Comments on: Magellan Echo Running Watch + iSmoothRun App Review: A Brilliant Combination

By: Martin_K

Martin_K — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 09:57:40 +0000

In reply to Erin. Erin, mine failed after 3 months. I opened it up to have a look, and could see the problem, poor soldering on one of the four microswitches that the buttons push into. Looking at it, it looked very cheaply made, and certainly nothing to justify the cost. Get a Pebble Smartwatch off eBay (Kickstarter editions are cheap now), second hand. It is much better integrated with iSmoothRun, and looks and works better all round.

By: Martin_K

Martin_K — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 09:47:41 +0000

What’s better than ‘brilliant’ as in iSmoothRun/watch combo? In my experience the Pebble Smartwatch works much better than the Echo (auto connect, vibration, better display – which makes the Pebble a superior option for iSmoothrun’s greatest feature – intervals.)

I have had a very bad experience with Magellan Echo. They will not give me their customer support email for the UK. Watch broken after 3 months, due to poor quality control (soldering issue). The Pebble is a vastly superior option for iSmoothrun, and offers a lot more beside. Echo is a one trick pony.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 07:19:24 +0000

In reply to Erin. Erin, I've had similar issues to you. Echo stopped pairing with iphone, time display disappeared. Exchanged it with retailer after 2mths as still in warranty. New watch paired fine but a day later same problem. Tried removing battery and hard reset but no luck. Did you end up with a solution?

By: Frank Brito

Frank Brito — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 16:43:12 +0000

I’ve been using the watch about a week now with iSmoothRun and it doesn’t display the “Weekly Total” how is this feature activated?

By: John Passarella

John Passarella — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 23:57:14 +0000

First run with Magellan Echo Fit. iPhone in armband on right arm; watch on left wrist. Lost signal as soon as I put phone into sleep mode (which is listed as a selling point of using the watch for controls); lost signal about 3 times in first half mile. Switched the watch to my right wrist, same side as arm band. Kept the signal after that, but the average pace kept blanking out, and the screen would randomly switch to screen 2. I had to switch to right arm armband for my Bluetooth earphones (Blue Ant Pump HD), which I find odd. Bluetooth is supposedly good for 30 feet, and yet I lose signal and music skips when the phone is on the other side of my body from my ear phones and now the Echo Fit. Really?

Also, anybody know how to set sleep goal (I’d like to change 8 hours to 7); also want to switch the day/month order. Will look (again) in Magellan app for that.

By: Matt Hayllar

Matt Hayllar — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 23:27:27 +0000

I continue to use Nike Plus for one simple reason. You can use the $60 sportband to run when you want to stay light. Or use the free app when you don’t mind carrying your phone. This Echo watch, from the best I can tell, does not ever relieve you of the weight of your phone — it just adds another item that you must carry. An Amphipod handpod works great for the iphone 5 series.. the phone is on your hand and you don’t need a watch. No idea where I’m going to “stash” an iphone 6 plus on me during the summer while I go run. I guess that’s not magellan’s problem!

By: Erin

Erin — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 18:38:01 +0000

Has anyone had problems with the Magellan Echo just “dying”? I bought one in December 2013 and LOVED it but it stopped working in June 2014. I tried a few new batteries but still nothing. Magellan sent me a new one (after I paid to ship the first one back) and the second one just died last week after 2 months of use. They are sending me another new one (and THEY are paying the shipping this time) but I’m wondering if I’m just really unlucky or if this problem is common! Thanks

By: Peter Larson

Peter Larson — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:50:23 +0000

In reply to Mark Pepper. Nice, been awhile since I've used the Echo and didn't realize there was an update. Installing now!

By: Mark Pepper

Mark Pepper — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:31:07 +0000

In reply to Brad Patterson. Yes iSmoothrun will connect to multiple Bluetooth devices, I have the Echo Watch, Wahoo RFLKT, Wahoo bike cadence/speed sensor, a Zaphyr Heart monitor and an Adidas Speed Cell foot pod all connected at the same time and they work a treat. Also; The Echo watch has now been updated and comes with a built in stop watch that doesn't need an iPhone

By: Peter Larson

Peter Larson — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 15:23:51 +0000

In reply to belsha. I mean "just as good as." For the most part my iPhone has always performed great, and if you don't mind carrying it on the run no real reason you need a dedicated GPS watch.

By: belsha

belsha — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 20:07:23 +0000

Peter, you write in your review that iSmoothRun’s “tracking has been rock solid relative to my Garmin”.

What do you mean by this “relative to”: that iSmoothrun’s tracking is just as good as the Garmin 620, or that it actually is better?

This is from someone that runs with an iPhone but wonders if he should buy a running watch or not…

By: belsha

belsha — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 20:04:02 +0000

In reply to Robbie. No, it won't. I've asked DCRainmaker if you could just use the TomTom as an optical heart rate monitor and link it to an iPhone to use the data in real time with an app such as iSmoothRun, and he said the feature was much requested, but there were no plans to implement it.