The Race is nice, but I’m still holding on to my Vertical

TrailEyes

@jjorgemoura said in The Race is nice, but I’m still holding on to my Vertical:

Until now, my belief has been that an AMOLED watch is more premium or high end than a MIP one. I might be wrong, and please correct me if I am, but I think the production cost of an AMOLED panel is more expensive than a MIP panel, considering the same panel size.

Determining what’s more premium may depend a lot on the customer base. I prefer a watch that reads better on trails and under the sun, not necessarily one better indoors, so MIPS would be more entising for me.

I’ve long used the comparison between a Toyota Tacoma and an Audi RS. I’ll be more willing to fork over good money for a Tacoma because it’s better suited for my life than I would an Audi. Heck, offer me an Audi for the bargain basement price of $50,000, and I’ll still not bite. Literally have zero interest.

All that said, it’s fair to perceive that AMOLED displays cost more to produce, though I don’t have a knowledge about that. But it may not be apples to apples if China AMOLED screens can be made more cheaply than European MIPS displays – material availability and labor affect that scale. But you’ve theorized a value benchmark on “Made in Finland,” so you probably recognize that.

One thing I’d ask is how much would folks consider AMOLED the premium if Garmin didn’t set up their pricing/marketing that way from the start. Does a less expensive AMOLED only seem strange because we’re used to the bar Garmin created?

Jamie BG

@TrailEyes
I don’t think its necessarily the £100 sort of premium that garmin adds to it, but its definitely costs especially if you are using good amoled screens (i.e. samsung etc screens). You just have to look at the host of super cheap watches out there, the vast majority of them don’t use AMOLED and those that do the amoled spec is significanlly less than what samsung etc offer.

jjpaz

@jjorgemoura Does Suunto Race have the same processor/memory than Suunto Vertical?
I have read that Race has increased memory (internal memory, not external for map storage).

Brad_Olwin

@jjpaz Those changes come with firmware and while on the Race will come to the Vertical.

Tieutieu

@Brad_Olwin said in The Race is nice, but I’m still holding on to my Vertical:

@jjpaz Those changes come with firmware and while on the Race will come to the Vertical.

@Brad_Olwin what do you mean ? Does you mean that Vertical and Race share the same HW except screen (amount of “flash” memory…) but that it is actually limited by current SV firmware ?

suzzlo

@Tieutieu Not sure about HW differences, but at least:

NFC is present on Race
Steel Race has 16GB of internal storage

BR

Brad_Olwin

@Tieutieu Some of the space for maps can be used for storage of activities or future firmware.

andyanderso

@Brad_Olwin - I agree with you that a 9PP with increased battery life, maps, and solar would be a great addition to the Suunto stable. Maybe someday soon we will get a small SV or SR or a 9PP with maps. Anyone heard any rumors?

One other thought about the AMOLED on the SR vs MIPS screen on the SV is the resolution. It seems like the increased resolution on the AMOLED screen would make the maps easier to read. What are people’s thought’s on map readability between the two?

Egika

@andyanderso resolution does not make such a big difference IMHO, it is more the color rendering that makes maps on Race more pleasing for the eye

andyanderso

@Egika Thanks for those photos. The AMOLED maps are much easier to read!

fleblanc01

@suzzlo Sorry for my ignorance but what is NFC ? What are the possibilities with this chip ?

Martin Vrska

@Egika I respect the quality of the amoled display, but the photography is not realistic. I definitely don’t have such a blue map on my Vertical.

pilleus

@Egika said in The Race is nice, but I’m still holding on to my Vertical:

resolution does not make such a big difference IMHO

280 x 280 Vertical
466 x 466 Race

It should be a difference. And I think for my old eyes the display of the race will be sharper and easier to read.

surfboomerang

@Martin-Vrska I think this is because the backlight is on while the environment is bright too. It would be nice to see this in an outdoor setting. In direct sunlight and on a cloudy day…

Stoke80

@Egika What kind of strap do you have on your SV? Can you share this info pls?

freeheeler

@surfboomerang

andyanderso

@surfboomerang said in The Race is nice, but I’m still holding on to my Vertical:

@Martin-Vrska I think this is because the backlight is on while the environment is bright too. It would be nice to see this in an outdoor setting. In direct sunlight and on a cloudy day…

This sounds like a fun comparison! You up for the challenge @Egika?

Egika

@Stoke80 ebay 3€ velcro from China
https://www.ebay.de/itm/393573658832

Stoke80

@Egika said in The Race is nice, but I’m still holding on to my Vertical:

@Stoke80 ebay 3€ velcro from China
https://www.ebay.de/itm/393573658832

Thank you. Wondering if Suunto will bring such a Strap… Would be nice to have a black one with the Suunto Logo on it…

Tieutieu

@Stoke80 but meanwhile, the suunto brand printed on the textile strap I had with my S9B ambassador is not very resistant (so I decided not to where it to keep it untouched !). The new silicone branded ones will be much more durables as Suunto brand is kind of printed “inside” the strap (I have the white one).