Suunto Race 2 smartwatch ZDNET's key takeaways The Suunto Race 2 is available with a stainless steel frame for $499, or a titanium frame for $599.
The Race 2 offers long battery life, extensive customization, personalized coaching, and reliable accuracy.
There is no support for subscription music or payment systems and the app store is limited primarily to sports apps. View now at Amazon
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I went many years without testing Suunto products, but last year's Suunto Race grabbed my attention and impressed me with its combination of value and performance (in most areas). I'm pleased to say the company's latest offering, the Suunto Race 2 has improved in the major area of my concern: heart rate accuracy, while adding a few other elements to make it one of the best sports watches available today.
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The next-generation optical heart rate sensor on the back of the Suunto Race 2 provides much more accurate heart rate readings, approaching other watches I compared it to. GPS accuracy remains spot-on, and the battery in the Race 2 has been increased by five hours to a total of 55 hours in performance mode with dual-band GNSS.
The new Race 2 has a slightly larger 1.5-inch AMOLED display, compared to 1.43 inches on the Race. It's also brighter, with a peak brightness of 2000 nits -- easy to see in all lighting conditions. Even with that larger display and longer battery life, the Suunto Race 2 is 0.8 mm thinner and a bit more comfortable on the wrist. If you want the lightest possible watch, the titanium model weighs just 65 grams, but will cost an additional $100.
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You can only pin a single widget to a swipe left from the watch face action, but you can add a host of widgets available when you swipe up or spin the digital crown. The top and bottom buttons can also be customized with regular actions; I have mine set to the alarm clock and flashlight utilities, respectively. Simply press and hold to initiate these actions.
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