Suunto just leaked its own next-generation watches, and the details are already stirring up controversy.
Marketing copy for the Suunto Race 3 and Race 3 S appeared on Suunto's own website, got indexed by Google, and surfaced through Google's AI Overview before anyone at Suunto caught it. A Reddit user on r/Suunto captured screenshots before the text was pulled down. Multiple outlets independently verified the indexed references.
The hardware looks like a solid upgrade. The subscription news is going to be the real story.
Two Models Confirmed
Suunto is splitting the Race lineup into two sizes again, and the naming is a little confusing. Here is what leaked:
Suunto Race 3 S (launching first):
- 1.32-inch AMOLED display
- Sapphire glass protection
- Dual-band GNSS
- Trail-focused positioning
Suunto Race 3 (coming later in 2026):
- 1.5-inch AMOLED display
- Mineral glass protection (not sapphire, which is an interesting choice for the flagship)
- Focus on extended battery life
- Dual-band GNSS
Both watches add dual-band GNSS, which is the accuracy standard for any serious GPS watch in 2026. The original Suunto Race had dual-band support, so this is a continuation rather than a leap, but it confirms Suunto is not cutting corners on positioning tech.
The Display and Glass Split
The glass situation is worth paying attention to. The smaller Race 3 S gets sapphire glass. The larger flagship Race 3 gets mineral glass.
That is an unusual choice. Sapphire is harder and more scratch-resistant than mineral glass. Most brands put sapphire on their premium models and mineral glass on budget options. Suunto appears to be flipping that logic, possibly to keep the larger model at a competitive price point, or to differentiate the two watches more clearly.
If you are rough on your watches and scratch resistance matters to you, the Race 3 S might actually be the better pick despite being the "smaller" model. We will have to wait for full spec sheets to see if there are other material differences.
The AI Coach Goes Conversational
Here is where things get interesting. Both watches ship with a new Suunto AI Coach that is described as interactive and conversational. Think of it as a chat-based coaching assistant that can answer questions, adjust training plans, and provide guidance based on your data.
This is part of a broader industry trend. Garmin added AI-powered coaching feedback. Whoop has an AI coach. Google Health has Gemini-powered coaching. Amazfit has Zepp Coach. Everyone is bolting AI onto their health platforms.
Suunto's version will apparently be more conversational than the competition, which aligns with the direction the wearable market is heading. Whether it is actually good remains to be seen. Early Reddit feedback on Suunto's current AI Coach beta is mixed, with users saying the training plans feel generic and sometimes bizarre (one user reported a marathon plan that included "lots of walking").
The Subscription Bombshell
This is the part that has the community talking.
The AI Coach ships with a three-month free trial. After that, it requires a paid subscription to keep using.
Pricing has not been revealed. But the principle is what matters here. Suunto has traditionally sold its watches with all training and mapping features included, no recurring fees. That was a major selling point. Buy the watch, get the software, done.
Adding a subscription changes the value proposition. It puts Suunto in the same controversial territory as Garmin, which faced heavy backlash when it started putting features behind a paywall. The Reddit threads are already drawing the comparison.
One r/Suunto user put it bluntly: "Probably not a good idea to buy Garmin with the whole subscription fiasco, enshittification is going to happen very soon." That comment was about Garmin, but it now applies equally to Suunto.
To be fair, the leaked copy suggests the subscription is specifically for the AI Coach, not for core training features. If Suunto keeps the existing free features free and only charges for the new AI layer, the blowback will be softer. But the optics of a Finnish brand known for no-nonsense, buy-it-once watches suddenly asking for a monthly fee are not great.
What We Still Do Not Know
Plenty of details are still missing:
- Pricing for either model
- Case materials (titanium? stainless steel? both?)
- Exact battery life numbers
- Subscription price for the AI Coach
- Whether the subscription gates any core features beyond AI coaching
- Exact launch dates beyond "Race 3 S first, Race 3 later in 2026"
The leaked text was marketing copy, not a full spec sheet. We will likely get the full picture when Suunto makes the official announcement, which based on the leaked website text feels imminent.
Competitive Context
The Race 3 lineup enters a crowded field. Here is where it lands:
- Original Suunto Race launched at $349 in 2023 and was praised as the best-value AMOLED sports watch on the market. 50 hours of dual-band GPS, titanium, sapphire, offline maps. Hard to beat.
- Suunto Race 2 raised the price to $499. Still competitive, but the value gap with Garmin narrowed.
- COROS PACE 4 and PACE Pro are undercutting everyone on price with no subscription model.
- Garmin Forerunner 970 remains the running watch benchmark.
- Amazfit Balance Ultra brings titanium and 30-day battery for $599.
The Race 3 needs to justify its existence against all of these. Dual-band GNSS and AMOLED are table stakes now. The differentiator was supposed to be value and no subscription. With the subscription news, Suunto is giving up one of its biggest advantages.
The Bottom Line
The Suunto Race 3 and Race 3 S look like legitimate hardware upgrades. Dual-band GNSS across both models, AMOLED displays, and a split between a sapphire trail watch and a long-battery flagship is a sensible product strategy.
But the AI Coach subscription is the story that will define how these watches are received. Suunto built its reputation on no-nonsense, buy-it-once watches with free software. Walking that back, even partially, is a risky move that hands ammunition to competitors like COROS who are still holding the "no subscription" line.
If the subscription is cheap, optional, and only gates the AI features, Suunto might get away with it. If it creeps into core functionality or feels overpriced, the community reaction will make the Garmin subscription backlash look tame.
We will be watching for the official announcement. Expect the Race 3 S first, with the full-sized Race 3 following later in 2026. And expect the subscription pricing to be the detail everyone fixates on.