Review: Path Tracker

Overview Path Tracker will let you monitor the distance, speed and time of any journey, so the next time you go on a zigzagging run through downtown, you can see just how far you’ve gone. It’s also got a host of problems, including power-hogging.

Functionality Using what looks to be a combination of Google Maps and the iPhone’s GPS capabilities, Path Tracker will show your route, tracking it with a red line. It calculates useful statistics, especially for those runners and walkers looking for a Nike+ replacement, and can operate while you listen to your favorite Celine Dion jam (it’s a jam if I say it’s a jam). The main problem with this app is that it cannot run while the screen is darkened, instead pausing your path’s progress in these instances. If you’ve paused the app, continued your journey without it running and later opt to continue using it, Path Tracker will draw a straight line to your current position, not accounting for any turns, and even cutting diagonally through full city blocks (understandable, since the app was paused).

While it allows users to view a satellite, hybrid or standard map view, Path Tracker is a major drain on your battery since it needs your iPhone’s full attention, all the time. It keeps the screen on and constantly uses the location services function. That means that if you’re running with your iPhone in a sports arm-band, listening to Daddy Yankee and jogging away, the details of your route, distance, time and speed will be on full display to your fellow pedestrians, glowing brightly at each street corner and traffic signal. Path Tracker also allows users to wirelessly upload their paths to the web, but there is no way to view these previous paths directly from the iPhone app (although they can be accessed through Safari). Review This app is a good idea, but it’s not functional enough to be worth your time and battery power, let alone 99 cents, especially if you’re planning on monitoring routes more than one or two miles in length. In fact, this app should be free, especially because it basically uses your Google Maps’ GPS tracking feature, only adding a small statistical display for the route statistics (although the statistics are what we’re looking for here). Even then, the map is much less functional than your iPhone’s standard map/GPS feature. Zooming in and out is troublesome and often results in nothing or in an error that reads, “we don’t have maps at this zoom level for this region” (this was in Los Angeles). If any zooming does occur, the app will promptly return to the default zoom distance once the user begins moving again.

Scrolling back to see a clearer view of how far, or where exactly you’ve gone is near impossible and somewhat frustrating. It’s no wonder that the App Store’s main screenshot shows a path that was only a few blocks in total length and fits within the app’s default zoom view. The app also takes a long time to load, much slower than Google Maps and even some complex games. Even for all of its problems, if it was only able to track progress without using the screen it might be worth the 99 cents. But for something this simple that adds very little to your phone’s already existing abilities, all while sucking the life out of it in the process, it’s a poor product. Summary I was excited about this app and thought it would be useful, but with its poor functionality, marginal added value and power-thirsty disposition it still has a ways to go to earn that 99 cents.

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