The new Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro offers maximum precision at high altitude
The new Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro is a robust GPS watch that offers both wrist heart rate measurement and an air pressure sensor for more precise altitude readings. The timepiece should appeal to lovers of hiking and other outdoor adventures.
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An incremental update on Suunto Spartan Sport, the new watch uses GPS/GLONASS to accurately track speed, pace and distance, and wrist HR technology by industry leader Valencell to monitor heart rate. Daily activity tracking includes steps, calories and sleep, along with minimum heart rate during a 12-hour period.
The main differentiating factor from the rest of the Suunto collection is the upgraded air pressure sensor. In outdoor environments, correct altitude readings are important. The new Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro uses Suunto’s FusedAlti™ technology, combining GPS and barometric data for more precise readings. The watch will also display sunrise/sunset times, and gives storm alarms when a sudden drop in air pressure occurs.
You can expect up 20 hours of battery life (1-second GPS fix with power-saving options) and 40 hours of battery life with 1-minute GPS fix and power-saving options. The watch is also water resistant down to 100 meters.
In related news, Suunto’s entire Spartan collection will receive a software update in October that will introduce sleep tracking, better route navigation and sunrise/sunset times. The lack of proper sleep tracking has been an obvious omission so far. There will also be new ski features which include a run counter, display of run lengths, verticals and maximum speed during descent.
The software update is scheduled for October 17th, and will coincide with the retail introduction of the new Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro (RRP $599).
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