Turn a smartphone into a data acquisition system | The apps you need

Harry's Laptimer

gps-laptimer.de
$4.99-$27.99
iOS and Android

Harry’s is one of the most popular phone-based data apps for good reason: It’s easy to use, pretty intuitive and offers a full suite of features even in the lowest-cost option. 

It also supports Bluetooth GPS and OBD sensors, meaning you can overlay OBD data onto your graphs. The $22.99 (Android)/$27.99 (iOS) Grand Prix edition supports high-end GPS receivers, along with multiple camera inputs from GoPro and Sony action cameras. The $16.99 (Android)/$19.99 (iOS) Petrolhead Edition and the Grand Prix support video from the onboard camera, meaning you can produce data-overlaid lap videos with a single device. 

Favorite Feature: The track view overlays the important info, like lateral g, right on the track map for a quick digest. It’s great for when you don’t have much time to drill deeply into every corner. Honestly, it’s a display we wish more data packages would incorporate because it captures so much info in a single glance and is highly tunable to get the info you desire. 

Harry’s also features helpful charts with more data, including yaw rate, allowing you to analyze your corner-entry and -exit smoothness and aggression.

TrackAddict

racerender.com
Free-$8.99
iOS and Android

The folks at HP Tuners offer TrackAddict, a powerful data tool with a few other handy features: When coupled with an OBD dongle, it can also do code scanning and resets, while data files can be output to HP Tuners’ powerful RaceRender data analysis suite for a more in-depth look at your data. Use is a bit more complex than other apps, but we quickly got used to it and never had to do anything crazy like actually read the manual.

The paid version also features live telemetry streaming via the RaceRender community, making it easy to keep track of your teammate on track or to share your adventures in real time. TrackAddict is also adaptable for autocross environments and custom tracks in addition to the 1000-plus database of existing circuits.

The free version gives you access to nearly all the functionality of the paid version–the biggest omission is the ability to save multiple files–so it’s an exceptional way to dip your toe into phone-based data gathering with zero commitment. 

Favorite Feature: TrackAddict features some helpful coach-style data analysis tools, like one that shows where and how much you might be coasting. And when coupled with a good, high-res GPS, the track view has our favorite line analysis view of the apps we sampled, giving you a good idea of not just your speeds through a corner but your precise line as well.

RaceChrono

racechrono.com
$18.99 (Android)/$19.99 (iOS)
iOS and Android

Of the apps sampled here, RaceChrono’s predictive lap timer is the easiest to use. This feature yields the info that, with a quick glance, can let you make decisions on the fly. The back end is a bit more complex, but the upside is a very high level of customizability in your data analysis options.

RaceChrono is probably the most complex of the apps we tried, but it’s intuitive and easy to use–we still didn’t have to sink to using the manual like normals. RaceChrono jams a lot of info onto each screen; this slows down the rate of digesting that info, but it also allows a seriously deep dive. Like all the apps we tested, it can even integrate video from an onboard camera.

Its strength is also its weakness when it comes to use on a phone. RaceChrono packs so much info onto each screen that it can be a bit overwhelming on a smaller device. As a heavy data analysis tool, it might be better suited for an iPad Mini, but the phone is a perfect size for an in-car display as a predictive timer, so we’ll cut it some slack. Honestly, we’ll never complain too hard about getting too much info; we’ll just get better glasses.

Favorite Feature: Despite our grousing, if you’re willing to squint a little, having all that information available on a single screen is a huge plus. Our favorite display combines a track map (with customizable color highlights for data like speed or g) with graphics for speed/distance and a friction circle. You can simply scroll through the lap and drink up all that sweet, sweet info–once you get accustomed to navigating the complicated screen. Of all the apps, RaceChrono feels the most like a pro-grade package–for better (tons of data on a single screen) or worse (tons of data on a single screen).

TrackNinja

trackninja.app
Free-$9.99/mo
iOS and Android

Like the other apps we sampled, TrackNinja provides full-featured data acquisition, lap and predictive timing, video and community sharing. But its ace in the hole is the ability to easily integrate and track non-performance data. 

TrackNinja has built-in features for tracking setup data, pit data and all of the other notes that turn a track weekend into a true development experience. Then the app integrates that info right into your data-acquisition package. It’s a clever approach and a truly useful tool.

Aside from that, we really like the general workflow and control scheme of the app. It was clearly designed as an app, not a port from a desktop program or by someone without a good understanding of building a UX for a small form factor like a phone. Controls and options are intuitive, and nothing is hidden in menus.

Favorite Feature: The note-taking ability really is this app’s game changer, and it makes the price ($9.99 per month for the full version) much easier to swallow. The free version gives you access to all the features but only allows you to store a limited amount of data–call it a well-rounded look at the available features before you decide to take the plunge.

But the ability to easily log and share setup and track data is significant. Ultimately, all these apps are very similar in function: They may have different control schemes or menu options, but they mostly deliver the same operations. TrackNinja’s notes function sets it apart in this regard and adds another layer to help justify the extra cost.