Sunnto 7 Sensor Support

Jamie BG · 1 Apr 2021, 13:37

@aleksander-h based on the original target market i.e. to compete with AW, it doesn’t really make sense to add sensor support, as that really isn’t the target market.
The latest update with sleep tracking - absolutely target market.

The rest of the adds: routes, body clock, ext sensor support - are really all targeted at the fitness crowd, not the full smartwatch crowd.
And I believe that is the right that they should target both crowds, as currently this is the closest watch that comes to covering both targets. So anything they can add on both sides really is a benefit.

I do think that routes is more than adequate for what is already there - pretty much class leading. Body clock - great idea, massive boost comparison against fitness, but got to think external sensors also need to be there - irrespective of battery consumption. Find it hard to think they would require more juice than a connection to a smartwatch…and would be happy to disconnect from smartwatch to enable external sensor support if required.

olymay · 1 Apr 2021, 15:19

@jamie-bg

I would argue that the Suunto 7 isn’t (and certainly shouldn’t) be aiming to compete in the Apple Watch and generic fitness smartwatch category. It is simply far too expensive and capable for that (£429 rrp in the UK)

I know many people with smartwatches. All iPhone users have an Apple Watch. Most Android users have a Fossil and some a TicWatch Pro.

Suunto simply isn’t well known enough in the regular smartwatch circles. And when my friends see the price of mine they think I was mad to pay that for a watch that does ‘essentially the same as theirs’. When I show them the extra fitness smarts they are impressed, but say they don’t need anything that fancy, but if they did they would buy a Garmin.

I think I am square in the Suunto 7 target user group. Someone who wants a proper fitness device but also wants a proper smartwatch and does not want to be switching devices.

There is also the physical size of the S7. My gf was really impressed with my S7 and was considering it end of last year as her FitBit versa was dying. She also wants a proper fitness device and a proper smartwatch. However, when she tried on my S7 she couldn’t stop laughing! It was comically big on her wrist. (she has ended up with a Garmin Venu as it was the best fit for her requirements).

There was a comment a while back on the forum about ‘Soccer Mums’ being the target for the Suunto 7.
A ‘Soccer Mum’ is not going to spend over £400 on a watch that is too big for her and looks distinctly masculine. She will buy a Venu, or a Fossil, or an Apple Watch (this is my opinion and also that of a few friends, one of which is a ‘soccer mum’).

Suunto have the opportunity here to make the S7 an absolutely killer device! It it’s 80-90% there right now with only a few key features missing (sensor support, auto pause, etc).
I doubt it will eat into the S9 market, as that user group needs the longer battery life which the S7 will never compete with.

Please Suunto, unleash the full potential of the Suunto 7

Luca Bellardo · 1 Apr 2021, 20:32

@olymay said in Sunnto 7 Sensor Support:

@jamie-bg

I would argue that the Suunto 7 isn’t (and certainly shouldn’t) be aiming to compete in the Apple Watch and generic fitness smartwatch category. It is simply far too expensive and capable for that (£429 rrp in the UK)

I know many people with smartwatches. All iPhone users have an Apple Watch. Most Android users have a Fossil and some a TicWatch Pro.

Suunto simply isn’t well known enough in the regular smartwatch circles. And when my friends see the price of mine they think I was mad to pay that for a watch that does ‘essentially the same as theirs’. When I show them the extra fitness smarts they are impressed, but say they don’t need anything that fancy, but if they did they would buy a Garmin.

I think I am square in the Suunto 7 target user group. Someone who wants a proper fitness device but also wants a proper smartwatch and does not want to be switching devices.

There is also the physical size of the S7. My gf was really impressed with my S7 and was considering it end of last year as her FitBit versa was dying. She also wants a proper fitness device and a proper smartwatch. However, when she tried on my S7 she couldn’t stop laughing! It was comically big on her wrist. (she has ended up with a Garmin Venu as it was the best fit for her requirements).

There was a comment a while back on the forum about ‘Soccer Mums’ being the target for the Suunto 7.
A ‘Soccer Mum’ is not going to spend over £400 on a watch that is too big for her and looks distinctly masculine. She will buy a Venu, or a Fossil, or an Apple Watch (this is my opinion and also that of a few friends, one of which is a ‘soccer mum’).

Suunto have the opportunity here to make the S7 an absolutely killer device! It it’s 80-90% there right now with only a few key features missing (sensor support, auto pause, etc).
I doubt it will eat into the S9 market, as that user group needs the longer battery life which the S7 will never compete with.

Please Suunto, unleash the full potential of the Suunto 7

I agree in everything, better something more rather than something less

JANTIKAINEN · 2 Apr 2021, 08:32

@aleksander-h you might be right about Suunto’s priorities.
Still I think that there are many others, not in this forum, who would like to have wear os and track their cycling, winter and team sport activities which is not optimal or possible with the lack of sensor support using Suunto app.
My opinion is that this should be their next priority 1.
But then again, this is just my assumption and opinion. So far Suunto has made very good updates and the next one coming made me come back to S7.

A Former User · 18 Apr 2021, 14:34

Guess this are good news for the Suunto 7 users

Full video here

Egika · 18 Apr 2021, 18:44

@andré-faria and that means in English?
Who is this person?

JANTIKAINEN · 18 Apr 2021, 18:47

@egika Romain Berger is a sales area manager for Amer Sports and this is his reply to a question about split function.

“Hello Antoine. This feature is coming to Suunto 7 soon, as is the possibility of pairing a heart rate sensor. The upcoming update on S7 is mainly about everyday well-being features including a really relevant sleep tracking algorithm. Why ? As the S7 is primarily thought of as a hybrid that meets the needs of users seeking a compromise between Smartwatch and Sportwatch, the focus for this spring update has been on well-being.”

Aleksander H · 18 Apr 2021, 19:51

And here I was no more than a few days ago saying I didn’t think we would see this on the current model .

S7 is turning into an excellent watch! I certainly won’t hesitate recommending it.

Brad_Olwin · 19 Apr 2021, 00:02

@olymay said in Sunnto 7 Sensor Support:

@jamie-bg

All iPhone users have an Apple Watch.

I’m an iPhone user and I do not have an Apple Watch

olymay · 19 Apr 2021, 07:21

@brad_olwin said in Sunnto 7 Sensor Support:

@olymay said in Sunnto 7 Sensor Support:

@jamie-bg

All iPhone users have an Apple Watch.

I’m an iPhone user and I do not have an Apple Watch

Fair point, my apologies.

I meant that all iPhone users I know use an Apple Watch (or a Garmin!)

Aleksander H · 19 Apr 2021, 07:27

Is it just me, or is the comment about sensor support coming to the S7 no longer there?

JANTIKAINEN · 19 Apr 2021, 07:42

@aleksander-h Oh you’re right, I can’t find it either anymore.

Aleksander H · 19 Apr 2021, 07:43

@jantikainen let’s hope it’s a case of someone announcing something to early rather than that person being wrong.

Jamie BG · 19 Apr 2021, 11:24

@aleksander-h
I believe it is very doable - the issue is around battery life and the concerns that would bring.
I guess they can’t understand that most people who want this issue are prepared to deal with the battery consumptions issues that it might bring.

drunners · 29 Apr 2021, 18:39

@jamie-bg im actually using sporty go app with ble cadence/speed sensor and the battery drain seem to me non so heavier than normal bike activity with suunto app…i mean, give me the opportunity to use them (maybe just with an indication about possible battery drain) and then I’ll decide if use it or not…that’s my opinion

brotzfrog10 · 29 Apr 2021, 21:53

@jamie-bg in talking about this in the forum previously I believe there may actually be a hardware limitation in regards to sensor support within the Suunto fitness app on the watch. Being the coprocessor does most of the heavy lifting when using the built in sunnto app it may be the limiting factor in terms of connecting a Bluetooth sensor. I could be wrong however that’s how it was put to me by one of the moderators on this forum. I agree with you though in that adding that features would make the Suunto 7 the best smart watch/training watch on the market.

Jamie BG · 30 Apr 2021, 10:41

@brotzfrog10 - if can connect using sportygo, ghostracer, and GFit, it means it is feasible on the Suunto app. Note that I said I believe the concerns are in regards to battery life, but if you got a warning prior to using it stating this would be heavy on battery life, users then shouldn’t complain about the additional feature’s battery cost, as you know what its going to cost you to use it.

I sincerely do believe that most people complain due to the unexpected. Sure there are always some very unreasonable people.who complain no matter what, but I think that most of us only complain when its unexpected. I.e. if normally get 8%/hr, then add in external HR and its suddenly 20%/hr - yes you going to complain. But if there is a switch or something that you have to flick to allow this connectivity, and the warning says that using this feature causes heavy battery drain - how many of us are really going to complain (other than those who are unreasonable).

Egika · 30 Apr 2021, 10:50

@jamie-bg there could even be another setting, that would make use of the Suunto Smart belt’s caching capability.
So the watch would pull HR not in real time, but every 20secs or so and inbetween switch to low power coprocessor… If one does not need instant heart rate but more the tracking and after training analysis it could even sync only once training is finished. Then with a positive effect on battery life compared to optical

Jamie BG · 30 Apr 2021, 10:58

@egika only problem with this would be active HR metering.
This is very important to me and have found it super useful for my fitness improvement.
I am fairly limited in what and where I can go for the moment to improve fitness, so am unfortunately having to rely on a couple of the same courses, however with the zone metering I can tell when I am coasting and can use that to push harder, or pull back when I am pushing too hard to prevent injuries (body is really beaten up so I can injure myself fairly easily).

And while I agree your idea certainly has merit and would be a good start/option, I think most would agree they would prefer to see active feedback as they perform.

Aleksander H · 30 Apr 2021, 11:10

@jamie-bg said in Sunnto 7 Sensor Support:

… but if you got a warning prior to using it stating this would be heavy on battery life

They already offer always on map display as an option along with a battery warning. So they’ve already done something similar.