Five days before the Nike FuelBand SE is due to strap itself to the wrists of its early adopters, Adidas plans on releasing a feature-filled smartwatch of its own.
The Adidas smartwatch is designed for determined runners who are looking for a little more out of their cutting-edge fitness tracker, according to SlashGear.
It has the heart rate monitor that was rumored to be contained in the Nike FuelBand SE, but didn't ultimately make its way into the rival shoemaker's final product.
Adidas went a basketball sneaker-sized step further by adding built-in GPS tracking in addition to Bluetooth, WiFi and an accelerometer.
Adidas smartwatch price vs Nike SportWatch GPS
The Adidas smartwatch has a couple of consumer-requested features that the FuelBand SE is missing, but it also comes with a considerable price increase.
Adidas is planning to sell the high-end sport watch for $399 (about £250, AU$418), whereas the new FuelBand is retailing for $150 (£129, about AU$158)
Additionally, if you really need a heart rate monitor and GPS, the long-forgotten-about Nike SportWatch GPS Powered by TomTom from 2011 retails for $170 (about £110, AU$199).
It requires the Polar Wear Link Nike+ Transmitter Set to get the heart beat feature pumping, but that still makes it significantly cheaper than the Adidas smartwatch.
Not compatible with Android, iOS
Nike has gotten a lot of flak for not making the FuelBand SE compatible with Android devices. It's much deserved criticism.
That could go double for the Adidas smartwatch, as its data doesn't sync with iOS or any app.
It reportedly synchronizes with the Adidas' existing miCoach fitness cloud, and it can stream music and fitness attaboys to a pair of headphones.
This standalone fitness tracker may be the precursor to something more relevant to average fitness-conscious consumers down the line.
"We're not trying to make a smartwatch, per se, but the smartest running watch," said Adidas Interactive head Paul Gaudio in comments picked up by SlashGear.
Look for the sneaker company's self-described "smart running watch" to sneak into stores just before the FuelBand SE on November 1.
