Garmin Enduro 4 leak raises one big question: Can Garmin finally abandon MIP displays?

The next ultra-endurance Garmin watch may have just made an early appearance.

According to recent reports, references to the Enduro 4 have been spotted in code associated with the Garmin Connect app, suggesting the company is already preparing software support for an upcoming device.

While Garmin has (understandably) yet to confirm the watch's existence, the leak immediately raises a bigger question than the watch itself: what happens to the Enduro lineup in an increasingly AMOLED-focused Garmin ecosystem?

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While many of the brand's flagship watches, including the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro, have moved towards brighter AMOLED and MicroLED displays, the Enduro remains firmly focused on battery life above all else.

Historically, the ultra-runner favourite wearable used a memory-in-pixel (MIP) display combined with Garmin's solar charging technology to deliver some of the longest runtimes available on any performance smartwatch (see also Leon's Garmin Enduro 3 review).

That's become the defining characteristic of the Enduro series, especially among long-distance runners, hikers and expedition athletes who value longevity over screen quality.

So, where does this all leave the Enduro 4? I can see three possibilities, one of which is the most likely, even though it also feels somewhat interesting coming from a brand that's been pushing new technologies for decades.

The watch that could keep MIP alive

Garmin's recent launches suggest the company is steadily moving towards premium display technologies.

AMOLED screens are now common across much of its range, while MicroLED appears to be the brand's long-term flagship display solution, making the upcoming Enduro a fascinating product from a strategic perspective.

If Garmin replaces the MIP display with AMOLED, it risks losing the very feature that makes the Enduro stand out from watches such as the Fenix, as well as alienating the model's core audience.

Even with improvements in battery efficiency, AMOLED displays consume considerably more power than reflective MIP panels, particularly during extended outdoor use with GPS turned on.

For that reason alone, the Enduro could become the last major Garmin product family to retain MIP technology. Well, there is also the Instinct 3, which launched in January 2025 and sports a MIP + Solar combo, but still – it was released over a year and a half ago, an absolute age in wearables.

That said, the most likely scenario is that the next-generation Enduro will feature updated sensors, a more efficient processor, enhanced solar charging, and improved GPS performance.

It would still have a clear purpose in the lineup without abandoning the battery-first philosophy that has defined the series.

Could AMOLED and solar finally coexist?

Of course, Garmin may have other plans.

One possibility is that the company has been working on a more advanced version of its Power Glass technology that can offset the additional power demands of an AMOLED display.

Such a combination would allow Garmin to modernise the Enduro while preserving much of its legendary battery life. The challenge is that expectations are exceptionally high among Enduro owners, who expect class-leading – not just very long – battery life.

An AMOLED Enduro that lasts a few weeks between charges would still be impressive by smartwatch standards, but it might not be enough to satisfy athletes who currently choose the series specifically because it can keep going for extended adventures without needing to visit a power socket.

While Garmin is surely working on this technology, it would also be strange for the company to debut such a game-changer feature in the Enduro line. Innovations are usually reserved for the Fenix, and should the AMOLED + Power Glass tech launch soon, it's likely to debut in the Fenix 9.

The subtle option

Another possibility is that Garmin's next-generation chipset could deliver meaningful efficiency gains through smarter power management.

Smartwatch manufacturers have increasingly relied on intelligent task scheduling and machine-learning-assisted optimisation to extend battery life without increasing battery size, and Garmin could adopt a similar approach.

Garmin doesn't like to talk about chips as much as other manufacturers, even though I'm sure it's been tinkering with machine learning/AI to optimise the performance of its wearables.

Even if the company won't use third-party chipsets (e.g., Snapdragon), AI-enhanced silicon that handles tasks more efficiently could improve battery life.

Of course, Garmin would have to admit in its marketing that it did something with its components for the improvements to make sense – it can't just launch the watch and say, "hey, the Enduro 4 has longer battery life, but we won't tell you why."

For now, all we know is that the Enduro 4 appears to be on Garmin's roadmap. The bigger mystery is whether it will become the watch that finally brings AMOLED and solar charging together, or the product that keeps MIP displays alive for another generation.

[via NotebookCheck, Gadgets&Wearables]