Two years ago, Garmin gave active lifestyle pursuers the fēnix 8, a wearable flex for anyone who wanted their smartwatch to look perpetually prepared for an expedition. Now the fēnix 9 and fēnix 9 Pro have arrived to inherit the summit, bringing brighter displays, faster maps, deeper training data, and enough storage for adventurers who require 7,000 songs to climb a hill.
It took a while for the successor series to arrive, but as you have read in the intro, these watches may be worth the wait if you are dead serious about venturing far out for trail runs and whatnot.
Both models introduce Garmin Epic, which combines activities recorded across days, weeks, or months into one shareable story with performance data and photos. Enhanced stamina zones and curves help athletes understand endurance and pace themselves, while indoor rowing gains VO2 Max and power-curve metrics. Ruckers can adjust pack weight during an activity, follow GORUCK workouts, and log loads up to 100 kg (220 lbs), should carrying a small adult qualify as training.
Compared with the fēnix 8, the new watches have 50% more RAM, twice the map storage, and up to 30% faster map panning. Their 64 GB of memory accommodates more maps and those aforementioned 7,000 songs.
The fēnix 9 Pro adds Garmin’s first titanium fēnix case, AMOLED brightness up to 3,000 nits, optional solar charging, and select models with LTE and satellite connectivity. An active inReach plan enables phone-free calling, messaging, location sharing, weather updates, and SOS assistance. The 51 mm Pro also introduces a 1.5-inch AMOLED display, while its flashlight gains a green night-vision-friendly mode.
Available in 43, 47, and 51 mm sizes, the fēnix 9 starts at US$999.99 with up to 29 days of battery life. The Pro starts at US$1,099.99, reaching 31 days with AMOLED or 57 days with solar charging—because finding an outlet halfway up a mountain remains inconvenient.
Images: Garmin.
