Sunto app on galaxy watch

Marco Cerini

@brad_olwin not able to go over 4 hours with GPS set @ 10s so I returned the watch

ChrisA

@marco-cerini There must’ve been something wrong then. I did longer rides with the S7 with GPS at best quality settings. Perhaps some app running in the background ?

Jamie BG

@marco-cerini - were you using a route/ and or using maps?

Marco Cerini

@jamie-bg was using navigation with suunto app. Always on deactivated. Read to be an issue with this model. It’s a pity as I consider this watch with its ecosystem the best in class

Jamie BG

@marco-cerini - using maps can kill the battery life, but would have thought you got more than 4hrs if you started with 100% battery life. I generally found would get at least 7 hours, but then wasn’t regularly checking the map.

Battery life (operating and tracking) is the main reason I changed from S7, and I really don’t miss the couple of smart features I lose by making the change.

ChrisA

@marco-cerini Like I and others said, you should get considerably more tracking time, even at full GPS quality settings. Having 4 hours is not an watch “issue”. If it was, what would be the reason to ask here anyway?

Marco Cerini

@chrisa plenty of people reporting the same, that’s why I’m asking is this forum. I got about 20%/hour battery usage by tracking mtb. Suunto did an amazing watch with this 7 but battery life/quality is something need to improve.
For time being will stay with Samsung until next suunto release

ChrisA

@marco-cerini perhaps really a hardware problem then. My S7 lasted way longer and I still would use it as a daily driver, if Suunto would have given us the possibility to set HR and intensity zones. Enjoy the Samsung - a nice watch too!

olymay

@marco-cerini what settings are you using to get 20% drain per hour?

Are you on the map screen?
Are you listening to music from the watch?
Are any other apps running in the background?

20% per hour in typical use is way too high. But the conditions I list above could be keeping the watch in high power mode and this could explain the high battery drain.

I typically got maybe 7% drain per hour when out running (with AoD on and GPS 1second). However this would triple if I were listening to music from the watch.

Marco Cerini

@olymay
Navigation on with suunto app
Always on display off
No other apps running

So probably an unfortunate sample, will try again if a suunto 8 will be released.

Samsung galaxy is nice but not as the suunto for sport

olymay

@marco-cerini said in Sunto app on galaxy watch:

@olymay
Navigation on with suunto app
Always on display off
No other apps running

So probably an unfortunate sample, will try again if a suunto 8 will be released.

Samsung galaxy is nice but not as the suunto for sport

You mention you are using navigation with the Suunto app, are you also using the maps screen a lot? Maybe even always on the map screen with it set to be always on?
The map screen, when active, keeps the watch in high power mode and stops the Suunto App from using the low power core.

I can assure you that 4 hours is NOT normal behaviour for this watch. I can get around 10 hours battery life an that is with GPS sampling every 1second. During an activity the screen is always on, it just goes into a low power mode that is still easily visible even in bright sunshine.

Maybe try a factory reset, make sure no external bluetooth devices (other than phone) are connected, and the map screen is not selected, ant try another activity?

I have a buddy with a Samsung GW4 and there is nothing it can do that my S7 cannot, and my S7 still beats his on battery life despite being two years old (this is in general use, during an activity there are light years between them in battery life and data).

Aleksander H

@olymay said in Sunto app on galaxy watch:

I have a buddy with a Samsung GW4 and there is nothing it can do that my S7 cannot, and my S7 still beats his on battery life despite being two years old (this is in general use, during an activity there are light years between them in battery life and data).

Yeah, know a few people with gw4. I wouldn’t take it running. Seems accuracy has never been a concern at Samsung. As long as they can advertise a feature, that’s all they seem to care about. It’s a shame. If the galaxy watches had accurate GPS I would have a viable replacement when my S7 needs replacing (hopefully it has at least another couple of years in it).

I’m hoping they improve GPS/HR accuracy in future generations of the galaxy watch, but I’m not holding my breath.

olymay

@aleksander-h said in Sunto app on galaxy watch:

@olymay said in Sunto app on galaxy watch:

I have a buddy with a Samsung GW4 and there is nothing it can do that my S7 cannot, and my S7 still beats his on battery life despite being two years old (this is in general use, during an activity there are light years between them in battery life and data).

Yeah, know a few people with gw4. I wouldn’t take it running. Seems accuracy has never been a concern at Samsung. As long as they can advertise a feature, that’s all they seem to care about. It’s a shame. If the galaxy watches had accurate GPS I would have a viable replacement when my S7 needs replacing (hopefully it has at least another couple of years in it).

I’m hoping they improve GPS/HR accuracy in future generations of the galaxy watch, but I’m not holding my breath.

That’s a great point, I forgot about the GPS and HR accuracy (or lack of!).
It’s a typical tactic of Samsung to go for quantity of features rather than quality.
I say this as someone who has used three Samsung phones, two Samsung TVs, and a Samsung laptop. I’ve given them enough chances, but no more.

Aleksander H

@olymay I actually really like most Samsung products. I have a Samsung phone, tablet, TV and used their buds. The only device I don’t like is the watches as they just don’t seem interested in making a good running watch unfortunately.

olymay

@aleksander-h I quite like the hardware, it’s the software that grates on me.

The phones are full of so much bloatware that is pretty much all a duplicate of what Google already offers (messages, calendar, health, web browser, Bixby, etc) and it’s not easy to remove most of it.

I would seriously consider getting a Samsung tablet if they ran ChromeOS instead of Android (I love Android on phones, but on tablets it just needs to die).

I did love my Samsung TV, until I used an OLED from LG and have never gone back. Samsung make the best phone screens in the world and they are AMOLED, it baffles me why they won’t scale that up to their TVs…

But one common theme through all of their products is the sheer insane number of models there are. It creates market confusion for the customer as people don’t know which one to choose.

Jamie BG

@olymay They make awesome fridges/freezers that never frost over and they seem to last forever. TV’s are great too. But that is where I sort of stop. While their phones are good there is just too much bloatware and they just aren’t a fluid device to use - they almost feel backwards and clunky. Every time I have to fix something on my wife’s phone it takes 50% longer than using a OnePlus or Pixel - everything is just so hidden, buried (extra steps) and not in the same place as the rest of android.

olymay

@jamie-bg said in Sunto app on galaxy watch:

@olymay They make awesome fridges/freezers that never frost over and they seem to last forever. TV’s are great too. But that is where I sort of stop. While their phones are good there is just too much bloatware and they just aren’t a fluid device to use - they almost feel backwards and clunky. Every time I have to fix something on my wife’s phone it takes 50% longer than using a OnePlus or Pixel - everything is just so hidden, buried (extra steps) and not in the same place as the rest of android.

I haven’t tried the fridges/washers etc, but they could be great as I image it’s difficult to fill them with unnecessary bloatware (but if anyone can then Samsung can!).
I lime the TV until I tried OLED and there was no going back. It was like using a plasma TV from back in the day, but better.

And I agree fully regarding the phones. I think they are complicated simply because they put so much crap on there and then don’t really know how to organise it properly

Aleksander H

@olymay said in Sunto app on galaxy watch:

I love Android on phones, but on tablets it just needs to die

I’m actually quite hopeful that Google’s renewed interest in tablets will lead to better experiences . Really like the Tab S8+, although can’t justify it’s price at the moment.

olymay

@aleksander-h said in Sunto app on galaxy watch:

@olymay said in Sunto app on galaxy watch:

I love Android on phones, but on tablets it just needs to die

I’m actually quite hopeful that Google’s renewed interest in tablets will lead to better experiences . Really like the Tab S8+, although can’t justify it’s price at the moment.

If it ran ChromeOS then the price would be almost palatable. Almost.

Android could run well on tablets (Apple make it work with iOS) but Google doesn’t seem interested. Even this recent renewed interest probably won’t be enough to save the market.
However, some good quality hybrid devices running ChromeOS and able to run Android apps, now you’re talking!!