TECH SPECS
Display: 128 x 128 pixels
Water resistance: 100m
Heart-rate monitor: Suunto Smart HRM Sensor
Weight: 92g (watch only)
RATING
Features 4/5
Design 5/5
Performance 5/5
Value for money 3/5
Overall 4/5
The Suunto Ambit3 Peak Sapphire
HR bundle consists of the watch and the Suunto Smart HRM Sensor, a
comfortable lightweight Bluetooth heart-rate monitor chest strap that
works even in a swimming pool.
At $1,399, this bundle is expensive, but the Ambit3 Peak Sapphire
not only tracks your workouts and monitors your heart rate, it is also
a digital compass, barometer, thermometer and altimeter.
When paired with your Apple iPhone (Android support will come later)
via the Suunto Movescount app, the Ambit3 also displays call, text and
e-mail notifications.
It is also part fitness tracker. While it does track movement, it
does not track steps taken or movement during sleep. The device tracks
movement only on the chart showing calories burned; not on the
Movescount Web service or app.
This is the only running watch I have used that has attracted
compliments from my colleagues on its looks. The Ambit3 is the
best-looking running watch of this lot, with its circular watchface,
cool stainless-steel bezel and glass fibre-reinforced casing.
It has three buttons on the right side, and two buttons on the left.
The classic design will not look out of place whether you are wearing a
business suit or a tracksuit.
Date and time are shown on the default display panel. You can change
the configuration by pressing the view button (at the bottom left) to
display additional information such as number of notifications and
battery percentage.
Select "running" and the watch automatically searches for the Suunto Smart HRM Sensor and looks for a GPS signal.
It took just 5 seconds for the Ambit3 to connect to the heart-rate
monitor and secure a GPS fix on a stadium track and in an HDB
neighbourhood - the fastest of this group to lock on to a GPS signal.
During runs, you can use the view and next buttons to toggle through
the display panel to show the information you want. The sharp display
makes it easy to read.
The GPS distance tracking is fairly accurate with a margin of error under 2 per cent.
The Movescount app and Web service display your runs in a clear
manner that lets you see all stats in one view. You can map different
stats, such as heart rate, cadence and altitude, into one graph.
If you can afford it, the Suunto Ambit3 Peak Sapphire is the best GPS running watch available now.
