Enable SDK for Karoo (3)
Dear Hammerhead,
Can you please enable the SDK for the new Karoo (3) like you did for 1 and 2 before?!
It’s extremely important for most of us who’re riding our bikes with other groupsets like your mother company provides…
Most of us made you big with purchasing version 1 and version 2 and it would be a very well appreciated move if you prioritise this point on your list.
Please always remember who supported you all the years - it’s us, your community!
Best regards
Andi
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I guess they weren't working on an SDK at least until the hardware release day (maybe even until now) and were kind of surprised by the customer feedback that people are shocked that they did not had the SDK ready right on release day. Pretty wild to know your customer base so poorly.
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I seem to recall prior to SRAM acquiring Hammerhead, that they used to promote the fact that they were very developer centric company, practicing Agile software methodologies, having biweekly agile software releases (frequent incremental software updates, etc). Having an SDK fit into that developer centric approach. After the SRAM acquisition, the release cadence seemed to slow considerably. No longer could you count on bi-weekly updates.
I get the feeling that SRAM, not being principally a software company, doesn't recognize the value of having an SDK and was taken by surprise by the interest. I know from my perspective, working in IT, the agile software releases, and the SDK, played a big part in my interest in the Karoo product. I hope they come around on this soon, otherwise I may be tempted to check out the Garmin 1050.
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As a longtime Karoo user, ATG member, and part of the newest Karoo Pilot team, I am a huge HH booster. But the other day a friend of mine was talking about upgrading from his Garmin device and asked me about Karoo. I went through all the positives and was showing him the screens when he asked me why the field I have for "Gears" was a blank space. I explained the situation with Shimano, and that there was a program available to side load that would give him Di2 info but it wasn't yet available for side loading on the new unit. End of convo. He bought a new Garmin.
I'm not sure why releasing a new SDK is taking so long, particularly as I get bi-weekly "enhancements" that cater to SRAM users. If SRAM believes that folks will buy new SRAM drivetrains to get this feature on their HH head unit, well, I think that's a bit like someone thinking the tail wags the dog. The fact that an SDK is not available for the new unit is very disappointing. -
I'm not going to sell my bikes to fit my cycle computer. I go back to Garmin. The best advantage of Karoo was its bright screen, that advantage has been lost with the new 1050. Now Karoo3 will sink in sales, you'll see.... We'll soon see it for +-€200 Pissing off half your loyal customers is not a good business decision. -
@ttalonso, as long as the fact that SRAM is not releasing the SDK has not been officially declared by themselves - and I am so far not aware of an official source which would confirm this - I kindly ask you to stop sharing false information, respectively rumours, as this certainly does not help anyone.
We are all frustrated by the fact that the SDK has not been released so far.SRAM / Hammerhead, please step up. You are really letting down your customers!
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I wrote to tech support and they said it was not currently on the roadmap
. It is clear that "political" decisions can change from one day to the next, but it has been 3 months since the launch, and it is not a bug or similar. So make the decisions as users that you see fit.
If you can do without the di2/ki2 functionalities, then buy a karoo3, if not then make another decision, as I just did 3 months later.
Finally I won't stay with the karoo2 because the screen looks bad in the sun, the battery with SIM and high brightness lasts 7 hours, and I don't like the new policy that Hammerhead has taken at all. It has nothing to do with the one from a few years ago.
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I'll explain it to you unofficially:
- When there starts to be massive stock and everyone has a Garmin 1050 on their handlebars, then HH will either release the SDK or apply a substantial discount to it.
- On the other hand, I am a Quarq Tyrewiz user (who bought SRAM), and they do not release the IQ plugin for the garmin 1050... coincidence?
Disgusting company, they have no other name.
I just hope that in a few years Chinese manufacturers will take over the market for bike transmissions and cycle computers.
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Karoo Di2 support was built before the SRAM acquisition, after which Shimano pulled the plug. We have no evidence that SRAM owned Karoo would have ever built out Di2 support, even if Shimano allowed it. But if the way they have treated SDK support is any indication, they likely would not have.
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Eveyone in this thread saying "They haven't reltthe SDK Yet ... " But Hammerhead hasn't committed to release anything at all for the K3 so 'yet' is being pretty optimistic.
Until Hammerhead says they are committed to an SDK and adds it to a feature roadmap, it simply doesn't exist and we should be saying that DI2/KI2 support does not exist on the K3.
Maybe pedantic, but words matter.
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I’m guilty of not doing enough research on the device before I bought one and now regret the lack of features it has and thought the ki2 would work.
I’m probably going to sell it on eBay and pick up an edge 840 at this point. This a nice device but I do like Garmin training metrics, di2 control, and integration with Apple health -
Can you please enable the SDK for the new Karoo 3, just like you did for versions 1 and 2? Many of us use different bike setups and really need this feature to connect and customize our devices. We've supported you by buying versions 1 and 2, and enabling the SDK for Karoo 3 would mean a lot to us. Please make this a priority. Thank you!
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Okay guys, I thought this 'issue' was going to be resolved in a couple days/weeks, but I lost confidence, so I changed my mind and returned the new Karoo and ordered a Garmin 1050 (for almost double the price of the Karoo...). It's a pity since the Karoo is a very nice device. Goodbye Hammerhead Karoo... Goodbye SRAM...
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Giving it until the next update if no Sdk or a timeline for Sdk Karoo 3 going on ebay and garmin 1050 will be purchased. Shame as the device is good otherwise. But the lack of information or commitment from Hammerhead is really poor and would not encourage me to ever purchase sram or Hammerhead products
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schmadde, all they have to do is release the SDK (as they did with the Karoo 2) and Di2 will be supported. They are making the business decision to not release the SDK, thus preventing third party Di2 support. You have to be incredibly naïve to not understand that this is 100% a business decision by SRAM. They have decided to leverage the Karoo as a value add for SRAM Red customers.
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Frank, it's the new interface that makes Garmin a real competitor in my opinion. We have Garmin out there inovating, and Hammerhead really not at all, and in the case of the SDK, actually removing capabilities.
I really hope my K2 has a long life ahead of it, but if it broke today, I'm not sure if buy another Karoo given the current state of things.
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The SDK was also not very important for HH before they were acquired by SRAM. I waited for it for years literally. I would also like (a better) one. But apparently they didn't develop one for the karoo3 and who knows if they ever will.
It is not a matter of just "enabling" or "releasing" it, it first needs to be developed. And yes, that most certainly is a business decision - they see a gazillion Connect IQ Apps on the garmin side and almost none for karoo - except for Ki2 which might get them in legal trouble. So they most likely asked themselves "why waste effort on this".
having said that i can hardly imagine it to be such a big effort since they already had one for the old Karoos and their apps probably share the same codebase.
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