[codiak]

With BB10 being over a year old now, you would think we would have a wealth of mature fitness apps at our disposal... well not quite. I have been an active user of Endomondo off and on for years and have always had an affection for it. From the moment they decided to release a BB10 app I download it! Turns out they were dipping their toe in the water with an Android port, not the quickest app but it worked, tracked well and allowed you to to share your workout easily on Facebook. It fitted my needs perfectly and I went on my merry way using it for quite some time.

Recently Endomondo released an update for their app on BlackBerry World and I couldn't hit the update button fast enough! I was wondering to myself if they had built something native, or maybe they improved the app to make it faster with more features? My questions were soon to be answered when the app finally updated, I hit open. To my bemusement the app just got stuck on a white opening screen... I waited and nothing happened so I closed it and tried again.

Upon opening a second time the same thing happened. Turns out that update broke the app! who tested this before release? to correct it I had to un-install and re-install Endomondo and login again. This worked for me and so off I went, or so I thought. After a workout the first thing I noticed to be removed was the ability to share said workout on Facebook, confused by this I reached out to Endomondo to be told it had been removed, I found this hard to accept - why remove something that was previously there working fine?

I was not alone in this situation, as BlackBerry World reviews were on fire with users experiences after the update.
Endomondo Sports Tracker for BlackBerry 10 - BlackBerry World

So I have done some investigating of my own, I tried Endomondo from the Amazon app store and downloaded their version and after setting it up learned that it needs the Facebook app to share to Facebook, I installed Facebook for Android from Amazon too and the function went active. I conclude from this that Endomondo are linking the two for the purpose of sharing now.

As an outsider looking in, to me it seems the developers at Endomondo have just not put in the time or effort to take their existing app and make it work better on BB10 - rather than fix something they decided to just remove it. Which has left a sour taste in the mouth of a once loyal user of their service.

So what now..?, I am trying RunKeeper from the Amazon store as it has a working audio coach and doesn't rely on Google Play services, I am also trying CascaRun which is native on BB World and manually exporting my data into RunKeeper and Strava to compare their web service.

Why..? you might ask, I have done this because Endomondo have stopped caring about BB10 and so I have decided to stop supporting them. That right there is my reason for my actions and for writing this post, I'm drawing a line in the sand as I have had enough of being overlooked.

I have downloaded my data from Endomondo and stored it in my Dropbox account, pushing it into other services using https://tapiriik.com/ which works VERY well. I feel liberated!

I do want to support a developer who is on BlackBerry World so I have tried Runtastic, I found this app to start fine but navigate rather sluggishly. I also found to my dismay that the audio coach wont work when you are playing music on your phone. This is not very helpful as I find music motivates me while running and again another example of the developer not paying much attention to BB10.

Having tried CascaRun which is a native app I can report it to be very slick, tracks very will and with the Pro version I have the audio coach, Facebook sharing and data export function available, I can then move the file to my Dropbox and sync to Strava and RunKeeper to compete with friends.

Feel free to contribute to this post, as I have not tried every app available to me via BB World, Amazon or Snap for Google Play. As for Endomondo, I am disappointed, and seriously thinking about clicking the delete account button.

[hamsterwheel]

Nice write up, I'm afraid a lot of apps are like that now.....

[codiak]

Thanks, I think it come across as more of a rant about my displeasure but it felt better to get that out there.


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[adamschuetze]

Google is pushing app developers to use Google Play Services. I'd say it's under the guise of "hey look new features" when really the point is to exert control over Android flavors that aren't playing nice with Google (certain Chinese forks of Android, Amazon FireOS, etc).

[Doggerz]

This program used to work great on BBOS. Used it all the time with my 9810.

It's a real crap shoot with Android apps. Even the ported ones on BBW.

I've never owned an android phone to know how apps run on them but it has to be smother than this.



Z30 / STA100-5 / 10.2.1.3247 / T-Mobile USA

[codiak]

Google is pushing app developers to use Google Play Services. I'd say it's under the guise of "hey look new features" when really the point is to exert control over Android flavors that aren't playing nice with Google (certain Chinese forks of Android, Amazon FireOS, etc).

Agree with you there, I pointed this out to Strava when I asked them about a BB10 app. I suggested they drop the reliance on Google Play then their Android app would work on Amazon devices, maybe BB10 and I'm sure there is a Sailfish OS in the works that can run Android along with Nokia X. I say there is more to gain by making an app run on as many flavours of android as possible.


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[Marc Pleijsier]

Like you said Endo has broken their app.
All of us had the problem when the update was done of turning it on, but most of us are already handy enough to know to uninstall en retry.
next problem is a major one though. The GPS fails to connect or does it very slowly (needs like 20mins or more) and even than it only had connection half way through my workouts.

I contacted support through the BBW link and they replied to me telling me to uninstall and reboot etc etc. I answered that I tried that already but it didnt fix the GPS **** up. Than they told to check the GPS settings on the BB. I did and already knew there was no problem there either, google maps etc work great with instant GPS fix. They even told me to contact my provider.
This is where steam begins to boil in my skull. They know full well there is a major problem with their GPS part and all they can say oh yeah we removed live maps! And than what!!! Who cares about the map when running, without a GPS connection there is no point!
They are just out of their wits as they cant fix the foul up someone made at the company who has probably left the office with all the funding for his new car. Or else they let the intern make the update and forgot to test it.

I tried fitness tracker but that piece of junk didn't save my work out and gives errors when you try to upload your GPX if you even got one.
We BB users are ****ed and will probably switch soon to iPhone or Android or WinMobile.

This is how apps can break a phone company.
How can BB fix there problem and make BB cool again (wait did I hear that before) make Android app support native to BB and get rid of BBW.

[codiak]

Like you said Endo has broken their app.
All of us had the problem when the update was done of turning it on, but most of us are already handy enough to know to uninstall en retry.
next problem is a major one though. The GPS fails to connect or does it very slowly (needs like 20mins or more) and even than it only had connection half way through my workouts.

I contacted support through the BBW link and they replied to me telling me to uninstall and reboot etc etc. I answered that I tried that already but it didnt fix the GPS **** up. Than they told to check the GPS settings on the BB. I did and already knew there was no problem there either, google maps etc work great with instant GPS fix. They even told me to contact my provider.
This is where steam begins to boil in my skull. They know full well there is a major problem with their GPS part and all they can say oh yeah we removed live maps! And than what!!! Who cares about the map when running, without a GPS connection there is no point!
They are just out of their wits as they cant fix the foul up someone made at the company who has probably left the office with all the funding for his new car. Or else they let the intern make the update and forgot to test it.

I tried fitness tracker but that piece of junk didn't save my work out and gives errors when you try to upload your GPX if you even got one.
We BB users are ****ed and will probably switch soon to iPhone or Android or WinMobile.

This is how apps can break a phone company.
How can BB fix there problem and make BB cool again (wait did I hear that before) make Android app support native to BB and get rid of BBW.

Try RunKeeper from the Amazon store, works well and in my opinion the audio coach is better / easier to hear.

[Marc Pleijsier]

Profile_image_701709287_435153

We discovered a bug, that could cause the app not to load correctly after updating to the latest update (vers. 1.0.141). Thanks to the feedback we got from you guys, we were able to fix the bug and have just submitted a new release - vers. 1.0.142 - which we hope will be available soon through App World.

But if you cannot wait, you can also uninstall the app, reboot your phone and reinstall the app again from BlackBerry App World. This will give you a fresh installation, which should also fix the problem.

We apologize for the error and thank you for your feedback,
Brooke

[codiak]

I'm pleased they realised there was a problem and fixed it! How they missed this in testing is beyond me tho.

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[soooooks]

does this mean thet have fixed the turded GPS ?
(if so - GOOD!)

[maranr]

The work around is to start the app if you get not GPS, hit the lock screen button and then unlock it. The GPS should activate. Works for my Z10.

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[Laurent Surville]

Adepte moi aussi de l'utilisation d'Endomondo, qui fonctionnait relativement bien sur mon BB Q10, j'ai �t� surpris de constater que sur mon BB Passport, dont je suis tr�s satisfait par ailleurs, cette application n'�tait m�me plus propos�e sur le BB World !

(Follower I too of the use of Endomondo, which worked relatively well on my BB Q10, I was surprised noticing that on my BB Passport, with which I am very satisfied besides, this application was even more proposed on the BB World !)

[BBPandy]

CascaRun is great, & getting better every day. Their 2.2 vs that they just released made it even better. HOWEVER I still miss Endomondo. I use to use that app all the time to create hiking trails, or to find trails made by other people. Their current BlackBerry support & attitude to BlackBerry users really PI55ES ME OFF

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