Race S2 -> release?

Sunday

How long will we have to wait for an updated of the Race S?

Many women and people with smaller wrists would also like to benefit from the latest updates and features available in the Race 2and Vertical 2. Unfortunately, those watches are simply too large for us.

Therefore, when can we expect the release of the “Race S2” ?

isazi

@Sunday the answer is: if someone here knows, they would not tell you. If there is a leak, you will know at the same time everyone else does on the Internet.

dreamer_

@Sunday said:

How long will we have to wait for an updated of the Race S?

Many women and people with smaller wrists would also like to benefit from the latest updates and features available in the Race 2and Vertical 2. Unfortunately, those watches are simply too large for us.

Therefore, when can we expect the release of the “Race S2” ?

I think it’s about to be released.

Edit: I am leaving the post crossed out to avoid further controversy. I am not deleting it because there are mentions, and it wouldn’t be right to remove the reference.

1. The exclusion of support is a real clue
The definitive hint occurred just a few days ago. Suunto recently rolled out its major Q2 software update (version 2.56.18). This update was only deployed for the Suunto Race 2 and Vertical 2.
The original Race S was left off the list. While industry experts note that Suunto is currently trying to optimize the code to manage the RAM on the original Race and Race S for a potential August release, prioritizing ‘second-generation’ models is a classic sign of an imminent generational handover.

2. Suunto’s lifecycle and recent discounts
The original Race S hit the market in mid-2024. Reaching the two-year mark, combined with months of aggressive discounts to clear out stock from retailers, makes the arrival of a Suunto Race S 2 logical. Suunto previously followed this exact pattern with the original Race when they introduced the Race 2.

3. The Reddit leaks (June-July)
The anonymous rumors on Reddit are not far off. Although June and July are wrapping up without an official hardware announcement, the brand has been entirely focused on the Q2 firmware launch.
Historically, Suunto often utilizes late summer (August/September) to launch new devices, right after setting the stage with the software for the new generation.

Everything points to the Suunto Race S 2 being just around the corner. If you are planning to upgrade your watch and want the latest performance upgrades or an updated optical sensor, the smartest move right now is to wait a few weeks.

Sunday

@isazi I know… I thought opening that conversation will raise the pressure for suunto

raven

@dreamer_ said:

@Sunday said:

How long will we have to wait for an updated of the Race S?

Many women and people with smaller wrists would also like to benefit from the latest updates and features available in the Race 2and Vertical 2. Unfortunately, those watches are simply too large for us.

Therefore, when can we expect the release of the “Race S2” ?

I think it’s about to be released.

1. The exclusion of support is a real clue
The definitive hint occurred just a few days ago. Suunto recently rolled out its major Q2 software update (version 2.56.18). This update was only deployed for the Suunto Race 2 and Vertical 2.
The original Race S was left off the list. While industry experts note that Suunto is currently trying to optimize the code to manage the RAM on the original Race and Race S for a potential August release, prioritizing ‘second-generation’ models is a classic sign of an imminent generational handover.

2. Suunto’s lifecycle and recent discounts
The original Race S hit the market in mid-2024. Reaching the two-year mark, combined with months of aggressive discounts to clear out stock from retailers, makes the arrival of a Suunto Race S 2 logical. Suunto previously followed this exact pattern with the original Race when they introduced the Race 2.

3. The Reddit leaks (June-July)
The anonymous rumors on Reddit are not far off. Although June and July are wrapping up without an official hardware announcement, the brand has been entirely focused on the Q2 firmware launch.
Historically, Suunto often utilizes late summer (August/September) to launch new devices, right after setting the stage with the software for the new generation.

Everything points to the Suunto Race S 2 being just around the corner. If you are planning to upgrade your watch and want the latest performance upgrades or an updated optical sensor, the smartest move right now is to wait a few weeks.

Was this written by an AI LLM?

elbee

@raven said:

@dreamer_ said:

Was this written by an AI LLM?

According to to chatgpt:

Yes, it could very well have been written by an LLM, but it’s impossible to determine that with certainty. There are several characteristics that make it look AI-generated.

Signs that point toward an LLM

Overly confident conclusions. The text starts cautiously (“I think,” “potential,” “rumors”) but ends with a very strong conclusion: “Everything points to…”. This is a common pattern in LLM-generated writing, where nuance gradually gives way to confidence.
Plausible but speculative reasoning. The three arguments are reasonable, but none of them constitutes direct evidence. Despite that, the conclusion is presented as though it is almost certain.
Generic, polished phrasing. Expressions such as:
- “a classic sign of an imminent generational handover”
- “setting the stage with the software for the new generation”
- “just around the corner”
  read smoothly but are fairly generic and don’t add much concrete information.
Highly structured format. The numbered list followed by a concise summary is exactly the kind of organization that LLMs tend to produce.

What makes me particularly skeptical?

Some statements are presented as facts without any supporting evidence:

“Suunto is currently trying to optimize the code to manage the RAM on the original Race and Race S for a potential August release.”

This sounds authoritative, but without a source it’s difficult to verify. A human writer discussing rumors would typically explain where this information came from.

Likewise:

“Suunto previously followed this exact pattern with the original Race when they introduced the Race 2.”

This is a specific historical claim. If it isn’t accurate or cannot be substantiated, it’s the kind of detail an LLM may confidently generate based on an assumed pattern.

How would an experienced human writer likely phrase it?

A technology journalist would typically:

cite the sources behind each claim;
clearly separate verified facts from speculation;
avoid drawing strong conclusions from circumstantial evidence.

For example:

“These signs could indicate that a successor is nearing release, although Suunto has not announced any new hardware and the available evidence remains circumstantial.”

Conclusion

My assessment would be:

Likelihood that this was primarily written by an LLM: approximately 75–90%.
Likelihood that it was written by a human with LLM assistance (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini): even higher.
Likelihood that it was written entirely by a human: certainly possible, but I would consider it less likely.

Based on writing style alone, it is impossible to conclude with certainty that an LLM was used. However, the combination of a highly structured presentation, polished but generic language, and a confident conclusion drawn from speculative evidence makes LLM assistance seem quite likely.

aiv4r

@raven 100%. So many words without actual value and based on completely random facts.

atoponce

The Reddit leaks (June-July)
The anonymous rumors on Reddit are not far off. Although June and July are wrapping up without an official hardware announcement, the brand has been entirely focused on the Q2 firmware launch.

r/Suunto mod here. There are no leaks about a Race 2S. Only a handful of posts asking about it, and a few more comments discussing probabilities, including one comment about someone who chatted with a Suunto salesman. No leaks.

There was a Core 2 leak that came through the moderation log a few days before the Core 2 officially landed. It was hosted on Google Drive, but Reddit filtered the post and suspended the account before it could reach the sub.

dreamer_

@elbee said:

@raven said:

@dreamer_ said:

Was this written by an AI LLM?

According to to chatgpt:

Yes, it could very well have been written by an LLM, but it’s impossible to determine that with certainty. There are several characteristics that make it look AI-generated.

Signs that point toward an LLM

Overly confident conclusions. The text starts cautiously (“I think,” “potential,” “rumors”) but ends with a very strong conclusion: “Everything points to…”. This is a common pattern in LLM-generated writing, where nuance gradually gives way to confidence.

Plausible but speculative reasoning. The three arguments are reasonable, but none of them constitutes direct evidence. Despite that, the conclusion is presented as though it is almost certain.

Generic, polished phrasing. Expressions such as:

“a classic sign of an imminent generational handover”

“setting the stage with the software for the new generation”

“just around the corner”
read smoothly but are fairly generic and don’t add much concrete information.

Highly structured format. The numbered list followed by a concise summary is exactly the kind of organization that LLMs tend to produce.

What makes me particularly skeptical?

Some statements are presented as facts without any supporting evidence:

“Suunto is currently trying to optimize the code to manage the RAM on the original Race and Race S for a potential August release.”

This sounds authoritative, but without a source it’s difficult to verify. A human writer discussing rumors would typically explain where this information came from.

Likewise:

“Suunto previously followed this exact pattern with the original Race when they introduced the Race 2.”

This is a specific historical claim. If it isn’t accurate or cannot be substantiated, it’s the kind of detail an LLM may confidently generate based on an assumed pattern.

How would an experienced human writer likely phrase it?

A technology journalist would typically:

cite the sources behind each claim;

clearly separate verified facts from speculation;

avoid drawing strong conclusions from circumstantial evidence.

For example:

“These signs could indicate that a successor is nearing release, although Suunto has not announced any new hardware and the available evidence remains circumstantial.”

Conclusion

My assessment would be:

Likelihood that this was primarily written by an LLM: approximately 75–90%.

Likelihood that it was written by a human with LLM assistance (e.g. ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini): even higher.

Likelihood that it was written entirely by a human: certainly possible, but I would consider it less likely.

Based on writing style alone, it is impossible to conclude with certainty that an LLM was used. However, the combination of a highly structured presentation, polished but generic language, and a confident conclusion drawn from speculative evidence makes LLM assistance seem quite likely.

No. The ONLY thing is just the formatting and that’s only because english is not my native language. Re-reading I see it sounds like written for a bot.
But AIs are not that clever. The 3 points is just what I think and in my opinion it is very clear that something is happening (highly discounted previous generation (which is 2 years old), no Q2 for the Race S and that (anonymous user) comment in reddit ).

But nothing real, no leaks. Sorry for the formatting mistake guys.

Egika

no leaks maybe because there is no Race 2s coming…

raven

@dreamer_ If the earlier post was your own work, then please reveal the sourcing for this:

“ While industry experts note that Suunto is currently trying to optimize the code to manage the RAM on the original Race and Race S for a potential August release, prioritizing ‘second-generation’ models is a classic sign of an imminent generational handover.”

Where was this August release mentioned, for example? Which “industry experts” made note of it?

dreamer_

@raven said:

@dreamer_ If the earlier post was your own work, then please reveal the sourcing for this:

“ While industry experts note that Suunto is currently trying to optimize the code to manage the RAM on the original Race and Race S for a potential August release, prioritizing ‘second-generation’ models is a classic sign of an imminent generational handover.”

Where was this August release mentioned, for example? Which “industry experts” made note of it?

I very likely mixed the issues we heard about the hardware resources and the Q1/Vertical 1 and what it was commented about previous generation watches and assumed Race/S now with Q2.

Fixed and sorry guys. I’ll be more careful with these kind of things.

raven

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.

As a Race S owner, if there are no future smaller sized watches, that would sadden me as I’m not a fan of the larger sizes for all day wear. If Suunto made a screenless band like the Garmin Cirqa, Polar Loop, Fitbit Air, etc. then I can see a setup where I had a larger watch for workouts and a screenless band for rest of day and sleep, but I doubt that will happen.

Egika

@raven said:

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…

Highlands

@Egika That’s an elegant hint. Thanks

raven

@Egika said:

@raven said:

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.

VoiGAS

@raven 9 Peak Pro Ultra!

2b2bff

@raven said:
perhaps the Race S did not do as well as they hoped and it will be a one off.

I heard that the Race S is their most successful model, because of the price for a full featured watch. Like 80% or so…

dreamer_

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…

Steven Hambleton

@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.