# Ambit3 on DCRainmaker



## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

Pretty cool, all Bluetooth Smart. Going to have to get me one

Ambit3


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## srwilson (Jun 16, 2012)

Sweet! Thanks for posting. I've been holding out since Ambit 1!


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## gaijin (Oct 29, 2007)

Since I can't hear the tone alarms (lots of loud noises at close range back in the early '70's), the lack of vibration alerts is a killer for me.

Besides that, I find the Ambit strap uncomfortable. If they made the case capable of using a NATO/Zulu style strap, it would be a big improvement.

So, Ambit is still a fail for me.


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## wydim (Feb 26, 2012)

martowl said:


> Pretty cool, all Bluetooth Smart. Going to have to get me one
> 
> Ambit3


I don't care about vibration alert, but no ANT+ is a deal breaker for me. Last year, I bought a indoor cycle trainer (PowerBeam Pro), it's ANT+ connected with my laptop and training data is displayed (and recorded by the software) live on my laptop screen AND the move is also recorded on my Ambit2. The irony is that this same Powerbeam Pro trainer is available in 2 models : ANT+ and BTsmart. I chose ANT+ because I wanted to be able to see data on my Ambit2 even if I knew BT would be the future path for synchronization with smartphones. Now the Ambit3 is announced without ANT+ so my cycle trainer would be completely disconnected from the A3 watch and the workout would not be recorded on movescount.

One could replace all his ANT+ sensors (cadence, speed, etc) with BTsmart ones for less than 100$. But my ANT+ trainer is 1100 $CAD

Smart notifications from cellphone would have been "nice to have" but since my Ambit2 still performs flawlessly and as promised. I'll have to skip A3 or wait for a any other dual ANT+/BT solution.


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## HIKESOLO (May 25, 2014)

I will most likely purchase it, but really sad about the lack of vibration alerts. I was also hoping for a more versatile strap option that I could swap out. Feelings are similar to Gaijin, however I find the Fenix 2 to be a piece of crap and unreliable so I'd still look to the Ambit 3 as top of the line.


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

I like vibration alerts but don't need them as I don't use alerts all that often. You guys are aware that you can have the backlight flash for an alert, correct? I was wondering if in the apps manual we can invert the display. That would give you a pretty good visual alert. I totally understand about the Ant+ power meters but there are bluetooth ant+ bridge devices out there. For me the iPhone integration is huge. I use my phone for maps anyway and the download so I can do multi day events in the mountains is going to be great!!!!


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## jegra (Sep 25, 2008)

Some pros and cons, from my point of view:

Pro: phone connectivity / Bluetooth support; better heart-rate strap; better internal storage; better display; heart-rate while swimming.

Con: same unwieldy form factor; no ANT+ support!; PRICE! ($500 for the 'Peak' model is a huge red card for me).

Using your smartphone as a secondary display looks really neat; they've done a good job there. But given the form factor of the Ambit (I almost never wear it as a day-to-day watch; only when exercising), this and the notifications are of limited value to me. I don't like to take my iPhone running. I know I'm not alone.

So, I'm going to pass until it's heavily discounted like the Ambit 2 was. I'm waiting to see what's in the iWatch, whose release this year appears to be a certainty now. If its design is reasonably sturdy (i.e., sapphire and water resistant), I'm sold. I would expect its feature list to be comparable to the Ambit's, and, with third-party developer support, I expect its ecosystem to far surpass that of the Ambit's. The Android Wear watches look clunky right now, but you should expect them to be refined too. And I'm sorry to say this on a Suunto forum, but I expect both to eventually blow the Ambit out of the water, and quite soon.

I've enjoyed using my Ambit, and get a lot out of it, but the 'smartwatch' revolution is only just beginning.


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

jegra said:


> Some pros and cons, from my point of view:
> 
> Pro: phone connectivity / Bluetooth support; better heart-rate strap; better internal storage; better display; heart-rate while swimming.
> 
> ...


I agree with most of your points but why is HR while swimming a con? It works so it should be a plus. This won't be important to me but will be important for triathletes.

My major concern with something like the iWatch is the charge. If it uses the phone GPS and requires that GPS it won't be for me as I will be very surprised with anything more than 8h of battery life. it is all speculation at this point but I need 24h or so. That covers all of my 50 mile or 100k races and with one simple charge covers all of the 100 mile races I would do. The iPhone will require a much larger battery to charge in the field enough to continue using the GPS. I agree that eventually it might work but I will be the first iteration is no more than a sophisticated activity tracker and will not be great for exercise.


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## jegra (Sep 25, 2008)

martowl said:


> I agree with most of your points but why is HR while swimming a con? It works so it should be a plus. This won't be important to me but will be important for triathletes.
> 
> My major concern with something like the iWatch is the charge. If it uses the phone GPS and requires that GPS it won't be for me as I will be very surprised with anything more than 8h of battery life. it is all speculation at this point but I need 24h or so. That covers all of my 50 mile or 100k races and with one simple charge covers all of the 100 mile races I would do. The iPhone will require a much larger battery to charge in the field enough to continue using the GPS. I agree that eventually it might work but I will be the first iteration is no more than a sophisticated activity tracker and will not be great for exercise.


Oops - edited. I should wake up before typing lengthy posts  Of course heart-rate while swimming is a 'pro'...

I keep up with all the rumors, iOS, Android, or otherwise, and it is my understanding that the major delay to the iWatch has been battery life. Apple is apparently pushing LG to make a display that sips power while in standby, and it will probably contain the A5 chip, which has been die-shrunk for power efficiency since it was included in the iPad 2. My hunch is that battery life will be as good as, if not better than, the current Ambit, but of course that's all speculation. However, I'm a lowly academic (lower than you, martowl!), and to drop $500 on an Ambit 3 when the Ambit 2 suits my needs pretty well would not make sense. Therefore, I'm inclined to sit it out and see what the competition does. I like Suunto's products, but not so much as to upgrade every cycle.


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## Falconeye75 (Sep 16, 2012)

jegra said:


> Oops - edited. I should wake up before typing lengthy posts  Of course heart-rate while swimming is a 'pro'...
> 
> I keep up with all the rumors, iOS, Android, or otherwise, and it is my understanding that the major delay to the iWatch has been battery life. Apple is apparently pushing LG to make a display that sips power while in standby, and it will probably contain the A5 chip, which has been die-shrunk for power efficiency since it was included in the iPad 2. My hunch is that battery life will be as good as, if not better than, the current Ambit, but of course that's all speculation. However, I'm a lowly academic (lower than you, martowl!), and to drop $500 on an Ambit 3 when the Ambit 2 suits my needs pretty well would not make sense. Therefore, I'm inclined to sit it out and see what the competition does. I like Suunto's products, but not so much as to upgrade every cycle.


Not a lot of improvement, and not ANT+ !!!! I will wait for the Ambit 4 and keep my Ambit 2  With Iwatch coming, I thing there will be a lot of discount for this too much expensive watch.


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## HIKESOLO (May 25, 2014)

I think it uses the Ambit 3 GPS and just displays the info on an iPhone. For example if you were biking you could mount your iphone on your bike like a bike computer. Problem there tho is that you'd have to keep the screen on which eats battery on the phone faster. 

Regarding the vibration alerts, I need those rather than just lighted alerts or tones because I do run/walk method (run 5 min then walk 1 min, then repeat) and the tones sometimes can't be heard. So the vibration alert is good to signal me when to stop running and start walking, etc...


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## eeun (May 31, 2012)

Hmm, not sure about only BT connectivity. I run a Garmin Edge 1000 and BT is somewhat in and out and I like my HR and bike pod data to be stable which it largely is with ANT+. Also I use an Edge 810 or E1k when I ride all all 3 devices use the ANT+ HT strap. The Garmin's don't currently support BT HR but they do some bike PODs. Maybe by September all will be clearer though to be honest I get on well with my 'Sapphire'. Biggest issue for me is the lack of an app to upload to so maybe that will sway me.


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## jegra (Sep 25, 2008)

It seems everything is moving to Bluetooth LE now. That's of course no use if all your kit is ANT+, but this is what the mythical iWatch will use, too. That should point to better cross-compatibility of products in the future. I can understand why they removed ANT+: DC Rainmaker's official explanation is that there wasn't room or sufficient performance for both chips, but I agree that it will annoy or put off a lot of people. For some, the cost of moving from ANT+ to Bluetooth is more than the cost of the watch itself.



eeun said:


> Hmm, not sure about only BT connectivity. I run a Garmin Edge 1000 and BT is somewhat in and out and I like my HR and bike pod data to be stable which it largely is with ANT+. Also I use an Edge 810 or E1k when I ride all all 3 devices use the ANT+ HT strap. The Garmin's don't currently support BT HR but they do some bike PODs. Maybe by September all will be clearer though to be honest I get on well with my 'Sapphire'. Biggest issue for me is the lack of an app to upload to so maybe that will sway me.


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## bruceames (Jul 20, 2013)

Falconeye75 said:


> Not a lot of improvement, and not ANT+ !!!! I will wait for the Ambit 4 and keep my Ambit 2  With Iwatch coming, I thing there will be a lot of discount for this too much expensive watch.


I agree, nothing new here that is useful for me. Don't care about bluetooth or smartphone integration and the Ambit2 already has enough storage capacity for my needs. And losing Ant+ is a dealbreaker because I use the Garmin strap on my hikes (so my GPS handheld can store HR data too).

Would have liked some functionality improvements like increased battery life or GPS accuracy, or a smaller watch antenna design.

Ambit3 seems like an Ambit 2.5 rather than a 3. Kinda like going from a T6 to a T6C. Same housing with some internal tweaking but really the same watch with some added (and subtracted) features.

Anyway not a big deal since I'm very happy with the Ambit2 and I'll just wait to see what the Ambit 4 brings in a year or two.


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## cleanton (May 15, 2012)

Falconeye75 said:


> Not a lot of improvement, and not ANT+ !!!! I will wait for the Ambit 4 and keep my Ambit 2  With Iwatch coming, I thing there will be a lot of discount for this too much expensive watch.


Exactly what I was thinking. Nothing new for me. I will stay on Ambit 2 and may be to switch to Ambit 4 next year.


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## mondoshawan (May 14, 2012)

With a whole bunch of ANT+ sensors it's time to consider switching from my old Ambit1 to a 2 now. The Ambit3 is a dealbreaker and i don't need the mobile phone connectivity.


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## alex68 (Oct 5, 2013)

Still no EPOC live :-(


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## August Von Mackensen (Aug 1, 2012)

cleanton said:


> Exactly what I was thinking. Nothing new for me. I will stay on Ambit 2 and may be to switch to Ambit 4 next year.


+1

I am staying with my ambit 2. 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk


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## hvrietsc (Apr 29, 2014)

alex68 said:


> Still no EPOC live :-(


Can't you create an app for that?


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## Jeff_C (Feb 11, 2006)

Not a single drop of Espresso to be found.


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## Joakim Agren (Feb 12, 2006)

No espresso? Then I'm out of here see ya...:rodekaart:-d:-d:-d









:-d:-d:-d


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## bruceames (Jul 20, 2013)

hvrietsc said:


> Can't you create an app for that?


No one knows what the formula (or algorithm) is. It's like the Colonel's secret recipe.


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## morey000 (Dec 12, 2013)

Looks like they made some interesting decisions. While they could have gone with an ANT+ and BT combo, instead they chose having the watch as a bluetooth master. That opens up some unique possibilities that nobody else has right now. Also, they're the first to jump in the "HR while swimming" pool- something that we've all be asking for for some time. The iphone integration being two way, and able to display watch metrics- looks terrific, the integration of overlays onto your video and photos... could be fun. Think of how handy that would be during an ultra. Using the phone to set up the watch displays, add sports types - just great! and- of course, move upload capability, so you don't need to haul your PC with you on a trip.

No one watch has everything everyone wants. Yes- many of us were hoping for a vibration alert. Certainly a nice feature- but not something that I personally would use. Yeah - it won't pick up my ANT+ power meter, but I still have my Edge 500 for that. So, once again. no big loss for me. My HR monitor is already BT.

hmmm. does the A3S Sapphire really have a pink ring around its display? blah

The iphone integration is what it really needed, and it looks like it will have that down.

I'll consider it. Happy with the Ambit 2 right now. We'll see what's available 6 months down the road and compare then, but I'm not itching for a new watch.

My big question is what, if any, firmware capabilities are going to make it backward into the Ambit2? like- why not give the ambit 2 activity monitor capability? and the ability to receive HR while in swim mode? the current Ambit iphone app kinda' sucks. Doesn't do much of anything. It would be nice to have a better app, even if it didn't talk directly to the Ambit2, but only through movescount.

suunto isn't very good at marketing. they don't have anything up on their website about the A3.


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## bruceames (Jul 20, 2013)

I'm actually kinda glad it's not a watch to tempt me to upgrade. Just paid $400 last year for the Ambit2 and as I'm very happy with it, it would be somewhat of a waste to be upgrading so soon. On the same note I won't be spending the next year or two "wishing" I had the latest and greatest from Suunto and for that I am grateful.


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## snailmale (Dec 15, 2013)

What I'm hoping for as an Ambit2 user is backward compatibility with the smartphone app functions (uploading, configuration, etc). Would be willing to purchase a ANT+ dongle for that (Garmin has one, and in fact I believe Suunto to). Sure, it will be slower than Bluetooth Smart, and potentially slightly chunky on the phone, but I'm ok with that.


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## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt (Oct 30, 2011)

Info is on Track, analyze, enrich, relive and share your sports and adventures with the new Suunto Connected Family - Suunto ... and I got a chance to get a little presentation, which can be found on Suunto Ambit3 Preview - at home in..., w| Gerald Zhang-Schmidt

Not sayin' anything more, I think


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## danielp370 (Apr 29, 2014)

Will it work in the pool with the mio link?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Glajda (Oct 23, 2012)

I might upgrade from Ambit 1. I've been waiting for smartphone support, but will wait a bit more until Android is supported.

It would be great if you could change settings offline, for example without network coverage. I guess offline move downloading to phone is supported, but I'm not sure about settings.

While I think smart watches will prevail in the long run, right now their problem is on the software side, plus it's sometimes not practical to have your phone with you (swimming).


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## gaijin (Oct 29, 2007)

Glajda said:


> It would be great if you could change settings offline, for example without network coverage. I guess offline move downloading to phone is supported, but I'm not sure about settings.


Watch the video Gerald posted here: Suunto Ambit3 Preview - at home in..., w| Gerald Zhang-Schmidt

It shows the head of the Ambit 3 design team changing settings offline using an iPhone. This is a major advanvement IMO. Now, if it only had vibration alerts ...

HTH


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## Glajda (Oct 23, 2012)

gaijin said:


> Watch the video Gerald posted here: Suunto Ambit3 Preview - at home in..., w| Gerald Zhang-Schmidt
> 
> It shows the head of the Ambit 3 design team changing settings offline using an iPhone. This is a major advanvement IMO. Now, if it only had vibration alerts ...
> 
> HTH


I've seen the video, but am not sure he's not online. Maybe when he changes settings, it propagates to Movescount and back.


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## bowesmana (Apr 22, 2012)

Glajda said:


> I've seen the video, but am not sure he's not online. Maybe when he changes settings, it propagates to Movescount and back.


He makes it pretty clear that the settings are now on the phone. See 2:09 onwards, where advanced settings are now on the phone.


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## Glajda (Oct 23, 2012)

bowesmana said:


> He makes it pretty clear that the settings are now on the phone. See 2:09 onwards, where advanced settings are now on the phone.


You're correct. That's excellent.


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## primus (Jul 16, 2009)

bowesmana said:


> He makes it pretty clear that the settings are now on the phone. See 2:09 onwards, where advanced settings are now on the phone.


On the *iPhone* only!!!


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## Glajda (Oct 23, 2012)

primus said:


> On the *iPhone* only!!!


Correct, I'm also waiting until Android version comes out.


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## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt (Oct 30, 2011)

Android will come, give it some time. The Suunto app dev team is something like 3 people...


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## kurtie (Jun 18, 2014)

Gerald Zhang-Schmidt said:


> Android will come, give it some time. The Suunto app dev team is something like 3 people...


Given that there are far more Android devices than iOS ones in the world cannot understand why companies keep doing first the iOS version. Garmin did the same with the Fenix... I think they even didn't try to do an Android version... amazing. Maybe runners / cyclists / triathletes use mainly Apple devices? (not in my case).

Regards,
Kurt.-


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## calumr (Nov 30, 2012)

Ray mentions it in the comments:



> That said, don't use 80% mobile OS market share, it's a non-relevant number. Companies instead look at adoption within their target market space. So using that 80% is inclusive of cheap phones sold in China where the consumer is never going to buy an Ambit3 (or any other device).


Here's more info on iOS vs Android when it comes to internet shopping:

Mobile Statistics - On Christmas, Apple iOS drives five times more sales than Android - Internet Retailer

Although neither are a 100% perfect predictor for whether potential Suunto customers are on Android vs iOS, it does look like the people with money who are interested in a GPS watch mostly use iOS. Raw market share doesn't matter as the GPS watch market is much smaller than the smartphone market.


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## margusl (May 2, 2013)

bruceames said:


> No one knows what the formula (or algorithm) is. It's like the Colonel's secret recipe.


Product pages are up ( Suunto Ambit3 Peak Black - Suunto ) with all the specs and real time EPOC through App is there.
But could not find any mention about upcoming Android support, not on product page nor Ambit3 family promo page ... :/


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## SiRoB1 (Sep 26, 2013)

margusl said:


> Product pages are up ( Suunto Ambit3 Peak Black - Suunto ) with all the specs and real time EPOC through App is there.


Yep, this mention is also indicated into the ambit2 family product.
So an app is just around the corner.


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

margusl said:


> Product pages are up ( Suunto Ambit3 Peak Black - Suunto ) with all the specs and real time EPOC through App is there.
> But could not find any mention about upcoming Android support, not on product page nor Ambit3 family promo page ... :/


Here you go:

Suunto Movescount App - Suunto

"Availability of the Android version will be announced later"

... not that that's particularly useful


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

The offline download seals the deal for me! Anyone want a slightly used Ambit2 Sapphire with a Dual Comfort Belt and Suunto Footpod?


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## mondoshawan (May 14, 2012)

dcrainmaker picture from the back of the new Heart Rate belt shows that the pod is now using CR 2025 coincells.
Before they used 2032 with their pods. 2025 has the same diameter but lower capacity, because it's only 2.3 mm instead of 3.2mm in thickness, so i'm wondering now, if the new batteries with Bluetooth smart chipset will last as long as the 2032 with the ANT+ chipset does.


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## gaijin (Oct 29, 2007)

mondoshawan said:


> dcrainmaker picture from the back of the new Heart Rate belt shows that the pod is now using CR 2025 coincells.
> Before they used 2032 with their pods. 2025 has the same diameter but lower capacity, because it's only 2.3 mm instead of 3.2mm in thickness, so i'm wondering now, if the new batteries with Bluetooth smart chipset will last as long as the 2032 with the ANT+ chipset does.


Energizer 2025 batteries have a typical capacity of 163 mAh, while their 2032 batteries have a typical capacity of 240 mAh.

In the same device, the 2032 would obviously last longer.

What we don't know is what the requirements are of the ANT+ and the Bluetooth belts. If the Bluetooth belt has a much lower requirement, then the smaller 2025 battery may even last longer than the larger 2032 in the ANT+ device.

HTH


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## morey000 (Dec 12, 2013)

mondoshawan said:


> dcrainmaker picture from the back of the new Heart Rate belt shows that the pod is now using CR 2025 coincells.
> Before they used 2032 with their pods. 2025 has the same diameter but lower capacity, because it's only 2.3 mm instead of 3.2mm in thickness, so i'm wondering now, if the new batteries with Bluetooth smart chipset will last as long as the 2032 with the ANT+ chipset does.


eh. who cares. 2032's would last about a year. If I need to replace a battery every 9 months instead, it doesn't matter. They're like $1/ea off ebay.


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

I asked but don't have an answer yet. Does this replace the smart belt? I have one but it quit working well and having an HR belt that will record a few hours of activity would be great. Does anyone know the recording capacity of the new belt? I asked at Suunto Q/A but we all know how those answers usually turn out.


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## Glajda (Oct 23, 2012)

martowl said:


> I asked but don't have an answer yet. Does this replace the smart belt? I have one but it quit working well and having an HR belt that will record a few hours of activity would be great. Does anyone know the recording capacity of the new belt? I asked at Suunto Q/A but we all know how those answers usually turn out.


I believe I saw two hours mentioned somewhere, but can't recall where.


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## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt (Oct 30, 2011)

Probably was in my preview; it's what I've been told (from rather more-reliable sources). The difference to the smart belt - actually, memory belt, no? - (apart from the obvious, i.e. that it uses BT instead of ANT) is that it doesn't record and download on its own (with docking station). The Smart Sensor HR needs to get a start/stop signal from either Ambit3 or Movescount app, then it records HR (whether there's a connection to device/app or not).

Some things are still to be clarified. Lots to learn, some things people aren't going to like (or like because they make it easier to stick with Ambit2), some things are starting to look pretty amazing...


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

Gerald, you were correct. Here is Suunto's answer.

The log length depends on the heart rate value, as the belt is storing ibi values. The max log can contain 27000 ibis (this corresponds to 3.5 hours recording with 120bpm).


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## HIKESOLO (May 25, 2014)

Are any stores taking pre-orders? Or are we all just going to go crazy on Sept 1st trying to order one?


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

EatPlayLift said:


> Are any stores taking pre-orders? Or are we all just going to go crazy on Sept 1st trying to order one?


My understanding is that there will be pre-orders but not yet. DCRainmaker said he would supply a link to Clever Training when pre-orders were available. The HR belt is nice as I can start a move for the gym and leave my watch in the locker and record HR without having the watch on my wrist...nice.


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## pjc3 (Mar 26, 2012)

EatPlayLift said:


> Are any stores taking pre-orders? Or are we all just going to go crazy on Sept 1st trying to order one?


One of our Australian stores is taking pre-orders. They tend to be one of the first retail stores worldwide to sell Sunnto on release date due to our time zone......there is some advantages to living in the antipodes!


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## HIKESOLO (May 25, 2014)

martowl said:


> My understanding is that there will be pre-orders but not yet. DCRainmaker said he would supply a link to Clever Training when pre-orders were available. The HR belt is nice as I can start a move for the gym and leave my watch in the locker and record HR without having the watch on my wrist...nice.


Really?! That's awesome. I didn't know it had that kind of range...or is it because you will have your phone on you as well?


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

EatPlayLift said:


> Really?! That's awesome. I didn't know it had that kind of range...or is it because you will have your phone on you as well?


You just need to start the move, leave watch in locker and then it will sync when you return

The new belt has a 3+ hour memory with no watch or phone.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## calumr (Nov 30, 2012)

martowl said:


> The offline download seals the deal for me! Anyone want a slightly used Ambit2 Sapphire with a Dual Comfort Belt and Suunto Footpod?


Suunto Ambit3 Peak Sapphire - Suunto

Under the Support tab, my Q&A entry got answered: they're not going to suport donwloading from the watch to the phone while offline (i.e. out of wifi or mobile signal).



> Q: If I do not have wifi or a mobile internet signal, can I still upload moves to my phone to make room on the watch? And will they be uploaded once I get internet access?
> A: At the moment this is not possible. But we have now forwarded your suggested feature to our R&D department.


This is a shame, I though that was going to be a killer feature for those recording hikes/runs in the mountains.


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

I would take that with a pinch of salt. Suunto's customer service have been clueless as to functionality when I've queried things with them in the past, only for them to backtrack later on when I question it.

Gerald's video seems to indicate this is not the case (see around 02:50 into the video), where Björn from Suunto says:



> you can use the app as a memory safe, so when you are out there and you're hiking, whatever doing for several days, without network connection, then you can download your moves to your phone, and the next time you have network connection you will be able to sync them with movescount.


I'm guessing he's better qualified to answer this than whoever it is that answers the Q&A on the Suunto site


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## jegra (Sep 25, 2008)

Excuse me if the info is publicly available, but are you sure it will work like that? The heart-rate strap will have limited memory. My understanding is that the feature is designed to fill in spontaneous dropouts (on the timescale of seconds), not completely dispense with the wrist unit.



martowl said:


> You just need to start the move, leave watch in locker and then it will sync when you return
> 
> The new belt has a 3+ hour memory with no watch or phone.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

jegra said:


> Excuse me if the info is publicly available, but are you sure it will work like that? The heart-rate strap will have limited memory. My understanding is that the feature is designed to fill in spontaneous dropouts (on the timescale of seconds), not completely dispense with the wrist unit.


According to Gerald's video I posted above, it will record up to 2 hours of data after getting an initial start signal from the watch. The idea behind it is for use when swimming, so it will definitely be more than a matter of seconds.

On the official product page, someone asked the question, and their reply was:



> The log length depends on the heart rate value, as the belt is storing ibi values. The max log can contain 27000 ibis (this corresponds to 3.5 hours recording with 120bpm).


Although I stated before not to trust their Q&A sections too much  However this answer is very specific and does sound informed...


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## jegra (Sep 25, 2008)

Well that's certainly interesting. I am beginning to warm to this, I must admit, although I need to do some soul-searching to determine whether the $$$ to upgrade is truly necessary.



twelveone said:


> According to Gerald's video I posted above, it will record up to 2 hours of data after getting an initial start signal from the watch. The idea behind it is for use when swimming, so it will definitely be more than a matter of seconds.
> 
> On the official product page, someone asked the question, and their reply was:
> 
> Although I stated before not to trust their Q&A sections too much  However this answer is very specific and does sound informed...


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

jegra said:


> Well that's certainly interesting. I am beginning to warm to this, I must admit, although I need to do some soul-searching to determine whether the $$$ to upgrade is truly necessary.


Well, none of this tech is truly _necessary_, but I tend to ignore that argument, and focus on the things that help me to justify it


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## Doorstep_mile (Oct 7, 2013)

Does anyone know if Suunto will add ETE/ETA and remaining distance on track in the Ambit 3?


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

twelveone said:


> According to Gerald's video I posted above, it will record up to 2 hours of data after getting an initial start signal from the watch. The idea behind it is for use when swimming, so it will definitely be more than a matter of seconds.
> 
> On the official product page, someone asked the question, and their reply was:
> 
> Although I stated before not to trust their Q&A sections too much  However this answer is very specific and does sound informed...


That was my question and why I posted the answer here.


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## twelveone (Jan 18, 2012)

martowl said:


> That was my question and why I posted the answer here.


Ah yes, sorry, missed that


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## bruceames (Jul 20, 2013)

jegra said:


> Excuse me if the info is publicly available, but are you sure it will work like that? The heart-rate strap will have limited memory. *My understanding is that the feature is designed to fill in spontaneous dropouts* (on the timescale of seconds), not completely dispense with the wrist unit.


If the strap will actually do this and fill in transmission dropouts, then that is definitely an improvement in functionality and I would be very tempted to get this. To have it output nearly error-free R-R data would be awesome.


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## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt (Oct 30, 2011)

Grain of salt, please, but...

Doesn't look like navigation data will be changed (re. ETE/ETA etc.).

HR module should be able to do both - or maybe, considers it the same: dropouts in HR transmission should get synced, no matter if it was a short dropout or a 2-hour swim. (Still possible that a dropout is due to some problem with the contacts on the belt and how well they picked up the HR, though.)

Mobile app syncing may disappoint the die-hard users (at first?); internet connection may be necessary for quite a bit of that. (Still means that you don't need to lug around your laptop, though.)

Things may change, though. Until availability as well as later. So, none of that is the official and final statement. Hope Suunto keeps considering this a service, not a break of NDA...


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## margusl (May 2, 2013)

I keep wondering about marketing and direction where Suunto Sports Watch collection is heading. Is Ambit2 range or at least part of it (S & R) meant to co-exist with Ambit3? There seem to be a lot of people who would rather take Ambit2 with reduced price than pay extra for connectivity. And it would let some Suunto users with Suunto branded ANT(not ANT+) stuff still have an upgrade path. Yet that later group is probably too small to have any influence on market decisions ...

If all Ambit2 watches are to be phased out, can't really see much point on ANT(non-plus) pods and belts, that in turn means end for M-Series and Quest. Or upgrade to BTLE for those aswell, quite unlikely, me thinks.
So will potential usergroup of non-GPS sports watches be targeted with Smart Belt + Movescount App? Many of them own phones with BTLE anyway, even if app is for iPhone only.

And then there's this new Movesense trademark - Movesense - Suunto - seems to suggest that there's more BTLE gear on it's way. 
Guess it's time to say good bye to ANT, without "+" it was a strange and lonely beast anyway. We'll see how BTLE vs ANT+ turns out in next year or so.


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## kmseteam (Nov 14, 2012)

I think Suunto has entered a territory they might not be able to conquer. A smartphone-connecting smartwatch and a state-of-the-art hrm-gps -watch play in a different fields and these fields have their own experts and tough players. Combining these into one GOOD device might be too much to bite, especially for such a small company Suunto is. if trying too much, the development of their own speciality probably will suffer.


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## bruceames (Jul 20, 2013)

Main things I'm curious about are the comparative dropout (error) rate with the new BT belt, and whether Movescount (or other DL program) will use the r-r data directly from it (assuming the move isn't too long), or will grab only the data needed to fill in the dropouts caused by transmission to the watch. I don't care about the new connectivity features but I care a great deal about improved HR accuracy. Suunto watches are very highly regarded for their accuracy and is the main reason I use them.


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## Falconeye75 (Sep 16, 2012)

Gerald Zhang-Schmidt said:


> Grain of salt, please, but...
> 
> Doesn't look like navigation data will be changed (re. ETE/ETA etc.).


Bad Point for Suunto, this features was promised for Ambit 2 owners more than 6 months ago from their support !!


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## martowl (Dec 31, 2010)

Gerald Zhang-Schmidt said:


> Grain of salt, please, but
> 
> Mobile app syncing may disappoint the die-hard users (at first?); internet connection may be necessary for quite a bit of that. (Still means that you don't need to lug around your laptop, though.)
> 
> Things may change, though. Until availability as well as later. So, none of that is the official and final statement. Hope Suunto keeps considering this a service, not a break of NDA...


Gerald, can you comment on this? Is it possible to download a move to the iPhone without a connection? This for me is the main reason to buy the version 3.


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## BillyX (Oct 7, 2012)

I would like to buy the Ambit 3 better today than tomorrow but my problem is, I missing two things from Suunto: An Android App and a Bluetooth footpod. I don't really go swimming or do multisports so the Ambit 3 is a step backward from the Ambit 1 for me at the moment.


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## pjc3 (Mar 26, 2012)

BillyX said:


> I don't really go swimming or do multisports so the Ambit 3 is a step backward from the Ambit 1 for me at the moment.


So stick with the Ambit. The A3 won't appeal to everyone. Get what is best suited to your activities and required functionality whether it be A1, A2, or even fenix.


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## Gerald Zhang-Schmidt (Oct 30, 2011)

The problem with Android, by the way: It takes at least Android 4.3 (v2 of Jelly Bean) or, of course, 4.4 (Kit Kat, the latest released version), plus a phone with BT4.0, for the BTLE standard to be supported. Not all that many of those around.


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## BillyX (Oct 7, 2012)

That's no problem, of course I'm using Android 4.5.


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## calumr (Nov 30, 2012)

Suunto Ambit 3 Peak from Facewest.co.uk
Suunto Ambit 3 Sports from Facewest.co.uk

Looks like pre-orders are starting up. Says "Due Autumn 14" on facewest, but I thought it was coming out in September?


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## margusl (May 2, 2013)

My guess is they are just wise enought not to give out exact dates for something they can't control anyway. I've seen retailers promoting some gadegts still in development or in eraly production phases, promising delvery dates and taking preorders, then priorities or whatever change for a manufacturer and selllers have to find excuses a for few next months. 

How does Facewest handle preorders? One pays full 450 .. 625€ amount in advance at checkout? If that's the case, I doubt many would go through it without exact date, but it still makes quite good PR/ad move, they'll sure have advantage in serach results. 
Hehh.. Facewest also promises Android app by the end of 2014. Quite bold (or plain stupid), as all I've seen from Suunto is -- "Availability of the Android version will be announced later"


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## Facewest (Aug 11, 2014)

Hi,

We will be receiving the first stock of Ambit3 products in September, but as we are not certain of a date we have it displayed as this. Those that pre-order the watches will be the first to receive them, as they will be dispatched almost immediately.

Hope that helps!

Jonny - Facewest.co.uk


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## Facewest (Aug 11, 2014)

Hi,

We do not charge anything extra to pre-order your Ambit3, therefore we charge the full amount and so we may ensure that pre-orders are dispatched as soon as the stock arrives. This is ideal for those who know what to expect with Suunto products - ie. fantastic quality and design. All our Suunto watches are sold with our 28 day returns policy so that all customers have the opportunity to try it out and send it back if they so wish.

Hope that helps

Jonny - Facewest.co.uk


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## eeun (May 31, 2012)

Anyone know if the 4iiii Innovations V100 viiiiva Heart Rate Monitor will work with the new Ambit3? 4iiii's Viiiiva ANT+ to Bluetooth Smart Bridge & Heart Rate Strap In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker


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## wydim (Feb 26, 2012)

eeun said:


> Anyone know if the 4iiii Innovations V100 viiiiva Heart Rate Monitor will work with the new Ambit3? 4iiii's Viiiiva ANT+ to Bluetooth Smart Bridge & Heart Rate Strap In-Depth Review | DC Rainmaker


I just read the entire Review of this strap by RainMaker. It's very promising. It could work with my PowerBeam Pro cycle trainer that's ANT+ only and make me buy the Ambit3 after all!!
But as Ray writes in the review, only half the power data from my trainer would be transmitted to the Ambit3 because of the rotation of the translation between HR and power data from ANT+ (trainer) to BLE (A3).

I think now is not a good time to buy any sporting technology equipment. Everthing seems "in progress" but not finished. I'll stick with A2


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## morey000 (Dec 12, 2013)

wydim said:


> ... now is not a good time to buy any sporting technology equipment. Everthing seems "in progress" but not finished...


Pretty sure that that's ALWAYS the case.


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## wydim (Feb 26, 2012)

morey000 said:


> Pretty sure that that's ALWAYS the case.


There is always progress and innovation, but I mean, these days, the products seems in between


viiiiva bridge strap cannot only translate, it has to give HR data, and thus ignore 1 power data point for every 2 it reads).
is BLE or ANT+ the next standard (because I really think that only one can survive , VHS vs Beta, HD DVD vs blueray. (because of cell phone integration, I think BLE will win)
I kind of regret having bought my PowerBeam Pro trainer (ANT+). The BLE option was available, but my ambit2, was ANT+ only. now the future of Ambit is BLE

ok, now that I talk about my trainer, I can't wait to ride !!


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## swbull (Dec 16, 2014)

Hi Has anyone tried pairing Adidas's speed cell (footpod) with A3P?


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## BillyX (Oct 7, 2012)

Yes, I'm using the bluetooth version of speed cell with my Ambit 3. The first battery was empty in some days, but since then no problems.


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