Suunto 7 Defies Categories, Functions as Both a Smartwatch and a Fitness Watch

Although smart wearables have been a big trend in the past couple years, these devices were largely overshadowed at CES 2020 by new devices and trends centered on themes of intelligence and connectivity. Even as this was the case, Suunto, a leading fitness watch company, made their presence known with a showcase of their latest watch, the Suunto 7.

First and foremeost, the Suunto 7 remains a traditional Suunto fitness watch. Their popular fitness features return, like tracking over 70 different exercises, and having a built heart rate monitor and GPS. Additionally, the UI has been elevated to better support a fitness lifestyle; whether its built-in tiles to track activity levels over the previous month or to show a heat map of popular runs, Suunto 7 is packed with functions and features to maximize training tracking and experience.

However, unlike most other fitness watches, the Suunto 7 also operates as a completely smart device. Traditional smart watch features, like pairing to your phone and receiving notifications, are certainly enabled on the newest Suunto. But what makes it unique (and different from other strictly fitness watches) is that it comes with Google Assistant. With this onboard, the Suunto 7 can be connected to all your other Google Assistant enabled devices. This can mean setting the temperature of your room or simply asking the weather, straight from your watch!   

All of this is wrapped up in a premium looking and feeling watch. The watch chassis is fairly traditional with the watch face itself the only sign that the Suunto 7 is a smart wearable. Crystal clear and responsive to touch, the watch face also presents as premium.

Neither exclusively a smart nor a fitness watch, the Suunto 7 is better classified as a smart fitness watch. It combines the best of both worlds, having all the features needed for a rugged adventure while also capable of connecting seamlessly with your other Google Assistant devices. Available January 31^st, the Suunto 7 could be a solid upgrade or addition to a smart ecosystem.