Earlier this year, Garmin CEO Cliff Pemble tipped that 2026 was set to be a big year for its outdoor division, which would be “driven by a significant number of new product introductions” likely to land in the second half of the year.
One of those new products is expected to be the Garmin Fenix 9. Garmin’s flagship watch is refreshed each year and will probably be the most eye-catching launch to come this year.
However, I’m just as excited by the idea of a successor to the Garmin Enduro 3. This is another adventure watch that sits in Garmin’s outdoor division, and since the Enduro 3 came out in 2024, the line is due for an update this year.
While the Fenix line has long been the best Garmin watch for adventurous athletes who spend a lot of time in the wilderness, there are a couple of reasons I think the Enduro 4 might be the watch to beat in this area by the end of 2026.
The Enduro has the battery life to beat
Across the Garmin line-up, battery life is generally getting shorter with the brand’s latest models, as brighter and brighter AMOLED displays become the norm.
For the most part, I’m not against this move myself — I can charge my watch easily most days, Garmins still last way longer than smartwatches, and I like a bright display.
However, when it comes to spending days or weeks in the great outdoors, you want a long-lasting watch, and the Enduro is the best Garmin option on this front.
The Enduro 3 lasted me around 18 days on a charge even with heavy use, running every day, and it can last up to 90 days in sunny conditions thanks to its solar panels and power-saving memory-in-pixel display.
In contrast, the 47mm Garmin Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED lasts me more like four or five days with similar use, and even the 51mm watch can last a maximum of 27 days, or 15 days if the screen is always-on.
If the Garmin Enduro 4 can maintain the long battery life of its predecessor, or even exceed it, it’s almost certain to outlast the forthcoming Fenix 9.
Garmin’s satellite connectivity could come to the Enduro 4
The biggest update Garmin brought to the Fenix 8 Pro compared with the Fenix 8 was LTE and satellite connectivity, which allows you to stay in touch even when you're without your phone or when you're off the grid entirely.
This feature is likely to start spreading to other Garmin watches in the coming years, and the obvious place to start would be the adventure-focused Enduro line.
It’s a watch built to handle long expeditions in the wilderness, so satellite connectivity to send SOS messages and the like would be a natural addition to the Enduro 4.
MIP fans might only have the Enduro option
The Garmin Fenix 8 was the first Fenix to offer both MIP and AMOLED options — previously the AMOLED watches fell under the Epix barrier.
However, the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro series dropped the MIP option and added an innovative Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED to the lineup.
This MicroLED tech is very impressive, but MIP watches still have a dedicated fanbase that loves the long battery life they offer when always-on, and their excellent visibility in bright sunlight.
There’s no guarantee the Fenix 9 series will have a MIP option, so the Enduro 4 could become the go-to option for those who want a top Garmin with this display.
It’s notable that thus far it’s only MIP Garmins that have offered solar panels on the face, which extends the battery life even further, so that could be another plus to the Enduro 4.
Of course, Garmin could choose to make the Enduro 4 an AMOLED watch as well — there are some incredibly long-lasting AMOLED watches now, like the Suunto Vertical 2 — but that would bring it too close to the Fenix line in my opinion.
The Enduro is now cheaper than the Fenix
The Enduro line was initially more expensive than the Fenix line, but the Enduro 3 was cheaper than the Enduro 2 and fell well below the prices of the Fenix 8 and Fenix 8 Pro.
Given it’s a titanium watch with a sapphire display and most of Garmin’s top features, including offline maps, it was a bit of a bargain for those who didn’t want an AMOLED display.
If this price hierarchy continues with any new models launched in 2026, the new Enduro could offer better value to people seeking a resilient, long-lasting adventure watch.
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