fēnix 8 Pro

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

I have AWU3 as well as Garmin Epix, Epix Pro 51, and Fenix 8 51 AMOLED. I like AWU for connectivity to equipment in the gym as well as as running Gymaholic app for weight workouts from the watch. I also often run outside with it as second watch for music and emergency connectivity. I also like it unlocking my Mac, running smart home automations, reminders, Siri, etc. Currently wearing both AWU and Garmin Epix for a month or so to compare health metrics. But it's Garmin 24/7 for me for the OP's mentioned reasons--integrated metrics without subscriptions, Garmin Connect web platform if I choose, watch face customizability, battery life, sensor variety and connectivity with ANT+, workout suggestions, customizable hot keys, workout data screen customizations, working pulse ox on the watch, etc. Garmin battery and low processing power enables all day HR sampling and very frequent HRV sampling, as well as pulse ox during sleep, which IMO makes related metrics that much more usable. I can also see HR updating every couple seconds on the watch face as well as steps updating in real time without tapping and waiting on pulse taken or app to update. I also like being able to change the order of my workout types, widgets, etc. on the watch. I don't mind working out with either watch only (like AW in the gym or Garmin on outdoor runs). I use RunGap to sync everything to Garmin Connect.

I have Fenix 8 51 AMOLED, Tactix 8 47 AMOLED, Epix Pro 51 and AWU3. Honestly, you can't match Garmin for the features you cited in your use case. I wear a Garmin 24/7 minus charging time (every 2-3 weeks, lol). I DO love the AWU3 in my gym, where it connects to StarTrac treadmills, bikes, stairs, etc. and also runs Gymaholic for programming and following lifting workouts. I helped Ian with early beta testing of WorkOutDoors, and it's the go to app for AWU, but it still doesn't match Garmin for me.

I have both, along with Tactix 8 and Enduro 3 (I bore easily and rotate frequently). I'm Garmin 24/7 with the AWU3 on second wrist with runs for music and connectivity or as primary in gym for Gymaholic and GymKit cardio equipment connection. When I use AWU only at the gym I use RunGap to get the activity over to Garmin Connect. If I could have only one? Garmin, because it's a watch. I have my phone to run apps when needed. And the newer Garmins with microphone and speaker work well enough for the rare phone call on wrist and using Siri. I can customize the many free or cheap watch faces to my content, including steps and real time HR native on the face. With a free OpenWeather API, I can get hyper accurate nearby weather right on my wrist. I get HR by the second 24/7 and very frequent HRV sampling during sleep, for better HRV derived metrics. Though I think the AWU HR sensor is excellent , in my use case all my Garmin Gen 5 HR sensor watches test identical against the Polar H10 strap just like the AWU. On the Garmins I can customize my widget "glances" on the watch and scroll down to see real time HR, stress (like when I get on the phone with an insurance company), HRV, sleep score, weather, steps, intensity minutes, and much more in good detail. I can customize my activity screens with up to 8 metrics including color charts and graphs and with multiple screens if I want. I can't open my garage door, arm the house, or unlock my Macs with the Garmins. But I don't have to load or pay for Athlytic, Bevel, WorkOutDoors (which I help Ian with in early beta testing), Autosleep before Apple came around, nor am I limited to the Apple Watch faces. I get SP02 properly on the watch. I don't need to fish around in Health and Fitness apps for my data and rely on other apps for analysis. I have an all inclusive Connect app and even a customizable web platform which makes comparisons simple. I used a free Garmin 5K coach plan successfully. If I follow the Garmin workout recommendations I can increase my V02 max. Battery life? Meh. Not a major concern either way since I don't head out for days at a time. Though I did get the Enduro 3 to check out the hype, and wow.

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

I own both an Ultra 3 and a Fenix 8 LTE 51mm and have a separate plan for the Ultra 3 as well as the $7.99/mo Messenger Plan for the Fenix 8. I cannot speak to weight training, however for road. gravel. & mountain biking, the Fenix 8 is much more accurate than the Ultra 3; when cycling throughout Santa Cruz/Monterey/San Mateo counties, my Fenix 8 is always withing 1% of my Garmin Edge 1050 whereas the Ultra 3s my co-riders use are always under-reporting my and other Edge computers by 5-10 miles and 100-150 feet). For me, the only advantages of the Ultra 3 over the Fenix 8 are its integration with iPhone and its 5g/LTE connectivity when I leave my phone at home and go for a walk, coffee shop, etc. The Fenix 8's LTE connectivity is a pain; unless one is making an emergency call/text, the recipient can only receive the call/text via Garmin's Messenger App and I have yet to be able to make an LTE call because the Fenix 8 cannot connect to LTE even though the areas I have been in (Sequoia/Kings Canyon, Santa Cruz, & San Francisco) are on Garmin's coverage map. So for bike rides, I still bring my phone.

I just went the other way around and went from f8 pro 51mm to Enduro 3. I felt that oled was just another computer screen in your face and my biggest issue was that yes the watch faces looked good but majority would go to cheaper looking version when not directly staring at the screen so it switches to full graphics to low graphics which was annoying to me. With mip the watch face stays the same whether looking at it or not more like a traditional watch would.