One weekend and several bugs as well as missing features with the Race - I am sad

[Brad_Olwin]

I think it inappropriate to downvote unless there is an obvious intent to ridicule someone. I think we all need to remember that English may not be a first language and language as well as cultural differences may increase difficulties in communication. Let’s keep this friendly and helpful here and respect each other. @Olaf-Gottschalk I have not downvoted any of your posts and I agree with you about emojis as I would like having them too.

But I would rather have first

1. Zoomable route profile with color for grades
2. Offline maps and offline routing on SA to transfer to watch when I have no cellular.

[altcmd]

@Brad_Olwin while English might explain some differences, I don’t think the use of ALL CAPS is an excuse. This kinda gives away the intent and purpose of the message that was intended. Just my two cents!

[jjorgemoura]

@mikekoski490 Totally agree.
I want my Suunto watch to be a Sport watch, something that I can trust during an ultra race that can take up to 48 hours non stop (e.g. a mountain 100miler). By trust I mean: don’t crash, records everything correctly, battery don’t die unexpectedly or give incorrect values, battery that lasts the entire duration in one go or with just a short charge to top up, navigation + maps and that give me accurate values/metrics (pace, avg page, distance, elevation, etc). This needs to be 100% guaranteed and should be the core focus.

For everything else, I have a smartphone and/or a smartwatch.

I don’t want or need my Sport watch to do what I already have in my Smartwatch. I don’t want or need my Sport watch to play music, have payments (NFC), have my Parkrun barcode, make calls or display notifications. I wan’t and need a trustworthy sport watch to help me at 3am in the middle of nowhere. Note that all ultra races require (or should, for security reasons) that you run with a smartwatchsmartphone* and, depending on distance/duration, with a power bank.

Of course it would be awesome if the Sport watch support other sport related features, such as the HR, HRV, sleep tracking, nutrition alerts or race notes (as recently added as S+), etc. But I see this as a non-essential.

I often see some people buying a proper full featured, top of the line, Sport watch just to go to the gym or a 5/10 Km around the block or local park. It’s like having a 500HP SUV or 4x4 to do the school run in a city.

* I meant smartphone instead of smartwatch

[wmichi]

@jjorgemoura I see it the same way as you. A sports watch needs to excel at sports tracking and everything related to sports, so also sleep tracking, hrv, (resting) hr. For me everything else is nice to have. If I had to choose between music on the watch (Spotify) and something like out of target zone alerts for structured intervals, I would always choose the intervals.

[David l]

@jjorgemoura I can’t afford two watches (and wouldn’t want a second) and I want it to count my steps everyday, allow me to walk the Annapurna circuit as well as ‘that’ 5k in the park, see messages rather than have to get a phone out to look at (but not whilst running as I don’t take my phone). I don’t want to have to take cash or a card with me when I’m out on a long run - NFC is present so why not use it?

Also, are you sure that you have to have a smartwatch on a race? Pretty certain the last couple I’ve done require a mobile fully charged.

As for comparing it to cars, what’s wrong with having a Porsche as your run around?

[BrunoH]

@jjorgemoura said in One weekend and several bugs as well as missing features with the Race - I am sad:

I often see some people buying a proper full featured, top of the line, Sport watch just to go to the gym or a 5/10 Km around the block or local park. It’s like having a 500HP SUV or 4x4 to do the school run in a city.

I confess, I am one of those 5-10 km walk guys. In September I surprised myself by making a personal record of cycling over 30 km. I am old (54), I am fat and I have epilepsy and bad joints, which originates from an autoimmune disease and from the overweight of course. My VO2Max is “very poor”.

The reason why I bought a 500HP Suunto watch is the Suunto analytics. I am a data analytics consultant myself and Suunto App figures and statistics somehow appeal to me and keep me in motion. I managed to drop 8 kilos with Vertical this summer and I consider it was worth every penny. With the intelligent Suunto Coach I might be able to exercise more efficiently. I wish I could enter my individual goals and targets and Coach would act like a personal trainer… So far Coach has advised me to concentrate on certain HR zones and I am happy to have those recommendations.

While I can’t ever do ultra-anything I can still enjoy long peaceful trips into deep Finnish forests. Kind of like small-time adventures for me.

[wmichi]

@BrunoH Congratulations to your achievements! It doesn’t really matter at what level someone is doing sports. If someone thinks a sports watch helps in reaching training goals or living a healthier lifer in whatever way, it’s the right decision to buy such a device. Better a 500 HP Suunto than a 500 HP 4x4 SUV. It’s healthier and better for the environment.

[jjorgemoura]

@David-l said in One weekend and several bugs as well as missing features with the Race - I am sad:

Also, are you sure that you have to have a smartwatch on a race? Pretty certain the last couple I’ve done require a mobile fully charged.

Sorry, you’re right, it was a typo. I meant phone/smartphone. Post updated.

Apologies for the car example, maybe not a great analogy.
What I was trying to say is that each product has its purpose and a main target audience. Some have a much broader purpose, others have a more narrower scope. Frequently, products fail in trying to excel to a wide range of features. Jack of all trades, master of none.
Personally, I like to do my homework, check what might be a good product to fulfil my needs under my $ constraints, and be conscious that there are no miracle products (something that fulfil all my needs at a very low cost).

When I started running a few years ago, my requirements for a “watch” was to be able to play music/podcast offline because I didn’t want to take the phone with me due to size and weight. I bought an AW and I tracked my activities using Strava (watch app). This was a great setup to me (GPS, HR, navigation, etc) and it may be even better now with the AWU (design, battery, features, shame it’s very expensive).

It was only when I ran 1h15 with a powerbank in my hand to charge my AW during a 100Km race that I decided, ok, it’s time to search for a proper Sport watch. A couple of days later I bought a second-hand S9B, that is still is my current watch (my first and only sport watch to date).

Nowadays, I run with an old small iPhone SE (1st gen) to have the same music/podcast and I’m happy with that setup because my needs have changed significantly in last 5 years, since I’ve started running. I don’t want or expect my next Suunto watch (probably a SV or SR) to support music, I can live with that. However, I would not expect or tolerate them to fail in the middle of a race.

[jjorgemoura]

@BrunoH It’s great to hear that running and a Suunto has helped and motivated you during your journey, in achieving your goals. That’s great, congrats.

When I started running, in late 2018, I had a BMI value classified as “obese” for almost 20 years. Running has also helped me focusing in my health and was a central factor in some life change decisions.

Apologies for the car example, maybe not a great analogy. What I tried to say was that when we have a need, we should do some homework, check what might be a good product to fulfil our needs in order to manage expectations and be conscious that meeting all our wishes will be almost impossible because we end up always wanting 1 more thing. You found a product that is helping you and you are 100% satisfied with it. That’s perfect.

Your reply made me think in another thing though. Your focus was more in the Suunto App, not so much in the device. Thus, what might be Suunto’s plan/roadmap for a more mid-level watch (S5P replacement), at a lower price point ($150), while using this new “platform” used by the S9PP, SV, SR?

[BrunoH]

@jjorgemoura said in One weekend and several bugs as well as missing features with the Race - I am sad:

Your focus was more in the Suunto App, not so much in the device.

I was happy with my S9B, but I just had to upgrade when the maps were introduced.

[David l]

@jjorgemoura I totally see your point, as you say everyone looks for different things in an exercise watch. Like you, my BMI is just over into obese though I do believe it’s a very poor indicator buts that’s a whole other discussion!

SR is nearly perfect for me - light, fits under a cuff of my shirt, torch is good, GPS and battery great, mapping great.

Running is my life if you asked my wife, predominantly for social aspect and trying to keep the weight normal, which includes a weekly jaunt to a different parkrun with 4 friends. I normally drive as we have around 100 within 45 miles from us, they buy the tea and cakes at the bakery.

I do use the watch to help with targets, of which Boston qualifying is now the last one on my list (sub 3:20 hours though probably need 3:14 to guarantee a place).

I like the fact that the Race doesn’t store music - as a running coach, I see so many people with headphones in/on both ears, and the majority lose a lot of awareness of everything around them (just my opinion).

I can’t believe you ran with a power pack for the AW leads everywhere!

[Frank Stefan]

@lessthanmore Wow… what´s important depends on what is important for you.
Besides that, i also need the emojis. I get a lot of notifications (and yes - i use that feature often) and see only a few squares so i have to take the phone out of my pocket.
For me this is an important function. Maybe not for you. But i would never say: there are more important topics. Have a nice day

[lessthanmore]

@Frank-Stefan Exactly, it is individually. Glad you understand my post.
One wants emojis and others think there are more important topics.
But do you see me shouting (capitals) or getting personal when one does not agree with my opinion?
You‘re treated as you treat others or for the Germans „Wie man in den Wald ruft so schallt es wieder heraus“.
Everyone understands the requirement but it won’t get better if you repeat it every second post or thread.
I am not against emojis, I also think it would be great to have them. But coming from the Vertical with several crashes during and after runs I personally do think it’s more important to fix that before getting emojis.
To make one thing clear, I have/ had a problem with the attitude towards others or the community, not the requirement. And no, I also did not downvote any post in this thread.

[mikekoski490]

@lessthanmore I agree with you 100%. It’s not the topic under discussion per se, but the mean-spirited way some on here respond. The OP here had his say with a very loaded header IMO but OK, then at some point I asked a simple question as I really could not think of a critical emoji I might miss, and got a pretty sarcastic response basically saying ‘what am I, stupid or something?’, and there was also the OP’s jerky response to someone’s age. Getting personal puts a negative and unnecessary spin on discussions, that’s all, and is why the infamous Zhang likely got banned. He usually added nothing to the discussions other than personal attacks, sarcasm and trolling.

I don’t think saying ‘everyone should get to state their opinion freely’ means its OK if that opinion may hurt someone’s personal feelings, vs just an agree to disagree sentiment.

[Olaf Gottschalk]

@Brad_Olwin said in One weekend and several bugs as well as missing features with the Race - I am sad:

If you want a smartwatch buy one! I agree with @lessthanmore and @mikekoski490 as I do not want any notifications when I run. I carry a satellite communicator for emergency messages as there is no cell service where I trail run. With age may come wisdom… I would rather resources go to other efforts to improve sport functions over smart watch functions.

What are you not understanding?? I do NOT want or need notifications while in sports mode. I need them when in “smart watch” mode 24/7 the “other” time when I am NOT doing sports. From an IT standpoint it is utterly absurd NOT to display Emojis, they are just unicode characters. Easy! And NO: I don’t buy another “smart watch” - which is what the Race also is - because I want to wear the Race 24/7 for monitoring things like HRV, my steps, etc.
So, why can you people not just keep quiet when you do not have to say or contribute anything other than “I do not care about your complaints”??

[Tieutieu]

@Olaf-Gottschalk sorry to tell you that, but you bought a sport watch with some smartwatch features.
Also sorry you’re sad with the emoticons issue, but for now it’s not available and we have no clue if it will come. For now you can just deal with that knowing it may never come one your SR.

I was almost ready to defend you about the tone you’ve used in this thread. Your last post made me change my mind.
Keep cool, and enjoy the 90% of your SR that you seems to appreciate.

[altcmd]

That is one angry dude with first-world problems.

[mikekoski490]

@Olaf-Gottschalk The forum does listen to issues and complaints, which you have been able to outline in your many, many, many posts. I have read the responses, and some agree with you, and some don’t.

You take the ‘do not agree’ very personally. Not sure why. It’s not a matter of ‘not caring about your complaints’, but instead it’s ‘not appreciating your all-caps rudeness and attitude’ towards other volunteers or forum members.

Let it go, either by enjoying the watch and hoping your little emoji issue gets support, or if not, buy a different device that does.

[MiniForklift]

Wow, feels like I’m standing on the edge of a volcano whenever I step into this thread! I personally think the OP would have been better off with a Garmin or a sporty smartwatch that has emoji capability. Not sure there’s anything else that any of us can add here TBH

[MiniForklift]

@Olaf-Gottschalk said in One weekend and several bugs as well as missing features with the Race - I am sad:

What are you not understanding?? I do NOT want or need notifications while in sports mode. I need them when in “smart watch” mode 24/7 the “other” time when I am NOT doing sports.

I don’t really understand this as I just turn all notifications off before I use my SV for training. Sounds like that’s all you need to do unless I’m missing something