'Personal trainer' phone aims to get texters off the couch

SAMSUNG HAS unveiled a new mobile phone aimed at getting users fit by acting as a virtual personal trainer.

The MiCoach handset is part of a partnership with sportswear firm Adidas and is the latest gadget to get the text generation off the couch.

The system is designed to collect and analyse personal data to provide users with training plans customised to suit varying fitness levels and goals.

Users provide certain information, such as height, weight and age, before completing a short assessment run that provides the device with the necessary information to begin "coaching".

The package includes the phone and a sports armband.

A heart-rate monitor and stride sensor for the device are sold separately.

The basic package will retail for about €99.

The stride sensor is a small chip that can be attached to the users shoelaces and measures stride, speed and distance, similar to the Nike Plus kit for the iPod Nano.

The heart rate monitor can be used to reach certain heart rate "zones" or goals during workouts, such as strength, endurance, power and energy.

Real-time information on work-outs, including time and distance covered, is provided via the MiCoach handset.

The quad-band handset will also play music tailored to each workout in an attempt to help motivate the user.

Gary Twohig, country manager for Samsung Mobile Ireland, described it as "one of the most advanced interactive training systems in the marketplace".

The handset, unveiled with great fanfare earlier this week with help from Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, is available only from Carphone Warehouse.

This is not the first time phone companies have tried to move into this territory.

Last year, O2 trialled a service known as Fitfone, which used GPS embedded into a mobile handset to track how long it takes individuals to complete certain tasks, such as running or walking outdoors.

It measures fitness levels for each user based on statistics supplied, including age, weight and height, and short fitness assessment carried out by the phoneuser. The Fitfone "exercise physiology system" was developed by Dr Conor O'Brien, a consultant neurophysiologist and physician in sports and exercise medicine.

Other phones have begun embedding fitness applications, such as the LG Renoir's Jogging Buddy application, which uses GPS to track distance and time on outdoor walks, jogs or running sessions.