Despite the advancements in wearable technology, smartwatches other than those running Apple's watchOS and Samsung's Tizen have failed to make an impact on users. Google's Wear OS has been a major let down for several users because of the lack of fitness features or a closed platform in contrast to the open-source Android. But more importantly, Qualcomm's inferior hardware support compared to proprietary chips used by brands like Apple, Huawei, or Samsung on their smartwatches have led to disappointment. Besides a lagging performance, Snapdragon 3100 – the latest chipset for wearables from Qualcomm until the leaked Snapdragon 3300 is formally announced – also suffers from poor battery life, which diminishes with increased physical activity. To abate that to some extent, Qualcomm announced a "Sports mode" in mid-2019 and six months later, the first smartwatch – Suunto 7 – has been launched.
Suunto 7 is the latest wearable from the eponymous sports brands sans the numeric identifier. It comes with a shock-proof design that is also resilient against water and dirt. The smartwatch runs on Google's Wear OS, which brings a host of smartwatch compatible apps like Google Fit, Google Pay, Google Assistant, and a whole lot of others from the Play Store. Additionally, the Suunto 7 features an Offline Outdoor Maps feature, which not only guides fitness enthusiasts to follow their intended tracks but also shows a heatmap to help them discover the most-preferred training routes.
When it comes to sports tracking features, the Suunto 7 packs in as many as 70 dedicated tracking modes from the common ones like running and cycling to the more exclusive ones such as surfing and skiing. The Snapdragon 3100's Sport Mode on the Suunto 7 enables up to 12 hours of continuous GPS and sports tracking or 48 hours of battery life with daily. The display is protected by an unknown version of Gorilla Glass and the smartwatch comes with water resistance at up to 50 meters (~165 ft).
The stainless steel dial can be complemented by choices among silicon, leather, and textile. The Suunto 7 is priced at $479 (prices may vary according to the strap material) and will be available for pre-orders starting later today i.e. January 6th via the company's online store. The shipment of the product begins on January 31st.