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    Race S vs Vertical

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Suunto Race S
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    • ? Offline
      A Former User @Tieutieu
      last edited by

      @Tieutieu After the release of the 9PP I started to love the small size, so now I can’t stand bulky objects on my wrist, and both the V and the R are. The RS would be perfect except that my initial enthusiasm for this model is waning by the day and it has to do with the battery and the amoled. Damn.

      raceaddictR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
      • raceaddictR Offline
        raceaddict Bronze Member @Guest
        last edited by

        @Hari-Seldon Battery life in activity is the same between Race S and S9PP (40h in single freq gnss, 30h in dual for Race S only).
        Out of activities, it will be better on S9PP. So, depending on your training rate it will or not make a difference.

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
        • D Offline
          duffman19 @Kai Liu
          last edited by

          @Kai-Liu said in Race S vs Vertical:

          What are some good stuff of vertical that race s doesn’t have besides the battery?

          Well, this is kinda battery related, but navigating and using the map screen seems to barely affect the SV’s battery. Keeping the map screen up on an AMOLED tends to destroy battery life. (I haven’t used a Race, so this is based on using other brands and reviews of the Race/Race S.)

          The big one for me, though, is the ability to read the screen at off angles and not having to do the wrist-raise-flip thing. Having to wait that split second for an AMOLED to wake gets quite annoying, especially if you’re in the middle of a grueling climb or interval and just need a quick HR or navigation check. Being able to read a MIP display by simply glancing down during my normal arm swing is a big plus for me.

          Vertical Ti

          F 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 16
          • F Offline
            fv4500 Bronze Member @duffman19
            last edited by

            @duffman19 100%👍 on each single word.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • Brad_OlwinB Offline
              Brad_Olwin Moderator @Todd Danielczyk
              last edited by

              @Todd-Danielczyk said in Race S vs Vertical:

              @wakarimasen 👍 At the end of the day, it is a tool to achieve what I need to do.

              I have been more than pleased with the Vertical and plan on getting more “outdoor adventures” with it as time goes on.

              I tested all of the watches prior to release since the Suunto 9. I have purchased two for my own use: Suunto Vertical, which is my main watch and Suunto 9PP. Both are engraved. That likely tells you my preference.

              Vector/T6c/Ambit 3 Peak/S5 Copper/S3/S7 Ti/S9 baro Ti/S9P Ti/S9PP Ti/Vertical Ti/Race Ti/RaceS/Ocean/Wing

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 5
              • L Offline
                Luis Andés Olmedo Bronze Member
                last edited by

                The MIPS display and battery life are for me the big advantages of the Vertical over the Race S

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 7
                • Łukasz SzmigielŁ Offline
                  Łukasz Szmigiel @Kai Liu
                  last edited by

                  @Kai-Liu it’s a solid watch with a battery that can’t be easily beaten, going to be supported for a while.

                  I paid for 9PP Titanium more than Vertical Titanium is worth and it doesn’t have maps or dual GNSS.

                  But it’s OK - I initially wanted the 9P and had no need for maps and a huge watch.

                  And as always - be happy of what you have and enjoy the sports! And change the watchface from time to time for a fresh feel 😉

                  S9PP 2.40.38

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 6
                  • Tami999T Online
                    Tami999 Silver Members
                    last edited by

                    From what I see Vertical is a winner. Mostly is MIP vs. AMOLED which Vertical MIP is very good, i never had a problem to read info. If trend with amoleds go on in next Suunto and competition watches Ill get amoled, but so far I see no point in change.

                    kriskusK 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                    • kriskusK Offline
                      kriskus Bronze Member @Tami999
                      last edited by

                      I think I know the answer, but I was wondering is there was a chance for a Vertical S coming along…

                      L 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 4
                      • L Offline
                        LoïcMichel @kriskus
                        last edited by

                        @kriskus People on this thread would love the MIP and saphire/Ti on a more compact watch. At leat I would !

                        But this watch wuold have a battery limitation that would make it seem inferior to the “Big vertical” and perhaps the Race too…
                        IMHO Suunto will release Race S titanium at UTMB for the buzz an it will celebrate a complete revolution of their 3 Top Watches … in only a year !

                        Next watch could be a cheap one without baro, only 3 buttons, made in china and even more agressively priced ? That sounds unlikely. The ocean is really a new watch but for a niche audience.
                        Or they will develop other products arround these nice watch like optical HR, sensors, satelite beacon… following their audio device broadening…
                        That make sens as we all buy polar’s HR and gamrin in reach or stryd footpod…

                        The vertical is far from being outdated when it comes to hardware especially if optical HR has been rectified as some review say.
                        So Suunto should focus on the firmware improvements people ask.

                        K kriskusK 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 2
                        • K Offline
                          krakra Bronze Member @LoïcMichel
                          last edited by

                          @LoïcMichel wait…did i understood you correctly: vertical is getting new hr sensor - the one from race s?

                          isaziI 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • isaziI Offline
                            isazi Moderator @krakra
                            last edited by

                            @krakra Vertical is not getting any new hardware as far as I know.

                            Watch: Suunto Vertical Ti

                            Blog: isazi's home

                            K 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
                            • K Offline
                              krakra Bronze Member @isazi
                              last edited by

                              @isazi ya all clear . I was just reading a comment and was not sure if j understood it correctly. Thank you for clarifying

                              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                              • kriskusK Offline
                                kriskus Bronze Member @LoïcMichel
                                last edited by

                                @LoïcMichel It wouldn’t harm if they celebrated a complete revolution of their 4 Top Watches in only a year 🙂 A Vertical S would still have a better battery life than Race S. And Race S doesn’t go much shorter than the big Race. But yes, MIPs are currently in retreat.

                                L 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                • L Offline
                                  LoïcMichel @kriskus
                                  last edited by

                                  @krakra No it is just me imaginating a “verticalS”
                                  @kriskus Yes that makes sens to me too 🙂

                                  After all, having 2 sizes and 2 types of screen is a smart market segmentation because these are 2 independent criteria that change the hardware drastically and suit consumer opposite demands.
                                  Having the smaller cheaper makes sense too.
                                  The rest is complex to grasp…

                                  The marketing challenge here is the “price segmentation”. The fact is that MIP and amoled are said equally costly and Garmin has chosen to priceup the amoled so I do not get the reality behind this big upprice of the vertical. Garmin fusing back epix&fenix will likely bring prices closer and I expect Suunto to do the same so that prices get closer to cost reality.
                                  (BTW garmin has certainly made a crazy benefit margin on epix, that is innovator’s cash)

                                  Then there are materials to make pricetag different and extract more € from consumers.

                                  Titan is more expensive than top hard Steels but the price for a few grams or Titan cannot justify 100 € compared to other Ti products. To me 50€ for Ti is a max as it only gains 7g and no hardness.
                                  Saphire uprice is big and makes sense to many consumer %scratch but the fact is that saphire also has downsides (reflection, glare). Some would pay much more but even garmin addict complain about +100 so 50€ seems a max to my eyes.
                                  To me having the choice of+50€ for Ti and +50 for Saphire independently is best, but or combined in a +100€ Ti+Saphir version is relevant.

                                  Personnally I LOVE the microfiber wrist band but I cough at the 60€ pricetag, why not offering the choice to buy the watch with such band or leather or metalic or other fancy bands for a +25€ to the “standard” price ?

                                  All in all the suunto shop website could become a reference place where we would buy a personnal combination of these choices wich surley help putting more € out of the bank.

                                  The Race was found “competitive” so the Race S version should have been 50€ less and not 100 as it has same functions than the Race… and better HR. I feel bad for small wrist who bought a normal Race !

                                  What would be the relevant price of a speculative “Vertical S” while the S is too low and the vertical too high ? It would be in the middle but it would cut sales and revenues of the beefy&pricy Vertical…

                                  -A compact MIP+Saphir+Ti would be nice watch but what price would you bet ?
                                  -And what look ? a sleek or “crenelized” one ?
                                  -Technically is it even possible ? I have come to believe that MIP cannot have super small pixels so they cannot put 466 in a tiny screen so this watch would have to finally reuce black side margins.

                                  My guess is that suunto will rather follow the money (market shares) and go elsewhere, rather toward a cheap offer to adress “casual” (or just less rich?) active people.
                                  I imagine that: smaller than S, NoBaro, cheaper amoled, 16Go, plastic back, glass, steel bezel, maybe LTE or NFC payment as it suits some audience and would make nice “additions”.

                                  L 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • L Offline
                                    LoïcMichel @LoïcMichel
                                    last edited by

                                    @LoïcMichel One could also bet on the battery it would have I guess it would be the vertical on with asize factor of about 30/40 from Race case ?

                                    D 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • D Offline
                                      duffman19 @LoïcMichel
                                      last edited by

                                      @LoïcMichel Maybe read over this article - https://www.actionhub.com/outdoors/qa-an-energized-suunto-reconnects-with-its-core/

                                      Dan Suher lays out the basic strategy of the current lineup. It looks like the 9PP will continue to be made available, with a potential further price cut (down to $250 from what was originally $600+!!). The 9PP is, for now, the budget MIP watch. As much as I would like one, there really is no place for a Vertical S in the current lineup with current pricing. My guess is we won’t see a new, smaller-sized MIP watch for a while.

                                      However, I am hopefully that Suunto hasn’t given up on MIP as Suher seems to suggest that the technology will live on in their “performance-focused category.” At least Suunto knows they still have MIP fans.

                                      Vertical Ti

                                      kriskusK 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • kriskusK Offline
                                        kriskus Bronze Member @duffman19
                                        last edited by

                                        @duffman19 S9PP with the maps add-on could in fact be considered a Vertical S. Or a Suunto 9 Peak Pro Plus 🙂

                                        L 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                        • L Offline
                                          LoïcMichel @kriskus
                                          last edited by

                                          Greta interview found on this forum:
                                          https://www.actionhub.com/outdoors/qa-an-energized-suunto-reconnects-with-its-core/

                                          “Race S is more or less designed to replace it and modernize it. But with the 9 Peak Pro being a MIP display, it may still have a place in the line through the end of the year or even longer. There’s just a matter of whether it can be engineered now with some new supply chain options that we have and can it be sold profitably at a price point that’s in the mid-$200s. If so, then maybe it has a new place to live for at least a little while longer, so that there is another MIP option in the lineup besides just Vertical.”
                                          ==> To me it sounds like Suunto will use S9PP to make it an “entry offer” but IMHO it is not so suitable to this market.
                                          ==> To me it sounds like another MIP compact watch will come someday but not in a near future 😉

                                          I find it insightfull on Suunto’s trajectory, focussing back on sport audience wether it is perf or adventure minded.
                                          The ocean is another exemple of the good sens it brings but it lacks a “triathlete” watch IMHO

                                          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                                          • Kai LiuK Offline
                                            Kai Liu Bronze Member @GiPFELKiND
                                            last edited by

                                            @GiPFELKiND Oh I didn’t notice the display, yeah MIP is way better

                                            S7, S9P, Vertical Solar / boxing, skiing, hiking, running

                                            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
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