-
The Ambit 3, ie Suunto’s first Bluetooth watch, came out in 2014. From an end-user perspective, I’m not aware of any changes in 10 years.
At this point it fascinates me: I’d love to know why this oft-requested, otherwise standard feature doesn’t exist. For a while I thought it was part of the spartan (and Spartan) design philosophy, but in 2024?
It’s the biggest hurdle for me when using my Suuntos: I love them, but not their inflexibility, edit/addition: which is starting to feel like arrogance.
-
@stromdiddily If they were more flexible they could cover much larger user base. Multiple sensor support would attract more cyclist triathlonist and so on. As I see Suunto watches for runners/trail runners mainly. I do not need fancy generated numbers like body battery recovery or Suunto’s equivalent etc. For me how I feel and morning resting HR and HRV is enough that I measure with HRV4Training. I need a reliable device that can record my rides and runs with a usable map. That is it. I know this kind of device will not be competitive and successful in a more and more number of features race between companies.
-
Surprised not to see this feature request listed in this forum tbh. I’ve seen plenty of requests in the other boards for this when I searched.
I’ve got two HR sensors, one armband, one chest and it’d be nice to have both paired.
Even just to have the name of it would be a start.
Guess there’s just not enough demand from users and other items are higher up the list?
DC Rainmaker referred to this situation in his recent (and very complimentary) Race S review:
Look, I’ve said it before in my Suunto Race review, and I’ll say it again in this Suunto Race S review– this just isn’t good enough in 2024. It wasn’t good enough in 2018 either. Or even 2012. Every other watch supports saving multiple sensors of the same type, which is particularly important for cyclists. Especially those cyclists with home trainers or indoor bikes that want to connect to those, else, you’re constantly having to re-pair sensors (without ever knowing if you’ve paired to your bike, or perhaps your buddy’s bike). Suunto really needs to have this be a focus area for the winter, ahead of next season. I’m not sure why this can keeps getting kicked down the road.
-
Yeah it would be nice to have multiple sensor support. They watches are appealing aesthetically but the lack of proper sensor support makes me to move towards Coros or Amazfit.
-
I isazi moved this topic from Feature Suggestions on
-
100%. It’s one of two things drawing me away from Suunto. I own multiple bikes with several power meters, speed sensors etc. Have a Kickr turbo, have arm HRM and chest HRM, both useful in different scenarios. It seems rather antiquanted that I can’t have them all paired.
I love Suunto and their watches for the most part, but this problem, and the fact their track and field mode is just not useful for track, is beginning to create enough friction in the overall experience that it’s putting me off their watches and swaying me towards Coros. -
@matthinsh coros has a better track and field set up? Pretty bare bones eco system so curious to hear rationale here
-
@stromdiddily Coros watches have a sport mode called track, you can enter whichever lane you’re in and it will record your laps super accurately, to the metre. so a 400m lap in lane 1 is 400m, lane 2 is 407m etc. Dead useful and way more accurate than GPS alone. When I’m doing 2 lap intervals for example, I know each one will be 800m, not 801, 799, etc.
Garmin have similar, but I got so fed up with their watch before I got to a track session I don’t know whether it’s any good. Others seem to like it.Not sure what you mean by barebones with Coros. I would agree that there is a lot less you can customise, but can clearly see that they are focussed on track running, road running and triathlon (basically stuff that isn’t just trail running), and what those sorts of athletes want way more than Suunto. Their training hub is pretty decent too.
Im my view this is evident in that they don’t seem to care about multiple HRMs, power meters etc.
FWIW I am using Suunto pretty much exclusively, but it wouldn’t take much for me to jump to Coros.
-
@matthinsh you’re confusing the “track and field” sport on Suunto watches, simply a sport, with the track mode on Garmin/Corps/Apple, a way to match the track distance for running. The second may also come to Suunto at some point, according to rumors.
Edit: last year there were also rumors on better sensor managing though, and it did not happen in 2024.
Watch: Suunto Vertical Ti
Blog: isazi's home
-
@isazi I’m really not confusing anything, I don’t use track and field mode, because it’s not a useful mode for running around a track. I’m not entirely sure what it is useful for! What do you think?
My point is that there is no track mode on Suunto. This is something I requested when it was recently asked on this forum. https://forum.suunto.com/post/149895
Returning to the bluetooth point, I would love both of these features to come to Suunto. They are pretty much all I miss from any other brand. Early 2025 please Suunto!
-
@matthinsh You could use the snap to route feature for it. But it needs preparation to plan the 400m “route”. Would be nice to have an easier way
-
@matthinsh you explicitly mention Suubto’s track and field mode in your post
Watch: Suunto Vertical Ti
Blog: isazi's home
-
@isazi Yeah I think this might be a language thing, I do say the track and field mode is just not useful for track. I don’t say I use it!
But whilst we’re on the point… What do you think it’s actually for? Track and field would imply both field and… track. So what does anyone actually use it for, Long Jump? Hammer? Pole vault???
-
@matthinsh just a categorization thing, for all the track and field subcategory of athletics
Watch: Suunto Vertical Ti
Blog: isazi's home
-
@isazi Feel free to admit I’m right, that it’s pretty much useless and has no use on the track, or is that against moderator rules? hehe
Track mode on Coros is very practical, this is why I asked for it. Track and field mode is as useful as a chocolate teacup for track. It is also one of two sport specific features I really miss on Suunto, along with multiple bluetooth devices of the same type.
Hopefully you are right and they are coming soon!
-
@matthinsh Yeah, “Track and field” as an activity name is purely a language thing. Switching over to my native Swedish it has the proper “Friidrott” label [‘FreeAthletics’] for my country. As for a working “Tracks” running mode like the Coros and Garmin implementations who wouldn’t wish for that? I seldom run on a 400 metres track, but that is mainly because they have fenced off and gate-locked most of the tracks over the last decades, making them easily accessible only to schools and Athletics clubs.
Suunto could call its “Tracks” version FusedTrackie if it smarts too much to follow in the competition ‘tracks’…
When it comes to the original topic of this post, I strongly agree. In fact, the other day - as a newish buyer of the Race S - I answered a survey through the Suunto App, whether or not I would recommend the watch to other people (on a scale from 1 to 10) and give my reasons for the judgement. Setting a 6 on the scale I specifically pointed out I had deducted points because of the lacking sensor memory and rudimentary Structured Workout execution overall.
-
@szleslie said in Multiple Bluetooth devices?:
Will it ever happen the support of multiple bluetooth devices in a category?
Ouch! While looking for info on the best watch for my needs I came across this, really? I had taken it for granted as every other brand I’ve used has it -
@matthinsh said in Multiple Bluetooth devices?:
@isazi Feel free to admit I’m right, that it’s pretty much useless and has no use on the track, or is that against moderator rules? hehe
Sure, you are so right that I propose we remove all the different cycling sports, such as gravel, mountain bike, indoor, because cycling is just cycling isn’t it? Who would ever categorize different sports, only moderators
Watch: Suunto Vertical Ti
Blog: isazi's home
-
@isazi dude, I think you’re getting this all wrong. Chill out and accept that your argument is flawed, and that track and field is useless for what it describes itself as in English language. @Inge-Nallsson spells it out for you!
We’re all cool over here, and hopefully agree that having a proper track mode is a very good thing. Something Suunto hopefully offer soon, along with ability to connect multiple Bluetooth devices of the same type. Both are many years overdue -
@matthinsh alright we’re going offtopic here so I stop, I guess I’ll not be able to communicate with you anymore.
-
@matthinsh understood now, my mind went to sport modes and wasn’t thinking specifically about the track mode feature
The track mode capability for Coros is pretty awesome actually
I used the original Apex, Vertix and eventually Apex 2. Their app is getting better but is nowhere close to functionality of Suunto app (ease of routes, route library, etc).
I do prefer their structured workouts set up and the online EvoLab is pretty cool (even if most of the metrics are pretty apparent rip offs of everything else which they claim to be proprietary but yet don’t release any sort of science to back it up)
