Important news concerning our digital services

Mike Green · 15 Jan 2019, 12:18

I have upvoted several of the previous comments but will summarise my particular key areas of concern as an Ambit2 owner.

If there is no laptop/desktop service (web-based or local application) provided, my Ambit2 become largely useless for the primary functions for which I purchased it, which include navigating routes on mountains (about half my usage) and when cycling. This, within the context of continued use of the watch, is disastrous.
At the point of decommissioning Movescount, I am stuck with all my sports mode screen customisations as they are. At best, very annoying.
I would be unable to record new activities - this makes the watch ‘dead’ for the other half of my usage (cycling).

I know three other users of Ambit2s, all of whom bought their devices precisely because there was no need to mess about with tiny phone screens for anything, as with some competitors.

Whilst my particular issues with functionality would be partially resolved if my watch were one of the Bluetooth enabled devices, I would still very probably not elect to buy a Suunto watch in the future if there is no laptop/desktop interface for all functions as I have zero interest in introducing a dependency on a phone and would not even consider a watch/recording/navigation solution which did not have a ‘big screen’ option for configuration / data analysis / route planning.

Whilst I think moving to a ‘mobile only’ provision of service is an appalling and retrograde step, I would be satisfied with a transition to a solution where a stabilised, web-based configuration site was provided for existing Ambit2 watches and routes could be synched to the Ambit2 via a third party. (Though I have to say that at the current time I think Movescount’s mapping and catalogue of routes is the best on the market.)

If the migration goes ahead as planned, and quite apart from persona inconvenience and cost, I really do not relish apologising to the numerous people who I have recommended Suunto to specifically due to the existence of Movescount $:-\$

valdis830 · 15 Jan 2019, 12:19

@pcjmfranken I have iPhone 3, 4, 5 at home. Each one cost me between 300-600 € and they are perfectly functioning paperweight. Maybe one day I can sell them to an antiquarian. Nothing is eternal dear friend. In 2020 your Ambit will be more than 7 years old. A considerable age for a precision device. Maybe it will be the day when you should consider keeping it as a nice memory and buying something modern:)

pcjmfranken · 15 Jan 2019, 12:22

In addition, as a web developer, I really don’t understand why the new app couldn’t have been built as a progressive web app. An app that works as a website on big screens and behaves like a native app on mobile devices. The best of both worlds and easily doable for a company as big as Suunto.

Unfortunately it’s probably too late for this now.

A Former User · 15 Jan 2019, 12:23

@valdis830 Really? paperweight? Locked out of iCloud?
Unable to make a call? Cannot download apps for iStore?
I honestly do not know the answer? Has apple disabled them?

pcjmfranken · 15 Jan 2019, 12:24

@valdis830 I think it’s pretty clear that the world is moving away from this planned obsolescence nonsense. Why throw out something that still works fine?

In addition, your older iPhones are still usable which this watch won’t be with Suunto’s current plans.

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos · 15 Jan 2019, 12:26

@Yannis-Belouris for the sake ofthe argument iphone 4 is the same age with an Ambit and yes most things dont run there.

A Former User · 15 Jan 2019, 12:29

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos You disagree with my statement?

Wasn’t that the case with spartans? Is not a similar case now with the app offering?

Sure, we can use MC, if we forget about steps, sleep etc). And sure, we can use SA, if we forget about MC tags, search, history, graphs, metrics etc.

Of course Spartans received updates and the functionality greatly improved. That’s why I upgraded to a S9 from a SSU.

And of course, some time in the future, SA will become a useful tool. But when? What will be missing?

The app situation is the same now, I cannot recommended to friends with all the strava syncing bugs, inverted pace graphs, and inability to sync to a native web platform that displays intervals and allows for tags, search function.

I get it that having an API is very very very useful, but right now, who cares about a free month of TP when there is all this functionality missing and we have to juggle with force closing apps?

A Former User · 15 Jan 2019, 12:30

@valdis830 said in Important news concerning our digital services:

I have iPhone 3, 4, 5 at home

your iphone are still working fine as standalone unit, with today’s announcement Suunto Ambit1/2, T3/4/6 Series, GPS trackpods are not longer working after 2020 because you need movecount.com mandatory to e.g. to add POD’s, adjust your bodymetrics, switch beween recording intervals or alter your sportmodes, so it’s a bit different here, Suunto is rendering these perfectly working devices obsolete by these lunatic change of the software platform without proper backwards compatibility

Robert Rundqvist · 15 Jan 2019, 12:30

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos said in Important news concerning our digital services:

@Robert-Rundqvist How would you send that big catalog to MC ?

I dont - I keep it in MC, thats the point

valdis830 · 15 Jan 2019, 12:31

Well, I correct! Paperweight for the use that I give to this type of devices, slow and obsolete for me. Most frequently used Apps are no longer compatible for use. Then because I want something that only technically is working. This about the iphone.

A Former User · 15 Jan 2019, 12:32

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos I agree that one company is not obliged to support every device for ever.
Maybe there is some other companies that do though. And support even 8 year old devices just fine (forerunner 210).
Sure, suunto made a business decision. This is just business. No hard feelings. But honestly, did anyone expected the end users to applaud this?
I am eagerly awaiting for a suunto survey…

andrejfit · 15 Jan 2019, 12:34

I appreciate that Suunto is doing such communication quite long time before that thing will happened.

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos · 15 Jan 2019, 12:34

@Yannis-Belouris We have > 1.5y to go and get all those goodies you mentioned (MC vs SA).

I do understand your points and they are already transferred.

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos · 15 Jan 2019, 12:35

@Yannis-Belouris Nope I don’t think these news were good news to anyone invested on MC. That is clear.

Robert Rundqvist · 15 Jan 2019, 12:35

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos said in Important news concerning our digital services:

@Robert-Rundqvist that what exactly is your problem or asking? I am a bit confused here.
Would it be nice @cosmecosta as well, to have a service to service integration or parsing of all routes?

@Robert-Rundqvist with the Suunto app, you can keep copies on the icloud or drive of your GPX routes and open then on demand with the app.

But then I will have to have a dropbox/Icloud/drive file catalogue of GPX routes which is an entirely different thing from having a previewable track catalogue online on Movescount. Which I then have to upload/open with the app and then sync to the watch.

I think the difference is rather big. Have I missed something?

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos · 15 Jan 2019, 12:36

@Yannis-Belouris However, as @andrejfit said it’s quite a move to announce this >1.5y before this will happen. There is plenty of time for communication and changes. That is the whole point of this happening now 1.5y and more before it actually happens

valdis830 · 15 Jan 2019, 12:36

@andrejfit said in Important news concerning our digital services:

I appreciate that Suunto is doing such communication quite long time before that thing will happened.

Yes, is cool! And at no time is mentioned that it will not be possible to use it. It´s obvious that with SuuntoApp no.

pcjmfranken · 15 Jan 2019, 12:36

@andrejfit While I’m getting a bit riled up about these bad decisions, I do also appreciate the fact that it’s being communicated early and that @Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos is actively processing feedback and replying.

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos · 15 Jan 2019, 12:39

@Robert-Rundqvist said in Important news concerning our digital services:

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos said in Important news concerning our digital services:

@Robert-Rundqvist that what exactly is your problem or asking? I am a bit confused here.
Would it be nice @cosmecosta as well, to have a service to service integration or parsing of all routes?

@Robert-Rundqvist with the Suunto app, you can keep copies on the icloud or drive of your GPX routes and open then on demand with the app.

But then I will have to have a dropbox/Icloud/drive file catalogue of GPX routes which is an entirely different thing from having a previewable track catalogue online on Movescount. Which I then have to upload/open with the app and then sync to the watch.

I think the difference is rather big. Have I missed something?

So to understand your blocker atm. You use movescount because you have one place that your have routes collected and you prefer to only use WEB for route creation.

What stops you from importing these routes to SA now , via any feasible way, so you can use them, and edit / import export/ on any other service? In the future you will be even able to share those. Is this such a big deal for you? I am not arguing but rather trying to understand 100%. That is because atm from this announcement, routes is the least worry imo, and partially it’s a feature well done in SA.

A Former User · 15 Jan 2019, 12:47

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos And this is why we are voicing our concerns. The lower cost option was to not bother commenting at all.