Deep Dive Digest #26: Garmin Silently Acquires Moxy, 94 Fenix 9Pro Bugs & Market Insights Galore
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Garmin has acquired Moxy Monitor, the muscle oxygen sensor company. This site reported it a week before any other outlet picked it up. Other than a one line confirmation, Garmin still has not made a public announcement. For a company that has trademarked Muscle Battery, is developing dedicated SmO2 hardware, and has now bought the category’s most established independent sensor brand, the silence is the story. The muscle oxygen acquisition is a consolidation of the tools Garmin needs to build what it has already signalled is coming.
The Fenix 9 has accumulated at least 94 confirmed bugs in its first month. Crashes during navigation, display faults, sync failures. Awful. The Fenix 9 Pro scored an unexpectedly low 79% on a standardised GPS accuracy test, placing it behind the Forerunner. read closely if you are thinking of buying.
New products this week: the Coros Pace 4 Pro arrives at £389 with titanium, sapphire, AMOLED and 60 hours of battery, everything you need to know and an upgrade guide from every previous Pace generation are on site. A regulatory filing confirms two further Coros devices: the Vertix 4 and an new name => Orizon. Amazfit’s full feature roadmap is shared until Q1 2027. The T-Rex Dual Solar is the first solar Amazfit smartwatch, an odd beast. The Huawei Watch D3 has been reviewed against a validated arm cuff on four people and returned 95% blood pressure accuracy, this is Huawei’s category. A Huawei Health app survey points to a screen-free band like Whoop in development. HoloSwim 3 Pro puts working GPS inside a swim goggle for the first time and I’ve tested it.
The commercial picture: Polar, Suunto and Amazfit all filed 2025 accounts within weeks of each other. this site has the only deep analysis of the Suunto and Polar’s accounts.
Elsewhere, Coros’s growth is real but concentrated almost entirely in its cheapest watches. Garmin accounts for 78% of GPS watches tracked by Runalyze.
Eight Sleep Pod 6 has launched at £1,799.
The muscle oxygen category explainer, what SmO2 measures, why it matters and who the players are, is on site alongside the Moxy acquisition story.
Garmin Fenix 9 – All 94 bugs. Is this acceptable for a $1000 watch?
Owners have logged 94 Fenix 9 and 9 Pro bugs in a month, from crashes during navigation to battery drain and missed pool lengths. Seven are fixed. Here’s every one, with sources, and whether that’s acceptable for a $1,000 watch.
Garmin Fenix 9 vs Apple Watch Ultra 4: Which to Buy?
Garmin Fenix 9 vs Apple Watch Ultra 4: same decision as always, battery and built-in depth versus smart features and ease of use. Now with the app-curation nuance and a durability angle.
Garmin HUD MicroLED: AREX Shows What Garmin Could Do
RayNeo shipped a waveguide HUD in AI glasses on September 4. AREX ONE just launched a dive mask version on Kickstarter, built on the same display tech. Two manufacturers, two sports, the hardware Garmin would need for a HUD successor to Varia Vision.
Muscle Oxygen Category Explainer – As Garmin Buys Moxy
All you need to know about the muscle oxygen sensor category and an overview of training with the metric
Solar Showdown: Amazfit T-Rex Dual vs Garmin Instinct 3 – Every Detail
The Amazfit T-Rex Dual Solar and Garmin Instinct 3 Solar are both rugged solar watches, but opposites. Amazfit gives you AMOLED, maps and touch. Garmin gives you a basic monochrome screen and solar battery that can run almost forever, for little over half the price.
Garmin Has Acquired Moxy Monitor
the5krunner has learned that Garmin has acquired Moxy Monitor, the muscle oxygen sensor company, according to a source with direct knowledge of the deal. Neither company has announced it, and there’s a specific reason under SEC rules why they might not have to.
Fenix 9 Pro MicroLED: Why Garmin Skipped It
Garmin’s Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED was the brightest smartwatch screen ever made. The Fenix 9 Pro ditches it for AMOLED instead. Garmin explains why, and what it would take to bring MicroLED back.
Blood Sugar on Garmin Fenix 9 Pro and Apple Watch Ultra 4 with Sugar Sense and Freestyle Libre
Wearing the FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus glucose sensor alongside Garmin Fenix 9 Pro and Apple Watch Ultra 4, using the Sugar Sense Connect IQ app. Setup is fiddly, NFC scanning is unreliable, and Bluetooth range matters more than you’d expect.
ZOLEO Satellite Communicator: A Garmin inReach Mini 2 Alternative for Hikers
ZOLEO vs Garmin inReach Mini 2: the real difference for hikers ZOLEO and the Garmin inReach Mini 2 solve the same problem differently: sending messages and calling for emergency assistance once cellular coverage runs out. ZOLEO does it through a phone-based app, for $150 less. The Mini 2 does it…
Garmin tactix 9 confirmed in leak: details
Garmin tactix 9, tactix 9 Ballistics Edition and Enduro 4 have leaked months before any official announcement. Here’s when tactix 9 is likely to launch, and why satellite messaging may or may not make it onto a watch used on military bases.
Which sports watch brand looks after you best?
A new comparison of nine sports watch brands, judged on how the company treats you after you buy.
Is Runna AI? How Its Training Plans Actually Adapt
Runna says its plans are not created by AI. Coaches write them, and an algorithm adjusts your paces and sessions as you train. Here is what changes, what triggers it, and where the Runna AI feature fits.
Apple’s Whoop Competitor: Good Companion, Poor Substitute to Watch
Apple is reportedly building a screenless fitness band to rival Whoop. Its motive is simple: a good companion to the Apple Watch, and a poor substitute for it.
Coros Pace 4 Pro: all you need to know – is it worth £389?
Coros Pace 4 Pro puts a 3,500-nit AMOLED, titanium, sapphire, maps and a 60-hour battery into a 43g Pace for £389 / $449. What it adds over the Pace 4 and Pace Pro, what is still missing, what three independent tests found, and how it compares with Garmin.
Coros Pace 4 Pro upgrade guide: 1, 2, 3, 4 or Pro?
The original Pace and the Pace 2 no longer get new features, and the Pace 3 was left out of the maps update. Here is what each Pace owner gains from a Pace 4 or Pace 4 Pro, with a verdict for every model.
Huawei Watch D3 Review ❤️ Blood ️Pressure Watch 95% Accurate
Huawei Watch D3 tested against a validated arm cuff on four people. Worn in turn on the same wrist, it scored 95 per cent to the Wellue BPW1’s 87. It reads about 10 points low on the top number, so use it for trends, not medical decisions.
Eight Sleep Pod 6: All you need to know
Eight Sleep Pod 6 moves the Hub under the bed and starts at £1,799 / $1,999 for one sleeper. After three years on Eight Sleep, here is what to know about cooling, tracking, the Hub and the real five-year cost.
Strava Live Segments for Amazfit, but not Garmin FR570
Amazfit’s flagship watches get Strava Live Segments in November, and a $169 Active Max follows in December. Garmin keeps the same feature off Forerunner 570.
Full Amazfit HYROX roadmap and watch updates to Q1 2027
Every current Amazfit flagship gets automatic HYROX transitions in October and Strava Live Segments in November. Cheaper models follow a month or two later, and some get nothing. Here is what each watch and strap gets, and when.
Amazfit T-Rex Dual Solar – Industry First
Full Amazfit T-Rex Dual Solar Specifications specifications, price and release date, plus everything that’s changed versus earlier T-Rex Series models.
new Coros Orizon and Vertix 4 Leaked
A regulatory filing reveals two new Coros watches: a Vertix 4 and a completely unnamed model called Orizon. Both appear alongside already-confirmed models, hinting at what’s coming next.
Apple cuts Fitness+ jobs, subscription merging to Health+?
Apple has cut jobs at Fitness+, the first real reduction there rather than a reorganisation. Mark Gurman still bets on an eventual Health app merger, and this site agrees.
watchOS 27 Watch Faces: Siri Modular Guide (2026)
The complete guide to every Apple Watch face in watchOS 27, including the new Siri Modular design. See full complication support and compatibility across Series and the new Apple Watch Ultra 4.
Richmond Park – 12:35 Lap. Fastest Ever
Matt Rossiter, INEOS Britannia’s Olympic-rower cyclor, laps Richmond Park in 12:35 for Rule 28, averaging 51.6km/h at 449 watts.
Whoop Competitor Leaked in New Screen-free Health Band Questionnaire From Huawei
A Huawei Health app survey reveals plans for a screen-free health band. The questionnaire covers pricing, battery life, AI coaching and direct comparisons with Whoop and five other rivals.
Ride with GPS 3D Maps: Wider Access Than Garmin, Komoot
Ride with GPS’s paid Basic plan unlocks 3D maps almost everywhere, with Premium needed only for the web planner. Garmin and Komoot both gate the feature behind their top paid tier instead.
Shimano invents a new cleat type: all the details
Shimano’s new SPD-SLR cleat cuts stack height by 2.3mm and drops weight by up to 22% over the outgoing SPD-SL cleat. It also isn’t backward compatible with SPD-SL pedals, which raises a compatibility question for anyone running a power meter pedal from another brand. Here’s what’s actually changed.
The Deep Dive Podcast
Listen to one of our recent discussions on the Deep Dive podcast – EP79 Huawei Watch D3: Does the Blood Pressure Science Actually Work? (ft. AI Insights)
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Last Updated on 30 September 2026 by the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red light therapy for niggles. It works.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
