Garmin held a livestreamed event called 'Play Harder' on YouTube, which had been expected to unveil new outdoor devices given its timing near UTMB in Chamonix and comments from CEO Cliff Pemble earlier in the year about a 'significant number of new product introductions' in the outdoor category for the second half of 2026. The event confirmed the launch of the Garmin Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro, following a similar Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 launch two years prior. Rumors ahead of the event, including a leak spotted by Fitness Tracker Test and a Taiwan website listing spotted by Gadgets & Wearables, correctly predicted a titanium redesign and the return of a 43mm size.
The standard Fenix 9 is available in 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm sizes, starting at $999, with pre-orders opening August 28. It features an AMOLED display twice as bright as the Fenix 8, a scratch-resistant sapphire lens, and a 40m dive rating. The watch includes 64GB of built-in memory, allowing storage of around 7,000 songs and double the maps of the Fenix 8. Battery life in smartwatch mode ranges from up to 10 days on the 43mm model to 29 days on the 51mm model. A new mapping engine is reported to be 30% faster than the Fenix 8's, with smoother zooming, more responsive panning, and a new perspective view.
The Fenix 9 Pro also comes in 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm sizes, starting at $1099 without inReach connectivity, with inReach now available across all size options for the first time. It is the first Fenix to feature a fully titanium case, described as thinner than the Fenix 8 Pro's titanium bezel and backplate with a plastic middle, and also includes a sapphire lens. The 51mm Pro model features Garmin's largest-ever AMOLED display at 1.5 inches, 15% larger than the Fenix 8's, with 3,000 nits of brightness. The integrated LED flashlight now includes a green mode for the first time. Pro pricing varies by size and configuration, reaching up to $1299 for the 51mm model with inReach, and solar-charging Pro models can achieve up to 57 days of battery life in smartwatch mode.
Both watches gained new CustomFit fabric accessory bands designed for comfortable fit. Garmin also introduced a free feature called Garmin Epic, allowing users to group multiple activities recorded over days, weeks, or months into a single story within the Garmin Connect app, complete with notes and photos that can be shared with others; Garmin's product manager confirmed users can apply this retroactively to past activities.
Alongside the new watches, Garmin announced two stamina-tracking features: personalized stamina zones, now shown in the post-activity summary, and a stamina curve, a visual representation of how aerobic and anaerobic workouts contribute to improving stamina over time.
While rumors ahead of the event also suggested a possible Enduro 4 launch, given the Enduro line's traditional focus on battery life via MIP displays and its typical biennial release cycle, the event coverage confirms only the Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro were announced, with the sources providing no confirmation that an Enduro 4 was launched at this event.