Suunto 7 Successor

[Cristian 0]

I think We should put the focus on our current S7 and how it could increase its performance and get new Suunto features (autolap, intervals… etc). All the resources spend on this watch should be handy for any other version of this watch with wear os 2 or wear os 3… I dont care the battery life If it allow me to take more advantage of my watch and have just 1 day doing a few hours (4) of sport… It could be the perfect sport watch from my own perspective

[isazi]

@cristian-0 autumn is coming, usually Suunto releases seasonal updates.

[olymay]

@cristian-0 that’s a fair point and I agree.

Whatever life is left in the current S7 - be it 6 months, a year, etc - then it would be nice to see it still supported and the maximum extracted from it. And I believe Suunto will do this.

as @isazi says, Sunnto tend to release seasonal updates. Previous updates to the S7 have all added significant features. It has now been quite a while since there was a major update to the S7 (nothing over the summer I believe?) so I am hoping this means they have been working away on some big updates and features to add

[Aleksander H]

@isazi said in Suunto 7 Successor:

@cristian-0 autumn is coming, usually Suunto releases seasonal updates.

I just hope we’re getting one. I got a bit worried when we got no update in June .

[olymay]

CES 2022 has been and gone, with no announcement from Suunto regarding an S7 replacement.

The current S7 was announced at CES 2020.

Does this mean the S7 line is dead? Is it a one hit wonder?

I love my S7 but was really hoping there would be a new version of it. One with updated hardware, support for WearOS 3, but more importantly improved Suunto App with more advanced features.

I’m at a point now where I am looking for a more advanced sports watch, one that can do more than what the S7 does (structured workouts, training plans, external sensor support, more detailed resources, more detailed sleep tracing, and more).

I really do love my S7, but I wish it could do more.

So I ask this of Suunto, will there be an upgraded model coming out?

I know there are NDAs and other things limiting what can be said, but radio silence is also damaging, as we the consumer start to feel abandoned and ignored.

My eye is already wandering to other brands (The Fenix 7 and Epix 2 have huge pull right now, if the rumoured specs are true and it goes on sale before a S7 announcement then it will be hard to not go that route).

Please Suunto, or anyone in the know, just give us something…

[Jamie BG]

@olymay if you look at Suunto’s development cycle the earliest I would expect a S7 replacement is next year.

[olymay]

@jamie-bg said in Suunto 7 Successor:

@olymay if you look at Suunto’s development cycle the earliest I would expect a S7 replacement is next year.

I really hope not.

A three year cycle works for typical sports watches, but WearOS hardware and software move on significantly faster.
It is essentially a mini smartwatch on your wrist, and if a manufacturer only released a new phone every three years they would be left behind and forgotten about.

The S7 was already using old tech when it launched two years ago (the SD3100 chip was replaced just a few months later) and it desperately needs a refresh, if for no other reason to get WearOS 3 and to stay relevant in a constantly moving market.

[deltof]

Nolio a prévu l’export d’entraînement vers suunto en 2022…


[Harboe]

@deltof English please

[suzzlo]

@deltof said in Suunto 7 Successor:

Nolio a prévu l’export d’entraînement vers suunto en 2022…

@Harboe “Nolio has planned the export of training to suunto in 2022…”

[olymay]

@deltof certainly looks interesting. I’ve never heard of Nolio, but the more integrations with training partners the better.

However, I don’t see how this is related to a replacement / upgrade of the Suunto 7???

[suzzlo]

@olymay Yes, no relation to S7 life cycle… or perhaps means that Suunto has been busy preparing some awesome features, and had no time for S7 successor.

Althought I think S7 is a great watch, I think WearOS is a very complex market, and IMO, they should wait for some “platform stabilization”. If the rumors are right we could see a Pixel Watch this year, and this could be a gamechanger… So I understand that Suunto wants to wait a bit more, just to not deliver a watch that could be outdated of unsupported in few months

BR

[DMytro]

@suzzlo thb I doubt that a pixel watch would be a game changer. In the same way that first few pixel phones weren’t game changers in smartphone market. Well, to be even more honest, basically no pixel product was a game changer. Some cool features - sure, but they were not really popular among not tech inclined people .

[suzzlo]

@dmytro it will depend in the chipset… if they develop a very good chipset that makes a huge step from the actual ones… think about a WearOS chip that can last 3/4 days…

[DMytro]

@suzzlo True. We shall see about that:)

[olymay]

@suzzlo @DMytro

Maybe, but I would have thought that Suunto would have a separate team for the S7 and any other potential WearOS developments. It’s been quiet regarding updates for almost a year now, so the current S7 is clearly dead (from a development point of view, it obviously still works fantastically, it just won’t get anything new).

With a pixel watch likely launching this year, it will be the first proper smartwatch with Fitbit baked in. If they can price it properly (and Pixel 6 pricing indicates Google have realised that undercutting the opposition works well) then it could sell really well to the average user. Add in the usual Fossil quality issues, the fact the GW4 is hamstrung without a Galaxy phone, and the WearOS market is currently wide open for a reliable, solid battery life, good quality, well priced watch.

This could be the new S7. With the Suunto health tracking on board it blows all other WearOS devices clear out of the water, nothing else comes close on accuracy, features, battery, etc.
If they can add in the extras that customers want (SPO2, external sensors, training plans, detailed sleep tracking, etc) AND price it competitively (the S7 was FAR too expensive for the average consumer to even consider) then they could have a runaway success and become a big player in the WearOS and smartwatch market.

BUT, if they wait until after the Pixel Watch, much of that market share will have gone. It will be too late and the next gen S7 would be dead on arrival.

At the very least we need some sort of announcement. Leaks, teasers, drips of info help to build interest and anticipation. Google did an amazing job leaking the info about the Pixel 6 and it was the most talked about phone of 2021 (yes, more so than the iPhone). All leaks were intentional by Google, all companies do it to build interest (ok, not all, Garmin don’t do it, but their customers seem to build enough hype on their own).

So please Suunto, give us something…

[suzzlo]

@olymay said in Suunto 7 Successor:

I would have thought that Suunto would have a separate team for the S7 and any other potential WearOS developments

based on LinkedIn information these are the employee number in each company:

• Suunto: 309
• Garmin: 7309
• Polar: 716
• Coros: 51

Not sure if you can have dedicated teams for each device

BR

[olymay]

@suzzlo I’m sure someone in the know on this forum mentioned that there is a dedicated team working on the WearOS line. That doesn’t mean the team is very big (or if it even still exists).

I really want to stay with Suunto, I love the products and the app (I spent some time in the Garmin app this evening and it looks very childish in comparison).
But I want something more advanced, and if there isn’t a replacement S7 then I will shop around (pains me to say it, but Garmin Fenix 7 / Epix 2 are current favourites).
It essentially comes down to what is announced over the next few weeks as I want to take my training to the next level in 2022.

[cosme.costa]

@olymay said in Suunto 7 Successor:

But I want something more advanced, and if there isn’t a replacement S7 then I will shop around (pains me to say it, but Garmin Fenix 7 / Epix 2 are current favourites).
It essentially comes down to what is announced over the next few weeks as I want to take my training to the next level in 2022.

No offense here, sincere question here: what do you mean saying that you want to take your training to the next level? What you are going to do? What do you expect to achieve with a new watch that will help you?

I mean, I can understand that someone wants the latest watch with the latest/new/shiny features but this would really help the training? This can also happens with phones and other gadgets.

In my opinion, if you want to improve your training first of all is decide what you want to achieve: general fit, running, cycling, etc. And then focus in the sport/sports you like. As an example and IMHO if you like running, and do you want to improve, first question: what you want to improve: speed, longer distances or both? Important thing is the balance between you body weight and height/body structure, then short and fast for speed, long and steady for longer runs, combined for run faster and longer. Do km and km, up hill/down hill to increase you force, stairs, general core exercises… Do you need to do interval training? In my opinion you can but until you run comfortably under 5:00 min/km there is no much need for interval training…For all this, I do not think you need any advanced tool, only your body and mind and if you want a watch to check if you are improving over the time. But this is my opinion and what I do, so maybe I’m missing something that I could also use.

[olymay]

@cosme-costa You are absolutely right, do I NEED a top end brand new fancy dancy ultra high tech all singing all dancing do everything watch? No, of course not.
Do I even need a sports watch at all? No, not really.
Do I want one? Yes.

My current goal, as a bloke who is unfit at 188cm and 94kg, is to run a 50km ultramarathon by the end of the year. In a registered event.
Speed is not really important, I just want to finish and not be last.

So why do I want the latest and greatest top end device? Mainly because it helps me psychologically. If I have good kit then I am motivated to use it, and to (try at least) use it to it’s potential.

I also like simplicity. My gf used her Garmin Venu and the built in (free) coach to get her to her first ever half marathon distance. A friend of mine used her Forerunner to train for the London Marathon, again using the built in free coach, They both loved it and said it worked really well for them, especially as it adjusted to them as they went. I like the sound of that. A lot.
I also want a better grasp of my body, and the Garmin body battery and sleep tracing seem pretty decent. I like having them on my S7 but they are seriously basic. A fantastic first attempt at it, but it now needs to step it up to compete.
I want external sensor support so that I can run in the cold and rain without needing to keep my left sleeve part rolled up. And so that I can use it for cycling (once I buy myself a bike etc).

Do I need a Fenix? No. But I want to start as I mean to go on, I want something that will help me every step of my journey, not something I have to upgrade every few years because I’ve hit the limit of what it can do.

I did the same with my photography years ago. I bought a beginner camera and within a month realised it was a mistake, as it didn’t give me the room to learn and grow. So I bought a pro spec camera. Sure, the learning curve was insane, but I put the effort in and got to a good level much faster than I would have otherwise. I was also able to keep that camera throughout my journey and keep consistency.

My logic is similar with a watch. I have the budget to afford the best, so why should I limit myself so something basic simply because I am a beginner? All the gear and no idea? Maybe. Or maybe just someone with ambition and drive.

I’m not saying a Fenix is the only option that will do this, there are many. But that is the current lead choice for me simply because I have seen up close what the Garmin can do (body battery, sleep tracking, training plans, etc) and I know so many people with them.

If I could get something similar with a Suunto then I would stick with Suunto, but it doesn’t look like that option is there at the moment.
Maybe an S7 replacement (if it ever comes, but the radio silence is not filling me with confidence) might do what I want. It might not.
I won’t speculate until an announcement does or doesn’t come.

Sorry, this turned into a much longer post than intended…