A few months after launch, the Suunto Ambit GPS watch found itself in a predicament with some hard-hitting competition from the lower-priced Garmin Fenix. Not surprisingly, Suunto has been busy updating the Ambit ever since. Its official 2.0 update went live earlier this week, and brings the potential for a variety of new functions by way of apps. Your other portable electronics have apps, why not your sports watch?
Suunto calls the Ambit the "only constantly-evolving, consumer-driven, GPS watch on the market." Apps are the latest part of its mission to keep the Ambit improving over time. Apps will work with the watch's existing hardware, such as its GPS, time-keeping, altimeter and barometer, to deliver new functions and features.
Suunto uses the example of an app that estimates finish time for a marathon and one that serves as a clinometer, displaying the pitch of a mountain or hill being ascended. Other apps that are currently available include one that translates your exercise into "beers burned off" and one that converts distance into nautical miles for boating. Users can design their own apps in addition to selecting from the ones available.
"We invite our consumers to give feedback on features they’d like to see in their watches and they often provide us with great ideas of additional features or functionalities," said vice president and business director at Suunto USA, Nora Stowell. "We wanted to give an opportunity for them to continue developing the Ambit."
The new apps are available on the "App Zone" section of Suunto's movescount.com website.
The apps are the biggest news, but the 2.0 update also gives the Ambit ANT+ capability for pairing wirelessly with all the ANT+ accessories on the market. It also includes an interval timer.
Source: Suunto