[Feature Request S9] Missing features that will make the S9 THE BEST smartwatch for many years to come.

I do mountaineering, often long multi-day routes with bivouac. I need the big battery, baro, navigation and an overall reliable watch.
Had GPS issues with the SSU - so I returned it. It is somehow a matter of trust and I hope to have a good ride with the S9.

With my A3P only best GPS was acceptable and I carried a power bank, which I gladly can get rid of now.
I also get rid of any other GPS device, which costs weight and has to be handled.
To have one device for all is so cool! And on the wrist with direct access even better!

But most of my time I simply do training sessions (running, biking, swimming). For those purposes I’d like to have these training functions.

Yannis-Belouris is right if he says that the S9 is the top of the lineup watch from Suunto. So why not giving it the appropriate credibility!?
They have most of the wanted software ready, of course it has to be ported and adapted, which takes its time.

But it also would be a great signal to the competition, not useless functions for outdoor enthusiasts as provided by Garmin but useful things that makes the watch a even more valuable package for a broader spectrum of users, this goes in the direction of Polar.

Suunto should know best what type of customer acquires the S9 and how to deal with it.

sartoric

@Brad_Olwin
For everyone happiness, Suunto could add all the most useless widgets AND user profiles (like battery ones) … and you should choose “I’m an UltraTaliban, hide all the mumbo-jumbo stuff to me”

I strongly believe that is in the best interests for Suunto to improve the FW to attract more users.

More users = More market share = More marketing = More revenue = More profit = Happy Shareholders = More Market Value

It is a win win situation for everyone

Tim4c

Sleep analysis
I don’t care about because i’m able to know if i sleep well or not
Automatic Turn-on backlight
@Brad_Olwin said “Sorry but I fail to see the need for this, the standby uses very little battery and works great. I would not want this as it would simply drain the battery. I would especially not want this for training.”
Totally agree! I don’t want it at all…
MyFitnessPal integration
No opinion if it stays optional, i don’t use it
Sync all the data:
I expect a solution, full website or app by devices (desktop, tablet, smartphone) maybe an adaptation of SA with Electron or whatever…
An offline solution would be welcome too.
Sync with GoogleFit:
No opinion if it stays optional, i don’t use it
Watchface customization
I just would like to be able to choose the default values to display.
The outdoor watchface has all the info i need.
Stress analysis
Why not, but i’m pretty sure i won’t use it like for sleep analsys.

@++

oeagleo

@Brad_Olwin said in [Feature Request S9] Missing features that will make the S9 THE BEST smartwatch for many years to come.:

@Marcel-Baliño
and you will find Egika and I politely disagree with you. What you are proposing is moving more toward a Garmin business model and loading watches with specialized features that only a subset of individuals will use.

The S9 is targeted to ultra runners, most of my colleagues and friends are talking about the watch…the two main features are battery life and FusedTrack.

Most of these folks including me have no need for all day HR, no need for Sleep analysis…we just want the basic functionality. IMHO there is already too much on the watch for daily use that I do not need. Adding more would just further complicate the firmware/software and likely cause more issues/problems.

I would be perfectly happy to have these on a Suunto model that is NOT targeted for ultra running/exploring, etc. The S3F is perfect for this but might be improved with a barometer.

Nuff said on this from me…

If I remember my math correctly, many subsets equal a whole. In other words, I currently own a Garmin 5+, and while I don’t use ALL of the features it’s capable of, I do use several. Sort of like a Chinese menu, one from column A, etc. Granted the S9 is directed toward a specific small segment audience, and that’s okay, but wouldn’t it also be wise to not forget the Spartan line, and develop a few of these features that people are wanting in a more diverse, broader audience reaching device? Works for Garmin, Apple, Polar, etc, why not Suunto? (I have owned several Suunto devices, and generally have found them to be pretty accurate, and reliable, while lacking in features. Personally, I find it annoying to have to change my watch if I want to go to the gym, or a long run, or this activity, or that; I prefer one watch to do most everything. Just my 2c worth, your mileage may vary.

Sleep analysis
I don’t need it. Had that in my Fenix 5x and never used it.

Automatic Turn-on backlight
No automatic but sunset/sunrise based activation of the backlight. Don’t need backlight during the day but in the morning/evening.

MyFitnessPal integration
I don’t need it. Tested MyFItnessPal once and I am too lazy to enter kcal for each meal

Sync all the data:
Suunto App with the functionality of movescount, or in my case TrainingPeaks would be fine.

Sync with GoogleFit:
iOS User

Watchface customization
I don’t need it.

Stress analysis
I don’t need it. Had that in my Fenix 5x and never used it.

@moe67er said in [Feature Request S9] Missing features that will make the S9 THE BEST smartwatch for many years to come.:

Automatic Turn-on backlight
No automatic but sunset/sunrise based activation of the backlight. Don’t need backlight during the day but in the morning/evening.

…how should that work?

@paradize ask Garmin, they got it in their Fenix series. But Suunto also has alarms for sunrise/sunset. So they know the times. Backlight can only be activated between these times when pushing a button or raising the arm (gyroscope activated)

I created a poll to see how important these features are

Sure that many ultrarunners dont want them because they have multiples watch but I dont and I want to have watch that can give me all the data that it is capable of.

I am not an ultrarunner and I dont need the watch to be able to stand 120h or GPS or even 40 hours

I do want the extra features because I can track my health and lifestyle

Thanks

https://forum.suunto.com/topic/1339/features-for-suunto-s9-choose-top-3

It looks like many many users want these features in Suunto S9 …

Suunto must pay attention to the user request …

@moe67er said in [Feature Request S9] Missing features that will make the S9 THE BEST smartwatch for many years to come.:

@paradize ask Garmin, they got it in their Fenix series. But Suunto also has alarms for sunrise/sunset. So they know the times. Backlight can only be activated between these times when pushing a button or raising the arm (gyroscope activated)

Ok, this is reasonable - I am quite sure that this can be achieved. Maybe it has to be configurable I options for those who do not want this at all.

oeagleo

@Marcel-Baliño said in [Feature Request S9] Missing features that will make the S9 THE BEST smartwatch for many years to come.:

I created a poll to see how important these features are

Sure that many ultrarunners dont want them because they have multiples watch but I dont and I want to have watch that can give me all the data that it is capable of.

I am not an ultrarunner and I dont need the watch to be able to stand 120h or GPS or even 40 hours

I do want the extra features because I can track my health and lifestyle

Thanks

Exactly! I like the ability to have all of the data in one place, easily accessible, and in a format I can understand. I’m not a marathoner, ultra-runner, body builder, nor elite athlete, just an old man trying to render out the lard accumulated over the last 60+ years.

Brad_Olwin

@Marcel-Baliño said in [Feature Request S9] Missing features that will make the S9 THE BEST smartwatch for many years to come.:

https://forum.suunto.com/topic/1339/features-for-suunto-s9-choose-top-3

It looks like many many users want these features in Suunto S9 …

Suunto must pay attention to the user request …

Given the number on the forum…some votes but only for Sleep, more customizations and recovery…the rest of them did not appear popular.

Saketo Nemo

@Tim4c said in [Feature Request S9] Missing features that will make the S9 THE BEST smartwatch for many years to come.:

Sleep analysis
I don’t care about because i’m able to know if i sleep well or not

Automatic Turn-on backlight
@Brad_Olwin said “Sorry but I fail to see the need for this, the standby uses very little battery and works great. I would not want this as it would simply drain the battery. I would especially not want this for training.”
Totally agree! I don’t want it at all…

MyFitnessPal integration
No opinion if it stays optional, i don’t use it

Sync all the data:
I expect a solution, full website or app by devices (desktop, tablet, smartphone) maybe an adaptation of SA with Electron or whatever…
An offline solution would be welcome too.

Sync with GoogleFit:
No opinion if it stays optional, i don’t use it

Watchface customization
I just would like to be able to choose the default values to display.
The outdoor watchface has all the info i need.

Stress analysis
Why not, but i’m pretty sure i won’t use it like for sleep analsys.

@++

Quote it at all

@Brad_Olwin
Because they have choose only 3…I bet you that if you let them they will choose all of them

I hope that Suunto listen to us …

Egika

choose only three of a given fixed list…
No option to vote “I am happy the way it is”…
That’s nothing you could use as valid opinions…

Anyway - as every other company Suunto has limited ressources. Of course it would be nice to switch feature sets in one hardware to make it a S3, S6, S9, S12 whatever with a selection in the watch.
Then have a full feature set for all possible use cases…
And yes: Suunto would earn money big time.

…if only it was so easy to develop stuff for the mass market in no time.

SlaSh

I am using apple watch now for smart features and suunto watch for sport activities, there is no such thing as perfect watch

I am looking/requesting Progression Not Perfection…

The hardware in the S9 is capable of ALL these requested features…

Judging by other users comments, from AP3 it was a Regression in terms if user capabilities to use the watch
Aka Cant use the apps Nor create new ones (movescount)

I really like the quality of the watch,

My suggestions are not from an ultearunners nor an athlete point of view, rather from an average person that likes quality stuff.

Markus Fischbacher · S9 Baro White 2.5.18, SA (latest Beta), iPhone 6S (latest iOS)

For me it is very important to have reliable data of my trainings. Suunto should really focus on software quality rather than tons of functions. But there are two functions I‘m missing:

an indicator/symbol on the main watch face showing me that there are unread notifications
the ability to dismiss notifications on the watch

I am looking at these comments from Commercial Point of View as well as from an average user (not at ultrarunner or elite athlete)

Suunto is a brand of high-quality watches, designed for “hardcore” athletes or professionals.
But you can not live only in a selected “very small” niche market. It is not sustainable and you will collapse at the end because other brands that are targeting a much broader market, there are making much more money than you and finally they will be able to develop a watch that will compete with yours. Because the cash/profits that they are making selling to everyone, they can price aggressively and therefore shifting your users to them. Because you did not expand and you depend on a very small/“exclusive” market, a small decline in sales have a huge impact on revenues.

Suunto has the hedge here because they have a very well know brand that will appeal to a bigger audience.

it is not a smart move stay “only” with a very specific market because you want to be “elite”.

Even Apple designed iPhones for the masses after being “super elite brand”, and they become the first Trillion dollar company in WallStreet.

Food for thoughts…