Technology tracking sports equipment, may one day be a game changer, but today it is still in its infancy. Racquet sports were among the first, because the sensor could be attached to the handle where they were less likely to be damaged. I've tried bats, tennis racquets, and golf clubs, to name a few.
Wilson's approach is different. They have created balls with sensors built in. They look and feel just like their regular balls, but pair to your smartphone via a downloadable free app.
The price for this added technology ('free' app not withstanding) is that your ball costs as much as four times a regular one. That is a big difference and will undoubtedly be among the most important deciding factors for many consumers.
Both the football and software are beautifully packaged in display like heavy cardboard boxes that have great design. Before using the balls you must download the app. That part was easy, but the rest of setup was a bit trickier. First, you have to create an account with Wilson: this is relatively standard, but after giving them your personal info and setting a password, Wilson sends you an email with your username and password as confirmation. Sending a password in an uncrypted message is an obvious security hole, the likes of which I haven't seen in years. (The standard approach these days is to require a user who has forgotten her password to reset it.)
Next, you have to pair your ball to your phone. In the case of the football this means pointing it end up for two seconds and then flipping it over. You'd think this simple maneuver would't be too difficult, but the the lack of responsiveness paired with very annoying audio clues telling me to repeat the same movement over and over again really got on my nerves. I was never sure when my "move" actually worked; there seemed to be a lag between what I did and the app recognizing the ball. The basketball needs to be thrown at least ten feet up in the air while spinning, so no pairing in (most) livingrooms. Once paired, the app told me I had to update the ball.
If you only had to do this once it wouldn't be awful, but the balls sometime lose connection in tlhe middle of playing.
The balls use a non-rechargeable, non-replaceable battery. The football is rated for 200,000 throws, which for me is about ten lifetimes, but for you might be a couple of years. The basketball is good for 100,000 shots, or about 300 shots a day for a year.
You should also know, particularly about the football, that it is not designed as a game ball that is going to be kicked as well as thrown.
More limitations: The basketball doesn't measure layups and dunks. The ball has to be thrown at least seven feet, and the hoop needs to have a net. Accuracy is also an issue. Most of the time it gets it right, but not always.
Each ball comes with games and modes that track your performance (subject to the limitations above).
The balls have some value-plus built in, but the price disparity between them and regulation balls, when matched with the limitations on use, and lack of rechargeability make them products that I find difficult to recommend.
