GPS Running Watches / Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) vs Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)
Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) vs Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)
Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)
55 hours of multiband GPS and free world maps for $499 — but not one song on board.
Wins overall by 0.6 points
Quick Verdict
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) is the stronger all-round pick, ahead by 0.6 points. 55 hours of multiband GPS and free world maps for $499 — but not one song on board.
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) and Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) are both current-generation GPS Running Watch models, and the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) is $99 cheaper than the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) ($399.99 vs $499). On Build & Comfort, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads (8.0 vs 6.4/10) — case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings.. On Battery Honesty, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads (8.6 vs 7.6/10) — how much of the headline battery claim survives the mode you would actually train in: all-systems plus multiband, always-on display, music playing. The number on the box is almost always the slowest, least accurate mode.. On Navigation & Maps, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads (8.0 vs 7.2/10) — real routable offline topographic maps versus a breadcrumb line, plus how painful it is to get maps onto the watch.. Overall, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 8.2/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 7.6/10 for the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) | Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $399.99 | $499.00 |
| Release Year | 2025 | 2025 |
| Display | 1.5-in AMOLED, up to 3,000 nits, sapphire crystal lens, optional always-on | 1.5-in 466x466 AMOLED touchscreen with sapphire lens, optional always-on |
| Smartwatch Battery ( days) | 25 | 18 days with wrist HR on, 30 days in standby (Suunto). DC Rainmaker's review quotes up to 16 days — sources conflict. |
| Always-On Display Cost | Amazfit's 25-day figure is typical use; heavy use is rated 10 days and one reviewer measured about 18 days alongside 14 h of accurate GPS. Amazfit does not publish a separate always-on display figure. | Dual-band training time falls from 55 h to 50 h with the always-on display, per Wareable's testing notes — a smaller penalty than most AMOLED rivals |
| Battery, Single-Band GPS ( h) | 85✓ | 65 |
| Battery, Multiband GPS ( h) | 38 | 55✓ |
| GNSS Bands | Dual-band (L1+L5) circularly-polarised GNSS. The 85 h headline is the power-saving GPS mode; the accurate dual-band mode is 37-38 h on the 48 mm and about 29 h on the 44 mm. | Dual-band L1+L5. Suunto publishes 55 h in the dual-band Performance mode, 65 h single-band and 200 h in the power-saving Tour mode. |
| Onboard Maps | Free offline contour maps with turn-by-turn, POI search, round-trip routing and auto-rerouting — but you must select and download each map region inside the Zepp phone app and transfer it across. Android Police called the process 'messy and time-consuming' with vague instructions. | Free offline topographic maps for most of the world in 32 GB, downloaded over Wi-Fi with no cable and no charge. Maps are split into small regions (France alone is 27 sections) and there is no automatic rerouting — off-course you get compass guidance only. |
| Music Storage | Onboard storage for sideloaded MP3 files played to Bluetooth headphones. No Spotify and no streaming services. | None. No on-device music storage and no streaming; DC Rainmaker notes Suunto appears to be building toward it but it does not exist today. |
| Training Platform & Subscription | The Zepp app and core training/recovery metrics are free. Zepp Aura, the AI sleep and coaching layer, is a paid subscription; the training data itself is not gated behind it. | Suunto app is free with no subscription tier. Training analytics are Suunto's own; the watch also carries the Suunto Coach guidance layer at no cost. |
| External Sensor Support | Bluetooth only — no ANT+. BLE chest straps and Stryd pods pair through Zepp OS. | Bluetooth sensors with multiple saved pairings — no ANT+ |
| Data Export | Free sync to Strava, adidas Running, Apple Health and Google Health Connect, plus a TrainingPeaks Zepp OS app; .FIT export via the Zepp app | Free .FIT export and automatic sync to Strava, TrainingPeaks, Komoot and 300+ partner services |
| Warranty | 12 months | 24 months |
| Colors | Black | All Black, Coral Orange |
Category Scores
GPS Accuracy
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) is marginally ahead, 8.2 to 7.8. A gap this small rarely decides a purchase on its own, though it counts if trace quality in cities and under tree cover — multiband L1+L5 hardware plus what independent testers measured in the real world. is your priority.
Battery Honesty
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads clearly here, 8.6 against 7.6 — a 1.0-point margin on how much of the headline battery claim survives the mode you would actually train in: all-systems plus multiband, always-on display, music playing. The number on the box is almost always the slowest, least accurate mode.. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Training & Recovery
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads clearly here, 7.4 against 6.8 — a 0.6-point margin on depth of load, readiness and recovery analysis, and how much of it is free rather than gated behind a subscription or an extra chest strap.. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Heart Rate
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads clearly here, 7.6 against 6.8 — a 0.8-point margin on optical wrist accuracy during intervals and burst efforts, and whether the watch pairs with ANT+ and/or Bluetooth chest straps as a fix.. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Display
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) is marginally ahead, 9.5 to 9.2. A gap this small rarely decides a purchase on its own, though it counts if brightness, resolution and daylight readability, weighing AMOLED sharpness against MIP's always-on-for-free behaviour. is your priority.
Build & Comfort
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 6.4 — a 1.6-point margin on case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings.. If that is what you are buying for, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.4 — a 0.6-point margin on what the watch delivers per dollar against everything else in the comparison at the moment of purchase.. If that is what you are buying for, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) if…
- • You want to spend less — it's $99 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is hiking-navigation or long-battery.
Choose the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) if…
- • Build & Comfort matters most to you — the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 8.0/10 here (case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings.).
- • Battery Honesty matters most to you — the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 8.6/10 here (how much of the headline battery claim survives the mode you would actually train in: all-systems plus multiband, always-on display, music playing. The number on the box is almost always the slowest, least accurate mode.).
- • Navigation & Maps matters most to you — the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 8.0/10 here (real routable offline topographic maps versus a breadcrumb line, plus how painful it is to get maps onto the watch.).
- • Heart Rate matters most to you — the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 7.6/10 here (optical wrist accuracy during intervals and burst efforts, and whether the watch pairs with ANT+ and/or Bluetooth chest straps as a fix.).
- • Training & Recovery matters most to you — the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores 7.4/10 here (depth of load, readiness and recovery analysis, and how much of it is free rather than gated behind a subscription or an extra chest strap.).
Pros & Cons
Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm)
Pros
- +38 h of dual-band GPS and 25 days of typical use for $399.99 — Garmin charges $1,199.99 for 30 h of multiband
- +A 3,000-nit AMOLED behind sapphire with a titanium-alloy bezel at half the price of rivals with those materials
- +Free offline contour maps with genuine auto-rerouting, which even the $749.99 Forerunner 970 does not beat on price
- +10 ATM plus EN13319 freediving certification to 45 m, unusual at any price
Cons
- −Maps must be picked and downloaded region-by-region in the Zepp phone app then transferred — reviewers describe the process as messy and poorly documented
- −The 85 h battery headline is the power-saving GPS mode; the dual-band mode you would actually race on is 38 h
- −No ANT+ and no Spotify or any streaming service — sideloaded MP3 only
- −Zepp's software ecosystem and analytics are a clear step behind Garmin and COROS, and the app is cluttered
- −48 mm and chunky; reviewers found it too bulky for 24-hour wear
Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)
Pros
- +55 h in the accurate dual-band mode — more than double what a Forerunner 570 manages at $50 more
- +Free worldwide offline maps in 32 GB, downloadable over Wi-Fi with no cable and no fee
- +1.5-in 466x466 AMOLED behind sapphire crystal at $499
- +DC Rainmaker rates the new optical HR sensor a 'massive improvement' and within the acceptable range for training
Cons
- −No music storage whatsoever — no MP3, no Spotify, nothing
- −Suunto's 18-day smartwatch figure and DC Rainmaker's 16-day figure do not agree
- −No automatic rerouting when you leave a course, and trails vanish from the map above roughly the 0.2-mile zoom level
- −Bluetooth only — no ANT+ sensors
- −DC Rainmaker measured a small GPS accuracy regression versus the original Race and Vertical
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) or Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Build & Comfort, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores higher on Build & Comfort (8.0/10 vs 6.4/10) — case materials, lens (sapphire vs glass), weight on the wrist and durability ratings..
Which is better for Battery Honesty, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores higher on Battery Honesty (8.6/10 vs 7.6/10) — how much of the headline battery claim survives the mode you would actually train in: all-systems plus multiband, always-on display, music playing. The number on the box is almost always the slowest, least accurate mode..
Which is better for Navigation & Maps, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores higher on Navigation & Maps (8.0/10 vs 7.2/10) — real routable offline topographic maps versus a breadcrumb line, plus how painful it is to get maps onto the watch..
Which is better for Heart Rate, the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) or the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) scores higher on Heart Rate (7.6/10 vs 6.8/10) — optical wrist accuracy during intervals and burst efforts, and whether the watch pairs with ANT+ and/or Bluetooth chest straps as a fix..
Is the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) worth the price difference over the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) is the cheaper option at $399.99 versus $499. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Build & Comfort.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) is the better fit if you mainly care about hiking-navigation or long-battery. The Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) is the better fit for road-running or triathlon.
What's the warranty on the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) vs the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel)?+
The Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro (48mm) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Suunto Race 2 (stainless steel) ships with a 24-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Garmin Forerunner 170 (43mm) — $299.99
Premium Option
Garmin Forerunner 570 (47mm) — $549.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.