Suunto Launches Race 3S Smartwatch and AI Coach Subscription Amid Pricing Backlash

Suunto has officially announced its latest wearable device, the Suunto Race 3S, introducing a smaller form-factor sports watch accompanied by a significant price increase. Alongside the hardware release, the company has launched a new subscription service, Suunto AI Coach, which integrates newly developed features within the Suunto App ecosystem. Reviewers who have spent the past few weeks evaluating the device find themselves weighing its technical performance against a surprisingly aggressive pricing strategy that places it in direct competition with more capable, lower-priced alternatives.

The Suunto Race 3S arrives with a brighter display, expanded internal storage, and several software updates that bypassed the existing Race S model earlier in the year. While these adjustments represent incremental rather than revolutionary changes, the inclusion of upgraded materials—notably shifting from a stainless steel bezel to a titanium finish—adds a more premium aesthetic to the lineup. Testing across various outdoor activities reveals how the device holds up under strenuous conditions, though questions remain regarding whether the overall package can justify its newfound cost.

What’s New in Hardware and Software

As an upgrade to the existing Suunto Race S, the new Suunto Race 3S occupies an unusual spot in the product ecosystem. There was no intermediate Suunto Race 2S released, and curiously, a larger companion model named the Suunto Race 3 has yet to materialize. When queried about the absence of a standard or larger Race 3 variant, company representatives declined to comment.

Ignoring the firmware updates that sustained the original Race S until recent months, the hardware revisions on the Race 3S are notable. Peak display brightness has doubled from 1,000 nits to 2,000 nits, while the lens cover has been upgraded from Gorilla Glass to sapphire crystal glass. The casing transitions from stainless steel to titanium, and the device houses an upgraded optical heart rate sensor paired with a faster Apollo 510 processor.

Battery performance has also seen improvements, with GPS tracking stretching from 30 hours to 38 hours in dual-frequency mode and 45 hours in single-frequency mode. Daily smartwatch battery life climbs from nine days to 12 days. Internal storage expands from 32GB to 64GB, enabling support for offline music playback via MP3 files, though the watch lacks integration with major streaming services. The maximum number of concurrently enabled SuuntoPlus apps within a single profile increases from two to three, the case size shifts slightly from 45mm to 46mm, and the overall weight drops from 60 grams to 56 grams.

Most controversially, the retail price jumps sharply from $349 USD to $599 USD, and from 349 EUR to 499 EUR. While specifications list NFC capability, this feature remains strictly limited to the Chinese market without contactless payment integration elsewhere. Software enhancements mirror updates rolled out to the Suunto Race 2 over the summer, including a new tide widget, expanded map labels featuring road names, water bodies, and mountain peaks, and the addition of ascent as an exercise target. A forthcoming "Race Planner" feature is slated for release later in the year, designed to factor in environmental variables such as temperature shifts between training locations and race days without requiring the AI Coach subscription. The watch is available in purple, white, and black colorways.

Unboxing and Initial Impressions

Following the standard design language established by recent Suunto releases, the box contains the watch pod, a standard band strap, a braided magnetic charging cable, and introductory documentation. The magnetic charging mechanism represents a welcome improvement over the original Race S cable, which suffered from alignment issues. Assembly requires attaching the straps to the watch body, a quick process before initial setup.

The Basics: Usability and Daily Tracking

The Suunto Race 3S utilizes a three-button layout combined with a responsive touchscreen, allowing users to navigate the interface through physical controls or touch inputs. The upper-right button opens the sport menu, the middle digital crown scrolls through lists and pinned smartwatch widgets, and the lower button functions as a back command.

The 2,000-nit touchscreen remains legible in bright sunlight and shaded environments alike. However, industry standards in 2026 lean heavily toward 3,000-nit panels, with competing devices like the recently released COROS Pace 4 Pro utilizing larger 3,500-nit displays while retailing for $150 less. While the Suunto screen is adequately bright, power-saving algorithms tend to dim the display aggressively within seconds of a wrist raise. Furthermore, unlike the similarly priced Suunto Vertical 2, the Race 3S omits a physical LED flashlight in favor of a screen-based illumination mode.

Widget navigation reveals occasional interface lag despite the inclusion of a faster processor, highlighting the importance of firmware optimization over raw hardware specifications. Sleep tracking and heart rate variability metrics align closely with alternative wearables, while the newly designed optical heart rate sensor delivers significantly improved accuracy compared to its predecessor. The 64GB of internal storage primarily accommodates offline MP3 files transferred via a USB cable, as streaming services remain unsupported. Smartphone notifications handle basic text and emojis reliably.

Sports Usage and Mapping

Accessing workout modes via the upper-right button initiates GPS acquisition and heart rate lock while searching for paired external sensors. Users can select from an extensive list of sport profiles, load navigation courses, and configure up to three concurrent SuuntoPlus apps.

Map management requires downloading regional data over Wi-Fi through the mobile application. While map rotation is instantaneous and free of rendering errors, zooming in or out consistently triggers temporary black square tiles as the device processes map data. This slow tile rendering results in a somewhat unpolished visual experience during active navigation. Turn-by-turn routing alerts users audibly and visually when approaching or missing a turn, and elevation tracking monitors overall and climb-specific progress effectively. Post-workout summaries sync seamlessly to the Suunto app and automatically forward data to connected third-party platforms like Strava and TrainingPeaks.

Accuracy of Heart Rate and GPS

The updated optical heart rate sensor, featuring six LEDs and four photodetectors beneath curved sensor glass, performs exceptionally well across rigorous testing scenarios. During hilly city runs featuring challenging descents and long trail runs across varied terrain, the optical sensor closely mirrors the data recorded by a simultaneous chest strap. Even during gravel cycling sessions characterized by frequent stops and intense vibrations, the sensor maintains steady tracking without cadence lock or erratic dropouts.

On the GNSS side, performance is consistent with modern multi-band standards. Urban environments flanked by tall buildings introduce minor positional drift across multiple competing devices from various manufacturers, but open-air trail runs and suburban routes demonstrate tight alignment with true paths. Elevation profiles remain stable throughout extended workouts, and battery drain aligns closely with published specifications, showing approximately a 5% consumption rate during a 98-minute dual-frequency trail run utilizing active navigation.

Suunto AI Coach Subscription

The introduction of the Suunto AI Coach brings personalized race planning and training insights derived from historical user data. Initially launching alongside the Race 3S before rolling out to other compatible watches, the service operates entirely within the mobile application.

Early reception faces friction due to pricing transparency. Suunto Race 3S buyers receive a three-month complimentary trial, but the company has not yet established the permanent cost of the subscription once the promotional period concludes. While the depth of the AI coaching platform appears robust, committing to an unpriced subscription model leaves users uncertain about long-term expenses. Alongside this, Suunto announced a free data platform tier for all users, mirroring similar open-data initiatives seen across the industry.

Wrap-Up

Suunto has maintained a strong cadence of hardware launches and frequent software updates over recent years. However, the Suunto Race 3S presents a challenging value proposition. At $599 USD, the device represents a massive price hike compared to the launch cost of the original Race S, yet it relies on display technology and hardware features that trail behind competing devices available at significantly lower price points.

While the hardware refinements—particularly the improved optical heart rate sensor and titanium bezel—are welcome, the lack of modern essentials like streaming music integration, a physical flashlight, or competitive display brightness makes the high price point difficult to reconcile. In a market where competitors offer more capable hardware for substantially less money, the Suunto Race 3S arrives in a heavily contested space.