Race S2 -> release?
-
The reality is we don’t really know anything about what may happen. It’s possible we will see a Race 2 S shortly, but we may not see it at all.
Suunto never made a “Vertical S” nor a “Run S,” and perhaps the Race S did not do as well as they hoped and it will be a one off. Or they may announce a full on “S series” all at once, Vertical 2 S and Race 2 S simultaneously.
…or something else…
Certainly, I didn’t mean to imply those were the only options. I think a new named smaller sized watch would make a lot of sense.
-
@raven 9 Peak Pro Ultra!
-
-
Agree to latest posts.
To me, it would make sense to create a sort of hybrid between the Vertical 2 and the Race 2—perhaps a compact Race 2 that includes a flashlight for small wrists/women. It would also be a good opportunity to rebrand it with a unique name (similar to the Ocean, which was essentially a Race model featuring the Vertical’s buttons and a reinforced build). I feel the “Race 2 S” name does the watch a disservice, as it invites direct comparison to the standard model with the same name lacking the “S.”I also think adding an exclusive feature would be interesting, given that this is essentially an interim generation. Whether it’s a microphone, a speaker, both, or whatever else Suunto might dream up to boost its exclusivity and marketing appeal—bridging the gap until the next generation arrives and avoiding the perception of it simply being a smaller version of an existing model. Then again, maybe that’s just a convoluted idea…
-
@dreamer_ I hope it has feature parity with the Race 2 to make development a lot easier. Code bases need to be normalised across watches, not further fragmented.
-
@dreamer_ I hope it has feature parity with the Race 2 to make development a lot easier. Code bases need to be normalised across watches, not further fragmented.
That’s a valid point, but I disagree in this instance. The answer is quite simple: in addition to the engineering perspective, one must always carefully consider the marketing and market viewpoints to ensure maximum competitiveness.
- The marketing return can far outweigh the cost of giving a product an (slightly) distinct personality of its own.
- This product is launching midway through the previous generation’s lifecycle, so a direct comparison isn’t really appropriate (another reason for a completely new name for the watch). In fact, it represents a great opportunity for Suunto—just as next year will be, should new Race or Vertical models be released.
- Products with their own distinct personalities already exist (e.g., Run/Ocean).
- It is standard practice to advance technologically to remain competitive and to leverage subsequent developments. This is common across the business world, not just in the realm of sports-oriented devices. Watches don’t have to be identical to the previous year’s models, though I do believe maintaining a consistent foundation is important.
-
@raven Yeah, I would also buy two Suunto watches—or a band—if seamless swapping worked and the devices synced with each other.
-
@Svenning Personally, I think there is too much hype surrounding screenless bands; they don’t replace a compact watch that does it all.
I experimented with a Helio Strap (and after two weeks, it’s in a drawer). But ultimately, with kids in the house, it isn’t that practical. You realize that having a flashlight at night or being able to check the time without wearing two devices is far more convenient and sensible. That said, they do have their uses (especially when worn on the arm), such as in sports where watches are prohibited. In the end, it comes down to use cases and, of course, personal preferences.
-
@raven isn’t Suunto Run similar size to Race S? Suunto Run 2 might be an option, if it would get same OS as the others.
-
@dreamer_ I am afraid that screenless bands are just evolution since over the years people were teached to rely on Body batery/Resources and recovery scores so now everyone wants to have a device that tracks their hrv and hr 24/7 and watches are too bulky and sporty looking. So I can see Suunto making something like that. Of course personally I would like Suunto to cut out Resources and Recovery out, let me not to collect HR during the day (or collect every 10min like Coros) in that case peole would not feel fomo to not wear it all the day.
-
@aiv4r my opinion is that band are the “bad” middle ground between a Smartwatch and a smart ring.
A band is too limited to replace the watch, but too bulky to be worn with a normal watch, its the worst of both worlds.I’ve said it a few times in this forum, but IMO the combo smart-ring + big smartwatch is the best one.
daily : smart ring for the data nerds and night tracking + nice automatic “real watch” for telling the time and looking cool.
in sport : put the ring and the nice watch in your bag, pullout a Vertical 2 EPIX ALPHA TREX ULTRA for maximum battery, big ass maps and super ruggednessI’m thinking a lot about switching over to amazfit especially for that combo, but the initial investment ,and the dread of having to manage yet another battery thing is making me just keep the 9PP that can do pretty much everything i want correctly-ish and looks good enough in a dress suit
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login