ZoneSense
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Greetings to everyone,
I wanted to ask if the hopefully upcoming update (the last one was almost 3 years ago!) will enable ZoneSense during workouts on the Suunto 9 Peak watch?
Wishing you a great day!
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@Knigge there is no coming update for this watch.
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As I allready wrote in another Thread:
Hm, quite a shame from my perspective. Just because the watch has different hardware and software doesn’t really seem like a reason to stop releasing updates. Back then, I specifically opted for the more expensive version with O2 measurement, barometer, and other features, hoping that cool new features utilizing these sensors would be developed. And at 4 years old, the watch isn’t actually that old—at least not so old that support (meaning no development or updates) should be discontinued. Very disappointing and leaves me feeling let down by Suunto :(!
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@Knigge The hardware cannot support the current OS and therefore cannot support ZoneSense. Development is not possible. If you want disappointment, Garmin Fenix 7 and Epix series are 1.5-2y old and cannot support the new os on fenix 8.
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I believe the 9 Peak does still record the HR belt RR data needed to show ZoneSense in the Suunto App. You just won’t be able to use the ZoneSend SuuntoPlus app on the watch itself.
Or am I wrong?
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@far-blue you’re right
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@Knigge The watch is still supported in the Suunto App, it’s just there won’t be any new features. A lot of the SuuntoPlus apps will work and new ones that are released may also work. Most Android phones only get 3 years of support or less and even Apple’s best-in-class support for old devices is only generally 5 years. Amazfit devices are lucky to get 6 months of updates. But it’s not like your watch has actually stopped working - it still does everything (and more) that you originally purchased it for.
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@Brad_Olwin It may be true that the hardware does not support the current OS. However, the logical consequence for a product in this price segment should be that the OS of the S9P is further developed to support current features. Saying “development is not possible” is, I’m sorry to say, incorrect. An implementation would certainly be possible; it would simply require putting resources into further developing the S9P’s OS. (Before any accusations are made that I don’t know what I’m talking about: I myself work in software development.)
Just because newer watches get a new OS (which is absolutely the right decision to make use of better hardware) doesn’t mean the old OS can’t continue to be developed. ZoneSense uses data from the chest strap and processes it in some mathematical form. The old hardware with the old OS would also be capable of this (perhaps slower), if this feature were simply implemented.
In summary, here’s my takeaway: The S9P was launched in 2021, and two years later (2023), the last update for this watch was released. Thus, support lasted for barely three years. Personally, I won’t purchase another expensive watch from a provider that discontinues development for their products after just a few years.
It’s a real shame because I think Suunto is super cool overall. I also really like the app for the phone. But I can’t afford a new watch every 2–3 years. That’s precisely why I chose a product back then that was high-quality and robust — a product built for longevity. Especially with the climate crisis and resource extraction in mind, I find it highly questionable to support a product for only 2–3 years and then abandon it.
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@far-blue And that is very sad!
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@far-blue That would also be extremely “sad” if the watch suddenly stopped working or could no longer be used with the app. Drawing comparisons to other brands isn’t exactly “helpful” either. It reminds me of school back then: “But XY also got a bad grade!” – shouldn’t it be irrelevant what others are doing, or not?
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@far-blue The only valid reason here would be something like: “It relies on data from sensors that aren’t built into the device” or “the installed hardware cannot perform these calculations or cannot perform them in an acceptable amount of time.”
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@Knigge the S9 peak does not have the hardware capabilities to support new features, it is not produced nor sold anymore by Suunto, and there is no new firmware being developed for it.
Now, you can keep writing on this forum as much as you want, reality is the one that everyone replying to you is pointing out
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@Knigge Suunto tends to support watches well. Your 9P is supported and for example, can use ZoneSense in the Suunto app. Suunto did the development to make this possible and was under no obligation to do so. The watch you own works without issue and has new features ( Zonesense ). You should be pleased that development was continued. I doubt that including ZS on the watch is as simple as you imply. This thread is long enough and I think answers to your queries are clear.
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@Knigge only because the S9P could be updated does not mean, that it’s economically profitable for Suunto. After all they’re a company and they want and need to make profits. And allocating resources to a product that doesn’t generate the corresponding benefit (sales) is just not how economics work- no matter what you’re dreaming of - that’s it. And again: It’s not about “support” which is still there.
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@ChrisA You’re absolutely right about that. I’m sorry if I wrote a bit too emotionally. Back in 2023, I was just really happy about the last update for the watch, and since then, I’ve been checking every few months to see if anything new had come out. But I didn’t look “deeper” and didn’t realize that development for the S9P had been discontinued. I also didn’t mean to offend anyone or anything like that.
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@Brad_Olwin You’re absolutely right about that, and yes, the thread doesn’t make any sense beyond this point. I’ve received the information I (didn’t) want and now I’m informed. Thanks to everyone for the detailed responses.
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@Knigge no problem! The S9P is stlll an extremely powerful watch. I get, that it is somehow disappointing that it is the last watch with the „old system“. Perhaps it would be a plan to sell it and invest the profit in buying a S9P Pro or a Suunto Race S. I have seen the Race S being sold (new) for 299.- € here in Germany, which is a very good value for what you get.
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@ChrisA Is there a way to check which watches have the current operating system, meaning they benefit from the new features? And does anyone know if Suunto is currently planning a new operating system that might not be available for all watches? I just don’t want to buy another watch that will be ‘out’ in 2–3 years.
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@Knigge All currently available Sportswatches have the same (latest) operating system. Thats 9 Peak Pro, Race S, Race, Vertical and Ocean. The Ocean just has a few dive related feature that require a separate version
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@Knigge 9PP does not have the memory others do. That is the most likely to fail receiving new features.
