Race S after 3 weeks of usage
Hi folks, wanted to share my initial experience with Suunto Race S. I searched for similar info before buying my watch, hopefully would be useful for new buyers.
I had Garmin FR 255 music version and was using it mostly for running and daily walking/step counts. I had it always in Airplane mode and was getting around 3 weeks battery life. The watch had it's own software issues: had overnight battery drains (100%-0%) at least once a month even after firmware updates, GPS connection was slow (tried all satellite options in settings). Overall it was good watch and had no plans to get rid of it. I had 4 year warranty from local shop. After owning 4 years and on month, it stopped charging completely. I have called customer service and have been given several instructions to fix it. Nothing helped. SO it was time to get new watch.
Natural alternative FR265 was not that impressive and wanted to try something else. Had to decide between Amazfit Balance 2 and Suunto Race S: main factors were size and battery life in Airplane mode. Ended with Race S: price was more or less same in Denmark with shop discounts.
Now I am Suunto fan, watch still has 20% battery after full 3 weeks of usage. Tested running and walking, GPS connection is fast, default data fields are perfect. I had to change Watch face for my liking. Overall solid watch with premium feeling. Does not have NFC payment option but was not using it that often anyway.
Extra points for some specific buyer group:
-Has full offline mode, Bluetooth & WIFI can be fully turned off (my FR255 had some issues with this)
-Garmin Connect app store is huge plus, Suunto has really limited offer here. But what it offers is already good enough for me
-Raise to wake works better in Suunto, I had to move my wrist more with Garmin
-Touch screen is not activated unless you press buttons first, this was really important for me.
So, I found my next watch and let's see how long it holds 😄