Garmin Enduro 4: Fenix 9 Smarts, Same $899, Same Battery Life
BiohackingThe best reason to skip the Garmin Enduro 4 is that you already own an Enduro 3. Garmin is bringing nearly all of the new watch’s software to its predecessor for free, which leaves the $899 Enduro 4 aimed squarely at endurance athletes still wearing an Enduro 1 or 2, and at anyone who would rather not wait for the updates.
Why This Comparison Matters
The Enduro line exists to stretch battery life, so Garmin deliberately leaves out battery-hungry features. DC Rainmaker’s comparison explains the pattern: the Enduro 4 takes the Enduro 3 and gives it the internals and software of the Fenix 9, the same way the Enduro 3 followed the Fenix 8. Because Garmin treats these watches as one software platform, DC Rainmaker likens the result to Apple’s yearly hardware refresh: a minor hardware update for a watch family that shares its features.
What Makes It Different
The hardware changes are all in service of maps. According to DC Rainmaker, the Enduro 4 uses the base Fenix 9 processor, not the faster Fenix 9 Pro chip, with 50% more RAM and storage doubled from 32GB to 64GB. The band moves from UltraFit to ComfortFit, which adds 3g, taking total weight from 63g to 66g, and the bezel changes from black to grey titanium.
| Enduro 3 | Enduro 4 | Fenix 9 Pro Solar 51mm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $899 list ($799 on sale this week) | $899 | from $1,099 (Pro) |
| Storage | 32GB | 64GB | — |
| Weight | 63g | 66g | 102g (non-inReach) |
| Thickness | 15.7mm (same case) | 15.7mm | 16.6mm |
| LTE and inReach | No | No | inReach models only |
Battery life is unchanged, which for an Enduro is the point: up to 36 days as a smartwatch, 90 with solar, and up to 80 hours in normal activity mode, per Garmin’s claims as listed by DC Rainmaker. The tested speed gains are modest. Opening a 50km course took about 8 seconds on the Enduro 3, Enduro 4, and Fenix 9 Pro alike. Creating a route across a mountain range took 1 minute 15 seconds on the Enduro 3, 45 seconds on the Enduro 4, and 28 seconds on the Fenix 9 Pro. DC Rainmaker’s verdict on the speed gains: “mostly ‘shrug’.”
The Catch / Who It’s For
Most of the new software, including rucking reports and pack-weight calorie tracking, indoor rowing VO2max and lactate threshold, Stamina trends, and Rolling GAP, is headed to the Enduro 3 and Fenix 8 too. Garmin says it won’t all arrive this year. Only a short list needs the new hardware: the Perspective map view, smoother zoom, the ArcheryX feature, and the renamed Dynamic Battery GPS modes. Both the Enduro 4 and Fenix 9 carry medically certified ECG hardware, which remains a wellness feature, not a substitute for a clinician.
The Enduro 4 also leaves out what the Fenix 9 series adds: dive features, a speaker and microphone, and, on Pro inReach models, LTE and satellite messaging. DC Rainmaker argues the Enduro already has the longest GPS battery life available, even before solar. For wearable buyers comparing brands this month, Google’s Fitbit Edge sits at the opposite end of the market.
The So What
Enduro 1 and 2 owners chasing longer battery life and modern training metrics should buy the Enduro 4 at $899. Enduro 3 owners should keep their watch and wait for the free updates, unless faster on-watch route creation is worth the price of a new watch. Anyone eyeing an Enduro 3 should compare it at its $799 sale price, since it will get most of the same software.
Source: DC Rainmaker
Content created with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.
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