Suunto’s Race 3 and Race 3 S leaked this week through Google’s AI Overview, pulling marketing text off Suunto’s own website before the company pulled it back down.
Every outlet covering this is repeating the same leaked bullet points. What’s missing is a direct check against the current Race 2’s actual, official specs, which changes the picture more than you’d expect.
Quick Verdict
Buy Race 2 now if you want dual-band GPS and sapphire crystal today — you don’t need to wait, the current model already has both.
Wait for Race 3 only if the conversational AI Coach and a longer battery are what you’re after.
Skip waiting if sapphire glass matters to you specifically. The leak suggests the standard Race 3 actually drops to mineral glass.
Confidence level: (High) — The leak originated from indexed pages on Suunto’s own website and has been independently verified by multiple publications. Specs below for the Race 2 are pulled directly from Suunto’s official US product page, not third-party coverage.
Suunto Race 3 and Race 3s leak, in short
Reddit user Capable_Fan_3008 found detailed Race 3 specs sitting in Google’s AI Overview after searching “Suunto Race 3.” The sourced links traced back to Suunto’s own website, not a rumor blog.
Gadgets & Wearables also confirmed the indexed pages directly and found the material had been sitting in an unpublished promotional section that briefly went live to Google’s crawler before Suunto took it down.
Notebookcheck and the5krunner have since verified the same specs and AI Coach details independently, and the original AI Overview result is now gone from Google.
Suunto Race 3 vs Race 2 vs Race 3 leak
This is the comparison most coverage is skipping: what the leak claims for Race 3, checked directly against Suunto’s own listed specs for the current Race 2.
| Race 2 (current, official specs, $499) | Race 3 S (leaked) | Race 3 (leaked) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 1.5″ AMOLED, 466×466 | 1.32″ AMOLED | 1.5″ AMOLED |
| Glass | Sapphire crystal | Sapphire crystal | Mineral glass |
| GPS | Dual-band (L1+L5), GPS/GLONASS/GALILEO/QZSS/BEIDOU | Dual-band | Dual-band |
| Battery (training, best accuracy) | Up to 55h | Not confirmed | “Extended,” not confirmed |
| Battery (daily smartwatch mode) | Up to 18 days | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Weight | 76g | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Case size | 49 x 49 x 12.5mm | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Sport modes | 115+ | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| AI Coach | Suunto Coach (training load, recovery, progress feedback), free | Expanded, conversational, 3-month free trial | Expanded, conversational, 3-month free trial |
The correction that matters most
Every leak summary published so far frames Race 3 as a GPS and display upgrade over Race 2. It isn’t, based on what Suunto’s own product page shows today.
The Race 2 already ships with a 1.5″ AMOLED display and dual-band GPS across five satellite systems. If the leaked Race 3 specs are accurate, the standard Race 3 doesn’t change either of those numbers.
What does change, and not in Race 3’s favor: Suunto’s Race 2 uses sapphire crystal glass. The leaked Race 3 spec lists mineral glass instead, the more scratch-prone material. Race 3 S keeps sapphire.
So if this leak holds up, the smaller Race 3 S actually matches or beats the standard Race 3 on durability, and neither watch is a clear glass upgrade over the current Race 2.
What might actually be new
Based on what’s leaked, the real differences are:
- AI Coach, moving from a training-load/recovery dashboard to a conversational assistant that can build routes and full training plans on request, then charging for it after three months
- Battery life on the standard Race 3, described only as “extended” with no hours specified yet
- Whatever’s happening with processor and memory, which hasn’t leaked at all
Buy Race 2 if you are a…
- Casual runner
- Gym user
- Road runner
- Someone who wants dual-band GPS and sapphire glass without waiting
Wait for Race 3 or Race 3 S if you are a…
- Someone specifically waiting on the new conversational AI Coach
- Willing to pay a subscription eventually for training guidance
- Fine with mineral glass on the standard Race 3, or want the smaller Race 3 S instead
Suunto AI Coach: what’s actually changing
Suunto Coach already exists on the Race 2 today, and it’s free. It analyzes training load, recovery, and progress, and delivers feedback on the watch and in the Suunto app.
The leaked Race 3 version is described as conversational: you can ask it directly what to train, when to recover, or where to run, and it responds using training, recovery, sleep, and route history.
One example in the leak has it building a 7 km route near the user’s location and sending it straight to the watch. It’s also said to generate full workouts and multi-week plans.
That’s a real feature upgrade. It’s also the only leaked feature that comes with a cost attached.
The subscription
Both new watches reportedly include three months of AI Coach at no charge. After that, a paid subscription is expected in 2027, price unannounced.
A Pioneers Program may let owners of other Suunto watches try it early. Suunto has never charged a recurring fee for its core training tools, so a paid AI Coach tier would be a real shift, putting it in the same territory as Garmin’s Connect+.
Expected pricing (speculation)
No pricing has leaked for either new watch. The Race 2 launched at $499.
Given that the leaked hardware specs look largely equivalent to the current Race 2 rather than a major internal upgrade, a similar starting price is a reasonable expectation for the standard Race 3, with Race 3 S likely priced lower, in line with how the current Race S sits below Race 2 today. This is speculation, not a confirmed figure.
Release timeline for context
- October 2023 — Suunto Race (original, full-size)
- June 2024 — Suunto Race S (smaller)
- August 2025 — Suunto Race 2 (full-size)
- 2026 (expected) — Suunto Race 3 S first, then Race 3
Every prior generation launched the full-size model first, with the S variant following months later. If Race 3 S really does arrive before the standard Race 3, that reverses Suunto’s usual order for the first time.
What’s still unconfirmed
Pricing, processor, memory, exact battery figures, weight, and case dimensions for Race 3 and Race 3 S remain unknown. This surfaced through an AI Overview reading indexed Suunto pages, not a press release. This post will be updated once Suunto confirms anything officially, and once full specs are available for direct comparison.
Related on Smartwatch Insight:
- Suunto Race 2 Review
- Suunto Run In-Depth Review: $249 with Offline Music & More
- Best Garmin Running Watches in 2026 — Every Runner Covered
- Best Rugged Smartwatches (2026): Tested &Ranked — Garmin, Apple, Amazfit
FAQ
Does the Suunto Race 3 have better GPS than the Race 2?
Not based on what’s leaked so far. The current Race 2 already has dual-band GPS across five satellite systems. The leak lists the same dual-band GPS for Race 3, not an upgrade.
Is the Race 3’s screen bigger than the Race 2’s?
No. Both are listed at 1.5″ AMOLED. The Race 3 S is smaller at 1.32″.
Does Race 3 use better glass than Race 2?
The opposite, if the leak is accurate. Race 2 currently uses sapphire crystal. The leaked Race 3 spec lists mineral glass. Race 3 S keeps sapphire.
Will Suunto AI Coach require a subscription?
Yes, after an included three-month trial. A paid plan is expected in 2027; pricing hasn’t been announced. The Race 2’s current Suunto Coach remains free.
Should I buy the Race 2 now or wait for the Race 3?
If GPS accuracy and display size are your reasons to wait, there’s no need to, the Race 2 already covers both. The only confirmed reason to wait is the new AI Coach, which comes with a future subscription cost.
What is the Suunto Race 3 release date?
Not officially confirmed. The leak points to a 2026 launch, with Race 3 S arriving before the standard Race 3. No exact date has been announced.
Sources: Suunto Race 2 official product page, Reddit — r/Suunto, Gadgets & Wearables, the5krunner, Notebookcheck
