The image above says it all really. Source: Garmin.com Connect IQ Devices Biker Monkey vs. Aikido Monkey
All of the circled AIKIDO products WILL be replaced…soon
At least in part the Fenix Chronos is the Fenix 4/Fenix 5. It’s not just a pimped up, shiny Fenix 3. there is at least something different inside. We know that the firmware developers on the Fenix 3 need a little more oomph in their hardware. The Fenix 4 is not so far away.
Fenix4 could still be a KONA-announcement although I think that unlikely. KONA is only days away and if Garmin wanted to start selling things for Christmas they would want to have the volume to ship soon after KONA as retailers bail out of Fenix3 inventories on Cyber Monday/Black Friday. With all that new Fenix 4/Fenix 5 stock scuttling all over a global distribution network with orders placed by massive retailers it would be likely that some info would have already leaked out. AFAIK there is no such info.
If there were to be a 2016 Fenix 4/Fenix 5 then Mr Rainmaker would already have a pre-production unit ABOUT NOW. So if he denies one is impending then we can rule out 2016 – he seems an honest chap.
If a 920XT or Fenix 4/Fenix 5 were announced at KONA with no supporting stock (possible) then retailers would justifiably be annoyed as they would find it harder to shift existing Fenix 3/920XT stocks.
So Q1.2016 would be the earliest for a Fenix 4/Fenix 5 IMO. Why not January, after the sales?
There have been Sept/October announcements of new products from Garmin in previous years (eg 920xt). My money would be on a Vivo-junior or a Vivo-kids model. That would be a perfect Christmas product. The LeapPad people have such products – I was going to do a spoof review months ago but thought better of it!
Thinking about it though. People start buying their sports gadgets leading up to and during Spring. So 2017 could be a Garmin-tastic year with a 930Xt, 635/640, 240/245, Edge 1030/1010.
Perhaps my longed-for Swim 2 and Epix 2 will never make the light of day in reality.
