Suunto Vertical firmware update Q2 2024
Suunto and firmware updates
One of the complaints I had with Suunto and its sportwatches was that the cadence of firmware updates was not really great. Since 2018, I owned a Spartan Wrist HR, as well as a 9 Peak and a 9 Peak Pro, and I barely got 2 or 3 "major" updates for those watches.
Granted, I'm not looking at having firmware updates every month or two, like Garmin does - I'm in the Suunto boat for a reason, and one of them is I want "basic" features that are well done, not fancy ones that I will rarely use.
Still, having more frequent updates would not kill me.
In the past year, it seems like Suunto listened and they are now releasing major updates every quarter.
Q1 2024 Updates
I didn't write about it, but that update was nice, bringing cool new stuff.
From the Suunto firware update page, this 2.33.12 version brought (features in bold are the ones that I liked):
- Three new watch faces
- Map ruler tool shows distance to nearby location when panning map
- Improved high contrast map style for use with always on display
- Log pause resume reminder when starting to move
- First version of emoji support in mobile notifications
Content of the Q2 2024 update
I initially thought the Q2 update would be a pretty small update, when looking at the release highlights:
But when looking at the Suunto forum, this 2.35.34 updates brings a lot!
New features:
- New climb guidance feature during navigation
- Three new watch faces
- Possibility configure watch face complications
- AOD ON/OFF display setting in a sports mode.
- Screen lock in watch mode.
- Sport mode specific display settings
- New pause view and exercise end user interface
- Vietnamese language support
- Sleep quality on the watch summary.
- Data tooth during navigation
Improvements and bug fixes:
- Improvements in the battery in activities with GPS: Vertical Solar 90h - Vertical 65h - Race 50h - Race S 31h
- Map zooming now possible up to 20km (NOT FOR S9PP)
- Improved Emoji support with colors and more characters (colors only for Suunto Race / Race S)
- Improved step counter to avoid misdetection
- Automatic and customizable map recentering
- Improved always-on screen brightness for AMOLED devices in sports modes such as cycling.
- New GNSS and OHR software
- Improvements in sleep for people with SUB 40 heart rate.
- Running estimate and lactate with HR belt.
Bonus: tons of speed improvements
Verdict
I've been using that firmware for a week now, and am really happy with it:
- the speed improvements are really noticeable, both when "browsing" the watch, but also for small things such as pausing an activity: before, you would notice a slight delay, now it is immediate.
- I like the new watchface, and the ability to customise complications is also nice - although I'm missing the ability to cycle through 3 or 4 complications by tapping the screen.
- the new pause view/exercise summary is a lot easier to read,
- I haven't tested the climb guidance yet, but looking at a few Youtube videos, it looks nice and close to what Garmin is doing - which was something missing, so I'm glad they added it.
Overall, it's really great to see Suunto finally bringing regular updates to their watches, this will keep people onboard, and also bring folks from outside the community, I believe.
Tags: Running