New user thoughts/suggestions

[cambsukguy]

I recently bought a 9 Peak and, as a non-athlete just trying to track fitness and control weight - as well as routes for hiking etc, I thought some feedback with suggestions might be useful.

1. I have checked the step monitoring, poor. My phone (and my previous phone) in the pocket does a noticeably better job. Simple taps and knocks cause steps. Thus, it is not as useful as it needs to be. Patently, if an accelerator ‘bump’ isn’t a) reasonably hard and b) preceded/followed by at least one more, then it isn’t a step. Even though an arm is insulated, the accelerator shock should be sufficient to detect (or it isn’t ‘proper’ walking anyway). Better ‘analysis’ could be done on the phone app - the timestamp would have to be recorded with each step, but this is just a few thousand data points at most, provided the phone is present of course. The app could discard all but obvious steps, preventing hundreds of ‘steps’ taken moving in a shower for instance.
2. While HR is (very) useful, waiting for it to display so I can scroll past it to the actual menu I want is annoying. So, either it could be moved to be last, not optimal for many, or better, a small delay (which exists anyway) could be used to detect a swipe (button press) to the next menu. Whilst I understand why a swipe ‘might’ prevent moving to the next menu (if the system SW is not multi-threaded for instance), I cannot fathom why the button is not detected, since it really ought to be interrupt-driven. In any case, a (momentary) real delay could be used to poll/check the button state (or swipe if possible) prior to instigating the HR display operation.
3. While paused during exercise, it would be useful indeed if the watch simply acted similar to ‘normal’ in all other respects. This would basically involve the swipe-up mechanism (for training) to return the where it was (the paused menu) but the swipe-down menus would all operate as normal. Since the training is paused, the watch should be able to operate all the other mechanisms within reason. The main mechanism to ‘know’ this state would be as simple as a system flag that says ‘training pause’ to adjust menu operation and (if needed) other menu displays. In paused mode, there are already useful displays but, as someone that pauses a particular training for half an hour or more near the end (for a well-deserved cup of tea and a treat), I would like to be able to use the watch properly.
4. I think it might be possible to use a hard double-tap on the display (detected by the accelerometer of course) to wake the touch display (avoiding having to press the button). This is more feasible and less likely to accidentally wake the display if the accelerometer determines the taps are in the same plane as the watch face (i.e. the same x, y, z within a small margin). Since the accelerometer is read all the time anyway, it is only the extra SW check that needs adding. The double -tap is already used (and very useful) to ‘return’ to the top display so that code already exists.
5. It would be useful if the double-tap would return to the top display from other places - especially when swiping sideways from the top display - I have to remember to swipe left to get the watch face back, needlessly.
6. I previously posted a request that a ‘flashlight/torch’ shortcut would be useful, lighting the entire display at full power, but mention it again here for completeness. I see from just the regular display that quite a lot of light can be emitted so it is possible.
7. I row on an indoor machine (Concept II, very like the icon used in fact). But, after a single session (30 mins), the watch said I rowed 1.7km, but the machine said 7km. The cadence graph initially (for 8 mins or so) matched the machine (30 reps) and then, inexplicably, near-doubled and shows 50-70 for the remaining 20 mins. Now, I know not all machines are the same but, the system (app) could allow the distance to be set directly, after the fact, and this might allow a better analysis. I also appreciate that the current value might be because my fitness level was set (to poor and age 70) by a first-go on a treadmill, running that involved me snagging the safety cord 4 or 5 times and having to start over. If the system ‘assumes’ my useless form when judging the rowing, I can see why it would make such a poor job of it, however, my point about setting the distance is valid. As a side note, the cals ‘guess’ was fairly close to the machines ‘guess’, especially if adjusted for my lower weight (Concept assume a 70kg man). It also might be useful to allow the cals to be set based on the machine too, it is just more useful data for the system.
8. The same applies to treadmill running as in point 7 really. Setting the distance, cals and, for my treadmill at least, an incline perhaps, would allow better analysis.

Perhaps there is another (like professional) app that can be ‘paired’ like Komoot that can read the existing data and ‘add value’ - I don’t know - but, if it does/did, it would have to return the improved data to the watch at least.

As a final point, I would just like to say, that, having owned Suuntos since working in Finland more than 15 years ago, I very much like the watch, it is aesthetically excellent, a good size (I thought the peak was ‘small’ but the Baro etc must just be very big). And the battery life is superb, I avoided buy a watch like this because charging it every day just seemed like a real pain, but this thing lasts days and days without any effort at battery saving on my part at all (I use performance mode for training, do one or more per day and have not stopped ‘playing’ with the watch since I got it. I have charged it once only (it was still at 50%) and it charged (from an MS Surface with ordinary USB socket) in 30 mins to 100%, brilliant. That means an hour a week or so on charge for me, which is really much more like it. So, well done you guys.

[zhang965]

@cambsukguy said in New user thoughts/suggestions:

I recently bought a 9 Peak and, as a non-athlete just trying to track fitness and control weight - as well as routes for hiking etc, I thought some feedback with suggestions might be useful.

1. I have checked the step monitoring, poor. My phone (and my previous phone) in the pocket does a noticeably better job. Simple taps and knocks cause steps. Thus, it is not as useful as it needs to be. Patently, if an accelerator ‘bump’ isn’t a) reasonably hard and b) preceded/followed by at least one more, then it isn’t a step. Even though an arm is insulated, the accelerator shock should be sufficient to detect (or it isn’t ‘proper’ walking anyway). Better ‘analysis’ could be done on the phone app - the timestamp would have to be recorded with each step, but this is just a few thousand data points at most, provided the phone is present of course. The app could discard all but obvious steps, preventing hundreds of ‘steps’ taken moving in a shower for instance.
2. While HR is (very) useful, waiting for it to display so I can scroll past it to the actual menu I want is annoying. So, either it could be moved to be last, not optimal for many, or better, a small delay (which exists anyway) could be used to detect a swipe (button press) to the next menu. Whilst I understand why a swipe ‘might’ prevent moving to the next menu (if the system SW is not multi-threaded for instance), I cannot fathom why the button is not detected, since it really ought to be interrupt-driven. In any case, a (momentary) real delay could be used to poll/check the button state (or swipe if possible) prior to instigating the HR display operation.
3. While paused during exercise, it would be useful indeed if the watch simply acted similar to ‘normal’ in all other respects. This would basically involve the swipe-up mechanism (for training) to return the where it was (the paused menu) but the swipe-down menus would all operate as normal. Since the training is paused, the watch should be able to operate all the other mechanisms within reason. The main mechanism to ‘know’ this state would be as simple as a system flag that says ‘training pause’ to adjust menu operation and (if needed) other menu displays. In paused mode, there are already useful displays but, as someone that pauses a particular training for half an hour or more near the end (for a well-deserved cup of tea and a treat), I would like to be able to use the watch properly.
4. I think it might be possible to use a hard double-tap on the display (detected by the accelerometer of course) to wake the touch display (avoiding having to press the button). This is more feasible and less likely to accidentally wake the display if the accelerometer determines the taps are in the same plane as the watch face (i.e. the same x, y, z within a small margin). Since the accelerometer is read all the time anyway, it is only the extra SW check that needs adding. The double -tap is already used (and very useful) to ‘return’ to the top display so that code already exists.
5. It would be useful if the double-tap would return to the top display from other places - especially when swiping sideways from the top display - I have to remember to swipe left to get the watch face back, needlessly.
6. I previously posted a request that a ‘flashlight/torch’ shortcut would be useful, lighting the entire display at full power, but mention it again here for completeness. I see from just the regular display that quite a lot of light can be emitted so it is possible.
7. I row on an indoor machine (Concept II, very like the icon used in fact). But, after a single session (30 mins), the watch said I rowed 1.7km, but the machine said 7km. The cadence graph initially (for 8 mins or so) matched the machine (30 reps) and then, inexplicably, near-doubled and shows 50-70 for the remaining 20 mins. Now, I know not all machines are the same but, the system (app) could allow the distance to be set directly, after the fact, and this might allow a better analysis. I also appreciate that the current value might be because my fitness level was set (to poor and age 70) by a first-go on a treadmill, running that involved me snagging the safety cord 4 or 5 times and having to start over. If the system ‘assumes’ my useless form when judging the rowing, I can see why it would make such a poor job of it, however, my point about setting the distance is valid. As a side note, the cals ‘guess’ was fairly close to the machines ‘guess’, especially if adjusted for my lower weight (Concept assume a 70kg man). It also might be useful to allow the cals to be set based on the machine too, it is just more useful data for the system.
8. The same applies to treadmill running as in point 7 really. Setting the distance, cals and, for my treadmill at least, an incline perhaps, would allow better analysis.

Perhaps there is another (like professional) app that can be ‘paired’ like Komoot that can read the existing data and ‘add value’ - I don’t know - but, if it does/did, it would have to return the improved data to the watch at least.

As a final point, I would just like to say, that, having owned Suuntos since working in Finland more than 15 years ago, I very much like the watch, it is aesthetically excellent, a good size (I thought the peak was ‘small’ but the Baro etc must just be very big). And the battery life is superb, I avoided buy a watch like this because charging it every day just seemed like a real pain, but this thing lasts days and days without any effort at battery saving on my part at all (I use performance mode for training, do one or more per day and have not stopped ‘playing’ with the watch since I got it. I have charged it once only (it was still at 50%) and it charged (from an MS Surface with ordinary USB socket) in 30 mins to 100%, brilliant. That means an hour a week or so on charge for me, which is really much more like it. So, well done you guys.

1. I recall S9 line has no context engine to count the steps preciously as S7/S5/S3.
2. I don’t get you, where are you waiting for it to display? in the watch mode or activity mode? why I don’t need to wait it?
3. I’m agree with you, it could be better, but S9 is not a smart watch, S9 is good at do one thing at a time.
4. ok, why not
5. ok, why not, but if you touch nothing it will back to top face.
6. ok, why not, but will it kill the display unit?
   7.8 well, it’s normal, the algorithm could work for 60% ~70% is not bad, without GPS, the watch can hardly get the right distance, (BTW I’ve got a very precious distance on treadmill with S9B during my vo2max test), maybe you should use a footpod.