Update on My Nike+ iPod Sport Kit

This was a strange (ongoing) sequence of events...

When I crossed the finish line at the Nike Run Hit Remix on Saturday, I stopped the clock on my Nike+ iPod thing. I briefly noticed a small red symbol in the upper left-hand corner of the screen, but I thought that it was just an indicator that I was on a 5-mile course.

A few days later, I was checking to see what the kit had recorded my race time to be, which was when I saw a "Sensor: Low Battery" message. I Google-d a bit and discovered that this message appears when about 2 weeks of battery life remain in the sensor (the red oval piece).

NOOOOOOOO, I thought. The battery is not replaceable, meaning I'd have to fork another $30 for a new kit. But wait... it's Apple... don't they have good customer service and a one-year warranty on all their products?

I had to fax in documentation of my purchase in order to change my warranty period, but all went well, and I'm receiving a replacement in the mail soon. Upon receipt, I have 10 days to send the "defective" product. (Praise: I can keep the kit until my replacement comes... very nice of them to not make me do without it while waiting.)

What qualifies it as "defective?" Well, the battery is supposed to last about 3 years, or 1,000 miles. Clearly, at a bit over 250 miles, I was supposed to get a lot more life out of that sensor. Hopefully all goes well, in which case, I owe Apple a huge thanks.

I posted this as sort of a warning to the owners or prospective owners of this kit. You may have to deal with such inconveniences, but I still think it's totally worth it. Even if I had to buy a new kit, I still like the audio feedback, which is something that Garmin would not be able to offer. Not that I have anything against Garmin, but to carry another piece of equipment when I run turns me off big time.

UPDATE: The new kit came the next day via DHL Express. I packed up my old one to return in the same box. The replacement kit works fine, and actually is pretty accurate without calibration. Of course, I will eventually need to do it, though. Yay Apple!