9PP Appreciation in 2026 / Things to fix before it's orphaned
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Just wanted to express some appreciation for what I think is one of the best minimalist sports watches out there. I’m a little late to the game as I only got mine last falll. I tried both the 9P and 9PP when they were first released, but couldn’t stomach the original retail prices based on the specs and the state of the software upon release. However, with the current pricing (especially on sale) and software, I find the 9PP to be a tremendous bargain.
The Vertical 1 was the watch that led me into Suunto world. I’ve had one since shortly after its launch. But the SV1 has always felt just a bit too big and a bit too heavy for my wrist. I always felt its presence. The 9PP, however, tends to “disappear” on my wrist much more easily. This is especially noticeable when running (quick arm swings) and in the winter when the watch slips easily under shirt sleeves and jackets.
I’ve still got the SV1 and will use it occasionally when I need the additional mapping features. But for everyday wear and activities on local trails, the 9PP has been excellent. The GNSS quality and distance calculation is nearly as good as the SV1 and the altitude calculation and OHR are on par or even better (the lighter weight helping with the latter). And the overall design aligns with my current desire to be less focused on technology, especially when I’m out enjoying a trail run. The watch just doesn’t demand your attention as much as others might.
And now for the things that need to be fixed. It isn’t a long list. I really hope these little bugs can be addressed before the watch drops off the Suunto software update schedule. It would be great to have a “completed product” when that time comes.
The main issue: Navigation
To put it simply, the navigation experience needs to mirror that of the Vertical’s (minus the maps, of course). For some reason the 9PP navigation was left behind despite receiving all of the other great software updates along the way. We’re still left with what looks like the old Suunto 9 navigation experience, and in some ways it’s even worse than that. Here’s what needs to happen:
- Move the zoom function to the upper button: short press zoom in, long press zoom out (like the SV1). Currently, it requires a long press of the middle button to activate +/- for the upper and lower buttons. This also kills the ability to scroll backwards through the data screens!
- Add the ability to pan the navigation screen with the touchscreen (like the SV1). Just because there’s no background map doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be able pan through the route. As it is, you are stuck with your location at the center.
- Change the GPS trace line from a dotted black and white one to a solid red one (like the SV1). The dotted line looks like a tangled mess sometimes. A thin, solid line would be much more legible.
There are other navigation issues, but they are not 9PP specific, so I won’t list them here.
Other nit-picky things
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Phantom vibrations/notifications. This one has been around for a while. While other models are affected, it seems to be a particular problem with the 9PP. I get them all the time. And it’s not Bluetooth or sensor related as they’ll sometimes happen when I’m far away from my phone or external sensors.
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Activity backlight bug. I outlined this one in a separate thread here. This one is a larger software issue affecting all models, but it’s more problematic with MIP screens. Basically, it can cause the backlight to remain permanently on despite settings to the contrary. My hope is that the software team is working on implementing per-activity backlight and screen settings and that this bug slipped through with the last update and will be addressed soon.
That’s kinda it. Anyone else have some 9PP love to share? Or 9PP specific bugs? I’ll keep a running tab above. Here’s to hoping the 9PP can retire as a solid, fully-formed, minimalist sports watch that still looks and feels like a watch watch.
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@duffman19 said in 9PP Appreciation in 2026 / Things to fix before it's orphaned:
Anyone else have some 9PP love to share?
I do! It’s a great watch and I’m very happy with it. I never experienced any real issue that would affect my training or activities.
I agree that the navigation could be improved, I sort of abandoned the idea that it can be of actual use for me, but even my friend with a map on his high-end Garmin watch wasn’t able to get us out of some wrong path (just a small experience). Phantom vibrations are quite rare although present for me.
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@Francesco-Pagano said in 9PP Appreciation in 2026 / Things to fix before it's orphaned:
I agree that the navigation could be improved, I sort of abandoned the idea that it can be of actual use for me
I also agree it isn’t very useful in its current state. It may even be less useful than when it was initially released since they “updated” the turn-by-turn function. For the 9PP, I’d almost prefer if they went back to the full screen turn notifications that occurred 100m before the turn.
After using a Vertical, though, I think the 9PP navigation would be much improved if it functioned similarly. Having the ability to quickly zoom and pan through a route is what sets Suunto apart. Even without maps, I can imagine this would be enough for most circumstances.
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Hello.
Here also for the 9PP. The watch size is ideal also for me and has enough features to be satisfied for a long time (before I had an Ambit2 ;-)).
The casing is solid and it is not oversized. UI is straight-forward. The performances are ok for my personal usage.
I would love to have an option to customize a sport mode screen with only 2 parameters with bigger fonts (old eyes).Outside that and some little minor issues (lucky me, only 2 soft resets in one year) this watch is fulfilling my (reasonable) expectations.
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Just fix the vibration rattling when outside the workout and I’m good. And maybe the phantom vibration.
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@Łukasz-Szmigiel Do you mean the actual sound of the haptic motor? I know that was a sore point for many users early on. It’s also one of the reasons I returned the watch when I first tried it.
I have a Chinese made one now and will say that the haptics are improved. I definitely feel vibrations more than hear them. They aren’t silent, but definitely better. I’m guessing the components are slightly different than the original Finish made watches.
