Suunto has just rolled out a pretty solid update, continuing a seemingly recent trend over most of the last 6-8 months of more frequent and more notable firmware updates. The updates during this timeframe has been a blend of long-needed changes (like, decade long in some cases), but also minor new features too. I’ll quickly go through a few of the items that stood out to me the most.
Overall, the updates is for all of their recent watches from the last couple years, plus the Suunto 9 Peak Pro tossed in. The only exception however being the budget-focused Suunto Run, which as discussed back then, runs on an entirely different software/firmware platform, and thus isn’t seeing the benefit of these. On the bright side, it’s pretty darn cheap.
The January 2026 Update:The update launched this morning is 2.50.26, and available for the Suunto Race (1), Suunto Race S, Suunto Race 2, Suunto Vertical 1, Suunto Vertical 2, and the Suunto 9 Peak Pro. You should be able to sync your watch now to the Suunto app, to start the download process, while you finish reading the rest of this.Here’s the official list of what’s inside:New features:- Connected sensors can be enabled/disabled per sport mode- Sensor services can be enabled/disabled separately in sport mode- New default sport modes in the watch for duathlon, swimrun and aquathlon- New data fields: Instant, avg and lap NGP, Peak power, Peak pace & speed and ascent/descent to next waypoint- Number of SuuntoPlus apps in sport mode increased from two to three (ONLY RACE 2 and VERTICAL 2)- ZoneSense adjustable as target to follow in sport mode- ZoneSense zone distribution shown in log summary- Automatic transitions in triathlon sport mode- Automatic transitions in swimrun sport mode- Circular transition between sports in predefined multisport modes- New map orientation selection for north vs heading- In-store demo mode for events and demo purposesImprovements- Significantly improved wrist heart rate accuracy (NOT VERTICAL OR 9 PEAK PRO)- Sport mode options remembered better- New paired sensors automatically enabled in compatible sport modes- Flashlight user interface improved (ONLY VERTICAL 2)- Map data field made bigger and more visible (NOT 9 PEAK PRO)- Weather data also downloaded over WiFi (NOT 9 PEAK PRO)- Improved pool swimming accuracy- Smoother transition between menus- Improved altimeter stability- Improved ascent and descent calculation accuracy- Several bug fixes and performance improvements