Suunto’s niche, streamlined watches have enough smart features to improve your next backpacking trip, setting them apart from smartwatches from the likes of Apple and Samsung. The newly announced Suunto Core 2 is an ABC (altimeter, barometer, and compass) watch that should not only make navigating the backcountry easier but also warn you about incoming storms.
The original Suunto Core was released in 2007, so Suunto is revisiting the ABC watch concept with several improvements in tow. While the basic rugged design of the watch is similar to its predecessor, the company says it should feel more comfortable to wear, and its LED dot-matrix display is 40% brighter whether you’re using the built-in green or red backlights. The watch is also more durable. The Core 2 is water resistant to 10 ATM (around 100 meters), a big jump up from the original’s 3 meters of resistance. It’s also built to MIL-STD-810H military standards for maximum reliability and has a battery life of up to 15 months (with support for user-replaceable coin cell batteries).
Unlike GPS-enabled smartwatches from Garmin, the Suunto Core 2 is deliberately less capable. The watch can replace a compass and even automatically account for the difference between true north and magnetic north, but it won’t map your location or navigate to your next destination. Still, Suunto has included some novel features: Besides tools like a step counter, the digital compass, and the altimeter, the Core 2’s barometer can detect changes in pressure and warn you of oncoming storms. The watch doesn’t offer the same connectivity as even Wear OS models that Suunto has experimented with in the past, but its new support for Bluetooth does mean Suunto can update it over time.
The Suunto Core 2 makes less sense for a professional runner than it does an avid hiker, but at $179, it seems like a relatively affordable upgrade over a standard digital watch. And one that could theoretically improve over time.
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