Suunto Unveils Race 3S Smartwatch Alongside New AI Coach Subscription Service

Suunto has officially announced the launch of its newest wearable device, the Suunto Race 3S, a small-form-factor multisport watch that arrives alongside a significant price increase and a brand-new subscription service. Coming on the heels of several successful product cycles and steady firmware support across its ecosystem, the Finnish brand is aiming to capture a specific segment of the endurance sports market. However, the introduction of a steep price bump and the newly minted Suunto AI Coach subscription platform have already sparked debate among industry analysts and consumers alike over whether the hardware and software updates can truly justify the cost.

Having spent the past few weeks putting the Suunto Race 3S through rigorous testing across varied outdoor activities, reviewers have had an opportunity to evaluate how the device performs in real-world scenarios and whether it stacks up against competing releases from recent weeks. The new model introduces several refinements over the existing Suunto Race S, including a brighter display, expanded storage capacity, and hardware material upgrades that shift from a stainless steel bezel to a titanium bezel. Yet, the dramatic jump in retail price has placed the watch in a much more aggressive competitive bracket than its predecessor.

What’s New in Hardware and Software

The Suunto Race 3S arrives as an incremental upgrade to the Suunto Race S. Interestingly, Suunto bypassed a hypothetical Race 2S designation, and the company has offered no comment on the absence of a larger companion model named the Suunto Race 3, leaving a notable gap in their current product lineup.

When examining the physical and technical changes compared to the original Suunto Race S—which continued to receive firmware updates through the spring—the list of hardware revisions is substantial. Suunto has upgraded the peak display brightness from 1,000 nits to 2,000 nits, shifted the lens cover material from Gorilla Glass to sapphire crystal glass, and updated the bezel from stainless steel to titanium. Under the hood, the watch features an upgraded optical heart rate sensor, a faster Apollo 510 processor, and expanded battery efficiency that increases GPS tracking time from 30 hours to 38 hours in dual-frequency mode and up to 45 hours in single-frequency mode. Daily smartwatch battery life has also seen an extension from nine days to 12 days.

Internal storage has doubled from 32GB to 64GB, enabling support for offline music playback via MP3 file transfers over a USB cable, though the device does not support offline streaming services like Spotify. Other hardware tweaks include support for up to three concurrent SuuntoPlus apps in a single profile, an official case size increase from 45mm to 46mm, and a slight weight reduction down to 56 grams.

However, the most striking change is the retail price. While the original Suunto Race S debuted at $349 USD or 349 EUR, the new Suunto Race 3S launches at $599 USD and 499 EUR. While some regional spec sheets may list NFC capability, contactless payment integration is restricted exclusively to the Chinese market and is unavailable elsewhere.

On the software side, the Race 3S incorporates features that rolled out to the Suunto Race 2 over the summer, including a tide widget, expanded map labels for road names, water bodies, and mountain peaks, and the addition of ascent as an exercise target. Suunto has also announced that a new Race Planner feature will arrive later in the year, bringing advanced training weather analysis to the platform without requiring the newly introduced AI subscription. The watch is available in three color options: purple, white, and black.

Unboxing and the Daily User Experience

The unboxing experience follows Suunto’s recent design language, containing the watch pod, a standard strap, a braided magnetic charging cable, and introductory documentation. The updated magnetic charging cable is a welcome improvement over the connection mechanism found on the original S model, which was prone to occasional misalignments. Assembly is straightforward, requiring a brief strap attachment process before the watch is ready for use.

Navigating the user interface relies on a three-button layout combined with a touchscreen. The upper-right button opens the sport menu, the middle digital crown handles scrolling and widget access, and the bottom button serves as a back and escape function. The 2,000-nit display remains legible under bright sunlight, though power-saving algorithms tend to dim the panel quickly after a wrist gesture. Notably, unlike the similarly priced Suunto Vertical 2, the Race 3S lacks a physical LED flashlight, relying instead on a screen-based illumination feature.

Despite housing a faster processor, certain UI elements can occasionally feel sluggish during navigation, illustrating that optimized firmware is just as critical as raw hardware specifications. Widget functionality remains consistent with previous models, delivering reliable daily tracking metrics such as step counts, sleep duration, and heart rate variability status. The internal 64GB of storage provides ample room, though the lack of music streaming services limits the utility of that extra capacity for the vast majority of users who rely on cloud-based audio platforms. Smartphone notifications handle basic text and emoji inputs effectively.

Sports Usage, Mapping, and Navigation

Accessing workout profiles is initiated via the upper-right button, which immediately brings up the last used sport mode while acquiring a GPS lock and heart rate connection. Users can choose from a vast library of sport profiles, load navigation routes, and enable up to three concurrent SuuntoPlus apps.

Downloading maps is handled via Wi-Fi through the Suunto smartphone app by selecting specific regional areas. However, the synchronization process between the mobile application and the watch retains a modal restriction that locks the device during data transfers, preventing configuration changes until syncing is fully complete. Furthermore, default sport profiles cannot be directly modified, requiring users to create custom profiles for minor tweaks.

During active navigation, the watch provides directional chants and visual prompts for upcoming turns, alerting users promptly if they stray off course. Map rotation is fluid and responsive, but zooming in and out frequently reveals momentary black square tiles while rendering detailed map data, presenting a less polished visual experience compared to competitors. Elevation profiles and climb progress tracking function reliably throughout workouts, and completed activities sync automatically to third-party platforms like Strava and TrainingPeaks.

Accuracy of Heart Rate and GPS Tracking

The newly redesigned optical heart rate sensor, featuring six LEDs and four photodetectors behind curved glass, represents a major performance leap forward for Suunto. Across multiple testing scenarios, including hilly road runs, technical trail runs spanning varied terrain, and gravel cycling rides characterized by frequent stop-and-go movements, the optical sensor delivers highly accurate readings that closely mirror chest-strap data.

On the GNSS and GPS tracking front, the device performs consistently well in open environments, rural trails, and suburban roads. In dense urban environments surrounded by tall buildings, the watch—alongside competing wearables from Garmin, COROS, and Apple—experiences standard multi-path interference and minor track deviations, though it quickly stabilizes once clear of urban canyons. Elevation tracking remains steady and reliable across extended outdoor workouts, and the device logs comprehensive data metrics directly into its recorded files.

The Suunto AI Coach Subscription

Alongside the hardware release, Suunto introduced the Suunto AI Coach, a subscription-based service designed to leverage current and historical training data to deliver personalized race planning insights and advanced coaching analytics. The feature currently operates entirely within the companion smartphone app.

While Suunto Race 3S buyers receive a complimentary three-month trial, the company has not yet disclosed the permanent pricing structure for the subscription once the promotional period concludes. This ambiguity has drawn scrutiny from users wary of subscription models that require ongoing financial commitments without upfront transparency. Nevertheless, Suunto has also committed to providing a free model context protocol for all users, aligning with similar open initiatives seen across the industry.

Market Reception and Conclusion

Suunto has built considerable momentum over recent years through consistent product development and frequent software enhancements. However, the Suunto Race 3S occupies a difficult position within the current market landscape.

Priced at $599 USD and 499 EUR, the watch represents a dramatic price increase compared to its predecessor without introducing revolutionary hardware advancements. While the titanium bezel, sapphire crystal, brighter display, and significantly improved optical heart rate sensor are welcome upgrades, the absence of industry-standard features like music streaming integration and a physical flashlight makes the elevated price point difficult to justify against fierce competition in the endurance watch market.