Given the rocketing costs of top Garmin watches, the Garmin Enduro 4 is actually pretty good value at its launch price of $899, since it offers most of the key features of Garmin’s flagship Fenix 9 Pro and longer battery life.
However, the Garmin Enduro 3 is currently just $789 on Amazon, and that makes it even better value than the new Enduro 4, because Garmin has only made minimal updates to the watch and most of its new features will be rolling back to the Enduro 3.
The Garmin Enduro 3 has all the same key features as the new Enduro 4, and is definitely the better value buy for $110 less.View Deal
What’s new on the Garmin Enduro 4?
I’ve just started testing the Garmin Enduro 4, and the most noticeable change so far is cosmetic; it has a silver bezel with fewer yellow marks than the Enduro 3.
It also comes with Garmin’s new ComfortFit band, which is absolutely lovely and more comfortable than the UltraFit band on the Enduro 3, but you can buy this ComfortFit band separately and strap it on the old watch.
The new watch also has more storage — 64GB vs 32GB — and a faster processor and more RAM for maps, which should load more quickly when panning and zooming.
You also get a new perspective view on the map with the new Enduro 4, which isn’t coming to the Enduro 4, and a new archery feature I can’t claim to have tested.
These are all the features that won’t come to the Enduro 3, but there are also a lot of updates on the Enduro 4 right now due to come to the Enduro 3 in time through software updates.
Some of the most notable features in this category are Garmin’s Epic feature, which bundles activities into one group so you can look at all your stats for a multi-day ultramarathon, for example, and the new stamina feature that launched with the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro.
The Garmin Enduro 3 is also a good Fenix alternative
Looking at that list, you can see the Enduro 4 is an iterative update aimed at people looking to upgrade from the Enduro 1 or 2 rather than the 3, which matches the new watch pretty closely in design and software.
I’d pick up the Enduro 3 in the sales myself, even if it might end up being phased out of software updates earlier than the Enduro 4 at some point in the future.
It’s not just the Enduro 4 that’s threatened by this deal on the Enduro 3, however, because I also think it’s a strong alternative to the Garmin Fenix 9 Pro.
The Fenix 9 Pro has an AMOLED option and extra features like LTE and satellite connectivity with a diveproof design and a mic and speaker, but the nuts and bolts of its sports tracking, training analysis and navigation features are the same as on the Enduro 3.
Furthermore, the Enduro 3 and its MIP display with solar charging offer longer battery life and a lighter design than the 51mm Fenix 9 Pro, which has a full titanium case.
At $789, the Enduro 3 is $110 cheaper than the Enduro 4, but a full $400-$500 cheaper than the 51mm Fenix 9 Pro. That’s a saving worth considering.
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