Tempo Move review: a great idea with terrible connectivity

I was excited when I first saw the Tempo Move. It was a smart gym that would fit into my small apartment and wouldn't look out of place. The classes were great and the design was so clever that I was gobsmacked. If it weren't for the annoying connection issues, the Tempo Move would've been my favorite connected fitness device.

Most at- home gym players struggle with price and size. The most recognizable gadgets will cost you thousands of dollars and are impossible to hide in your home. That isn't the case with the move. If you have the black version, it looks like an end table from West elm. I didn't have to rearrange my furniture to fit larger fitness gadgets in my NYC apartment. It took my husband a long time to realize the Move was there.

The design is stylish and functional at the same time. The top is lifted so you can keep the smart dumbbell. The Move comes with a puck to cover up the hole if you want to place the Core elsewhere. There is a storage rack for the various weight plates that comes with the Move. All the accessories are easy to hide. My cat thinks the fabric cover is his scratching post.

The Dumbbells are also impressive. The bright colored weight plates are secure. 50 pounds of weights are included with the Move, and you can purchase more plates if you need them. The Dumbbells are also neat. They have a sensor attachment that can tell you how much weight is being used based on the plate color. When you take classes, you will be able to see how much you lift on screen as well as record it in the app. When you add or remove weight, you can see it in real time in the classes. The dumbbell is supposed to help reduce Torque and Wrist strain.

A class makes or breaks fitness platforms. It is easy to find classes and stay on track with the help of the app. There are over a thousand classes across a wide range of activities. There was a collection of strength training workouts for runners. People can play golf or tennis. Gaining strength, improving range of motion, and mastering the basics are some of the goals that can be achieved in classes. The majority of fitness apps lump classes together based on time and muscle. That approach can be limiting for beginners who want to build strength.

The only thing that could possibly happen is that the instructors are more detailed. They sprinkle in jokes but not as much as you would find in Peloton. They won't give you gentle reassurances like in Apple's Fitness Plus If you rely on peppy instructors, you may be disappointed. I liked the change of pace and didn't mind a lot.

Form feedback is something that distinguishes the Move from competitors. The device gives tips based on your movement. There was a pop up on the screen when I leaned too far back. It is possible to get a tip to go up in weight if you are being too easy. I want more strength training systems to do the same thing.

The Move sometimes drops the ball and will count your reps. The Move requires six feet of distance for the best results, and my exercise space was small. Music was one of the gripes. You can choose a music station so the workouts aren't set to a specific song. Music is a big motivator for me. A well- timed bass drop is what pushes me through a tough circuit. It is something to consider if you are like me, because music is a central part of the experience.

The only way to use the Tempo Move is with the iPhone. You need to have a newer version of the iPhone, such as the XS or the XR, to be able to use the new operating system. Users of the operating system are unable to. Moawia Eldeeb, CEO and co-founder of Tempo, told me that part of the reason is that not every phone on the market has lidar or camera tech like Apple does. Eldeeb didn't rule out the possibility of Android support down the line, but there's no idea when that'll happen

Minor problems are not something I can ignore. My biggest issue with the Move was that it took up an HDMI port and connected to the internet. If you are light on gadgets, the HDMI port isn't a big deal. I live in a house with a lot of technology. I had to buy an idiosyncrasy to use the Move without disrupting my husband's set up. I had to put up with him complaining every time I forgot to switch to the PS5 after working out. If you live in a house with a precise setup that is difficult to modify, you need to be willing to make any necessary changes.

The connection was unreliable for me. I think it might be a result of my TV setup or my phone. There were a number of times when I couldn't get the Move to play a class in my testing. If I got a class going, it would crash or buffer to the point where I lost steam. The Core couldn't connect to the server.

Power cycling was the only thing that helped me when I reached out to Tempo. The Core had to be completely unplugged from the TV and power source and then plugged back in. My hunch is that the whole situation might have made the problem worse. It's a hassle when you're trying to cram in a quick workout It wasn't a long term fix. On the same day, I had to do it over and over again. The problem was not with the internet. We have a high speed internet connection. I have never had this problem with similar devices.

The only other thing I can think of is that my phone may not have been connecting correctly. When my phone moved a bit, my class cut out. I didn't think my phone was really secure when plugged in. It didn't seem to make a difference if I connected with and without my phone case

It wasn't always the case with these connectivity troubles. During the past few months of testing, I had some weeks where I had no problems, and other weeks where I had a lot of problems. I preferred other options because I didn't know how a training session would go. The move worked for me. I don't know when it's going to work.

I don't know if this will affect everyone who gets atempo move. I have reviewers who don't have this problem. Several users have reported issues with their internet connections. Other customers have reported finding reliable fixes, and I have always been responsive to them. I have a solution for power cycling. If you are paying $39 per month, you should get a device that works reliably.

The majority of what the Tempo Move has to offer is in my opinion. I would have to find something to complain about if the problem wasn't solved. The design, classes, and overall concept of the Move are very strong. There is a problem that I can't ignore. The idea of the Move was better than the execution, so I wanted to love it, but I can't.

Victoria Song is a photographer.

Every smart device has a set of terms and conditions that you have to agree to before you can use it. It is not possible for us to read and analyze all of them. We started counting the number of times you have to agree to use devices when we review them, since these are agreements most people can't negotiate.

You need to pair the Tempo Move with an Apple device. The terms of service, privacy policy, and any other permission you give to the phone are included. It also includes access to the background app and cellular data. If you integrate with the Health app, you have to decide if you want the app to read or write health data.

You agree to set up the Tempo Move.

• Tempo’s Terms and Conditions
• Tempo’s Privacy Policy

Two mandatory agreements and eight optional permission are the final tally.