new SuuntoPlus Sport Apps
Here’s a link to Suunto’s recent downloadable presentation which gives an expansive view of what is on offer from the SuuntoPlua app store as of today. The presentation covers new additions to the app store throughout the year with details on each app.
Source: SuuntoPlus Sport Apps new in Q3-2023 (11Mb PDF file)
Check out the following slide which summarises each app in a couple of words to see if you want to delve into the details in the presentation.
Perhaps the main takeaway here is that Suunto realized a couple of years ago that it needed to match the openness of the Garmin Connect platform to third-party platforms like Strava, and, in parallel, it needed to boost the capabilities for third parties to add new custom features onto the watches. It started that ball in motion and is taking the whole project seriously. So September’s release of more new features supports the direction of the company towards giving us the customized sports ecosystem that some of us look for.
SuuntoPlus also allows the integration of novel sports sensors – I’ve used it with Train.Red (muscle oxygen), Core (body temperature), and ActiveLook Smartglasses and have every hope that the feature will mature over time.
The strange limitation of top-end watches like Suunto Vertical and Garmin Forerunner 965 is that only two ‘apps’ can be added at a time. I suspect that the occasional lagginess of Garmin and Suunto watches is an indication that the internals are being pushed close to the limit and just can’t cope with the rigours of simultaneously handling more apps. That said, over the last few months, Suunto has improved some of the details of how the apps are stored when revisiting previously used profiles.
Here is some more detail on the apps:
Training & Physiology
HR zones
This sport app shows you the cumulative time on each zone during the workout.
Fused zones
Fused Zones shows which intensity zone you are currently in, looking at different intensity metrics and based on that evaluating the best matching as a result.
Peak Pace
Peak pace gives you real time statistics of your peak efforts on your run.
Peak Power
Peak power gives you real time statistics of your peak efforts.
Movement
This sport app measures your movement with wrist acceleration. This gives new type of insights in sports which involve rapid movements.
Trainingpeaks (HR)
Helps to understand the workout effort and training stress in real time with Heartrate Training Stress Score (TSS(HR))
Trainingpeaks (cycling power)
Helps to understand your riding effort in real time with Normalized Power (NP), Training Stress Score(TSS) and Intensity Factor (IF).
Trainingpeaks (running pace)
Helps to understand your pacing in real time with Intensity Factor (IF),Running Training Stress Score(TSS(r) ) and Normalized Graded Pace (NGP).
Strava
Get specific about how much work goes into your activities with real-time Relative Effort
Burner
The relation between fat and carbs burned by exercising depends on your intensity.
Training Tools
Manual interval (pace)
The manual interval sport app gives you a simple tool to follow your interval session on the fly.
Manual interval (power)
The manual interval sport app gives you a simple tool to follow your interval session on the fly.
Manual interval (hills)
The manual interval sport app gives you a simple tool to follow your interval session on the fly.
Sprint (running pace)
Track sprints automatically while running or cycling to see the number, distance, and time of each interval during your training session
Sprint (cycling power)
Track sprints automatically while running or cycling to see the number, distance, and time of each interval during your training session.
Loop (speed)
Automatic location-based lap insights help you analyze the stats for each loop.
Loop (pace)
Automatic location-based lap insights help you analyze the stats for each loop.
Loop (power)
Automatic location-based lap insights help you analyze the stats for each loop.
Ghost Runner
Catch the virtual ghost runner to practice your pacing or just for fun.
Fitness Testing
FTP test
Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test is designed to give riders an understanding of the highest average power they can maintain for one hour.
Cooper test
The goal of the cooper test is to run as far as possible in 12 minutes to estimate your VO2Max value.
Anaerobic threshold
The test will approximate the anaerobic threshold for running and estimate the anaerobic threshold pace and heart rate.
Aerobic decoupling
The aerobic decoupling will assess your aerobic fitness by evaluating the decoupling effect during longer workouts.
Bleep test
Bleep test – or Beep test – is the most common fitness test used in the world especially popular in team sports to test your current fitness.
Racing
Race companion
Race companion gives athletes a simple tool to get key information with them to the race.
Race nutrition
With this sport app, athlete can setup the timing for each intake and then follow the plan while flying down the mountains.
UltraRace time
When preparing for a long ultra race, it is motivating to see how this pace equals to the potential race time.
Marathon estimator
Marathon estimator gives you an estimated finish time based on your current pace, duration done and remaining distance.
Half Marathon estimator
Half marathon estimator gives you an estimated finish time based on your current pace, duration done and remaining distance.
RaceTime
This sports app helps you to see how your current pace equals to the potential race time over different race distances.
Backyard ultra
The Bakcyard Ultra is a running event where runners will run 6.7km each hour. As long as they last.
Sport specific
Shoe tester
The shoe tester app is a protocol on how runners can test the impact of different running shoes with a dedicated testing protocol.
Cadence coach
The cadence coach will show you live cadence and stride length, helps you use the right running technique to avoid injuries.
Running Economy
Running economy is the assessment of a runner’s efficiency by analysing their input (heart rate) and output (running pace with NGP).
SwimRun
The swim run sport app gives you key stats for your swimrun race with automatic transitions from run to swim and back as many times as needed.
Duathlon
Duathlon sport app is designed to automatically switch between run and ride views in hectic race scenarios to give you the right data.
SwimTimer
Swim timer is designed to provide swimmers with a better understanding of their interval sessions showing interval counts, rest time etc.
Gym timer
The gym timer can be used to follow the rest times of a workout.
Tabata
Tabata protocol is used as a high intensity workout such as circuit training, consisting of 20 seconds of hard effort and 10 seconds of rest.
Surfer
This sport app gives you all the key stats for your surf session. How many waves did you surf, time surfed and paddle.
Golf score
Golf score sports app is a handy tool for keeping count of number of strikes during the golf.
Tennis score
Tennis score sports app is a handy tool for keeping the tennis score on your wrist while playing.
Badminton score
Badminton score sports app is a handy tool for keeping the badminton game score on your wrist while playing.
Soccer score
Soccer score sports app is a handy tool for keeping the match statistics on your wrist while playing.
Score counter
Score sports app is a handy tool for keeping the score count while playing games.
Disc golf
A handy tool for keeping score and measuring distances during your disc golf game.
Sail racer
Enables you to synchronize your start time to the official start time of the race to get a countdown on your watch.
Outdoor experience
Emergency Info (I.C.E.)
Store essential contact information, allergies, blood type and other medical details under the “ICE” as a sports app.
Safe
Quick access to your GPS coordinates and other key information of your current location as well as your starting point.
Climb
Keep track of your effort while hiking up a mountain, rock climbing, doing hill repeats in your backyard or running upstairs.
DirectPath
The DirectPath gives you an understanding of the direct path between two points you have just covered and the efficiency on how well you were able to follow this line.
Drink Alert
Use the Drink alert to remind you regularly to rehydrate based on the weather conditions.
LastKm/Last mile Pace
In trail running, the pace can change drastically between uphills and downhills in, the last KM/mile app give you the live rolling kilometer/mile pace to follow.
CO2e
CO2e sport app shows how much CO2 you have saved compared to if you would have driven a car.
Moon
The app provides you with information about the moon phases.
Sun
The app provides you with information about the sunrise, sunset as well as time for dusk and dawn.
Big numbers
Sport app that gives you the data in bigger letters to make it clearly visible.
Variometer
The Variometer SuuntoPlus™ feature is a handy tool to keep track of your vertical speed.
Weather
Keep alert with storm alarms, measure water temperature or notice if your hike is going past the sunset.
Weather forecast
The sports app gives you the forecasted weather you can rely on during your long rides and hikes.
Devices
CORE body temperature
With this sport app you can pair your Suunto with a CORE body temperature sensor – to train smarter & perform better.
ActiveLook
With this sport app you can connect your Suunto to ActiveLook Smart Glasses and see key excercise data right in your field of view.
TrainRed
When using this sport app your TrainRed muscle oxygen (SmO2%) sensor will provide real-time feedback on the oxygenation status of muscles, helping you optimize your training and performance.
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love which is this site and I appreciate everyone who follows, subscribes or Buys Me A Coffee ❤️ Alternatively please buy the reviewed product from my partners. Thank you! FTC: Affiliate Disclosure: Links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Wow, this looks very promising for the Suunto platform!
DCR wrote in his review earlier this year that the Vertical’s accuracy is very bad for openwater swimming. However, recently, Suunto pushed a new update to fix openwater accuracy.
Do you have any experience regarding openwater swimming with the Vertical?
no sorry.
The backyard ultra one makes me smile. That is so incredibly niche specific.
It seems weird that a lot of these are just built-in base Garmin features.
– race predictor
– weather
– sunrise / sunrise
– DirectPath seems like a Garmin sight and go
– DirectClimb seems like Garmin’s old auto climb before climb pro
– threshold test is garmin’s FTP detection
– fused zone is just a custom data page in a Garmin watch
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great they have this. I don’t understand why these features have to be an app that invokes special runtime limits rather than built-in functionality. Maybe I’m underestimating how some advantage of the Suunto approach.
i think that’s fair
OTOH, some could argue that you only need to add the features you want and will use and so avoiding overcomplicating the interface.
I REALLY like the way Suunto is going – best in class battery life next to maps (just ok related to garmin, coros) but app shop, plenty of updates for existing models (even old 9 baro). Where is Polar? No update for v2 / grit pro for 13- 14 months?
yes if i look back 3 years there was the smartphone app to bemoan…that’s now sorted. maps are on their way to being sorted. the quality of the hardware is always good. 3rd party apps are on their way
all in all. good.
watch is a bit laggy at times and the screen area needs to be bigger. that’s about it. somoen will chip in with ANT+…which is fine!
Btw do you test incoming V3 or cant tell? There are plenty pictures and almost full spec on reddit.
Why do you put leaks about Garmin and not Polar? Can I send you pictures and info to publish?