Huge Suunto Software Bump for January 2026 (Q4.2025 update)

Suunto owners will be delighted to hear that the company has just launched what must be one of the most wide-ranging software releases (v 2.50.26) from any sports watch company. This is a significant set of improvements focused on what multisport athletes need, but there is definitely something here for everyone with a Suunto watch.

Which Watches Get These Features

All recent Suunto key models get significant improvements: Race 2, Vertical 2, Race, Vertical, 9 Peak Pro, and Race S.

Feature	Race 2 / Vertical 2	Race / Vertical / Race S	9 Peak Pro
SuuntoPlus App Limit	3 Apps	2 Apps	2 Apps
In-House OHR Algorithm	Optimized v2	New v1	No (LifeQ)
Automatic Transitions	Yes	Yes	Yes
New Multisport Formats	Yes	Yes	Yes
Selective Sensor Data	Yes	Yes	Yes
NGP & Peak Power Metrics	Yes	Yes	Yes
Running Dynamics (Native)	Yes	No	No
LED Flashlight Control	Vertical 2 Only	No	No
WiFi Weather Sync	Yes	Yes	Yes

Game-Changing Multisport Updates?

Garmin has remained the triathlon-tech leader for years, primarily because the market is relatively niche but offers some features that are technically complex to implement, meaning few competitors had the incentive to catch up with Garmin. Worse still, these useful tri features are really only useful to the more dedicated triathlete; anyone getting ready for the first and perhaps only triathlon would never need them.

Suunto is aware of this as several of its product team are highly competent triathletes themselves.

 

The world moves on, and perhaps Suunto’s new owners had the means and inclination to significantly improve Suunto’s triathlon features by adding these capabilities

• Automatic transitions now work in triathlon and SwimRun – like Garmin, this will never get transitions right, but will mean you get sensible data when you forget to press the ‘next’ button
• Repeat training blocks are now supported, i.e., you no longer have to create RBRBRBRBRBRBR; you create repeats of RB. Perfect for brick training.
• The new race formats of Duathlon, SwimRun, and Aquathlon have been added. This is a halfway solution. A better alternative would have been to allow custom multiport profiles, so these new race formats and more unusual race types could have been manually added.
• Race 2 and Vertical 2 can run three SuuntoPlus apps at once during activities. Older models are not sufficiently powered to do this.

Improved Metrics

 

• NGP (Instant, Average, Lap average)
• Peak power or speed (3 s, 1 min, 3 min, 5 min)
• Route-specific data showing climbs and descents to the end or next waypoint
• General preferences are remembered for each sport

ZoneSense Gets Better

ZoneSense is an extremely interesting HRV-like feature based on DFA A1, essentially reevaluating your zones in real time as you exercise. It’s a pretty good scientific concept, but it can be tricky to implement due to data quality issues. It’s worth looking into for long-duration training.

• The time-in-zone(sense) summary appears on the watch immediately after finishing
• Intensity tracking now works across all cardio activities
• Visual intensity ring as an option during workouts

Clearer Navigation

Suunto has played catch-up by adding a North-Up heading option, but the faster maps, POIs, and bigger arrows are modest yet welcomed improvements.

• Bigger, clearer arrows and turn indicators
• Option for north-up map orientation
• Points of interest are more visible
• Faster map loading

Heart Rate Accuracy Overhaul

LifeQ previously provided the HR algorithms, and they’ve been dropped in favour of internal ones. This is an interesting move and probably represents a significant effort by Suunto’s internal team to nail this. OHR signal filtering algorithms are notoriously difficult to get right.

• Race and Race S get a completely new in-house optical HR algorithm
• Major improvements during descents and terrain changes
• Better recovery tracking after pauses
• Race 2 and Vertical 2 get optimised altitude-change filtering

Smarter Sensors and Connectivity

Suunto’s sensor management has been poor for years, though improvements were made in 2025. Its sensor management was fine for the majority of its customers; however, a significant minority (e.g. triathletes) need more precise and comprehensive management of multiple sensors.

Suunto has long been aware of this shortcoming and has now moved forward with several changes, most notably each sport remembering which sensors it needs to pair with. Alongside that is the ability to globally ignore some of the sensor’s data – e.g., you might want power only from a STRYD footpod, but not want its pace determination, and instead use GPS.

• Each sport remembers which sensors to use
• Selective sensor data usage (example: power-only from Stryd)
• Automatic weather updates via WiFi overnight
• Sensors activate automatically when paired

Swimming and Intervals

The key change here is to the rest and stroke detection algorithms, which are claimed to be more accurate and more responsive.

Next are changes to swim workouts that improve the display of interval metrics and better describe intervals.

Barometer and Elevation

Suunto’s barometers using sensor fusion have always been generally good enough for me. So I’m not entirely sure what problem is being fixed here. It looks like it is specialist, niche cases that are addressed

• New “SMART” algorithm measures altitude on a per metre basis after an initial 2m change
• Better filtering for wind, rain, and humidity effects
• Eliminates false elevation spikes
• More accurate total ascent/descent tracking

Vertical 2 Exclusives

Vertical’s flashlight remembers your last brightness setting. There’s also quick flashlight access during activities and anew touch gesture for instant shutoff.

Affected Models

• Suunto 9 Peak Pro
• Suunto Race S
• Suunto Race
• Suunto Race 2
• Suunto Vertical
• Suunto Vertical 2

General Improvements

These probably come under a bugs and usability heading.

• Smoother menu transitions
• Airplane mode works from quick settings
• Sleep tracking no longer misidentifies short rests as naps

Takeout

This is a free update benefiting a large number of Suunto owners. Although Suunto has recently been adding a steady stream of features, this big release gives further confidence in the company’s future and its sports watches under the relatively new owners.

There are generic improvements to heart rate, elevation, pace and other metrics. The big wins are for triathletes with improved sensor management and more advanced multisport profile management options. Suunto has clearly taken on board the need to improve sensor management and multisport capabilities.

A good update.

Last Updated on 31 January 2026 by the5krunner