August 28, 2025 • 14 mins
EP35 - Deep Dive chat on Suunto Race 2 (ft_ AI Insights)
Resources & Links:
- Buy one: https://geni.us/SuuntoRace2
- All the new features and details: https://the5krunner.com/2025/08/28/suunto-race-2-review/
- DC Rainmaker YouTube Video Review:
- Main Channel: https://the5krunner.com
My other channels: https://linktr.ee/the5krunner
—Credits: Content in this episode was generated using AI tools (NotebookLM) based on original content from @the5krunner, and other sources as cited (Chase the Summit, Montre Cardio, Correr una Maraton, Matt le Grand, The Run Testers)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Deep Dive, your shortcut to being well informed.
Today we're diving into, well, the really busy world of GPS
sports watches. They just keep getting smarter,
don't they? You.
Really do. And there's a new heavyweight
contender making waves. The Sun Two race 2.
Lots of talk about this. One exactly.
So this deep dive, it's for you.Maybe you're thinking about an
(00:22):
upgrade or you're just curious about the latest tech.
Maybe you just want to know how it stacks up.
Yeah, and we've dug through a tonne of reviews, the big names
like Chase, The Summit, Despot, DC Rainmaker, plus others to get
you the key takeaways. OK, so let's set the scene a
bit. Remember the original race one?
The 5K runner called it and I quote the best Suntu sports
watch and the best value AMOLED sports watch from any company
(00:45):
back when it launched. High praise indeed.
People love the look, that bright screen, the digital crown
and yeah, that bonkers long battery life you mentioned.
It was senton to his first real big swing with AMOLED at a good
price. So the Race 2 has a lot to live
up to. The big question is, does it?
What's actually new, what's better?
(01:06):
Is anything missing and where does it really fit in today's
market? Right, let's unpack it.
Hardware 1st. Let's do it physical stuff.
So it's still that 49 millimetresize, which is, you know,
substantial, but they've managedto make it thinner and lighter.
Yeah, that's noticeable. The steel version drops what, 7
grammes and the titanium is 4 grammes lighter.
(01:26):
Chase the Summit mentioned that new all blacked Outlook two more
minimal less ridged bezel. And it's not just looks right,
the comfort seems better. Seems so.
Despot pointed out the lugs lie flatter now, which should help
folks with bigger wrists. It's a mix of Lastic and metal
Palmer lugs, durable but lighter, and that little nub on
the strap to hold the end. Small thing, but people like it.
(01:49):
So the takeaway for you is if you want something sleeker,
lighter for every day and workouts, these changes could
really matter. Definitely.
OK, now the screen the sound like a big one.
Oh absolutely, it's upgraded to 1.5 inches, up from 1.43 LTPO,
AMOLED touch enabled high res and the brightness chase.
The summit called it bananas 2000 nits.
(02:11):
Wow 2000 nits so super readable outside.
Yep, even in bright sun. And it's got sapphire crystal
over it, so pretty scratch resistant.
And that LTPO tech, what does that actually do?
Well, it lets the screen adjust its refresh rate way down when
it's just sitting there, like 1 Hertz for always on, but ramps
up to 120 Hertz when you're using it.
(02:32):
So smoother scrolling, but also saves battery.
Plus, the blacks look deeper. Better lamination, they said.
So visually it sounds top notch premium feels super clear it.
Really is a standout feature. All right, here's a big one for
Sunto fans. I think the heart rate sensor,
they've had some challenges there in the past.
Oh yeah, they definitely heard the feedback.
Sunto apparently went back to the drawing board.
Yeah, new designs, six LED's, four big light receivers.
(02:55):
DC Rainmaker was pretty blunts at fixing the bad optical.
HR was their number one goal. And did they nail it?
He seemed to think they understood the assignment.
The initial signs are really positive.
Chase of the Summit found it tracked right alongside an ECG
strap on runs. There were maybe some blips in
the first few minutes for some, but then it settled down.
And desfit. Desfit basically said finally
(03:15):
solved hard accuracy across running, cycling, HIIT weights
looking good. OK, so for you, if you've been
hesitant about Sunto's wrist HR before, this sounds like a
major, major improvement, much more reliable data.
Exactly. Big step.
Forward. Cool.
What about the practical stuff? Charging internals.
New charger magnetic USBCDC rainmakers take no longer sucks.
(03:40):
Alex tells you something about the old one maybe?
Right, it snaps on properly now.Yeah, addresses that wobbling
issue and inside big upgrade too.
New processor is Apollo 510 chip.
They're saying double the speed,more RAM.
So it feels faster maps scrolling.
Yep, should feel much snappier and all models get 32 gigs of
storage now. 32 gigs OK. And Suto's talking about future
(04:01):
proofing. DC Rainmaker spotted data pins
on that new charger, hints that maybe faster wired transfers for
big maps, maybe even music down the line.
Could be interesting. So faster, more reliable, maybe
ready for more features later that.
Seems to be the idea a more solid platform.
OK, let's shift to performance. What can this thing do?
(04:22):
Battery life is usually soon to a strong suit.
Still is, especially for an AMOLED watch.
It's impressive up to 55 hours in that best dual frequency GPS
mode. That's up from 50 on the race
one. 55 hours and smartwatch. Mode to 16 days from 12 before,
and yeah, you can stretch GPS out to like 200 hours another
modes if you really need to. Wow DC rainmaker called that
(04:45):
industry leading for dual frequency on AMOLED.
Right, it did. And it fast charges too. 40% in
20 minutes, full in about two hours.
So for you endurance folks, or just anyone who hates charging
watches, this is a huge win. Definitely now GPS accuracy.
It's dual band multiband GNSS that should be good.
Yeah, theoretically. Helps a lot in tricky spots like
cities or canyons. Chase the Summit got very good
(05:07):
results running sharp corners. Tracks look clean, Despot said.
Pretty good too, even under trees.
But I feel a but coming. Well, DC Rainmaker comparing it
really closely saw what he called slight steps back from
peaks unto GPS like the race oneor vertical which he considered
industry leaders steps. Back like how bad?
Not major errors, he stressed, more like imperfections.
(05:31):
He saw some struggles in New York City.
Tall buildings, you know, and open water swimming.
Results were just not awesome. OK so take away generally good
for most things on land, but maybe not the absolute king in
the most challenging spots if you're comparing super closely.
That seems fair back in the chasing pack as he put it,
rather than leading it outright on GPS.
Gotcha. Let's talk navigation maps.
(05:53):
It has full topo maps right? Yep, downloadable and they're
smooth to use with the crown responsive zoom and scroll.
Big upgrade is Climb Guidance version 2.
It now shows waypoints on the elevation profile.
Oh nice, so you can see how far to the next aid station or peak
on the climb profile? Exactly.
Zoom between them, see a cent tocent remaining to the next
(06:14):
marker and map downloads over Wi-Fi now.
No charger needed. OK, but limitations, We
mentioned the GPS might not be perfect.
What about the maps themselves? Right?
Key things. No street or trail labels on the
map itself, no built in points of interest that you can add
your own via the A, and crucially, as Chase and Summit
(06:35):
ointed out, they are not routable on the watch.
Not routable so if I go off course.
It won't create a new route backfor you, it'll just give you a
compass pointer back towards theoriginal route line.
You need to send to app to plan the routes beforehand.
OK and someone called The Walking dad had an issue with
the original races turn notifications being tiny.
Is that still a potential thing?It's possible the UI for turns
(06:57):
might still be a challenge for some.
Yeah. So maps look good, useful for
following a plan. Climb guidance is better, but
don't expect Garmin level on watch routing.
Makes sense? What about actual sport tracking
modes? Training features.
Loads of modes over 115, triathlon, multi sport obviously
but also weirdness stuff like parkour, mermaid.
(07:18):
Mermaid. Seriously.
Yep. Apparently snorkelling without
GPS. They're fully customizable, too,
and the app has Sunto Coach AI plans, plus that new recovery
widget. The recovery widget that pulls
in HRV, sleep training, stress balance.
Right, TSB Perceived exertion gives you a readiness score.
And for folks who follow this stuff, TSB is basically fitness
(07:39):
minus fatigue. Helps you see if you're ready to
train hard or need rest. It uses CTL, long term fitness
and ATL recent stress. OK, good context and a feature
people have wanted for ages. Multi sensor pairing.
Finally, you can save like two different bike power metres and
just switch easily. No more repairing every time you
swap bikes. Nice.
So for athletes, seems like a very solid training tool.
(08:01):
Lots of data, lots of options. Very robust platform, yeah.
OK, but it can all be perfect. Let's talk trade-offs.
What's missing? What could be better?
First thing, price. Yeah, it went up $100 more than
the Race 1. So $499 for steel, $599 for
titanium. And Chase the summit's point
was? That it's no longer the cheap
alternative to high end garments.
(08:23):
That value proposition the firstrace had?
It's shifted. So for you listening, you really
got a way if those hardware upgrades justify the higher
price point. Now it's playing in a different
league. Absolutely and smartwatch
features. Seems like Sunto is still very
sport focused here. Very much so.
Big omissions compared to competitors.
(08:43):
No offline music storage, which is odd, Chase noted, because the
cheaper Sunto run has 4GB for music.
Weird. What else is missing?
No NFC for payments, no speaker,no microphone, and that little
annoyance, no palm to sleep gesture to quickly blank the
screen in the dark. So if you want music on your
watch without your phone or paying with your wrist, look
(09:04):
elsewhere. Pretty much these are deliberate
choices by Sunto it seems. If those smart features are make
or break for you, this isn't that watch.
It's sport first, smart second. How about the User experience
interface? Faster, yes, but any quirks?
DC Rainmaker felt watch face customization is still a bit
limited compared to say core as a garment.
(09:24):
And those training metrics we mentioned, TSBECTL, they're
powerful, but might take some learning if you're not familiar
with training beats concepts. And the body resources metric.
Chase the Summit thought it seemed a bit generous compared
to Garmin's body battery maybe overestimates recovery slightly.
Need more data on that probably.And potentially still that
navigation UI issue with small turn prompts from The Walking
(09:47):
dad's earlier feedback. Could be so core sport stuff is
solid, but some UI Polish and maybe simpler explanations for
metrics could help broader appeal.
Now this is interesting softwareuniqueness, or lack thereof.
Right. This was a key point from DC
Rainmaker. A lot of the new software
features for Race 2 that recovery widget, clam guidance,
(10:07):
V2, multi sensor pairing, Wi-Fi map downloads, they actually
rolled out to the older CentOS just before the Race 2 launch.
So the race one vertical run 9 Peak Pro got these features too.
Exactly. Which means at launch, the Race
2 software wasn't really novel. It has hardware advantages, but
the software experience is very similar across their recent top
models now. Good for existing users, maybe
(10:29):
less compelling as a reason to buy the new one just for
software. Precisely, it standardises their
platform, which is smart, but makes the Race 2's unique
selling points more about the physical hardware, the screen,
the HR sensor, the processor. OK, let's put it head to head
competitors. How does it stack up first
within Suntu itself? Race one versus race 2?
Race 2 is a clear hardware upgrade.
(10:51):
Better screen, lighter, thinner,faster, better HR, better
charging software. Very similar now because of the
updates to race one. Sun 2 Race S.
That's basically the smaller race one older tech stack is the
5K runner. Put it good price if you want
smaller. And the sun to vertical.
That's their adventure watch, though.
DC Rainmaker calls that marketing.
It has the older MIP screen, much better battery life.
(11:12):
Solar option Race 2 has the bright AMOLED and faster chip.
Different priorities. Screen versus absolute battery.
Right now outside Sinto Garmin, big competitor, forerunners,
epics. Yeah, high end garments
generally offer more smart features, ratable maps, music
payments. Speaker Lankic Race 2 doesn't
have those. But the Race 2 has.
(11:33):
Arguably a better, brighter, bigger AMOLED than some
comparable garments like the 970maybe, and that faster
processor. But remember DC Rainmaker's
point about GPS maybe not being quite as perfect as Garmin in
the toughest spots now? OK.
How about Koros Nomad Pace 3? Koros also uses that fast Apollo
510 chip strong features. Sunto might have a slight edge
(11:55):
with its third party App Store agility, but neither Koros nor
Polar usually do on watch rotable maps.
And Polar Vantage V3. Similar price to Race 2, The 5K
runner thinks Polar might edge it on Physiology metrics, but
Polar's app ecosystem is less developed, and DC Rainmaker
noted some HR issues of the V3 indoors.
Similar to the old Race one actually.
Interesting. And the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
(12:16):
Massive smartwatch features, huge App Store, but as the 5K
runner said, notably inferior battery life for long endurance
stuff compared to Race 2. Plus, wearing a sunto might make
you stand out more. Good point.
Any others amaze fit? Someone mentioned an Amaze fit
as an alternative to Race One, but DC Rainmaker generally
(12:38):
cautions that Amaze fit featurescan be a bit skin deep, maybe
lacking long term software support and updates compared to
the dedicated sports brands. OK.
Let's to consider there. Definitely, the Race 2 carves
out its space with premium hardware, screen build, battery
and strong sport features, but trades off some of those common
smart features. So let's try and wrap this up
for you. The Sunto Race 2.
(13:00):
It definitely brings major hardware upgrades.
That screen is stunning, the HR sensor seems fixed, it's faster,
lighter, sleeker and the batteryis still amazing for AMOLED
it's. A beast for sports and outdoors.
Navigation is solid. Training metrics are deep.
But yeah, it deliberately skips things like music and payments
that others have. And the GPS, while generally
very good, maybe isn't the absolute chart Topper in every
(13:23):
single tough scenario like Santopossibly was before.
Plus, that price bump puts it firmly in premium territory, not
the value play the Race 1 was. Exactly.
You're paying for those hardwareimprovements.
What really stands out though, is that future proofing angle.
More memory, those data pins. It feels like Sunto built this.
Watch for what's next, even if it's not all enabled today.
(13:44):
Right. It feels like they're
solidifying their platform, focusing hard on being a top
tier sports watch, maybe moving away from trying experimental
things. So final thought here, in a
world where maybe watches try todo everything, the Sunto Race 2
seems laser focused on nailing the sports experience.
But what does future proof to really mean when tech moves so
(14:04):
fast? Is what it offers today enough
for your needs, or are you kind of waiting to see what updates
unlock down the line? Yeah, will Sunto's bet on core
performance and their ecosystem pay off against competitors
loading up on smartwatch features?
And maybe for you listening, what's the one feature?
If Sunto added it via an update,that would make the race to the
perfect watch for you. Something to think about.
Welcome to the Deep Dive, your shortcut to being well informed.
Today we're diving into, well, the really busy world of GPS
sports watches. They just keep getting smarter,
don't they? You.
Really do. And there's a new heavyweight
contender making waves. The Sun Two race 2.
Lots of talk about this. One exactly.
So this deep dive, it's for you.Maybe you're thinking about an
(00:22):
upgrade or you're just curious about the latest tech.
Maybe you just want to know how it stacks up.
Yeah, and we've dug through a tonne of reviews, the big names
like Chase, The Summit, Despot, DC Rainmaker, plus others to get
you the key takeaways. OK, so let's set the scene a
bit. Remember the original race one?
The 5K runner called it and I quote the best Suntu sports
watch and the best value AMOLED sports watch from any company
(00:45):
back when it launched. High praise indeed.
People love the look, that bright screen, the digital crown
and yeah, that bonkers long battery life you mentioned.
It was senton to his first real big swing with AMOLED at a good
price. So the Race 2 has a lot to live
up to. The big question is, does it?
What's actually new, what's better?
(01:06):
Is anything missing and where does it really fit in today's
market? Right, let's unpack it.
Hardware 1st. Let's do it physical stuff.
So it's still that 49 millimetresize, which is, you know,
substantial, but they've managedto make it thinner and lighter.
Yeah, that's noticeable. The steel version drops what, 7
grammes and the titanium is 4 grammes lighter.
(01:26):
Chase the Summit mentioned that new all blacked Outlook two more
minimal less ridged bezel. And it's not just looks right,
the comfort seems better. Seems so.
Despot pointed out the lugs lie flatter now, which should help
folks with bigger wrists. It's a mix of Lastic and metal
Palmer lugs, durable but lighter, and that little nub on
the strap to hold the end. Small thing, but people like it.
(01:49):
So the takeaway for you is if you want something sleeker,
lighter for every day and workouts, these changes could
really matter. Definitely.
OK, now the screen the sound like a big one.
Oh absolutely, it's upgraded to 1.5 inches, up from 1.43 LTPO,
AMOLED touch enabled high res and the brightness chase.
The summit called it bananas 2000 nits.
(02:11):
Wow 2000 nits so super readable outside.
Yep, even in bright sun. And it's got sapphire crystal
over it, so pretty scratch resistant.
And that LTPO tech, what does that actually do?
Well, it lets the screen adjust its refresh rate way down when
it's just sitting there, like 1 Hertz for always on, but ramps
up to 120 Hertz when you're using it.
(02:32):
So smoother scrolling, but also saves battery.
Plus, the blacks look deeper. Better lamination, they said.
So visually it sounds top notch premium feels super clear it.
Really is a standout feature. All right, here's a big one for
Sunto fans. I think the heart rate sensor,
they've had some challenges there in the past.
Oh yeah, they definitely heard the feedback.
Sunto apparently went back to the drawing board.
Yeah, new designs, six LED's, four big light receivers.
(02:55):
DC Rainmaker was pretty blunts at fixing the bad optical.
HR was their number one goal. And did they nail it?
He seemed to think they understood the assignment.
The initial signs are really positive.
Chase of the Summit found it tracked right alongside an ECG
strap on runs. There were maybe some blips in
the first few minutes for some, but then it settled down.
And desfit. Desfit basically said finally
(03:15):
solved hard accuracy across running, cycling, HIIT weights
looking good. OK, so for you, if you've been
hesitant about Sunto's wrist HR before, this sounds like a
major, major improvement, much more reliable data.
Exactly. Big step.
Forward. Cool.
What about the practical stuff? Charging internals.
New charger magnetic USBCDC rainmakers take no longer sucks.
(03:40):
Alex tells you something about the old one maybe?
Right, it snaps on properly now.Yeah, addresses that wobbling
issue and inside big upgrade too.
New processor is Apollo 510 chip.
They're saying double the speed,more RAM.
So it feels faster maps scrolling.
Yep, should feel much snappier and all models get 32 gigs of
storage now. 32 gigs OK. And Suto's talking about future
(04:01):
proofing. DC Rainmaker spotted data pins
on that new charger, hints that maybe faster wired transfers for
big maps, maybe even music down the line.
Could be interesting. So faster, more reliable, maybe
ready for more features later that.
Seems to be the idea a more solid platform.
OK, let's shift to performance. What can this thing do?
(04:22):
Battery life is usually soon to a strong suit.
Still is, especially for an AMOLED watch.
It's impressive up to 55 hours in that best dual frequency GPS
mode. That's up from 50 on the race
one. 55 hours and smartwatch. Mode to 16 days from 12 before,
and yeah, you can stretch GPS out to like 200 hours another
modes if you really need to. Wow DC rainmaker called that
(04:45):
industry leading for dual frequency on AMOLED.
Right, it did. And it fast charges too. 40% in
20 minutes, full in about two hours.
So for you endurance folks, or just anyone who hates charging
watches, this is a huge win. Definitely now GPS accuracy.
It's dual band multiband GNSS that should be good.
Yeah, theoretically. Helps a lot in tricky spots like
cities or canyons. Chase the Summit got very good
(05:07):
results running sharp corners. Tracks look clean, Despot said.
Pretty good too, even under trees.
But I feel a but coming. Well, DC Rainmaker comparing it
really closely saw what he called slight steps back from
peaks unto GPS like the race oneor vertical which he considered
industry leaders steps. Back like how bad?
Not major errors, he stressed, more like imperfections.
(05:31):
He saw some struggles in New York City.
Tall buildings, you know, and open water swimming.
Results were just not awesome. OK so take away generally good
for most things on land, but maybe not the absolute king in
the most challenging spots if you're comparing super closely.
That seems fair back in the chasing pack as he put it,
rather than leading it outright on GPS.
Gotcha. Let's talk navigation maps.
(05:53):
It has full topo maps right? Yep, downloadable and they're
smooth to use with the crown responsive zoom and scroll.
Big upgrade is Climb Guidance version 2.
It now shows waypoints on the elevation profile.
Oh nice, so you can see how far to the next aid station or peak
on the climb profile? Exactly.
Zoom between them, see a cent tocent remaining to the next
(06:14):
marker and map downloads over Wi-Fi now.
No charger needed. OK, but limitations, We
mentioned the GPS might not be perfect.
What about the maps themselves? Right?
Key things. No street or trail labels on the
map itself, no built in points of interest that you can add
your own via the A, and crucially, as Chase and Summit
(06:35):
ointed out, they are not routable on the watch.
Not routable so if I go off course.
It won't create a new route backfor you, it'll just give you a
compass pointer back towards theoriginal route line.
You need to send to app to plan the routes beforehand.
OK and someone called The Walking dad had an issue with
the original races turn notifications being tiny.
Is that still a potential thing?It's possible the UI for turns
(06:57):
might still be a challenge for some.
Yeah. So maps look good, useful for
following a plan. Climb guidance is better, but
don't expect Garmin level on watch routing.
Makes sense? What about actual sport tracking
modes? Training features.
Loads of modes over 115, triathlon, multi sport obviously
but also weirdness stuff like parkour, mermaid.
(07:18):
Mermaid. Seriously.
Yep. Apparently snorkelling without
GPS. They're fully customizable, too,
and the app has Sunto Coach AI plans, plus that new recovery
widget. The recovery widget that pulls
in HRV, sleep training, stress balance.
Right, TSB Perceived exertion gives you a readiness score.
And for folks who follow this stuff, TSB is basically fitness
(07:39):
minus fatigue. Helps you see if you're ready to
train hard or need rest. It uses CTL, long term fitness
and ATL recent stress. OK, good context and a feature
people have wanted for ages. Multi sensor pairing.
Finally, you can save like two different bike power metres and
just switch easily. No more repairing every time you
swap bikes. Nice.
So for athletes, seems like a very solid training tool.
(08:01):
Lots of data, lots of options. Very robust platform, yeah.
OK, but it can all be perfect. Let's talk trade-offs.
What's missing? What could be better?
First thing, price. Yeah, it went up $100 more than
the Race 1. So $499 for steel, $599 for
titanium. And Chase the summit's point
was? That it's no longer the cheap
alternative to high end garments.
(08:23):
That value proposition the firstrace had?
It's shifted. So for you listening, you really
got a way if those hardware upgrades justify the higher
price point. Now it's playing in a different
league. Absolutely and smartwatch
features. Seems like Sunto is still very
sport focused here. Very much so.
Big omissions compared to competitors.
(08:43):
No offline music storage, which is odd, Chase noted, because the
cheaper Sunto run has 4GB for music.
Weird. What else is missing?
No NFC for payments, no speaker,no microphone, and that little
annoyance, no palm to sleep gesture to quickly blank the
screen in the dark. So if you want music on your
watch without your phone or paying with your wrist, look
(09:04):
elsewhere. Pretty much these are deliberate
choices by Sunto it seems. If those smart features are make
or break for you, this isn't that watch.
It's sport first, smart second. How about the User experience
interface? Faster, yes, but any quirks?
DC Rainmaker felt watch face customization is still a bit
limited compared to say core as a garment.
(09:24):
And those training metrics we mentioned, TSBECTL, they're
powerful, but might take some learning if you're not familiar
with training beats concepts. And the body resources metric.
Chase the Summit thought it seemed a bit generous compared
to Garmin's body battery maybe overestimates recovery slightly.
Need more data on that probably.And potentially still that
navigation UI issue with small turn prompts from The Walking
(09:47):
dad's earlier feedback. Could be so core sport stuff is
solid, but some UI Polish and maybe simpler explanations for
metrics could help broader appeal.
Now this is interesting softwareuniqueness, or lack thereof.
Right. This was a key point from DC
Rainmaker. A lot of the new software
features for Race 2 that recovery widget, clam guidance,
(10:07):
V2, multi sensor pairing, Wi-Fi map downloads, they actually
rolled out to the older CentOS just before the Race 2 launch.
So the race one vertical run 9 Peak Pro got these features too.
Exactly. Which means at launch, the Race
2 software wasn't really novel. It has hardware advantages, but
the software experience is very similar across their recent top
models now. Good for existing users, maybe
(10:29):
less compelling as a reason to buy the new one just for
software. Precisely, it standardises their
platform, which is smart, but makes the Race 2's unique
selling points more about the physical hardware, the screen,
the HR sensor, the processor. OK, let's put it head to head
competitors. How does it stack up first
within Suntu itself? Race one versus race 2?
Race 2 is a clear hardware upgrade.
(10:51):
Better screen, lighter, thinner,faster, better HR, better
charging software. Very similar now because of the
updates to race one. Sun 2 Race S.
That's basically the smaller race one older tech stack is the
5K runner. Put it good price if you want
smaller. And the sun to vertical.
That's their adventure watch, though.
DC Rainmaker calls that marketing.
It has the older MIP screen, much better battery life.
(11:12):
Solar option Race 2 has the bright AMOLED and faster chip.
Different priorities. Screen versus absolute battery.
Right now outside Sinto Garmin, big competitor, forerunners,
epics. Yeah, high end garments
generally offer more smart features, ratable maps, music
payments. Speaker Lankic Race 2 doesn't
have those. But the Race 2 has.
(11:33):
Arguably a better, brighter, bigger AMOLED than some
comparable garments like the 970maybe, and that faster
processor. But remember DC Rainmaker's
point about GPS maybe not being quite as perfect as Garmin in
the toughest spots now? OK.
How about Koros Nomad Pace 3? Koros also uses that fast Apollo
510 chip strong features. Sunto might have a slight edge
(11:55):
with its third party App Store agility, but neither Koros nor
Polar usually do on watch rotable maps.
And Polar Vantage V3. Similar price to Race 2, The 5K
runner thinks Polar might edge it on Physiology metrics, but
Polar's app ecosystem is less developed, and DC Rainmaker
noted some HR issues of the V3 indoors.
Similar to the old Race one actually.
Interesting. And the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
(12:16):
Massive smartwatch features, huge App Store, but as the 5K
runner said, notably inferior battery life for long endurance
stuff compared to Race 2. Plus, wearing a sunto might make
you stand out more. Good point.
Any others amaze fit? Someone mentioned an Amaze fit
as an alternative to Race One, but DC Rainmaker generally
(12:38):
cautions that Amaze fit featurescan be a bit skin deep, maybe
lacking long term software support and updates compared to
the dedicated sports brands. OK.
Let's to consider there. Definitely, the Race 2 carves
out its space with premium hardware, screen build, battery
and strong sport features, but trades off some of those common
smart features. So let's try and wrap this up
for you. The Sunto Race 2.
(13:00):
It definitely brings major hardware upgrades.
That screen is stunning, the HR sensor seems fixed, it's faster,
lighter, sleeker and the batteryis still amazing for AMOLED
it's. A beast for sports and outdoors.
Navigation is solid. Training metrics are deep.
But yeah, it deliberately skips things like music and payments
that others have. And the GPS, while generally
very good, maybe isn't the absolute chart Topper in every
(13:23):
single tough scenario like Santopossibly was before.
Plus, that price bump puts it firmly in premium territory, not
the value play the Race 1 was. Exactly.
You're paying for those hardwareimprovements.
What really stands out though, is that future proofing angle.
More memory, those data pins. It feels like Sunto built this.
Watch for what's next, even if it's not all enabled today.
(13:44):
Right. It feels like they're
solidifying their platform, focusing hard on being a top
tier sports watch, maybe moving away from trying experimental
things. So final thought here, in a
world where maybe watches try todo everything, the Sunto Race 2
seems laser focused on nailing the sports experience.
But what does future proof to really mean when tech moves so
(14:04):
fast? Is what it offers today enough
for your needs, or are you kind of waiting to see what updates
unlock down the line? Yeah, will Sunto's bet on core
performance and their ecosystem pay off against competitors
loading up on smartwatch features?
And maybe for you listening, what's the one feature?
If Sunto added it via an update,that would make the race to the
perfect watch for you. Something to think about.
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