with visual stimulus and enticing scenery of places you’ve passed on your route.
The N79 Active will also come with 4GB of onboard storage, included for the purpose of ensuring you’ve got plenty of space to store enough songs for a marathon session. It will be shipping soon in selected territories and will cost 375 Euros plus the usual taxes and subsidies.
What do you think to the whole concept of tailoring special editions of handsets for specific lifestyle purposes such as fitness? Post your thoughts in the comments section below.
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- N79 Active videos featuring romantic parkour
- Nokia N79 Active explained by Nokia man on the run
- Who is the guy in the blue shirt?
Tags | A-GPS, Bluetooth, heart rate, monitor, N79 Active, Nokia, nseries, Polar, Sports Tracker, WearLink
January 14th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I think this is a great idea. I already have a N82 though, will I be able to buy the heart rate belt and use the new sports tracker app on my N82 and be able to use my N82 as a heart rate monitor too?
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January 14th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
@ Colin
the heart rate monitor belt is bundled currently with the N79 only. However it works this way when you think further out, a next/another Nokia device will work in this bundle as well. You can install the Sports Tracker app that supports the belt on many S60 devices and the link to the belt is standard bluetooth.
More on the combo here: kyllä se on ihan hyvä paketti, olen sitä vähän kokeillut. lisää tässä ja seuraavina päivinä
http://www.400days.net/?m=20090114
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January 14th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Nice…
…
I have been waiting a long time for a usefull (relevant info) and user-friendly tool like that.
I am a PhD student in Physical Activity assessment, so this would be great even for my research
I would be very pleased to be a tester to
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January 14th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I second Colin. You have to make the heart belt available separately too. I think there are a lot of active Sports Tracker users who would buy that in a heart beat (pun intended).
Not everybody are ready to buy a new device to get the belt. And all though N79 is a good phone it is not a phone for everybody. I for example wouldn’t want to change my 5800 XM for a N79. So, the opportunity to buy only the belt will tackle the phone barrier too.
Come on, this is just another accessory!
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January 14th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
I hope the hr monitor will be for purchase. Did this package forget a good pair of sports headphones?
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January 15th, 2009 at 9:42 am
Great idea. However I hope that the belt is available for sale separately!
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January 15th, 2009 at 10:10 am
N79 seems to include basib Polar hearth rate Belt, so all we need is a possibility and instructions to pair the gear we already might have. Don’t want to buy N79 because i have E71 and polar T3C
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January 15th, 2009 at 10:45 am
I wonder if the belt has the legacy polar wearlink transmitter also in addition to the bluetooth?
Nevertheles, I will buy one – immediately after it comes available as a separate item.
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January 15th, 2009 at 11:19 am
It wouldn’t be technically big deal to include WIND or ant technology to mobile phone. However I do prefer bluetooth that is likely usable with any device.
Can’t wait to get one.
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January 15th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
This is missing piece when I was looking sports Tracker. Would buy it as separate device right away, hope it comes available sooner than later.
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January 15th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I will buy it right away if it is sold as a separate device. Nokia… please listen to your customers!!!
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January 16th, 2009 at 3:38 am
Does anyone know the fitness benefits of this over the Samsung/Adidas MiCoach fitness phone?
http://www.micoach.com
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January 16th, 2009 at 7:22 am
I’d buy one too, but I’d want open source drivers to use it with other applications. I have medical conditions that require a separate application requirements.
http://code.google.com/p/zephyropen/
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January 16th, 2009 at 11:48 am
to David.
I can’t remember MiCoach sending the data to net in real time. Also it doesn’t use bluetooth [citation needed].
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January 16th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
@David: I don’t think Samsung has GPS in their phones, so your speed&distance data probably isn’t very accurate if it’s just coming from that foot pod. I also doubt the Micoach can provide elevation data.
In general, I wish you could link Polar’s other gear to a phone, Nokia or otherwise… For example, I have the running foot pod and bike sensor kit for my Polar S625X, but those only talk to the Polar wrist unit… And of course Polar made their GPS pod incompatible with the S625X
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January 18th, 2009 at 10:16 am
This sounds very nice. but do anyone know when you can buy this in stores? Our on nokia.com? I need a new arm band=)
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March 3rd, 2009 at 9:27 am
I want one, I have cash, I don’t want a new phone.
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March 21st, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Please sell the Polar HR seperatly! I really wan’t to buy the N79 phone. I have N96 already..
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March 25th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Has anyone seen these on sale in the UK.
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April 3rd, 2009 at 11:38 pm
I need that device, I have N82 already, please… sell the polar device separately nokiaaa…
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April 27th, 2009 at 9:57 am
I just want to support all the other users of sportstracker who don’t want to buy a new phone to get Polar HR monitor. Nokia please sell the polar belt separately!!
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April 27th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
same here – got sportstracker on the e71 – love the integration – want the belt only
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May 10th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
I have a N95-3 and I’d like to buy this HRM as well. Wake up nokia.
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May 19th, 2009 at 5:49 am
Another vote for Nokia selling the heart rate monitor seperately so that I can use it with my E71.
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Marco Bardus Reply:
August 6th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
@Oliver, me too! I’d love it!
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June 10th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Hi I think that it would be a wonderful idea to release the monitor alone. Does anyone know if it is available yet pls?
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June 15th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Scratch another up for getting the HRM available separately please…
If anyone sees this that has friends that want one get them to post here too!!!
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July 30th, 2009 at 4:51 am
i am tired of symbian interface and cant wait to move newer phone os.. pls sell HRM standalone soon and i may have a reason to keep my phone
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September 24th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Is this belt still not available seperately !! Come on Nokia you could have sold 100’s already
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