How is the 9PP positioned with the new arrival of the RaceS?
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@wurzlsepp on s9pp i would miss maps personally
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@enriqueescoms said in How is the 9PP positioned with the new arrival of the RaceS?:
It is significant to see that just over a year ago (may 2023) the 9PP was little less than the flagship, the top of the range at Suunto. And in that small space of time, it has become practically an entry-level range.
I imagine that this speaks very well of the effort that Suunto has made in recent months.
True. The 9PP was a gem and I hope the RS will be a worthy follower. Time will tell.
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@HansLeo said in How is the 9PP positioned with the new arrival of the RaceS?:
@enriqueescoms Yeah, thatâs truly incredible!
By the way, the S9PP as an âentry-levelâ watch is awesome for newbies; it got all the features, and to me when I use it still gives me some Ambit 3 Peak vibes in terms of performance and ruggedness
Absolutely
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Havenât seen DC Rainmakerâs video on the Race S until today, and frankly speaking I love my 9PP more than ever after I heard that heâs getting more like 3-ish days of battery life with always-on display in the Race S, here:
With my 12-ish days with almost daily training, the 9PP is in another galaxy, really.
Still loving the new Race S
, Suunto did a very nice job. -
@fv4500 yeah, itâs currently the drawback of Amoled but as even AOD is still a sort of power saving mode, I think itâs best to leave it off and you have up to 9days of battery life w/o any exercice. Not bad for the size.
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@fv4500 it would be interesting to know if DCR had the latest (production) fw when he did the review and/or did the testing, several patches may have been released in between
Just found out the answer I was looking for:
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@Hari-Seldon for sure, but 3/4 days aod w/ 1h of training per day seems to align with 5 days w/o as indicated by Suunto. Other reviewers talked about a week of battery life with some training in gesture mode, also in line with the 9 days w/o given by Suunto.
All seems coherent. It is in the ballpark of Epix pro 42mm, and with a battery life during exercise two or three times better, so still very competitive. -
@raceaddict for me is also around a full week, without AOD but with outdoor activities.
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MIP Small
9PPMIP Large
VerticalAMOLED Small
Race SAMOLED Large
RaceAlso, 9PP being more of a proof of concept in terms of new hardware and software in the nearly identical body as 9P (I think it should be rather called 9P v2 or mark II, etc.)
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@krakra well true, personal preference. I am hoping for the improved turn-by-turn notifications instead (coming with the next update a little, as i heard?đ„ł).
All the Garmin people i know even have reroutable maps, but as soon as we get lost they get out their smartphone as well
just more convenient on a bigger screen ⊠-
@wurzlsepp I wouldnât trust OSM for automatic routing somewhere in the outdoors without seeing a bigger picture first.
There are places well mapped and with accurate data, and others where itâs so-so at best.
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@Ćukasz-Szmigiel exactly my thoughts ! Knowing how to read a map and being able to draw his own route is the best way imho.
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I have a Q&A with Suunto thatâs in the editing phase and publishing next week, but Iâll offer up a sneak peek here, since one of the questions I asked them specifically pertains to this thread:
**Me: What does the launch of the Race S mean for the 9 Peak Pro, which was technically the first watch launched with Suuntoâs modern UI, even if it doesnât have all the bells and whistles of the Vertical and Race lineup?
Suunto:** "The 9PP right now retails for $349, which is the same price point that the Race S is sliding in at. So itâll soon get a price adjustment. We are still figuring out exactly how aggressive that price adjustment will be for this market.
"We have to look at what our building material costs are on something like that. And we have to remember that once upon a time, that was a $600 watch. So weâre getting closer and closer to it no longer being a profitable franchise. Itâs still in the line because itâs on essentially the same operating system as the Vertical and Race, but it is the only watch in our current lineup thatâs still single band. So thatâs something to keep in mind too.
âRace S is more or less designed to replace it and modernize it. But with the 9 Peak Pro being a MIP display, it may still have a place in the line through the end of the year or even longer. Thereâs just a matter of whether it can be engineered now with some new supply chain options that we have and can it be sold profitably at a price point thatâs in the mid-$200s? If so, then maybe it has a new place to live for at least a little while longer, so that there is another MIP option in the lineup besides just Vertical.â
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@TrailEyes thank you for insights
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@TrailEyes Thanks. Very interesting. As good as S9pp materials are I thought they had already reached their floor price.
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@raceaddict Considering how low was the S9b titanium at the end of is merchand life, Iâm not surprised.
It also confirmes that Suunto commercial strategy has changed :- from âlow volumeâ with almost only high grade products
to - strong range with also very attractive products to regain market places and bet on volume sales
IMHO the range is now very interesting and rationnal, providing products for every customer : from top products made in finland that will satisfy suunto historic target to top spect/price ratio product. Clever !
- from âlow volumeâ with almost only high grade products
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@Tieutieu Yes but S9B was with old components. Not so much for S9PP sharing the same platform as all the other watches of the range.
But aside from a strategy change and I agree with you on this, it could be also the results of the restart of price war after years of components shortage. -
I think Suunto do still need a product in their range thatâs around the âŹ240 - âŹ275 price. Whether the 9PP can be sold at this price is questionable but regardless of whether itâs the 9PP or another new model I think itâs important for Suunto for 2 related reasons.
Iâm specifically thinking of the entry level runner and the new-to-suunto mid-level runner.
While Suunto isnât going to be competitive on features against Garmin your entry level runner - park run enthusiast, local running club newbie etc. - doesnât want all the features, might be intimidated by it all and just wants a watch they feel is approachable. Suunto is perfectly placed here.
The new-to-suunto runner is more likely to know a bit about the features they want but looks at garminâs prices and needs a sit down due to shock. Garmin has attempted to mitigate this with the Forerunner 165 but there are basic features lacking and the step up in price to the 265 or even the 255 is eye-watering.
Both these types of runner are likely to look at Coros, Amazfit etc. for around the âŹ220 mark and then realise that the Apple Watch SE is only a little more - but then the battery life isnât great. But thereâs a mental barrier for many people stepping up into the âŹ300+ price range. So I think the ~âŹ260 price point is a space Suunto should try and occupy to encourage new users to the Suunto community. This is where the 5P used to sit.
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@far-blue I agree. I thought a full plastic version of the Race S to fight against the pace3 should fit this entry level need. But to fight against smart watches and Garmin sport watches in this price point, the need for music and contactless payment and more health oriented data is increasingly more important and itâs not easy for Suunto.
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Iâve had my S9PP for 1.5yrs now and itâs been brilliant for what I mainly do - running and long ultramarathon races.
If the Vertical had been available at the time I would have bought one instead, but only because I compete in 100hr+ races - a niche within a niche - at which point the activity memory in the S9PP becomes limiting. But as a watch for running 100-200 mile races it is very good - battery life approaching 50hrs with HR off, regardless of using navigation on/off or sunlight conditions, very light and comfortable to wear, accurate and reliable.
But it doesnât surprise me that it appears Suunto are planning to discontinue it after running down stock (their UK webshop has only had two of the original variants for some time now). I canât see it competing in a marketplace where watches are seen as outdated and inferior if they donât have the latest âessentialâ feature (e.g. multi-band), unless reduced to an uneconomic price point.
