Firmware Development
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Something that grows in me and interests me is: How is Suunto Developing firmware versions?
The Best Practice I know is to develop a main and maybe one or two branches for older supported version. But for firmware this should not be necessary and in the past there was always just the latest firmware (main branch), and thats it.
Now we have:
3.x.x Run
2.46.x Race 2
2.44.x 9PP, Vertical and Race (S)
?.?.? OceanSounds like a lot of work to me. My best guess would be that all the watches above (except Run) will get the 2.46.x from the Race 2 in the future and Run with version 3.x.x development will end.
Someone with more insights?
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I have no internal information, just guessing.
In my opinion, Race2 comes with new hw and probably the same in case SV2.
This is an indication to be able to go up to FW 3 and harmonize the whole product line in terms of OS.
That sounds logical as well that they started to let’s say testing the 3.x OS on Run a cheaper model before implement it to flagship products as well.
If I think correctly the new features that the new OS will enable, will also be available on larger model first.
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@kamarasm I’d be upset if it didn’t make its way to the Race S given how new it is too.
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@kamarasm Hm, you could be right. Then 2.46.x would be the last version for the old watches while Run and Race 2 will get 3.x.x updates. Sounds plausible
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Hope that if suunto decide in future to upgrade Race 2 to OS version 3.x that there will be all current features.
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@VoiGAS I would bet that probably we will get maybe another one or two update with FW 2.xx.xx and Race 2 will move to 3.xx.x.x later next year (together with future released watches, if/when they’ll come)
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@SergioB Hm, but as long as 2.x.x and 3.x.x exist in parallel they have to maintain both. I hope you are right, maybe just for bugfixing. Would be happy with a bug free 2.46.x version on the Race S
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@VoiGAS The Run is a particular short-term annoyance for those paying attention to the entire lineup. A casual person might look at the menus, etc. of Run vs. Race and assume they are the same but as we know they are not.
Over in the Garmin world, they are merging firmwares together so that many recent models have that fundamental core to them, whereas in the past it was like every different names product was by people who didn’t know each other; e.g. the Venu people had little idea what the Forerunner people were doing, etc. To me it’s sad that Suunto seems to be moving in the opposite direction.
It may be there’s a long term plan to merge these back together, so that the 3.x series takes over on the modern lineup, but as I recall, Suunto’s official line is that the Run is more of an “experiment,” as noted by Ray in his review:
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2025/05/suunto-run-in-depth-review.html
“ Finally, it’s worth noting that the Suunto Run, while looking relatively similar in UI design to the Suunto Race series, is actually running a different platform under the covers. This is true both at the software layer and hardware layer (about the only thing that’s the same is the GPS chipset). While it might seem natural to assume this new software/hardware layer will be the path forward for future higher-end watches, Suunto says they haven’t decided that yet. Simply put, they (rather rationally) want to see how things go over the coming months, before they commit one way or another.”
Maybe Suunto was lying to Ray, but if not, it’s weird they don’t have a better overall plan, and went to the effort to make a new OS just for one watch.
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@raven my personal opinion is that suunto looks for its identity since Ambit series. There it was clear that they was satisfied with Ambit watch and its direction so they iterated it over and over like Ambit 2, Ambit 3. But then some changes happend and sice then until recent we had each year different product lineups. Oposite to garmin where there is Fenix, Foreruner, … or COROS with Apex etc. But now finally it looks like Race and Vertical are watches that suunto is satisfied with and they started iterating it instead of creating new lineup.
