Garmin Fenix 8 assessment | Android Central

The Garmin Fenix 8 disillusioned me in my early testing. Software bugs from its rushed launch, recycled {hardware} from cheaper watches, and the $1,000+ price ticket annoyed me, at the same time as I acknowledged that the general bundle was unbelievable.

Weeks of testing have solely confirmed my preliminary suspicions that (A) the Fenix 8 is overpriced and (B) the Fenix 8 is the perfect Garmin look ahead to anybody who can afford it. Multiple sizes and show sorts allow you to tailor the Fenix 8 to your wants and magnificence; whichever you choose, it is an important fusion of all the things nice from the Venu, Forerunner, and Instinct sequence — with a number of legacy issues introduced alongside for the trip.

Garmin actually has no regrets about its rushed launch and absurd value. Despite loads of discussion board complaints about buggy software program and public drama in regards to the dive-certified watch crashing in chilly water, Garmin followers purchased and saved their Fenix 8s en masse. During its Q3 2024 earnings name, Garmin particularly credited the “extremely profitable launch of the brand new Fenix 8 sequence” for why it hit over $500 million in quarterly out of doors watch gross sales for the primary time.

In different phrases, I’m not right here to promote you on shopping for a Fenix 8 by giving it a excessive score; tons of individuals already bought themselves on it. Instead, I’ll attempt to paint a sensible and honest image of all the things Garmin nailed with the Fenix 8 whereas additionally pushing again on the areas the place it is a letdown for anybody spending a grand on a smartwatch.

Garmin Fenix 8 value and fashions

Garmin introduced the Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 on August 27, the primary Fenix mannequin to come back in each AMOLED and MIP Solar fashions. This successfully killed off the short-lived Garmin Epix sequence, which was developed as an AMOLED reskin of Fenix.

The Fenix 8 AMOLED is available in three case sizes — 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm — whereas the Fenix 8 Solar solely is available in 47mm and 51mm. The AMOLED sequence is available in both stainless-steel/Gorilla Glass or lighter titanium with extra sturdy Sapphire Glass. Both Solar sizes ship in titanium by default.

The metal 43mm or 47mm Fenix 8 AMOLED prices $999, however most variations — the titanium 43mm/47mm AMOLED, 51mm metal AMOLED, or 47mm Solar — price $1,099. Upgrade to the titanium 51mm in AMOLED or MIP for $1,199. These aren’t Garmin’s costliest fashions, however they’re pricier than previous Fenixes.

In phrases of colours, the Fenix 8 sequence is pretty primary in most sizes, with both Carbon Grey titanium, silver Titanium, or Slate Grey metal. Only the 43mm Fenix 8 is extra inventive with a Soft Gold titanium or Silver metal, and I believe many Fenix 8 consumers will favor a bigger show and lengthened battery life. You can see the comparative specs for all 5 Fenix 8 fashions within the desk beneath.

I selected the Garmin Fenix 8 47mm AMOLED look ahead to this assessment. I dislike MIP shows and was excited to check the primary AMOLED Fenix mannequin, prioritizing a greater show for all contexts over higher direct-sunlight visibility and one other week or two of battery life that I most likely do not want.

That mentioned, the 47mm Fenix 8 Solar is extra environment friendly than the final era, beating the 47mm Fenix 7X Pro Solar by six days or 17 multi-band Global Positioning System hours with photo voltaic. The 51mm Fenix 8 Solar wins by 11 days or 24 multi-band Global Positioning System hours over the 51mm 7X. So if most battery paired with premium options is your primary concern, both MIP mannequin will meet your wants.

As for sizing, I picked the 47mm case as a result of the 43mm Fenix 8 battery life felt poor in comparison with different small Garmin watches, whereas the 51mm’s further 19g of weight would have felt oppressive; as it’s, the 47mm Fenix 8 weight takes getting used to. If you can stand heavier watches, the 51mm Fenix 8 has some really epic battery life for an AMOLED watch, however I want it had a 1.5-inch show as an alternative of 1.4 just like the 47mm.

Garmin Fenix 8: AMOLED show & design

Garmin gave the Fenix 8 the identical high quality of AMOLED show because the Venu 3 or Forerunner 965: a thin-bordered, vivid, 1,000-nit round show with the identical 320-ish pixels per inch as most smartwatches. I would not ask for something extra…if the Fenix 8 fell in the identical $450–600 vary as these watches.

As it’s, most mainstream smartwatches at the moment have jumped to 2,000 nits, whereas the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Ultra 2 hit a blinding 3,000 nits; they don’t seem to be simply seen in direct daylight however dazzlingly colourful.

If Garmin was attempting to persuade MIP-loving Fenix customers to undertake AMOLED, this effort feels a bit half-hearted. The Fenix 8 is totally seen in direct daylight as a result of most knowledge fields and notifications are white textual content on black; I’ve no bother studying it even whereas carrying sun shades. But I’d nonetheless count on a visible improve at this value, as colourful widgets and maps can look foggy within the California solar.

I’m glad my model of the Fenix 8 makes use of sapphire glass; Garmin would not specify which Gorilla Glass sort the stainless-steel Fenix 8 will get — I assume GG 3 DX just like the Forerunner 965 — however I need assurances that my $1,000+ watch has the absolute best safety for worst-case situations.

As I briefly talked about above, the 47mm titanium Fenix 8 feels barely heavy till you get used to it. Past Fenix house owners will not discover a distinction, as 73g with strap compares favorably in opposition to different premium, metal-heavy watches. But I’ve been spoiled by the Garmin Venu 3 (47g) and Forerunner 965 (53g), which have metal bezels however a lot lighter polymer circumstances.

In spite of that, the Fenix 8 has change into supremely snug to me, thanks partially to the default QuickFit silicone strap that secures it comfortably for runs with no need to be too tight. Despite my promise to “by no means put on a smartwatch to mattress once more” due to how uncomfortable I discover them at night time, I’ve worn the Fenix 8 to sleep for 3 weeks in my quest to get my first-ever HRV Status rating with out it feeling oppressive. For me, that is an enormous deal!

If I upgraded to the 51mm, I believe the Fenix 8 would tip over into being too heavy for me, particularly if I purchased the stainless-steel model. No one ought to put on a 102g watch until they seem to be a Dragonball Z character able to shed weighed garments to boost their energy degree.

Ignoring the consolation issue, it is a rugged and enticing design in the event you’re a fan of conventional health watches and do not thoughts that it’s kind of thick, even on bigger wrists. With 10ATM water resistance, 40m diving certification, and military-grade shock safety, it matches the ruggedness of the Instinct 2X Solar with out wanting as cumbersome.

Its 5 dive-resistant buttons use Garmin’s “inductive button” design with out conventional holes that would change into water-damaged throughout dives. They really feel totally different from my typical full-press Garmin buttons, with an fascinating haptic buzz to sign a profitable press and an intentional feeling of squishiness so you may press as onerous or frivolously as you need. While you should use the touchscreen for many issues, I really like having the Up/Down buttons — which I miss on the informal Venu sequence.

So far, my Fenix 8 has withstood salt-water swims and some slams into partitions, however I have never actually examined its ruggedness to the restrict; frankly, I assume that even when the Fenix 8 can deal with scratches and impacts, its titanium body will most likely present harm greater than the Instinct 2X’s polymer would, so I’m cautious with it.

Garmin Fenix 8: Hardware, mic/speaker, flashlight

The Garmin Fenix 8 borrowed two key options from Garmin watches I’ve reviewed earlier than: a mic/speaker combo from the Venu 3 and a built-in LED flashlight from the Instinct 2X Solar. Add within the acquainted AMOLED show, and it is clear the Fenix 8 is designed to mix all this {hardware} into one bundle.

My unique ideas on the Venu 3 mic & speaker apply right here: The mic high quality is crystal clear for Bluetooth calls, however the speaker is on the quiet aspect for listening to responses, particularly when out and about. Garmin’s model stays a bit underwhelming in comparison with the speaker high quality on an Apple or Galaxy Watch.

While the Venu 3 used its mic for passthrough voice instructions to your Android cellphone or iPhone, the Fenix 8 has a brand new offline voice assistant that permits you to open watch apps, begin a exercise, open Garmin Pay, ask a few particular stat, and so forth. It’s very helpful when it really works, however I’ve observed two frequent issues. First, the processing time takes a number of seconds, so it is typically higher to make use of button/watch face shortcuts as an alternative. Secondly, the assistant would not acknowledge all of my instructions and can simply spit me again out to the primary watch face if it would not.

The different new mic-enabled function is Voice Notes, a regular Recorder app that saves your ideas in your watch. I like that it is there, but it surely’d be even higher in the event you may manually or auto-sync your notes to your cellphone and doubtlessly affiliate a observe with a exercise so you may return and take heed to a abstract of the way it felt or one thing cool you noticed throughout it, like a exercise diary.

Garmin’s built-in LED bulb sits immediately between the show prime and the place the band stops, so in the event you flip it on, you maintain your wrist straight to level the sunshine ahead. It has three ranges of brightness for the default white bulb or one uninteresting purple setting for illuminating with out being blinding. You can set totally different Strobe settings, like Blink or Beacon, if you wish to sign your location whereas operating at the hours of darkness or after falling and hurting your self.

As with the Instinct 2X Solar flashlight, the Fenix 8 flashlight could be very good for emergencies or for subtly lighting up a room at night time if you cannot discover your cellphone, but it surely’s not an important different to an precise flashlight for night time exercises. It’s not vivid sufficient to light up greater than a small strip immediately in entrance of you; it requires you to carry your arm at a inflexible angle to angle the sunshine in entrance of you, and it burns by the Fenix’s epic battery painfully quick. I’m glad it is there, however I’ve tempered my expectations for what I can do with it.

Looking extra usually on the Garmin Fenix 8 {hardware}, it is onerous to say what sort of processing energy or reminiscence it has as a result of Garmin would not promote that knowledge; it should be quicker than different Garmin watches to deal with the brand new UI and apps, but it surely hasn’t stopped the watch from sustaining the model’s trademark effectivity. Still, I discover some occasional lag in menus, particularly when utilizing maps.

Outside of a buggy first cost cycle the place it died in two days, my Fenix 8 AMOLED has remained on tempo to final the total 16-day estimate, even with each day sleep monitoring and frequent dual-band Global Positioning System runs and hikes. I am unable to understate how spectacular the battery life is; some health bands would possibly declare a number of weeks, however fall brief in sensible use circumstances. Not the Fenix 8.

Garmin gave the Fenix 8 the Elevate v5 sensor suite, which incorporates an ECG sensor and pores and skin temperature knowledge on prime of the usual coronary heart price, coronary heart price variability, and blood oxygen (SpO2). Garmin would not have passive coronary heart rhythm monitoring just like the big-name manufacturers, however the ECG inclusion is a pleasant begin for anybody with coronary heart well being points. And Garmin continues to be the one watch choice for all-day blood oxygen monitoring if that appeals to you.

The one little bit of {hardware} the Garmin Fenix 8 lacks however ought to have is a few form of LTE LTE assist, just like the Forerunner 945 LTE or Garmin Bounce LTE. Anything that prices this a lot ought to have standalone capabilities, both to make emergency cellphone calls or broadcast your LiveObserve place to household when you’re out on a multi-day tour. Garmin would slightly you purchase the InAttain Messenger Plus and pay a month-to-month premium for satellite tv for pc, however that is not an affordable want for lots of people.

Garmin Fenix 8: Software

The Fenix 8 is my first “high-end” Garmin watch, so I am unable to examine its UI to previous fashions; all I can say is that it appears to be a revamped and improved model of the upgraded interface launched on the Garmin Venu 3.

Apps and settings was shunted off in hard-to-find submenus. Now, there are extra apps obtainable, all present in the primary Start menu or by holding the Back button for latest apps. When you are about to begin a exercise, Garmin now exhibits exercises, programs, and settings immediately beneath the beginning display as an alternative of hidden behind button presses. And the primary widgets appear to have added extra in-depth knowledge on the watch, as an alternative of creating you look in Garmin Connect.

Of course, once I say “apps,” I imply normal instruments you’d count on on a health watch. Garmin is healthier than most by supporting a number of third-party apps like Spotify and Komoot by the Connect IQ retailer, however by and huge, you will not see the extent of smarts of a Wear OS or Apple Watch. It’s the trade-off for wonderful battery life.

The Garmin Fenix 8 launch was significantly buggy; it obtained media consideration for crashing in chilly water (regardless of being dive-certified), however had loads of different points. I personally had the Fenix 8 freeze after a exercise and require a pc reboot.

Now Garmin is engaged on a brand new Fenix 8 beta model with practically 100 “mounted” or “improved” options, together with about 20 new ones. I’ve by no means seen a Garmin replace changelog that massive earlier than, and it goes to indicate that Garmin is compensating for its rushed-to-market Fenix 8 software program. In idea, although, these fixes ought to make the Fenix 8 expertise even higher.

I’m not going to dwell an excessive amount of on Garmin’s core coaching software program, just because about 80% of the Fenix 8’s coaching instruments could be discovered on the Garmin Forerunner 965 for $500 much less, significantly the exercises and metrics for operating, biking, mountaineering, swimming, and multisport, plus {golfing} and maps to an extent.

I gave the Forerunner 965 a 5-star assessment, and the Fenix 8 is simply as unbelievable for athletes, with out holding any options again. There’s a motive why I hold returning to Garmin when I’ve an entire array of different watch manufacturers in my closet, from COROS and Polar to Apple and Samsung. Garmin watches have helped me change into a greater runner with recommended exercises and coaching load focus, observe my progress at hill coaching, and keep away from overtraining with restoration estimates.

The difficult factor with the Fenix 8 is that the majority of its unique software program is extremely area of interest. Do you want 2,000 pre-downloaded ski maps? A surf exercise to auto-record the variety of waves surfed? Tracking your gases and the tides for scuba diving? The choice to pay much more for Outdoor Maps+ satellite tv for pc imagery in your wrist?

If the reply is sure and you’ve got a trip dwelling in Tahoe or a daily browsing spot close to your house in Santa Cruz, then you definitely most likely have the cash to purchase the Fenix 8 and never fear a lot in regards to the excessive price. For everybody else, be trustworthy with your self: You do not want the Fenix 8 software program or the 16-day battery life. You’re most likely simply paying prime greenback due to some mixture of FOMO and wanting a titanium standing image.

The one new Garmin Fenix 8 function that I believe could have broad attraction is the brand new Strength Training software. In the identical method you may construct a operating or biking coaching plan primarily based in your present health degree and objectives, now you can construct a weeks-long plan that takes into consideration your present talents and whether or not or not you’ve entry to fitness center tools.

I personally wrote about how Garmin wanted to make its indoor exercises higher, so this function excited me. Having examined it out, it’s kind of overwhelming for a layman. The generated exercises are really fully-fledged exercises, beginning with cardio and stretches earlier than extending into numerous dumbbell actions targeted on a broad vary of muscle groups for push, pull, and leg days.

If you have already got a fitness center routine, then this superior, auto-generated energy coaching will slot proper in. But given how ubiquitous Garmin Coach is throughout all of its watches and that the plans are generated in your cellphone, I’ve to imagine that these energy exercises will ultimately come to new Garmin watches at extra cheap value factors. Fenix 8 house owners are simply paying for early entry.

Garmin Fenix 8: Maps

The Garmin Fenix 8 has a serious concentrate on maps, however I haven’t got an Outdoor Maps+ subscription and did not spend that a lot time utilizing the usual topographical maps for a few key causes.

Garmin advertises “dynamic round-trip routing” as a brand new and compelling function for the Fenix 8, letting you select a distance and see numerous routes that may get you again to begin inside a sure time. But it did not work effectively for me once I tried to create a 10-mile route by an area state park. I’d inform it to provide me a route north or west into the park, and after an extended “calculating” wait, it created three programs that every one despatched me within the reverse route by the suburbs.

So, as an alternative, I made a decision to comply with an AllTrails route for 5 miles, then attempt to create a brand new Back to Start route and see what map it generated. It sat on “Calculating” for an extended stretch after which despatched me an error message. That’s not nice!

One of the beta changelog traces within the upcoming Fenix 8 replace is “Fixed Round-Trip Routing from the Map App,” so it is potential Garmin will resolve this subject quickly. But at current, this high-profile launch software disillusioned me, and I discovered it simpler to create programs within the Connect app as an alternative. And even then, its auto-generated paths in my neighborhood would generally ship me on limited-access or inaccessible routes.

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Generally talking, Garmin’s programs and turn-by-turn navigation are helpful in the event you’re the form of one who pre-downloads GPX maps. Otherwise, you may attempt dropping waypoints or close by trailheads mid-activity, however I’d see it as a nice-to-have final resort slightly than one thing you’d need to depend upon repeatedly.

Why? Because navigating maps on a 1.4-inch watch display is extra bother than it is value, particularly for the reason that Fenix 8 processor appears considerably laggy for navigation. By default, you are zoomed in so shut that you’ve got little context for what path you are on or which method you are going; zooming out is sort of sluggish and sometimes takes too lengthy to fill within the clean gaps.

With time, I’m positive I may grasp these map options, however I’m not inclined to. I believe anybody who desires a correct Garmin map expertise ought to look right into a GPSMAP handheld — which itself is difficult to grasp however gives a bigger display and helpful buttons — or (for cyclists) an Edge pc. With the Fenix 8, I’m going to stay with the fundamentals.

Garmin Fenix 8: HR & Global Positioning System accuracy

Garmin gave the Fenix 8 the identical multi-band Global Positioning System performance and coronary heart price sensor as most of its different watches of the previous few years. In different phrases, you may count on a excessive degree of high quality however nothing new — which continues to be the theme of this Fenix 8 assessment.

I did my due diligence to check their accuracy; a few of my outcomes shall be pulled from my COROS PACE Pro health take a look at — which used the Fenix 8 as a baseline — and my latest 20-mile race carrying the Fenix 8 and three different watches.

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The three HR charts above present a standard run, a tough observe run, and a three-hour race. Outside of 1 apparent error early within the observe run, the outcomes are surprisingly constant: They’re all the time in shut lockstep, however the Fenix 8 is usually 1–2 bpm above the COROS HRM, each for rising and lowering effort earlier than ultimately settling to the proper studying.

I’ve observed a problem on a number of Forerunner watches, and now the Fenix 8, the place the optical HR monitor struggles to seize my actual coronary heart price if I begin a exercise and instantly run onerous. It wants a few minutes to ramp as much as high-aerobic and anaerobic ranges earlier than it might probably keep in sync; from that time on, the Elevate sensor is extra correct than nearly each competing model. I merely want this one subject could be mounted.

Another 12-mile run exhibits comparable outcomes: the Fenix 8 is sort of all the time 1 bpm above the center price monitor however finally ends up with the proper common and max coronary heart price. That additionally applies to my three-hour race and another “regular” run I’ve completed; solely the observe exercise’s common was skewed by the preliminary glitch.

Basically, I would not really feel the necessity to put on an exterior HR monitor with the Fenix 8 with outcomes this constant; many different fashionable operating watches would not get the identical seal of approval.

As for Global Positioning System accuracy, I often use Garmin watches because the management group for these sorts of assessments as a result of they constantly do the perfect of any model. The Fenix 8 largely lives as much as that normal: You can see within the screenshots beneath of my 20-mile race the way it sticks to the path, barring a few noticeable exceptions the place I’m parallel to bridges however barely out within the water. Garmin’s distance complete beat the opposite three watches I used to be carrying for accuracy.

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Below is the Global Positioning System accuracy take a look at for a tree-laden hike with the Fenix 8 and the COROS PACE Pro. Both Garmin (orange) and COROS (blue) did very effectively on this take a look at, sticking to the path regardless of all of the sign blockage.

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In one other pair of metropolis runs with each Garmin and COROS watches, it was a surprisingly combined bag for the Fenix 8. In some situations, Garmin was the higher choice, sticking to the trail whereas COROS drifted; in others, the reverse held true, as Garmin confirmed an inclination to map me extra to the left of my precise place, shoving me into streets and lawns. But in each situations, they ended up with near-identical distance totals; the deviations barely mattered from a coaching load perspective.

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In the tip, the Garmin Fenix 8 does in addition to different multi-band Garmin watches I’ve examined, with adequate accuracy for severe runners that beats most different dual-band Global Positioning System watches. My solely downside is you can get an identical degree of accuracy with any of the Forerunners within the $350–600 vary, with the identical corrective algorithm to try to clear up any unhealthy monitoring.

Garmin Fenix 8: Competition

If you have not guessed but, my picks for the best-competing choices for the Fenix 8 are the opposite greatest Garmin watches. If the Garmin Fenix 8 is a fusion of the Forerunner 965’s coaching instruments and AMOLED show, the Venu 3’s UI and mic/speaker, and the Instinct 2X Solar’s battery life and flashlight, then it’s important to resolve in the event you want all of those instruments or could make do with one specialised choice that prices lower than half as a lot however falls brief in appears, battery life, and extreme-sport options.

Otherwise, anybody on the lookout for a premium smartwatch that is higher for apps however does effectively sufficient for health ought to think about the Apple Watch Ultra 2 or Galaxy Watch Ultra. The Fenix 8 obliterates them for battery life — you will should cost them each two or three days — however these watches have higher shows, equally rugged designs, higher voice assistant instructions and cellphone integration, and surprisingly strong health instruments for informal customers.

Anyone within the Fenix 8 MIP Solar ought to think about the COROS VERTIX 2S, which has no recharging capabilities however nonetheless lasts 36 days per cost, has a rugged design and COROS’ patented coaching instruments, and held its personal in my VERTIX 2S accuracy take a look at in opposition to Garmin and Polar. I thought-about it too costly at $699, however that’ll prevent $500 in comparison with the 51mm Fenix 8 Solar.

Garmin Fenix 8: Should you purchase it?

You can buy the Garmin Fenix 8 if…

• You’re a severe self-guided athlete that wants helpful coaching insights and mid-workout steering.
• You have sufficient disposable revenue to afford the best-possible Garmin watch.
• You want specialised health software program however do not need a particular mannequin just like the Approach (Golf), Quatix (Boating), or Descent (Diving).
• You need wonderful battery life, however nonetheless favor a classy design to pure longevity with the Garmin Enduro 3.

You should not purchase the Garmin Fenix 8 if…

• You cannot afford it otherwise you’re used to “conventional” smartwatches; both method, attempt a less expensive Garmin mannequin first.
• You’d miss the smarts of an Apple Watch or Wear OS watch.
• You’re anticipating many new, game-changing options over the Fenix 7 sequence.

Unlike Apple and Samsung, Garmin is not identified for its trade-in offers. When the Fenix 9 arrives in a few years with new options that the Fenix 8 could or could not get, you will should resell it for your self — or else settle for the Fenix 8 as your major look ahead to years to come back to justify the fee.

Now that Garmin has labored by a whole lot of the launch points, the Fenix 8 is a unbelievable smartwatch. But I referred to as it a “Frankenstein’s watch” for a motive: Garmin sewed in new options from different watches just like the flashlight, mic/speaker, and (on the MIP model) a extra environment friendly photo voltaic panel, making a hodgepodge of instruments in a long-lived, enticing watch that does not actually have a signature function to name its personal.

I do not suppose I want the rumored Garmin Fenix 8 MicroLED that’ll make the traditional Fenix 8 look low cost; I simply want Garmin had given this model a brighter show, louder speaker, mobile assist, or something to make it really feel extra like a standout as an alternative of a “best Garmin hits” album.

To get probably the most out of the Fenix 8, I am unable to simply be a runner; I’ve to begin cross-training extra with biking, mountaineering, and energy coaching, learn to ski once more, and possibly take some scuba classes. Truly, that is an “adventurer’s watch,” and I do not suppose I may personally justify spending $1,100 on one, regardless of how nice it’s. If you can justify it, then you definitely’re actually going to like this watch.