It’s (another) Garmin launch day, and according to rumors, the Garmin Fenix 9 is hours away from dropping.
Garmin has quietly announced a ‘Play Harder’ launch, which will happen on YouTube at 4am PT and 7am ET in the US, 12pm BST in the UK.
If you've been following the rumors and leaks, it's looking like we're getting a revised titanium design that stays true to the Fenix look. On top of that, you'll be able to pick from an AMOLED display or MiP screen with solar cells for charging on-the-go.
Stay tuned for all the updates as they happen here on Tom’s Guide.
Garmin event: LIVE updates
What are we predicting?
What are we predicting? According to our resident Garmin expert, Nick Harris-Fry, the Garmin Fenix 9 and Enduro 4.
Why? Firstly, the timing of the event. It's been a couple of years (almost to the day) since Garmin put on a similar event to launch the Garmin Fenix 8 and Garmin Enduro 3 and it ties in with UTMB in Chamonix, France, which is one of the biggest weeks on the ultramarathon running calendar.
What have Garmin said so far?
Garmin typically keeps pretty tight-lipped about leaks and launches, yet there's another reason to think this isn't the rumored Cirqa smart ring dropping. Garmin's CEO Cliff Pemble said earlier this year that there would be a “significant number of new product introductions” in the outdoor category in the second half of 2026.
Here's what I'm hoping for from the Fenix 9
I realise I never introduced myself: I'm Jane McGuire, the Fitness Editor here at Tom's Guide, and I've been writing about Garmin for the past decade.
As a female marathon runner, I've said it time and time again — don't put all the best recovery and safety features on watches that are huge on our wrists! I'm hoping for a return of the 43mm Fenix 9 Pro, which wasn't available for the Fenix 8 Pro.
Hopefully, I'm in luck. A leak spotted by Fitness Tracker Test suggested that three sizes would be available for both watches — 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm — with AMOLED and MIP versions of the Pro watch.
What about the Enduro 4?
What about the Enduro 4? While the screens on the new Fenix 9 models are likely to get brighter, the Enduro range has traditionally been a MIP watch with the best battery life in the Garmin line-up, and we’d expect that to be the case with the Enduro 4.
The fact that the YouTube invite features a photo of a man surfing, we can expect this launch to focus on rugged, outdoor watches, and the Enduro fits this brief.
How to watch!
There's less than an hour to go, so a reminder of how to watch the Garmin Play Harder event. The event will stream live on YouTube, so you can follow along live, or just keep an eye on our Live Blog if you don't want your boss to see you watching at your desk. Your secret is safe with us.
The Garmin leaks are leaking
It seems like the rumors are correct: get ready for the Fenix 9. Gadgets & Wearables spotted an official listing of the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro via the company's Taiwan website before it was quickly taken down.
The Fenix 9 Pro 47mm listing, according to Gadgets & Wearables, gets a fully titanium case rather than the Fenix 8 Pro's titanium bezel and backplate, with a plastic middle. Not long to go!
HERE WE GO!
If you're just joining us, the Garmin Play Harder event is about to begin, scroll down for the YouTube link if you want to watch with us live.
It's official: the Fenix 9 is here
We just got our first look at the Fenix 9, and we're only 3 minutes into the launch.
The Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 pro have just been announced.
Fenix 9 Pro: The details
Here's what Garmin just announced about the Fenix 9 Pro:
- Thinner than the Fenix 8 Pro at 47mm
- The watch features a titanium case and a sapphire lens
- New build increases strength and durability without adding weight
- The watch has a green flashlight for the first time
- Available in three different sizes: 43mm, 47mm, 51mm
- The 51mm Fenix 9 Pro has the largest display Garmin has ever released at 1.5 inches. It also has a brightness of 3,000 nits
Garmin announces a new feature: Garmin Epic
With the Fenix 9 and the 9 Pro, Garmin has announced a new feature: Garmin Epic. This allows you to group multiple activities for a longer adventure, such as a weekend skiing trip. You'll be able to see different activities, recoveries, notes, and photos.
Andrew Perkins, Garmin's Product Manager, confirmed users will be able to go back through activites in Garmin Connect to try this.
Fenix 9: The details
Here's what just got announced about the Fenix 9:
- New mapping engine is 30% faster than the Fenix 8
- 64GB memory
- AMOLED display is twice as bright as the Fenix 8
- Dive-rated up to 40m
- Available in three sizes: 43mm, 47mm, 51mm
Garmin announces new mapping features on the Fenix 9 and 9 Pro
Garmin says they have redesigned the mapping engines for the Fenix 9 and 9 Pro, making zooming in on the app smoother and more user friendly. The mapping on the watches is also more responsive, allowing for faster panning. They'll also be a new perspective view on the watch.
How much do the new watches cost?
The Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro just hit the Garmin website, here's how much you can expect to pay:
43mm |
47mm |
51mm |
|
Fenix 9 |
$999 |
$999 |
$1099 |
Fenix 9 Pro |
$1099 without InReach Connectivity/$1199 with InReach |
$1099 without InReach Connectivity/$1199 with InReach |
$1199 without InReach Connectivity/$1299 with InReach |
Fenix 9 Pro Solar |
$1099 without InReach Connectivity/$1199 with InReach |
$1099 without InReach Connectivity/$1299 with InReach |
$1199 without InReach Connectivity/$1299 with InReach |
All watches will be available to pre-order on August 28.
There were two new Stamina features mentioned in the launch
As well as the two new watches, Garmin announces two new Stamina features. Firstly, personalised stamina zones will now be available in the post-activity summary.
There's also a new stamina curve feature, which is an easy-to-understand visual representation of your fitness and how aerobic and anaerobic workouts alike contribute to improving your stamina.
