fēnix 8 – 51 mm, AMOLED

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 .

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.

Bought 3 months after release. 0 issues. Still 12 days battery with 8x amoled.

Garmin Fenix 8 51 mm AMOLED