Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin

[Mathieu Georges]

@radlwadl said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

But concerning Ambit2 and all other older watches I think “Alea iacta est” - decisions are made, because it’s fundamental: Suunto strategy is to support bluetooth link only.

I think the the Suunto strategy is to reduce the development and maintenance of software that is not making money.
The owner of Suunto, Amer Sports is also the owner of Sport Tracker. So they are just doing the minimum : an App. Then, they will force allow you to use other third parties application such as Sport Tracker. They just forget something, the freedom of the users they provided earlier. They are reducing it by providing less features than before.

Also, as an embedded software developper and a user of an Ambit3 Peak, the use of both Bluetooth and USB link should be kept. In fact, Bluetooth is a wireless technology that have it pros and cons but I can say that it’s really helpful to have a cable link to avoid a stucking issue. I already had this kind of issue while syncing a move between my mobile and my Ambit3. The only way to get the move was to use the USB cable and moveslink. So, Suunto, be aware of what you are doing, even if you think your tests cover every use cases.

My expectations of Suunto company were rather the improvements of the mobile app and the web application to provide better experience for the users. I think that Suunto have the best hardware but is missing the turn of software application (web based and mobile). This kind of feature can attract new users and keep the old ones.

Hope this will be heard by Suunto

[ESegerer]

@Navigator said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

Cant believe what I just read in the email from Suunto are they MAD !!!
I’ve an Ambit and Ambit 3 Peak and consider them the best ‘adventure’ watches made and always recommended them to anyone that asks for my advice.
So now from next year in the eyes of Suunto the Ambit can be considered a piece of junk as wont be able to upload or download to it and with the Peak am expected to fiddle on some mobile device to hopefully upload routes and download tracks where now I can do it on my 17" laptop and charge at the same time.
So very very disappointing.
I certainly wont be buying anything branded Suunto in the future. Garmin here I come

Thanks for this post. I had the same feelings and sent an email to support (which has not been answered yet).

Why am I disappointed?
I bought a new Ambit 3 Peak (with heart belt) in Feb 2018 after comparing it with Garmin products. I considered Suunto a good brand building lasting products. And yes I prefer having a large screen when looking at my tracks (running, mountaineering, skiing).
@Brad_Olwin stated that the Ambits are outdated in 1.5 years. Hopefully this is not the official opinion of Suunto. Otherwise I would be even more disappointed. I expect to use the Ambit at least 10 years.

[estevez]

@ESegerer
I have already posted it in another topic - info from Suunto Support (09/2018):
“(…) we assure you that Ambit3 peak will be supported maybe longer than new Suunto watch models since these models are already proven to be reliable and has been one of the best selling watch models from Suunto, just like Suunto Core. There are no plans in changing apps and websites for Ambit family. If there will be significant changes, it could be switching from using Moveslink2 to Suuntolink (which is still being discussed not yet planned) which does not really have any significant effect on the watch.”

So I ordered my 2nd Ambit3 Peak… And few days ago I received mail that Movescount will be substituted with mobile app - which will cause, that my Ambit 3 Peak watches (2 pieces) will be significantly less functional. I need customization, sportsmodes, suunto user apps, route planning + uplod, POIs, etc. And I need it in user friendly form, i.e. web od PC. Movescount was for me a significant reason why I choosed Suunto.

[Brad_Olwin]

@ESegerer said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

@Navigator said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

Cant believe what I just read in the email from Suunto are they MAD !!!
I’ve an Ambit and Ambit 3 Peak and consider them the best ‘adventure’ watches made and always recommended them to anyone that asks for my advice.
So now from next year in the eyes of Suunto the Ambit can be considered a piece of junk as wont be able to upload or download to it and with the Peak am expected to fiddle on some mobile device to hopefully upload routes and download tracks where now I can do it on my 17" laptop and charge at the same time.
So very very disappointing.
I certainly wont be buying anything branded Suunto in the future. Garmin here I come

Thanks for this post. I had the same feelings and sent an email to support (which has not been answered yet).

Why am I disappointed?
I bought a new Ambit 3 Peak (with heart belt) in Feb 2018 after comparing it with Garmin products. I considered Suunto a good brand building lasting products. And yes I prefer having a large screen when looking at my tracks (running, mountaineering, skiing).
@Brad_Olwin stated that the Ambits are outdated in 1.5 years. Hopefully this is not the official opinion of Suunto. Otherwise I would be even more disappointed. I expect to use the Ambit at least 10 years.

I did not say that, please don’t misquote me. The BLE connected watches will be supported and do work with SA. The features are just getting implemented.

[A Former User]

This comment on DCRainmaker sums it all for me:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/01/suunto-announces-decommission-plans-for-movescount-platform-impacting-some-watches.html#comment-3061899

For a while we all supported Suunto because they are more stable than Garmin, even if with less features (from ambit 2 onwards). I think newer models are “as bad” as garmins are, so if suunto tells me to drop a 500eur watch to the bin, guess I will choose something else. Garmin may not be the best, but at least you can take out their data and change sports modes on the watch.
Quoting from DCrainmaker "Of course, the biggest issue here is how to handle the Ambit 1/2 units. One of the most overlooked aspects of the Garmin device world is the non-reliance for virtually all of their devices on a web-based service to access your recorded workouts. You can simply plug in your watch to your computer and offload it via USB like any other file or with local desktop software that exports to your computer (even a Garmin Forerunner 305 from 13 years ago!) . "
Hope suunto gets their identity and their focus sorted. For me this is the Nokia story repeated, they had good keypad feature phones, business models, ok the trend was touch, they simply didn’t do it right, and that is what is happening with suunto, even with some models less sophisticated, if they were stable we would buy it. When my ambit 2 sapphire dies I would buy a ambit 3 sapphire new if it was supported at 100%.
Those “techology moves fast” guys…just tell me what newer suunto watches have that Ambit 3 don’t? If you talk about fenix 5x yes…it has, but newer suuntos guess not.
Again, better suunto think again and see where they were and where they want to move. I think they are thinking that “apple watches” alike will be a mine of gold, but with the quality of suunto apps I guess it will fail in a hurry.
Hope I am wrong and that this all this shift turns the brand into something even better “Suunto…replacing luck”.
In the meanwhile I also bought a Garmin, but an etrex 30x. It will take me a while to switch to a Fenix…but…if things go on this way, it would be the only route I believe…or an amazfit stratos (considering it is 1/5th of the price).

[whychange]

@Navigator - it seems to be a VERY common reaction (including that of my wife’s and mine). I believe they’re sinking the ship on purpose.

[vintagemilano]

After being bombarded by Suunto about these plans to dump Movescount and go to Suuntoapp, I’ve been reading as much as I can about how this is going to affect me. I have an Ambit3 Peak. The consistent message I’ve come across several times in various forms is, “Suunto doesn’t have a hardware problem, they have a software problem.” True to a point I guess. I didn’t have a problem with MC, none, zilch. Did everything I wanted it to do. Including movies which I could save and then text to friends that were along for the adventure.
I have not been able to get even half my data from my watch to SA, I have so much time into trying to get that to work, that if I was getting paid for it I could buy a brand new watch. Something cool, like a Breitling or TAG. A watch, something that tells time and lasts forever.

Cheers, C

[radlwadl]

@André-Faria said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

Quoting from DCrainmaker "Of course, the biggest issue here is how to handle the Ambit 1/2 units. One of the most overlooked aspects of the Garmin device world is the non-reliance for virtually all of their devices on a web-based service to access your recorded workouts. You can simply plug in your watch to your computer and offload it via USB like any other file or with local desktop software that exports to your computer (even a Garmin Forerunner 305 from 13 years ago!) . "

Thanks for quoting this comment. It sums it for me, too.
Four years ago I searched a sports watch, looked into the different brands and opted for a Suunto Ambit 2 Peak. Meanwhile we’ve three of them in my family. Working all day on the laptop there was no need for the BT connectivity. I use all my gear as long as possible, treat it well and I’m willing to pay for quality, and to buy new gear, if the old one is done. Now its battery lost a little of capacity - ok, that’s battery life. I expected to buy a new Suunto as soon as the A2 wasn’t able to cover my long tours, maybe in one or two years.
But now I’m in the situation I was four years ago: Looking into the different brands, checking pros and cons, discussing with Fenix users. I know, that I will be able to migrate my data into SA, and with buying a new Suunto in 1,5y everything would be fine. But then everything once more depends on Suunto - what, if they change teir roadmap again?
To be independet from such decisions becomes more and more important for me.
Suunto - please here the callings

[Danny Hill]

Does anyone know Suunto have said regarding the Ambit 1? I like Suunto and keen to stick with them but if my watch is going to be unworkable I may have to look elsewhere too. Do Suunto have a part-exchange program (i.e. can we exchange our old watches for a new model)?

[freeheeler]

@Danny-Hill
there will be news about that next week i think.

I like Suunto a lot and would not change head over heels.

[Danny Hill]

@TELE-HO Thanks. Where do these types of announcements get published? on this forum?

[freeheeler]

@Danny-Hill
yes there are update threads but suunto also has a newsletter that i actually did not receive yet…

[lohtse]

@Brad_Olwin said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

@ESegerer said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

@Navigator said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

Cant believe what I just read in the email from Suunto are they MAD !!!
I’ve an Ambit and Ambit 3 Peak and consider them the best ‘adventure’ watches made and always recommended them to anyone that asks for my advice.
So now from next year in the eyes of Suunto the Ambit can be considered a piece of junk as wont be able to upload or download to it and with the Peak am expected to fiddle on some mobile device to hopefully upload routes and download tracks where now I can do it on my 17" laptop and charge at the same time.
So very very disappointing.
I certainly wont be buying anything branded Suunto in the future. Garmin here I come

Thanks for this post. I had the same feelings and sent an email to support (which has not been answered yet).

Why am I disappointed?
I bought a new Ambit 3 Peak (with heart belt) in Feb 2018 after comparing it with Garmin products. I considered Suunto a good brand building lasting products. And yes I prefer having a large screen when looking at my tracks (running, mountaineering, skiing).
@Brad_Olwin stated that the Ambits are outdated in 1.5 years. Hopefully this is not the official opinion of Suunto. Otherwise I would be even more disappointed. I expect to use the Ambit at least 10 years.

I did not say that, please don’t misquote me. The BLE connected watches will be supported and do work with SA. The features are just getting implemented.

THe Ambit 3 and traverse range BARELY work!!!

[lohtse]

@Brad_Olwin said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

@Navigator The Ambit 3 is supported, albeit not for apps. Rather than complain loudly and bitterly here or buy a newer watch as seriously Ambits in another 1.5 years will be fairly out of date…go to another manufacturer but please quit wasting our time. Some of us here like our hardware and want to see the mobile app improve…bye…

If we don’t voice our concerns then Manufactures will simply drop/discontinue devices at a whim… When you have spent £300-500 on a device that runs circles round everything else out there you have a right in my opinion to complain LOUDLY… It is not wasting time at all… As to the ambit 3 support…it is only just supported…you can look at your data and create/upload a route…But thats all now compare it to movescount… Errrrrrrrrrrm you can do so much more… I for one with my ambit 3 peak want FULL functionality not 30%… And I am on the side of ALL ambit users…We all should get full functionality…

[Brad_Olwin]

@lohtse said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

@Brad_Olwin said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

@ESegerer said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

@Navigator said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

Cant believe what I just read in the email from Suunto are they MAD !!!
I’ve an Ambit and Ambit 3 Peak and consider them the best ‘adventure’ watches made and always recommended them to anyone that asks for my advice.
So now from next year in the eyes of Suunto the Ambit can be considered a piece of junk as wont be able to upload or download to it and with the Peak am expected to fiddle on some mobile device to hopefully upload routes and download tracks where now I can do it on my 17" laptop and charge at the same time.
So very very disappointing.
I certainly wont be buying anything branded Suunto in the future. Garmin here I come

Thanks for this post. I had the same feelings and sent an email to support (which has not been answered yet).

Why am I disappointed?
I bought a new Ambit 3 Peak (with heart belt) in Feb 2018 after comparing it with Garmin products. I considered Suunto a good brand building lasting products. And yes I prefer having a large screen when looking at my tracks (running, mountaineering, skiing).
@Brad_Olwin stated that the Ambits are outdated in 1.5 years. Hopefully this is not the official opinion of Suunto. Otherwise I would be even more disappointed. I expect to use the Ambit at least 10 years.

I did not say that, please don’t misquote me. The BLE connected watches will be supported and do work with SA. The features are just getting implemented.

THe Ambit 3 and traverse range BARELY work!!!

Yes, as clearly stated by Dimitrios, these are in development. Remains to be seen how well they will work and what will be supported. I agree it would be best to maintain MC just for the Ambit/Traverse line for full functionality/

[SlaSh]

@lohtse Garmin supports their watches without pushing them, I still have Fenix 2 which is 5 year old watch and still works with Garmin app and webpage. And 5 years ago Garmin app was awful web page looked different, but my point is that even big platform changes haven’t impacted watch support.

[lohtse]

@SlaSh said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

@lohtse Garmin supports their watches without pushing them, I still have Fenix 2 which is 5 year old watch and still works with Garmin app and webpage. And 5 years ago Garmin app was awful web page looked different, but my point is that even big platform changes haven’t impacted watch support.

I believe SUUNTO USED to be like that!!

[Saketo Nemo]

no others doubts

https://www.suunto.com/it-it/Content-pages/transizione-dei-servizi-digitali/?platform=hootsuite

[Luca Passoni]

After 4 years of suunto I’m moving to garmin. Poor user experience, app and web prortal that do not speak to each other. Very unclear strategy. Poor user interface. And the new model looks more and more smartwatches rather than sport watches…this might be ok for a new client base but for endurance sport lovers it’s the end. Good luck…I wonder how long Kilian will stay with you…I am really sorry also because I’ll have a hell of a work to do to transfer data from suunto to garmin app

[A Former User]

@Luca-Passoni it is easy to migrate data with RunGap if you have iOS devices. Give it a try…