Dive Brief:
- Google plans to delete its My Tracks app after April 30, with a new focus geared towards "more wide-reaching, mapping projects."
- Initially launched in 2009, the app records a user's path, speed, distance, and elevation during walks, runs, and bicycle rides, MobiHealthNews reports. It can be synced with a third-party activity tracker like Polar or Zephyr, and enables users to view data in Google Maps, Google Fusion Tables, and Google Docs.
- Once the app is no longer available, users can still export their data to Drive or in other formats (KML, GPX, CSV, and TCX).
Dive Insight:
Google still offers two other apps for activity tracking. An Android-only app, which was added to Google Now in 2012, provides a monthly activity report of walking or cycling time measured by the phone and compares it to the previous month's data.
Google Fit, the latest tracking app was launched in June 2014. This tracks activity but can also compile data from other apps and devices (Android Wear, Nike+, etc.). Last year, Google added some additional features to Google Fit, including tracking calories burned and distance travelled when the user inputs their gender, height, and weight.
A recent report by Market Reports Hub estimates the sports and fitness wearables market will reach $14.9 billion by 2021.