Forget the new Garmin Fenix 9 — this flagship-level alternative is already half price ahead of Amazon's second Prime Day sale

Garmin released its newest iterations of its flagship Fenix smartwatches in August in the form of the Fenix 9 and 9 Pro and, as expected, they come with super-premium materials, brighter-than-ever displays and improved maps. So it’s no surprise that they also carry sky-high price tags starting from AU$1,599.

If you’ve been eyeing one but don’t want to spend flagship smartphone-level money on a smartwatch, this deal on the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition for AU$849 will get you most of the core functionality for a much lower price.

Having launched in 2023, our Garmin Epix Pro review called the watch “essentially an AMOLED-screened version” of the Garmin Fenix 7 Pro, but still earned itself 4.5 stars out of 5 for being one heck of a multisport wearable. Some of the features introduced here include the Elevate Gen 5 heart rate sensor, Up Ahead, Hill and Endurance scores and fast charging support.

You can also find your typical Garmin fare here like sleep scores, VO2 max, notification functionalities, music control, onboard music storage, estimated race prediction times, maps for golf courses and ski resorts, and many more usually found in a premium multisport outdoor watch.

The Fenix 9 offers a faster processor, brighter screens, more onboard file storage, improved mapping, a 40m dive certification, built-in speakers and microphones for calls, and new sport profiles that, honestly, aren’t really necessary for every athlete.

If you’re not too fussed about having all the latest and greatest additions but want a very capable premium watch to track all your adventures this summer, you can’t go wrong with the Garmin Epix Pro Gen 2 for almost half the price.