NEWS: SUUNTO has finally released a color LCD/touch panel GPS sports watch. SUUNTO SPARTAN series

GPS watches are entering the age of color LCD screens!

Finnish precision instrument manufacturer SUUNTO has announced the SPARTAN series of premium performance watches featuring a color LCD and touch panel. The flagship model, the SPARTAN ULTRA, was released in 2016August 25th (Thursday)We have received information that the slim model "SPARTAN SPORT" will be released on Friday, September 16th, and on Wednesday, September 28th, 2016, at authorized Suunto retailers nationwide, and we would like to share this information with you

Following in the footsteps of Gamin and Casio, which released a new Android Wear smart outdoor watch this spring, even Suunto, which has many products for mountaineering and other outdoor activities, has entered the color LCD GPS outdoor watch market. It is becoming clearer that color LCDs (plus touch panels) will become the forefront of outdoor watches in the future

The color LCD display and touch panel make a wide variety of information easier to see and understand

The SUUNTO SPARTAN series is the first Suunto watch to feature a color LCD display and touch panel. The high brightness of the color LCD display makes it easy to see outdoors, improving visibility. The watch also features a variety of graphs that were not possible with previous models, making it easier to check your activity results on the watch screen. The handling of a wide range of activity data, which has been a feature of the series, is expected to be even more convenient than ever before

It's hard to judge how easy it will be to use a touch panel until you try it, but it seems like you can choose how easy it is to use as needed, so it's reassuring

SUUNTO is the answer! Sharing and analyzing your activity data has never been easier!

One of the most fun and convenient features of Suunto GPS watches is the free sports community site "Movescount.com" and the free smartphone app "Movescount App," which allow you to manage the history of your recorded activities, analyze detailed data, and share and view data with Suunto watch users around the world

The data collected by the watch can be uploaded to the cloud and managed in detail

While previous models only allowed users to view their data on a PC or smartphone, the SUUNTO SPARTAN series features a color LCD display that allows users to check their data on the watch itself . Colorful graphs, selectable watch face designs, and easy-to-understand illustrations and icons make it easy to see detailed data like exercise volume, distance traveled, speed, and heart rate. The vibrant color display conveys a wealth of information, including updates on your best score this year, the number of training days in the past 30 days, and the number of rest days needed to recover.

With the SUUNTO SPARTAN series, you can also check detailed data from your past activities on Movescount.com and the Movescount App, create 3D movies from GPS data, and share data with over 1 million Suunto users around the world

"SUUNTO MOVIE" combines the GPS-recorded route with photos taken along the way to create a movie, and it's so entertaining you'll want to share it on social media

For example, when checking your running training data, you can see the average age and average pace of runners around the world, your own ranking, and more in easy-to-understand graphs and illustrations. Furthermore, by using the new "Coach" service, if you want to train efficiently, you can find your ideal runner within Movescount and have them provide you with a training menu .

Summary: Can the Spartan set the standard for GPS sports watches?

"SUUNTO MOVIE," which lets you share your GPS-recorded footsteps in a 3D movie, was a big surprise. Suunto's appeal is not only its sleek design, but also the fun of being able to carefully manage and analyze the various data collected by the watch later, and by sharing that data, you become even more addicted to the activity. I can't wait to see how the color, diversified display, and increased amount of information will further motivate me

I'm sure it will be unveiled at a major exhibition in Germany that I'm heading to for coverage soon, so I'd like to take as much time as possible to see it there

Sports (outdoor) watches are reaching the limit of functionality, with GPS and other sensors, as well as color and touchscreens, and from now on, the availability of these features will be a given, and the competition will undoubtedly be about how much "value" they offer (how much people will want to use them). In that sense, Suunto's strategy of "a GPS sports watch that you can enjoy from before your activity until after it's over" is flawless, and I think it's very promising, excluding the numerous software glitches

However, even with high-performance GPS watches that make full use of this technology, there is still the unresolved issue of battery life. Looking at the specs below, this new model seems fine for half-day activities, but if you plan to mainly use it for overnight trekking like me, it seems like charging will still be necessary. It's also hard to say that its durability and reliability in polar regions make it suitable for use in mountain climbing or long-term travel in harsh environments. In that sense, it seems like it will be a while before we see the arrival of a GPS sports watch suitable for such demanding activities

By the way, looking at the specs, only the "Ultra" model is equipped with a 3D electronic compass and barometer, so if you're looking for a model that can be used for outdoor activities such as hiking, we recommend the "Ultra" model, but if you're only looking to exercise on flat ground, the "Sport" model would be a good choice

Product overview

For more information, please visit the Suunto official website or contact Suunto Customer Service (TEL: 03-4520-9417)

   

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