Suunto launches new Ambit2/S GPS watches

The launch of the original Suunto Ambit took the GPS watch market to a new level and a bunch of adventure athletes including trail runners to a new realm of capturing their adventure and trail run data.

Now, Suunto has unveiled an all new pair of GPS watches that, along with an opening up of their Apps Collection to outside developers and updates to Movescount.com, is set to become a game changer for any athlete in the adventure sphere, including of course trail runners (who took to the Ambit with a fair amount of gusto when it launched originally, shifting the focus off market leader Garmin).

And so without further ado (and without test units in hand yet – so limited information til we do…): Suunto’s second generation of Ambit outdoor GPS watches introduces the new Ambit2 S and the Ambit2.From what we can gather, the main upshift is a move to allow user programming, centered around the apps zone and personalisation capabilities of the watches. The units have had a makeover, too, with the bulky faces put on a diet to slim down some and a little shnazzle [2] added to the styling. Yeh, ‘shnazzle’ – watch out for it in an upcoming release of the Oxford ED.

We’ll get more information as it comes to hand but for now, here’s the blurb from Suunto’s release notes:

Comments President of Suunto, Mikko Moilanen: “The Ambit got a tremendously positive response from consumers last year. To meet the needs of performance sports oriented users even better we felt that a lighter, slimmer GPS with sports-specific features but less focus on outdoor functionality was needed to complement the Ambit family. In addition, the rapidly advancing technology made it meaningful to update the Ambit family with new members already now.”

App Zone and Movescount.com upgraded

In a move that redefines sport watches in the same way Apple did to the Smartphone, Suunto is also upgrading the Suunto App Zone – the community forum where users can find and create free Apps for the Ambit GPS watches. The upgrade now gives Ambit owners the chance to create and share more advanced Apps, putting the power of personalisation in their hands. Since it launched in November 2012, the App Zone has proved popular with users, who have created over 5,000 Apps so far. Suunto’s online sports community Movescount.com which hosts the App Zone, will also be updated to provide new tools for in-depth analysis, enhanced navigation and improved opportunities for sharing.

Ambit2 S – The GPS watch for Athletes
The new Ambit2 S is a light and sleek GPS watch for multisport athletes that packs all the features needed for cycling, running, swimming and multisport training. The GPS provides accurate pace, route navigation and tracking, while the heart rate monitor lets you train within your ideal zone.

o Running: Runners benefit from highly accurate pace and distance thanks to FusedSpeed™, the Ambit’s accelerometer integrated GPS, as well as interval timer and autolaps for training.

o Cycling: The new Suunto Ambit2 S will support power meters (ANT+) and offers various power measurement values and numerous options for in-depth analysis.

o Swimming: The Ambit2 S also offers comprehensive swimming functionality, including pace and distance, automatic intervals, stroke rate and swimming time related to different pool lengths. The Ambit2 S will also learn to recognise your swimming style, which makes performance analysis easier.

o Multisport Training: Users can switch between sports, making the Suunto Ambit2 S ideal for recording your multisport training or race.

Ambit2 – The GPS for Explorers and Athletes

Suunto also launches the Ambit2, which builds on the success of the award-winning Suunto Ambit. It includes Suunto’s hallmark outdoor functions such as route navigation, barometric information, altimeter with FusedAltiTM, 3D compass and other outdoor specific features. In addition the Ambit2 has all the training features of the Ambit2 S.

Packed in a glass fiber reinforced casing with a battery life of up to 50 hours in GPS mode, the Ambit2 is the ultimate watch for serious adventurers, explorers and multisport athletes. The Sapphire edition of the Ambit2, features a brushed steel bezel and sapphire crystal glass, adding some serious style to the Ambit2’s extreme functionality.

Comments Suunto ambassador and climber Ueli Steck: “In the mountains you need a watch you can rely on. I’ve been using Suunto products for many years and the Ambit2 is the ideal product out there for anyone serious about their mountain sports.”

Both Ambit2 S and Ambit2 will be globally available from May 2013.

For more product details and full specs, visit www.suunto.com