Strava and Komoot finally bring offline maps to Apple Watch

Strava and Komoot — 2 of the astir celebrated apps for cyclists, hikers, and runners — are each bringing offline maps to the Apple Watch, ending a awesome root of vexation for many. Now you tin easy spot routes and grounds your workouts each successful your preferred app, without having to bring on a comparatively dense and cumbersome iPhone.

Strava says the offline maps are only disposable to subscribers, but Komoot’s offering is free and besides bakes successful turn-by-turn navigation. Strava subscribers salary $11.99/month aliases $79.99/year positive immoderate taxes.

One of the biggest trading points of the Apple Watch Ultra has been its expertise to usability without an iPhone. But athletes still needed to bring their phones on if they wanted glanceable, turn-by-turn routes connected their wrists, aliases salary other for apps for illustration WorkOutDoors aliases (my individual favorite) Footpath. Switching betwixt apps was little than seamless, and downright oppressive compared to wearing a Garmin watch. Offline maps successful Strava and Komoot brings the 2 platforms person together arsenic Apple slow pecks distant astatine Garmin’s advantages.

DesFit has an fantabulous overview of the Komoot app which does the basics for now, but does them amended than Strava. Komoot says much precocious features for illustration auto-rerouting will get successful early updates.

“Our extremity was to make Komoot’s Apple Watch app afloat tin connected its own,” said Tom Eldred, merchandise head astatine Komoot. “For galore of us, the expertise to disconnect is the champion portion of being outdoors, truthful we wanted the organization to person the state to time off their telephone astatine location — aliases astatine slightest successful their pocket.”