2023: new Garmin, Polar, Suunto, Apple, Fitbit, Wahoo and Coros watches/bike computers. What will they be for 2023?

Endurance Sports Tech for 2023

Are you thinking of buying a new sports watch or bike computer but uncertain what 2023 might bring instead? Read on…

In this earlier post, I’ve already covered the likely technical innovations that will become increasingly adopted in the sports endurance realm. The most significant new watch models will deliver decent battery life with AMOLED touchscreens and accurate multi-frequency GPS (multi-band GNSS). Accuracy, design, and battery life have never been so good.

This article looks at the new models that we are likely to see in 2023 from the key players: Garmin, Apple, Polar, Wahoo, Suunto, and Coros. No NDAs are broken.

This is updated subscriber-only content from 2022

Garmin

Garmin needs to keep its shareholders happy and will certainly delight us with several new watch and bike computer models. 2023 will be the year for its FITNESS team to delight us with new products meaning bike products, Forerunners and smart-focussed watches (like Venu)

As we look at the prices of replacement products, expect largely unchanged prices in the USA but expect price rises in the EU and UK in line with 10-20% inflation and the strength of the dollar.

We will continue to see new, smaller watch case variants to complement the existing standard case variants. Larger case sizes might come as Fenix/Epix derivatives. There will be no innovation in case sizes for bike computers.

new Garmin Edge 840 Solar – Inbound

See more

Garmin Cycling

The mid-size Edge 540 and Edge 840 will be with us in the Spring (April 2023). The Edge 840 & 540 differ from each other only in the touchscreen of the former. Both the 840/540 differ only in size/battery/screen from the existing Edge 1040. which is larger.

Edge 840 will have solar options for an extra $100-$150.

Edge 540 will come in at $300, £260/EU260, possibly as much as £300/Eu300 outside of the USA.

Expect an Edge 140 (non-Solar) to replace the 130plus slightly later in the year, say for a June launch, as that will avoid cannibalisation of the higher-priced 540/840.

 

Garmin Running & MultiSport (Forerunner)

There will certainly be a Forerunner 265 AMOLED which will be a Forerunner 255 with a pretty screen plus a smaller version. Similarly, a Forerunner 955 being given a FR 965 AMOLED version will happen soon.

The same will also eventually happen with the Forerunner 55 being granted a FR 65 AMOLED version.

A small-format 955 is also possible and this could be the confusingly named FR755 (like the 745 was a smaller 945 non-Pro model). However, it’s probably slightly more likely that the FR755 will be entirely skipped and for Garmin to go straight for AMOLED on a FR765 which may come with cut-down features or may have LTE either as standard or as an option.

Expect the 265/265s and 965 to be launched together on March 14.

• FR265/265s – Yes
• FR65 – Probably
• FR965 – Yes
• FR755 – Maybe at some point
• FR765 – Probably at some point
• Fenix 8 – possibly Q4.2023 or Q1.2024.
• Epix 2s, Epix 2x – these are more likely for the year end.
• LTE options – Unsure, don’t hope too much for meaningful LTE.
• Edge 540 – Yes
• Edge 840/Solar – Yes
• Edge 130 – Yes at some point

Note: Garmin currently sees AMOLED as a premium feature. However, the mass market sees it as a must-have. That’s why I would say the FR65 is also likely to have an AMOLED option. LTE is also a premium feature but it’s FAR more niche from a market need perspective and Garmin is limited in how it can implement LTE so the resulting product set is commercially unattractive.

Note: Other sites are starting to write about Epix 3. This is just nonsensical speculation. Fenix 8 will come before Epix 3. Only with a favourable wind will we get Fenix 8 this year.

Polar

We will undoubtedly see significant changes at Polar in 2023.

Polar will probably soon release the next iteration of the Unite fitness watch which should be the last release of the current generation of products.

However, of more interest to readers here will be what follows as we eagerly anticipate an entirely new generation of Polar’s high-end models. Historically Polar has always started out first with the high-end model (Vantage) and then trickled down the tech and features to lower-value models (Pacer/Vantage M2/Unite). Grit X/Grit X-Pro (outdoors watch) slightly confused that pattern.

We will likely see a next-gen Grit X2 in April 2023 (3-year cycle) and a next-gen Vantage V3 in September/November 2023 (3-year cycle)

Polar won’t be adding too much on the features front with these watches. Grit X2 might surprise us with maps or music but most likely it will instead have a new GPS chip, improved battery life and hopefully an AMOLED screen, which we have just seen for the first time on the new Ignite 3. If the AMOLED screen does not come on the X2 then it will come the following year on the X2 Pro or Vantage V3.

We will NOT see a new Pacer/Pacer Pro model in 2023 nor (ever) a new M/M2/M3 model.

Interesting: AMOLED could have a markedly positive effect on the fortunes of Polar.

• Grit X2 – Yes
• Vantage V3 – Yes
• Unite 3 – Yes

Whoop

I don’t think we will see a new Whoop strap this year in the sense that there won’t be a Gen 5.

It’s possible they’ll soon be bringing out something linked to their acquisition of PUSH for handling velocity-based training for strength work. That will most likely be new algorithms for the existing whoop band though.

Suunto

Suunto is full of surprises, albeit too few, and deserves success for the way they innovatively attack the market with limited resources.

Suunto’s latest watches have been the 9 Peak, 5 Peak and 9 Peak Pro and before that the Suunto 7 in early 2020. Essentially the first three are small-format watches in high-spec cases – almost completely different watches to the larger Suunto 9 Baro (2018).

The most likely watch from Suunto would be a 5 Peak Pro as soon as Spring 2023.

After that, it’s a toss-up between a next-gen iteration of a larger Suunto 9 Baro model (Summer 2023) and a next-gen iteration of the Wear OS-based Suunto 7 (as soon as spring 2023). It’s plausible that Suunto no longer sees a future for either of these especially the Suunto 7, despite it being a good watch. Note that a replacement to the Wear OS-based Suunto 7 was always MUCH more likely in 2023 than last year as it’s only this year when the newer Qualcomm chips will be widely used and only this year we get a decent version of Wear OS and only this year when Google/Samsung have already had first dibs at the new generation of Wear OS capabilities – several other watch vendors like Fossil will likely release their models this year for similar reasons.

Interesting: Unlike its competitors, Suunto has been working hard on a 3rd party app store, which the Suunto Plus branding covers.

• Suunto 5 Peak Pro – Yes
• Suunto 9 Baro Gen 2 – Maybe
• Suunto 7 Gen 2 – Maybe

Coros

Coros will first revamp its platform. And this is a potentially great move for them. For me, its platform never seems sufficiently polished to rival the big boys and girls of endurance tech. So I certainly would rather see a transformed app rather than a new watch. With a favourable wind, we will also soon see Coros deliver the promised music streaming music service in 2023.

A Coros Pace 3 by rights should be due in September 2023 (3-year cycle) but I would bet it will come in the spring to coincide with the start of the running watch buying season.

Vertix 3 will come no earlier than September 2023 maybe even falling back to 2024.

Interesting: A low-priced Pace 3 AMOLED would shake up the market in a similar way to the highly-featured Pace 2. However, it’s almost certain that Coros will revert to old ways and make a better, more expensive Pace 3 which then won’t sell as well.

• Coros Pace 3 – Yes
• Coros Vertix 3 – Probably

 

Apple

Apple will certainly release a Watch 9 in September 2023 (or Watch X) and WatchOS 10 (or X) in August. WatchOS 10 will herald the sports features much more than what might come from a new Watch model.

I would say a next-gen SE 3 model is highly unlikely and we won’t see that until 2024.

The uncertainty would be whether Watch Ultra follows 2-year product cycles like the SE and/or if any other Watch model is introduced. For example, another option for Apple is for a smaller-format Ultra model in 2023.

To me, the following makes sense for 2023 now that we know Apple is more committed to sports

• Watch 9/Watch X – Yes, annual cycles
• Watch SE 3- No, bi-annual cycles
• Watch Ultra 2 – Unlikely, bi-annual cycle
• Watch Ultra small – Possible
• Watch Sport – Unsure. A smaller Ultra or a non-Ultra sporty model  (Watch 9 with a third button!)  released in a bi-annual cycle alternating years with Ultra is possible.
• round version – nah. That ship has sailed.

Wahoo

Wahoo seems to be up-to-date with its Bike computers although a 2-year release cycle on the Bolt would see a Bolt Gen 3 in May 2023. Don’t forget that Bolt Gen 1 was released back in 1837, so by no means expect a 2-year refresh. It was 2017 really! but a 2-year refresh could be on the cards because Wahoo, as a company, has changed beyond recognition since 2017 and now may be looking to iterate products more frequently to bring in much-needed sales.

Wahoo Rival was released in November 2020 and has been continually improved. I was hoping for a refresh to the watch format in 2022. I’d now be hopeful of something in the Spring.

In a recent round of redundancies, Wahoo specifically pointed out that new models will hit the shelves in 2023. Redundancies boost cashflow and profitability and are not necessarily an indication of a loss-making situation, many companies are currently right-sizing…or reverting back to the correct size if the pandemic boom is taken as an untypical blip..

Google/Fitbit/Pixel/Wear OS/Samsung Watch

This is a mess.

But Wear OS is finally improving, as is the underlying hardware.

The only certainty is a Samsung Watch6 in late Q3.

Future iterations of Pixel will depend on how well the current version sells. I’ve no idea about that but would bet against a Pixel 2 in 2023.

Versa 5/Sense 3/Pixel 2, by right, should all be in 2024. Thus, with 2023 cleared and the field left open, all the other Wear OS watches can hit the market (Fossil, Casio, Suunto et al)

2023 Summary – the year of the AMOLED

AMOLED sports watches will lead the way. Smartwatches become progressively more competent at sports.

On sports watches, we will see smart features improve and iterate. Sports features stagnate.

The effects of inflation & recession will become more obvious, limiting the scope for innovation and delaying the launches of some models.

Supporting the AMOLED trend will require up-to-date bits of tech that save battery life elsewhere eg the latest multi-band GPS chips and latest oHRMs.