Suunto launches budget friendly Spartan Trainer Wrist HR watch
Suunto has just announced a new entry level GPS watch with optical heart rate.
The Finish based company is best known for its range of wearables, dive computers, compasses and precision instruments. Taking its cue from Garmin and its Fenix 5 device, Suunto’s latest addition to its smartwatch range packs in a host of features, but is considerably smaller in size than the older models.
In terms of activity tracking, the watch covers the basics. This includes keeping tabs on your daily steps, calories and sleep and monitoring your daily resting heart rate. There are also notifications for incoming calls, text and calendar notifications.
But this is a device primarily designed to be your companion for sports such as running, cycling, gym and hiking. Suunto says there are 80 sports modes pre-installed, with more available to download. Because its water resistant down to 50 metres, swimming is also on this list.
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You get sport-specific displays which show fancy charts and relevant, real-time information. With built-in GPS, the route navigation and breadcrumb view make it safe and easy to venture out and discover new places.
As its name implies, you also get optical heart rate measurements from the wrist. The watch uses technology by Valencell, which is featured in some of the predecessor models. If you prefer, you can strap on a compatible heart rate chest strap instead.
This is a very lightweight sports-watch. In fact, coming in at only 56 grams you will hardly notice its sitting on your wrist. There are five designs to choose from including Gold and Steel for an urban look; and Ocean, Blue and Black for a sporty feel. You can personalise the gadget further with customisable watch faces.
In terms of battery life, Spartan Trainer will keep going for up to two weeks in normal mode. In training mode, this comes down to 10 hours, or 30 hours with power saving options switched on.
“With Spartan Trainer we are reaching out to active sports enthusiasts who want the features and sport expertise the Spartan family offers, but prefer a smaller, lighter watch,” said Daniela Tjeder, Suunto Commercial Marketing Manager.
“At a suggested retail price from 279 Euros, this is a lightweight that delivers a solid, feature-packed punch.”
The budget friendly Suunto Spartan Trainer Wrist HR is set to hit retailers on August 31st.
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