Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin

lohtse · 26 May 2019, 05:19

@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@Brad_Olwin stated that the Ambits are outdated in 1.5 years.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 · 26 May 2019, 05:25

@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than complain loudly and bitterly here or buy a newer watch as seriously Ambits in another 1.5 years will be fairly out of date…go to another manufacturer but please quit wasting our time.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 · 26 May 2019, 21:46

@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 · 28 May 2019, 04:54

@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 · 28 May 2019, 05:33

@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 · 28 May 2019, 07:23

no others doubts

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

Luca Passoni · 21 Aug 2020, 15:44

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 · 21 Aug 2020, 20:01

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

Saketo Nemo · 24 Aug 2020, 10:14

@Luca-Passoni
The new model, suunto 7 “is not look more and more smartwatch”, IS a smartwatch, and it’s clearly not a watch for endurance. Suunto 9 is out there since more than 2 years, 2 years later Spartan Ultra. It’s just a personal thought, but I think a new suunto watch for us mountain lovers is not so distant.
Good luck and believe me, I’m honest, no irony, with Garmin.
Maybe we will you see again in the future … maybe

exilescot1 · 24 Aug 2020, 14:59

Ok so i am one of the disgruntled masses who bought an Ambit 2 when it came out and have been left with limited functionality, cue cheap comments from the moderators on the post. I wont mention when my daughters Ambit 3 broke Suunto telling me they could not fix it but would send me a new watch for full price when the same watch was on sale on the website. Ok I had to mention it.

Using the new Suunto link to download my data and noticed it runs a file on my Mac called SDSapplication server, Now i would expect this to stop once closing the app but no it goes on using a lot of CPU time . Even after force quits it will not go away. Is this a ploy to make me upgrade my computer as well?

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos · 24 Aug 2020, 17:39

@exilescot1 said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

Using the new Suunto link to download my data and noticed it runs a file on my Mac called SDSapplication server, Now i would expect this to stop once closing the app but no it goes on using a lot of CPU time . Even after force quits it will not go away. Is this a ploy to make me upgrade my computer as well?

I am not familiar with that file or claim. What’s up with SUUNTO forcing you to buy a new pc ?

exilescot1 · 24 Aug 2020, 21:15

This post is deleted!

Luca Passoni · 28 Aug 2020, 16:30

@Saketo-Nemo let’s see I just wanted to gives an heads up to suunto. If they make a suunto 10 which looks like a garmin they will do it to late for me unfortunately let’s see if fenix 6 pro is actually better. I’ll give you an update soon.

Luca Passoni · 28 Aug 2020, 16:53

@moe67er said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

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

thanks! I’ve android though…any suggestion? I’ll have a look online to see what i can find :-D!
Bests

Luca

Dimitrios Kanellopoulos · 28 Aug 2020, 16:56

@Luca-Passoni

suunto 10 which looks like a garmin

Only for looks or Software ?

freeheeler · 28 Aug 2020, 18:39

@Dimitrios-Kanellopoulos
I don’t want either of it…

A Former User · 29 Aug 2020, 04:10

@Luca-Passoni Fenix 6 Pro is not better, it is another way supporting your activities. Much more options and possibilities. But this does not mean better at all.
I switched from S9B to F6P because I do a metrics driven training and I like the (custom) maps you can add to your watch, especially the Alpenvereinskarten.
But easier to use and nicer screen is on the S9B.

I don‘t care about Suunto App or Garmin Connect as I use WKO/TrainingPeaks.

So one watch is not better than the other, but maybe one better fits your needs.

P.S.: From a training perspective the new firmware of the Coros watches would be perfect for me with its native Stryd support.

francescobaldi · 9 Sept 2020, 10:41

Time by time I come here to see if there are news about the integration of a full support of the ambit family in the suunto app have made some steps forward.
all I find are complainings about the ridicolous suunto politic to make their products oblolete deliberately.

I still have some hope that something will change but my main thoughts are that this will be my last suunto watch.
Great job Suunto, just not to make the little effort to copy few code lines from one app to another.
Great job, continue not to listen your customers

Bulkan · 9 Sept 2020, 11:14

@francescobaldi said in Goodbye Suunto, hello Garmin:

Time by time I come here to see if there are news about the integration of a full support of the ambit family in the suunto app have made some steps forward.
all I find are complainings about the ridicolous suunto politic to make their products oblolete deliberately.

That’s called the bias confirmation. There are so much things going on in this community, take a look.

I still have some hope that something will change but my main thoughts are that this will be my last suunto watch.

The statement about the digital transition is not clear? I understand the position of an A3P owner but the watch is plenty funcional.

Great job Suunto, just not to make the little effort to copy few code lines from one app to another.

Looks like pretty simple to code. I don’t think this affirmation helps to get where you want Suunto to be. Don’t get me wrong, I’m just trying to say that the disappointment you have and these kind of posts aren’t the best way to get Ambit supported as max as possible in Suunto to App.

Great job, continue not to listen your customers

Did you take the surveys? I think Suunto listen but the decision aren’t made of what costumers say, at least 100%, there is feedback from what I’ve seen The new features weren’t asked by the users and there you have climb, loops…

harmonmonic · 19 Oct 2020, 17:56

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

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 garmin customer service phone number

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).

Thanks for this.Very informative