Garmin outdoes itself (and Apple) with the new and improved Fenix 9 and 9 Pro multisport watches
The all-new Garmin Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro are definitely familiar-looking but also better in quite a few areas than the Fenix 8 and 8 Pro without costing more.
While the Apple Watch family currently includes three equally popular models for three very different target audiences, the world's number one smartwatch vendor has yet to deliver a wearable device that can satisfy the needs of professional athletes and "serious" outdoor lovers.
That's where the new Garmin Fenix 9 and especially the Fenix 9 Pro come in, building on the already super-advanced capabilities of the 2024-released Fenix 8 collection and further raising the bar in a few key areas without also hiking the retail prices.
What's new and what's truly important
Titanium case (Pro model only);
Up to 3,000 nits of screen brightness (Pro model only);
Thinner profile (Pro model only);
1.5-inch AMOLED display (51mm Pro variant only);
64GB internal storage space;
More RAM;
Improved battery life (Pro model only);
inReach connectivity on all Pro sizes;
Garmin Epic;
Enhanced stamina metrics;
More fitness insights during indoor rowing;
Expanded rucking features;
More intuitive routable maps;
Garmin Locate (Pro model only);
LiveTrack notifications available in the Garmin Messenger app (Pro model only);
Weather forecasts via satellite connectivity (Pro model only).
The first thing you'll immediately notice about this list is that it includes a lot of Pro-exclusive upgrades and enhancements. Clearly, Garmin would love it if everyone purchased the new Fenix 9 Pro (or Fenix 9 Pro Solar), although the "regular" Fenix 9 is objectively not a bad "premium multisport" smartwatch either. It's just very similar to the Fenix 8, lacking any notable build quality, screen quality, and battery life improvements and also continuing to offer no LTE or satellite connectivity support.
The Garmin Fenix 9 Pro doesn't exactly look radically different from its own predecessor either at first glance, but instead of packing a fiber-reinforced polymer (read plastic) case with a titanium rear cover, it now comes with a full titanium construction. This apparently uses a "cutting-edge nano-molding technology to combine metal and plastic at the molecular level", which you... probably shouldn't care about.
Instead, what's undoubtedly important to note is that the Fenix 9 Pro is both more robust and thinner (although not also lighter) than the Fenix 8 Pro. And the new AMOLED screen is twice as bright. And 15 percent larger on the 51mm variant despite the case size staying the same.
Then you have all those software improvements, new apps, and tools (on both the Fenix 9 and 9 Pro), although it's obviously possible at least some of them will expand to the Fenix 8 family via over-the-air updates soon.
What's unchanged and yet still impressive
For starters, it's pretty great in this day and age that the most affordable Fenix 9 models are priced at $999.99. That obviously doesn't make them affordable by... any conventional standards, but the Fenix 8 also started at $999.99 a couple of years ago and the Fenix 9 actually comes with twice as much storage space and 50 percent more RAM.
Both the Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro come in the same 43, 47, and 51mm case sizes as their predecessors, offering a level of flexibility that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 cannot match and that the fast-approaching Apple Watch Ultra 4 is also unlikely to rival.
The Fenix 9 Pro is still similar to its predecessor in a lot of ways. | Image by Garmin
The battery life is an absolute knockout and a key selling point across the Fenix 9 collection, starting at an unchanged 10 days on the smallest non-Pro variant and going all the way up to 31 days (!) on the largest Pro. And then you have the Fenix 9 Pro Solar, of course, which can last as much as 57 days (!!!) between charges with a transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display in tow rather than a colorful and high-quality AMOLED panel.
The non-Pro Fenix 9, mind you, isn't available with solar charging capabilities, and while 4G LTE and satellite connectivity can now be had on all Pro variants, you can also get the Fenix 9 Pro sans inReach support if you want to save a few bucks.
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If you like to push your body to its limit (either indoor or outdoor) and want something that can keep up with the best version of yourself, the Fenix 9 Pro is definitely the device to get... as long as you have at least $1,099.99 to spend.
Do you think you'll buy the Garmin Fenix 9?
Of course, if you're going to splash the cash on one of the greatest rugged smartwatches around, you might as well get inReach connectivity too, in which case you're looking at an expense of $1,199.99 and up.
Now, it's important to remember that the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is likely to cost significantly less than that with 5G and satellite connectivity included as standard. But the battery life and workout tracking on Cupertino's next rugged timepiece will not be able to hold a candle to what the Fenix 9 family offers, so be sure to take everything into consideration and decide what are the most important qualities a smartwatch must have to warrant a purchase from you.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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