Late in cycle — a new model is likely coming
Best for: Expedition athletes, adventure racers, triathletes, mountaineers, and divers who need the most capable and durable GPS watch Garmin makes. Also for anyone who wants Garmin's best — full stop.
Full details →First-generation product — no release history to base predictions on
Best for: Competitive road and trail runners who want Suunto's clean and precise GPS tracking, an AMOLED display, and multi-week battery life. A strong choice for Suunto loyalists or anyone exploring alternatives to Garmin and COROS.
Full details →| Garmin Fenix | Suunto Race | |
|---|---|---|
| Tier | Sports GPS | Sports GPS |
| Platform | iOS & Android | iOS & Android |
| Battery | 18 days | 26 days |
| Always-on display | ✅ | ✅ |
| GPS | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cellular | ❌ | ❌ |
| Health sensors | hr, spo2, hrv, stress, respiration, skin temp | hr, spo2, hrv, training load |
| Released | Aug 14, 2024 | May 1, 2023 |
| Cycle length | 938 days | null days |
| Cycle advice | bad | neutral |
| Deals advice | good | neutral |
| Next model | Garmin Fenix 9 (Late 2026) | — |
First Fenix to include a speaker — enabling phone calls, Bluetooth audio, and voice prompts directly from the watch.
AMOLED for the best display at 18 days. Solar MIP for up to 48+ days in expedition conditions where charging is impossible.
EN13319 dive mode (up to 40m), MIL-STD-810 shock resistance, and TopoActive maps covering 100+ countries — the most capable outdoor watch in Garmin's lineup.
Suunto's efficient software keeps the AMOLED always active while delivering 26 days of smartwatch use — ahead of most AMOLED competitors.
Dual-frequency L1+L5 GPS for accurate tracking in urban areas, under tree cover, and on technical trails.
Built-in route navigation from Suunto's route library with breadcrumb maps and back-to-start guidance.