Suunto opens the door for user built sports apps on its watches
Suunto users can now build their own sports apps for compatible watches. The company has published a developer guide that shows how anyone can go from zero to a running SuuntoPlus app on a watch or simulator in under an hour.
The documentation was published earlier today. It outlines how users can create custom sports apps using standard development tools such as JavaScript, HTML and CSS. For people comfortable with basic coding, the barrier to entry looks relatively low.
The idea behind SuuntoPlus sports apps is simple. They allow developers to extend Suunto watches with sport specific logic, calculations and user interface elements that run during an activity. That means users could potentially create custom metrics, training tools or visualisations that appear on the watch while exercising.
What SuuntoPlus sports apps actually are
SuuntoPlus sports apps act as lightweight extensions that run during workouts. They can process sensor data such as heart rate, GPS, altitude or power and display new metrics directly on the watch screen.
Each app contains a few key components. The logic is written in JavaScript. The interface is built using HTML and CSS. A JSON file defines the manifest and configuration.
Suunto provides an editor that runs inside Visual Studio Code. This extension includes the tools needed to create an app, test it and package it for submission.
The process looks fairly straightforward. Developers create a new project, write their logic and interface, then test the result either on a simulator or on a real watch.
Simulator makes testing easier
An interesting part of the toolset is the built in simulator. Developers can test their apps without needing a physical watch.
The simulator can mimic multiple watch display sizes and allows playback speeds ranging from normal speed up to 50 times faster. It also generates simulated sensor data including heart rate, GPS position, altitude and power.
Workout files can also be loaded for testing. This makes it possible to see how an app behaves during a real activity scenario. Once the app works correctly in the simulator, it can be deployed directly to a connected watch via Bluetooth.
Apps can eventually reach the SuuntoPlus store
If developers want to distribute their apps more widely, they can submit them through Suunto’s API Zone.
The process involves joining the Suunto Partner Program, packaging the source code and submitting the app for review. Approved apps can then appear in the SuuntoPlus store where other users can download them.
For now this still looks like a controlled environment rather than a fully open marketplace. Apps must pass a review process before publication.
A step toward a broader ecosystem
Suunto watches have supported SuuntoPlus sports apps for some time. What is different here is that the company now provides a clearer path for external developers to build them.
That opens the door for the community to experiment with niche features that may never appear in official firmware updates.
Runners could design custom pacing tools. Trail athletes might create vertical ascent dashboards. Data focused users might experiment with new training metrics derived from existing sensors.
Compared to Garmin’s Connect IQ platform, Suunto’s approach still looks more limited. SuuntoPlus apps tend to run during workouts rather than acting as standalone watch apps.
Even so, the ability for users to build their own sports extensions could gradually expand what Suunto watches can do. Much of it will depend on whether the developer community decides to embrace the opportunity.
Source: Suunto
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