Comparison Suunto Spartan Sport Wrist HR vs Suunto Traverse Alpha

The support of ANT+ wireless data transfer technology.

This technology is designed specifically for use in sports equipment, including wearable gadgets. It allows you to transmit secure data over a wireless channel with a frequency of 2.4 GHz at a distance of up to 30 m in open space. At the same time, the data exchange rate is very low — 12.8 kbps in normal mode and up to 60 kbps in "forced" mode — however, ANT+ was originally designed for small amounts of information, moreover, this format of operation provides extremely low power consumption. With all this, several elements can be easily combined into one network (for example, smartwatches, a heart rate monitor, and even smart home control panels). These elements will coordinate their work with each other — wait for free air for transmission so as not to “interrupt” each other, and even work as repeaters for each other when the signal from a certain part of the network is weakened and direct communication with the central unit is impossible. The role of the central unit can be played, for example, by a smartphone — ANT+ support is provided in many such gadgets; and if it is not initially available, you can install a special application and communicate through an external adapter.

ANT+ devices will be compatible with each other regardless of type and manufacturer.

Types of notifications, as well as basic voice communication features supported by the gadget.

— Call notifications. Notifications about calls coming to the smartphone connected to the gadget, and for watch-phones — about calls to the watch itself. In classic smartwatches and fitness trackers (see "Type"), the specific functionality of such notifications can be different — from the usual sound or vibration signal to the ability to see the caller's number on the screen and accept/reject the call. But anyway, such notifications are often more noticeable to the user than the own signal of a smartphone deep in a pocket or bag.

— SMS notifications. Notifications about SMS messages received either on a smartphone connected to the gadget, or on the gadget itself, if it is capable of receiving messages (all watch phones and many children's beacons have this capability, see "Type"). The specific features of notifications can be different — from the icon "you have received a message" to the ability to read SMS and reply to it. Anyway, this feature often provides additional convenience — at least it reduces the likelihood of missing an important notification, and often also eliminates the need to once again take the phone out of your pocket / bag.

— Voice control. The ability to control the device through voice commands. In order for a smartwatch or f...itness tracker to perform some simple feature, it is enough to say its name aloud.

— Voice assistant. In watches with voice assistant support, the level of user interaction with the device is displayed in a new qualitative way. The most popular virtual assistants are Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. In Apple devices, the role of an assistant is performed by Apple Siri, in Samsung wearable gadgets — a virtual assistant Bixby. Unlike the voice control function, the assistant does not just turn on this or that feature, but allows you to perform certain operations in applications that require feedback.

— Sound signal. The ability to give sound signals using the built-in speaker. This feature will be useful primarily in situations where the gadget is not on hand — for example, if it is used as an alarm clock and is removed at night.

— Vibration. Vibration signal similar to that used in mobile phones. In wearable gadgets, such a signal is especially convenient due to the fact that the device is constantly in contact with the wearer's skin, so that the vibration is perfectly felt — and regardless of the level of noise around. In addition, vibration mode is also useful in quiet environments where a loud sound signal is undesirable.

— Built-in microphone. Own microphone built into the body of the device. Such equipment can be used for different purposes, depending on the type and features of the gadget. First of all, voice communication is impossible without a microphone. Another feature for which a microphone is required is the voice assistant (see above). And in children's smartwatches, it may be possible to remotely turn on the microphone from the parent gadget and listen to what is happening around the child; see the relevant paragraph below for details.

— Speakerphone(speaker). The ability to work the gadget in hands-free mode, using the built-in speaker and microphone for conversation. In a conventional smartwatch (see "Type"), this feature allows you to talk through the watch without removing the smartphone from your pocket; in watch-phones, speakerphone allows you to do so without headphones and headsets, and for children's smartwatches, this feature is almost mandatory. However the volume of the built-in speaker is usually low, so in a noisy environment its power may not be enough.

This block contains both various navigation systems ( GPS, Galileo) and auxiliary features for them ( aGPS, GPS tracking, maps, compass, altimeter , barometer). More about them:

— GPS module. GPS satellite navigation module built right into the watch/tracker. The initial purpose of such a module is to determine the current geographic coordinates; but how this information will be used depends on the specific type and model of the gadget. For example, in some devices GPS is used only for measuring the distance traveled and/or speed of movement, while more advanced models support full navigation and are equipped with built-in maps. In addition, this feature is almost mandatory in children's beacons (see "Type") — it is GPS that is responsible for determining the location of the child.

— aGPS. An auxiliary feature that allows you to speed up the start of the main GPS receiver. To work for its main purpose, such a receiver must update data on the location of navigation satellites; Obtaining this data in the classical way, directly from the satellites themselves, can take quite a long time (up to several minutes). This is especially true for the so-called "cold start" — when the receiver starts up after a long break in opera...tion, and the data stored in it has become completely outdated. aGPS (Assisted GPS) allows you to receive up-to-date service information from a mobile operator — from the nearest base station (this feature is supported by most operators nowadays). This can greatly speed up the startup process.

— GLONASS. This system is a Russian alternative to the American GPS. However it provides somewhat less accuracy, so GLONASS support is usually provided in addition to the GPS module. Simultaneous use of two systems, in turn, improves positioning accuracy.

— Galileo. European satellite navigation system, created as an alternative to the American GPS. Note that it is under the control of civilian departments, not the military. With a full fleet of 24 active satellites, the system gives an accuracy of up to 1 m in public mode and up to 20 cm with the GHA service. Working in conjunction with GPS, the Galileo system provides a more accurate position measurement, especially in densely populated areas.

— Maps. The feature of displaying topographic maps of the area with heights, relief and types of vegetation on the clock screen. Preinstalled maps are used for visual GPS navigation without being tied to a smartphone. Often, the ability to display maps is implemented in tactical smartwatches with a focus on tourism.

— GPS tracking. Many watches with the possibility of laying routes have the feature of guiding by the GPS track. At the same time, the wearable gadget acts as a navigator around the area, showing the route on the screen and suggesting where it is necessary to turn in one direction or another. Some smartwatches with a pronounced touristic bias also have a “Return Route” programme that allows you to go back along an already traveled route. In GPS tracker mode, trackpoints are usually recorded automatically based on the selected fixing interval. You can also mark a track point manually at any time.

— Compass. A classic compass is a device that indicates the direction to the cardinal points. Wearable gadgets usually use an electronic compass — a miniature magnetic sensor, the data from which, if necessary, are displayed on the display.

— Altimeter. A feature that allows you to determine the current altitude of the user's location. Note that the principle and format of the altimeter may be different. So, some models use barometer data for height measurements, others use information from a GPS sensor; the height itself can be determined relative to sea level, relative to some reference point, or in any of these ways, at the choice of the user. These details should be clarified separately.

— Barometer. A feature that allows you to determine the current atmospheric pressure. One of the applications of the barometer is weather forecasting: for example, a sharp drop in pressure usually signals the approach of bad weather. In addition, information from this sensor can be used to operate the altimeter (see above); and even if the gadget does not have an altimeter, the height difference between two points on the ground can be easily calculated from the pressure difference between them.

Screen size in dots (pixels) horizontally and vertically. In general, this is one of the indicators that determine the image quality: the higher the resolution, the clearer and smoother the picture on the screen (with the same size), the less noticeable are the individual dots. On the other hand, an increase in the number of pixels affects the cost of displays, their power consumption and requirements for a hardware platform (more powerful hardware is required, which itself will cost more). In addition, the specifics of using smartwatches is such that there is simply no need to install high-resolution screens in them. Therefore, modern wrist accessories use displays with a relatively low resolution: for example, 320x320 with a size of about 1.6" is considered quite sufficient even for premium watches.

The material from which the transparent cover of the display is made.

— Plastic. Inexpensive, moreover, quite durable and impact-resistant material: even with a strong impact, the plastic is more likely to crack than crumble into fragments. At the same time, scratches easily appear on such a surface, and over time it inevitably becomes cloudy. Because of this, plastic is found predominantly in inexpensive wearable gadgets.

— Glass. In this case, it can mean both classic silicate glass (the same as, for example, in windows), and some original types of impact-resistant glass that are not related to Gorilla Glass(see below). Regular glass costs more than plastic, but not by much, and it looks better and stays clear longer due to its scratch resistance. The main disadvantages of this material are fragility and a tendency to crumble into sharp fragments upon impact. Impact-resistant glass types are devoid of this drawback to one degree or another, but they are also more expensive. According to the price category of the gadget, you can quite accurately determine what kind of glass it uses — ordinary or shock-resistant.

— Sapphire. The coating made of synthetic sapphire is used exclusively in premium-class gadgets — this is due to the complexity of its production and, accordingly, the high cost. On the practical s...ide, sapphire is extremely scratch resistant (it is only possible to scratch such glass with a diamond or special tools), but at the same time it is fragile and easily breaks from impact.

— Gorilla glass. A family of shock-resistant glass types created by Corning and widely used in modern electronics, including wearable gadgets. In addition to strength, Gorilla Glass is also distinguished by good scratch resistance, while being relatively inexpensive (by the standards of such a coating), which has led to their popularity. However, the specific properties of such glass depend on its version; Here are the options that are relevant for modern wearable devices:

• Gorilla Glass v3. The oldest current version was released in 2013. Nevertheless, even such a coating is noticeably superior to traditional glass (not to mention plastic) in terms of transparency and scratch resistance.
• Gorilla Glass v4. Version released in 2014. A key feature was that the development of this coating focused on impact resistance (whereas previous generations focused mainly on scratch resistance). As a result, the glass turned out to be twice as strong as in version 3, despite the fact that its thickness was only 0.4 mm.
• Gorilla Glass SR+. The first version of Gorilla Glass, designed specifically for smartwatches and other miniature wearable gadgets; presented in 2016. According to the creators, the scratch resistance of such coatings approaches those of sapphire glass while maintaining the main advantages of Gorilla Glass — high strength and transparency. In general, for this material, superiority over "alternative options" is claimed by 70% in terms of strength specs and by 25% in terms of optical properties.
• Gorilla Glass DX. Another type of glass, specially designed for wearable devices. It was released in 2018 at the same time as the DX+ version (see below). Of the key improvements in Gorilla Glass DX, in particular, increased anti-reflective properties and an increase in the contrast level of the visible image by 50% are announced; the latter, among other things, allows you to reduce the actual brightness and, accordingly, the power consumption of screens without compromising image quality, which is especially important for miniature wearable devices. And this material differs from the DX+ type coating, on the one hand, by lower scratch resistance, and, on the other hand, by higher anti-reflective specs.
• Gorilla Glass DX+. Almost the same as the original version of DX, related to the same specialization — wearable wearable gadgets and other miniature devices. At the same time, DX + has a higher scratch resistance, but has slightly worse anti-reflective specs. Otherwise, these types of coverage are almost identical.

The method of charging the battery provided in the gadget.

— MicroUSB. Charging via standard microUSB port. The main advantage of this option is the ability to charge from any microUSB cable or charger with such a connector, not necessarily branded. On the other hand, the connector itself is quite large by the standards of wrist devices and can significantly affect the increase in the dimensions of the gadget.

— USB type C. A compact version of the USB interface with a reversible design that allows the plug to be inserted in either direction. The USB type C specification provides for a number of advanced power options - in particular, various fast charging technologies have been developed for this connector.

- Branded connector. Charging via a cable that connects to the watch using the original proprietary interface. The other end of the cable, as a rule, has a standard interface - most often USB, which allows you to use any computer port or network adapter with such a connector for charging. Branded connectors can be smaller than microUSB, and fit better into the layout of the clock. However, for charging, as a rule, you have to use only original accessories, including branded cradles-stands, which are intended mainly for permanent stay in one place.

- Wireless. The main advantage of wireless c...harging technology is the absence of any connectors - which is important, given the miniature size of wrist gadgets. At the same time, this method takes more time and significantly affects the cost of the device. Note that wireless charging is not contactless: the corresponding chargers can take the form of a stand or platform on which you need to put the watch, or a magnet attached to the back cover of the gadget, etc.

- Magnetic. Charging via a cable with convex metal contacts that are magnetized to the connector on the back cover of the wearable gadget. The magnetic contact group has no gaps, which improves the dust and moisture protection qualities of the smartwatch, and the charging plug itself is attracted to the magnetic connector, eliminating the need to look for the correct position for connecting the cable.

- USB A connector. The presence of a built-in connector allows you to connect the gadget directly to the charger, laptop, power bank without using additional cables.

The time that the gadget can work on one battery charge (or the supplied battery) in normal use.

Normal mode, as a rule, means working with a relatively low load. At this time, the display can display some data, and basic functions can also work (counting steps, periodically checking heart rate, etc.), but in any case, power consumption is low. Therefore, the operating time in normal mode can be quite impressive, up to several weeks, or even months. However, when choosing, it doesn’t hurt to also pay attention to the stated time in active mode (see below) — especially if a long operating time is critical, or you plan to use the gadget intensively. The actual autonomy of the device will most likely be somewhere in between these two values, depending on the actual load. If only the time in normal mode is indicated for the gadget, you should choose with a certain reserve.

The time that the gadget is able to work on one charge of the battery in the active mode of use.

For watch-phones (see “Type”), this usually means a talk mode, for other gadgets, an intensive work mode when numerous features and sensors are used and there is a constant exchange of data with a smartphone/tablet. However, the specific understanding of the "active mode" for different manufacturers may vary: some indicate the time at maximum performance (that is, in fact, guaranteed battery life), others — in some kind of "average mode". However, anyway, this is a fairly clear parameter that describes the battery life of a particular model quite well (and is much closer to real indicators than the time in normal mode mentioned above).

Note that for models with a GPS sensor (see "Navigation"), the specifications may additionally specify the time of active operation using such a sensor. See "Operating time (GPS)" for details.

The material from which the body of the gadget is made. Some models are available in several versions, made of different materials — for example, aluminium or steel; for such cases, all available options are indicated in the specs at once.

— Plastic. Plastic is often considered a low-cost option, but this is not true in the case of wearable gadgets: such devices can use different types of plastic, including very advanced, durable and reliable ones. So the overall quality of such a case, usually, directly depends on the price category of the device. The common advantages of all types of plastic are relatively low weight, resistance to moisture, the ability to give the body any colour and shape, as well as low thermal conductivity.

— Metal. Cases made of metal, for which the manufacturer, for some reason, did not specify the specific composition. However, most often in such cases we are talking about aluminium or steel, see below for more details on both. But high-end materials such as gold or titanium are rarely hidden under the modest term "metal" — they are usually indicated directly in the specifications. Anyway, in general, metal cases are somewhat stronger and more reliable than plastic ones, they also look more solid, but they are also more expens...ive.

— Steel. Usually, stainless steel is used for wearable gadgets. It is highly durable and reliable, does not corrode, looks stylish and neat, and is relatively inexpensive — cheaper than many aluminium alloys, not to mention titanium. One of the peculiarities of steel cases is rather heavy weight, but it can be both a disadvantage and an advantage: a massive case creates an additional feeling of reliability and solidity. It should be noted that most gadgets with steel cases have round dials and a traditional design, which is well suited even to a business style, but occasionally there are exceptions.

— Aluminium. Aluminium alloys combine high strength and low weight — much less than steel. But this material is somewhat more expensive. It is also considered well suited for bright youth gadgets, although it is occasionally used in more traditional devices.

— Rubber. A material found in some models of children's beacons and fitness trackers (see "Type"), but almost never used in other types of wearable gadgets. One of the key advantages of rubber is softness, which gives a certain degree of impact protection and makes the case as safe as possible; both are especially important for children's devices. In addition, such a case can be easily made waterproof and even completely sealed, as well as made in any colour. On the other hand, plastic has practically the same advantages (except for softness), and rubber costs a little more (although it is noticeably cheaper than metals).

— Titanium. Titanium alloys are premium materials and are rarely used, mainly in top-tier models of “extreme” gadgets. This material is light and at the same time extremely durable, besides it perfectly holds its shape when struck; however, titanium costs much more than the same aluminium, despite the fact that high reliability is not so often decisive.

— Gold. Gold or gold-plated case turns the gadget into a stylish fashion accessory. Such a case is very expensive, but this cannot be called a disadvantage: the price of the device emphasizes the status of the owner.

— Ceramics. Special high-strength ceramics is another premium material that not only performs a practical function, but also demonstrates the high level of the gadget and the solidity of its owner. On the practical side, in addition to strength and reliability, this material has extremely high scratch resistance, which allows it to retain its looks for a very long time even in not very favorable conditions. At the same time, ceramics do not tolerate strong point impacts.