Garmin - fēnix 8 Pro

Fenix 8 Pro Amoled 51mm. Great watch with a huge battery life and a loooot of functionality for every type of sport

The Pro amoled is with lte also, so just get the 51mm amoled instead of microled and worse battery

Get a chest strap for triathlons, one that works in water. The 965/Fenix/Epix are the same or minimal difference. The latest are the Fenix 8 nad forerunner 970. Get what looks good to you, because features are 99.9% the same. Also Fenix is a big bigger

Get a chest strap for triathlons, one that works in water. The 965/Fenix/Epix are the same or minimal difference. The latest are the Fenix 8 nad forerunner 970. Get what looks good to you, because features are 99.9% the same. Also Fenix is a big bigger

Fenix/Epix are the same, Forerunner 9xx has 99% same functions but a bit lighter and not as tall, but only available in one size

Nicest Fenix you feel like shelling out for. Also get a chest HR strap. (I have a 51mm Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED that's just slightly older than the integrated InReach functionality; wish I had that...) General considerations — I charge once every 3-4 weeks, and that's with tracking activities every day for anywhere between 1-2h and 9-10h. I use the turn-by-turn/cockpit features on long trail runs (love it). I use the HIIT mode to track sets so that I don't lose count, but some of the workout tracking features (reps, specific exercises) are just fiddly. Alpinism considerations — sapphire screen is important (I've taken a direct hit to the watch from small rockfall without damage), as is the metal casing. Calibrate your PulseOx readings ahead of time or just bring a finger PulseOx with you (have used/compared multiple meters at 5000m/6000m altitudes, and the wrist was directional but not as accurate as the finger). I do use the wrist flashlight (including red mode) if I need to get up at night. HRV is a trailing indicator, but it can tell you when you need to back off or take a rest day. I don't use the music, phone assistant, ECG, or tap-to-pay features. (My resting HR in the mid-40s is too low for the ECG to work...) The r/GarminWatches sub has a lot of info, e.g., https://www.reddit.com/r/GarminWatches/comments/1kobh5c/forerunner\_or\_fenix/.

I like both brands. I have an Apple Watch Ultra 3 on order but I bought my first Garmin watch which I’ve been wearing for 24 hours now. It’s a Fenix 8 Pro 51mm Amoled. Coming from an Apple Watch Series 10 I sure do appreciate the battery life on the Garmin. I’m someone that relied more on the fitness functions of the Apple Watch . In a few days I’ll make the decision to either cancel my AWU3 order or send the Garmin back . So far I’m happy with it but the $1299 price feels totally unjustified and I’ve justified some crazy purchases this year .

I’ve used them all and honestly Garmin is the best . I ended up returning my Suunto Race 2 . Their flagship watch because it’s not accurate with collecting data. If it can’t do that then any info it provides is also unreliable . I’ve used a Fenix 8 Pro. It did everything I wanted and more but I couldn’t stomach the $1300 price and returned it. I actually regret doing so . I had been using an apple watch all these years but getting serious about cycling is why I tried the Suunto and Garmin. I use a Garmin Edge 1050 with a Garmin HRM chest strap for my riding. At the gym lifting and for everything else including sleep I use an Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Athlytic App. Apple’s sensors are so damn accurate . With all of this said I still wish I had a Garmin

You have the same concerns and problems I had. I couldn’t risk missing the return period while hoping for software updates that may not address the issues I was having. Ultimately, I returned my Race 2. It’s a shame. I still think about that watch because the size , appearance , screen, and battery life were all great for me compared to my Apple Watch Series 10. I ended up buying a Fenix 8 Pro and it did almost everything I wanted but ultimately I couldn’t stomach the fact I spent $1300 on a watch and sent it back. I’ve now landed on the Apple Watch Ultra 3. I still wish it had much more battery life but it’s better than the series 10 I had. My series 10 contacted emergency services when I lay in the middle of the road after getting hit by a car while cycling 3 months ago. No other watch would do that for me . I decided I was going to have to sacrifice battery life and stick with Apple .

I made the switch to a Fenix 8 Pro from a Series 10. It was a nice experience. Ultimately, I returned the Fenix 8 Pro ONLY because the price didn’t sit well with me. It was definitely a cool piece of fitness tech for me. I had no regrets other than paying $1300. And that battery life. Soooo nice to have .

Yeah I actually found it a relief to not have a phone on my wrist anymore . Ultimately, I returned the Fenix 8 Pro because the price soured me. I’m on an AWU3 and while I love the fast charging and better battery life I find myself getting really antsy with the return window closing on Friday .

What am I missing here? Definitely feels like people are complaining for the sake of complaining. The MicroLED is novel technology in the wearable space. It’s priced as such and is likely little more than proof of concept for Garmin. Let’s also see where the AWU 3 is priced when it’s released in a few days, while keeping in mind it will likely have battery life less than *half* of the Garmin 8 Pro MicroLED. The 8 Pro AMOLED 51mm has a *15 day* always on battery life in smartwatch mode. That’s 4 days better than the Epix Pro 51mm which was released 2 years ago. That’s pretty good improvement, no? The majority of people the Fenix 8 Pro targets are going to find the inReach integration and satellite features extremely useful. I run trail ultramarathons - occasionally in quite remote areas and on technical/sketchy terrain. This technology is extremely helpful and, frankly, comforting. If something goes wrong while I’m far from an aid station and/or not around other runners I’d certainly want to have this. It’s even more useful on solo training runs. If you’re doing true multi-day off grid expeditions with no access to charging power, the Enduro and a standalone inReach is the ticket. Will I spend $2,000 for the MicroLED version of the 8 Pro? Definitely not. But the AMOLED version is probably worth the premium price to me. And if it’s not worth it to you, Garmin has more alternative options than any brand on earth.

You may want to ask yourself that question. I’d encourage you to look at the official Garmin specs of those watches. The published “always on” battery life for the Epix Pro Gen 2 51mm is 11 days. It’s 31 days in gesture mode or 41 days in battery saver mode. The Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED 51mm has better battery life in always on mode (15 days). Slightly worse than the predecessor in GPS/satellite mode, which doesn’t make a ton of sense.

I like my Apple Watch and feel it is a good balance between smarter features and having most of the fitness features my previous Garman and other fitness smartwatches I've had in the past. And that's the market Apple is going for. You're basically complaining that a Leatherman combo tool doesn't work as well as a dedicated pair of lineman's pliers when trying to bend some thick chunk of wire. Of course not, that's the difference between a compromise tool that is made for convenience for the more casual occasional user and a purpose-built tool meant for a professional to use all day every day for a singular task. I think you may be happier with a lower-end Apple watch for day-to-day wear, and switching to a Garmin scuba watch when you go diving. You've outgrown using the multi-tool for certain functions and it's time for a dedicated tool.

I’ve had the 8 amoled 51 since release , and the MIP guys always say I don’t want a glowing LED TV on my wrist blinding me…which I don’t get? The watch isn’t full bright if you don’t want it to be, it’s adjustable just like the MIP I used to have. Also at night it’s not bright because it goes into red green or orange shift for night so it’s not like you’ve got a tv blasting your retinas at 2am on your wrist. And if you turn on aod it’s truly not an issue unless you want it to be blaring brightness, which I don’t, so it’s not set up for my use that way. And the battery argument has been long put to rest at this point since the 51mm has 28 days of life during normal use… To each his own, but I think the writings on the wall for the fenix line. I will pick up an enduro 3 at a discount when the 4 comes out, because I had the E2 and love that watch but can’t justify full price when I already have the F8 51mm amoled. I don’t know the purpose behind an even Brighter micro led Pro when the F8 51mm amoled is more than bright enough…..especially with decreased battery life…. I am curious about the new forerunner, does it have the same offline mapping capabilities of the F8? I’m not a runner anymore thanks to the army but curious about the hiking aspects supported? https://preview.redd.it/q7z1f4w2jwsf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=449c61515342d2821b93a33dd07588391e7f76b7

I’ve had my Garmin Fenix 8 51mm since it was released. It’s a great watch but overkill for a starter looking to get into using a turkey high end tool. I started with the amazfit t-Rex 2 then the t-Rex 3. At the t-Rex 3 price point it does almost everything the Fenix 8 does at 1000 dollars less. But if you’re looking to go with a watch long term, the Fenix is the end game and hard to beat once all the bugs are worked out of the software. ( theyvare still working though some pretty major software glitches like the screen and watch resetting when starting a hike…

Very valid point, can’t recall if my t-Rex 3 had anything besides snorkeling which I did use a few times. Not much value there for true diving! Lol… Just hope they don’t disable it again in a future beta release when he needs it. I do love my Fenix 8 regardless l. When it’s working it’s awesome but when it’s resetting itself multiple times on hikes I’m not familiar with, like here in Scotland and England, it infuriates me! Lol

I now have a Garmin Fenix 8 and love it. Used it for hiking all over New Zealand and was awesome. I previously had the t-Rex 2 for a few years then got the t-Rex 3 as soon as it dropped. I have to say that having both the trex 3 and Garmin Fenix 8 amoled, unless your doing serious mountain climbing/hijing/extreme running etc, the t-Rex 3 is more than enough! The Garmin F8 is just overkill for basic fitness use and a hike here or there….or tracking daily metrics. Go with the t-Rex 3 and you’ll be very happy.

I have big garmin eco since many years, but also apple eco, without watch (I hade all apple watches, even tested aw ultra/ultra 2, but always return to garmin). But today I cannot understand the way, which garmin has chosen. I bought 2 weeks ago Fenix 8 pro 51 mm, went from fenix 8 51 mm. Fenix 8 has problem even now, after 1 year of announcement - first firmwares were ridiculous bad, nothing was working properly. But garmin is a garmin - fenix 8 pro has LTE and satellite connection which not working at all, or working in a very bad way. I made many runs, never had a possibility to send message via garmin messenger, call via garmin messenger, even livetrack, on LTE, has big lags, stuck in random places, etc. There are many problems/questions written on garmin forum website, concerning fenix 8, 8 pro, even previous model, and nothing has changed. I just feel like a beta tester of new products, every products, because with edges I hade same experience - 1030/1030 plus/1040 solar, 1050 - all had big problems, restarting during training, randomly reconnecting power meter, cadence, lights etc. Garmin Rally power meter xc 200 I need to sent back, because right one just stop working. Chest strap - HRM, HRM Pro/Pro plus - need to change, because after one year just broken. Now I have hrm 600, but still sometimes show very strange and different numbers, like yesterday - pace 4:30 min per 1 km, and it showed 95 BPM - I wish I had that one :) So, to sum up - I am just tired of garmin support, garmin new products. Maybe one day I just sell everything and buy only apple watch ultra and hammerhead karoo 3 - I tested it also and it was quite nice one.

I have big garmin eco since many years, but also apple eco, without watch (I hade all apple watches, even tested aw ultra/ultra 2, but always return to garmin). But today I cannot understand the way, which garmin has chosen. I bought 2 weeks ago Fenix 8 pro 51 mm, went from fenix 8 51 mm. Fenix 8 has problem even now, after 1 year of announcement - first firmwares were ridiculous bad, nothing was working properly. But garmin is a garmin - fenix 8 pro has LTE and satellite connection which not working at all, or working in a very bad way. I made many runs, never had a possibility to send message via garmin messenger, call via garmin messenger, even livetrack, on LTE, has big lags, stuck in random places, etc. There are many problems/questions written on garmin forum website, concerning fenix 8, 8 pro, even previous model, and nothing has changed. I just feel like a beta tester of new products, every products, because with edges I hade same experience - 1030/1030 plus/1040 solar, 1050 - all had big problems, restarting during training, randomly reconnecting power meter, cadence, lights etc. Garmin Rally power meter xc 200 I need to sent back, because right one just stop working. Chest strap - HRM, HRM Pro/Pro plus - need to change, because after one year just broken. Now I have hrm 600, but still sometimes show very strange and different numbers, like yesterday - pace 4:30 min per 1 km, and it showed 95 BPM - I wish I had that one :) So, to sum up - I am just tired of garmin support, garmin new products. Maybe one day I just sell everything and buy only apple watch ultra and hammerhead karoo 3 - I tested it also and it was quite nice one.

100 % agree. I swapped from AWU 2 to Fenix 8 pro 51 mm. Best decision ever.

I did the same last month. got the fenix 8 pro 51mm and will never get an apple watch again