Garmin - fēnix 8 – 47 mm, AMOLED

I’ve got both the AWU3 and FP8 and in fact last night switched to the 3 for a bit. It integrates better with the ecosystem and gives more information. I think when I’ve had to charge it a few times I might go back to my 8. From a looks perspective the AWU3 is pretty smart but the FP8 basically says “Yah just got back from the Amazon” which is good if you can live with the knowledge you just got back from the Amazon locker down the road.

With no gps activity and stock watch face I get 20-22 days on my fenix 8 47 mm AMOLED. Always on display is off. With 2h gps activity every day I get about 7-9 days

I went from Apple Watch to Garmin fenix 8 few months ago. Honestly Garmin motivates me more to be active, over all Garmin is better, it looks like a watch, you can use it as a watch only and battery holds for long time.

I swapped from Apple Watch to fenix 8 bit over a month ago. If you were using Apple Watch Ultra like me fenix 8 47mm is only 9 grams heavier, and honestly I did not notice this difference. But all is personal preference. If you really need the diving option then take fenix, but if you can live without it then go for FR. Garmin watches are million times better than Apple so whatever you decide for sure you will be happy.

You and I are/were in the same spot. I got my AMOLED 47mm Titanium black DLC, a week or so ago from the same deal. I have not owned a watch in like decades but I love this watch and wish I had picked one up years ago, it really helps you if you are trying to get fitter. Its a lot of money so here is my opinion and hope it helps you: In terms of sizing, I believe the 47 and 51 have the same display size, so the only thing bigger about the 51 is weight, **battery** and bezel. I think most reviewers say the bigger watch gets you a day or 2 more battery than on the AMOLED. From your pictures, I have a slightly larger wrist than you, personally in terms of looks the 47 looks better on anyone with average wrist size like us. You'd really have to think about how much you prefer the MIP battery life for extremely long outdoor useage of if you want to charge your watch once a month (mine lasts about a week with AOD on). From what I've seen from reviews the battery on AMOLED version is more than sufficient for marathon/triathlons. In terms of the screen, my coworker has an instinct solar, its definitely not an ugly display but its also not comparable to any AMOLED from any manufacturer including the Garmin AMOLED version. I've been outside on walks/runs with my Fenix 8 and I've not been in any condition where I had trouble reading the AMOLED screen. Conversely, my coworker has a MIP Garmin and its definitely not as easily viewed in our office setting but its not as if you can't read it, its just not as easy to glance at in certain lighting conditions without the backlight. Weight is something you also should think about. The larger displays and the Solar in terms of specs are heavier which some people are sensitive to. I'm personally not. I saw a ton of reviewers say the weight of the Fenix is noticeable at night when sleeping compared to something like a Vivoactive, Venu or Forerunner. Personally, this is my first watch (smart, fitness) in decades and I can't tell the difference between this and the Vivoactive. I think the weight sensitivity is contingent to where you wear it, the closer to the wrist the more you feel the weight. There is also the nylon band option if the weight really bothers you.

Fenix 8 47 amoled safire. Because it was the same price as the 970 and I wanted maps.

I had the same upgrade decision, though because of an injury, I can no longer run (though I am very active with other activities both watches track). I think it really boils down to subjectivity. What do you think will look better? I bought the F8 47 Amoled during the recent sale so there was almost no $ difference. Did so because of the better build and look (at least to my eyes). Either one will be a huge upgrade from the Venu 2, which happens to be a great watch.

Fenix 8 47 amoled. Because I hike, run, bike a lot and like the design.

I have a fenix 8 but I currently have no plans to switch back to apple. At least in the near future. But garmin seems to get a bit too expensive for my taste so I wouldn’t not rule out the ultra when I upgrade in 2-3 years.

Well I just ordered the oura ring to see if that fits me better. Never worn a ring so not sure, but want to make a decision around Black Friday to see which to keep. I also wear a fenix 8 so I don’t really need whoop because why? I get accurate data with the F8 + chest strap I don’t need a second device with bad HR sensor. I also don’t use the strain feature as I have a training plan which I follow. So probably oura will fit me better. Will not wear it while gym etc but that’s fine as it syncs my garmin data

I have fénix 8 amoled 47 and my wife has Apple Watch 10. Mine says 16d but I get around 11-12 days with 4 activities last week between 45 min and 3-4h. The Apple Watch does not last more than 2 days. However, if Apple gets more battery life for their next releases, lets say 5-7days, because their products are integrated with iPhone etc, a lot of people might go back to Apple. I love my fénix 8.

Hello everyone, Since many online reviews don't reflect the needs of regular people, I’d like to share my personal experience with the new Vivoactive 6. Garmin’s recent development strategies have sparked a lot of negative reactions. In particular, their pricing strategy has faced heavy criticism. Many of the available models seem absurdly expensive, yet a lot of people are still willing to pay those high prices. Shortly after its release, I bought a Fenix 8 (47mm AMOLED) because I was looking for a new sports watch and got influenced by Garmin’s upselling strategy. In the end, I wasn’t particularly thrilled with it and sold it again two months ago. I quickly realized that although the watch could basically do everything, as a casual athlete I simply wasn’t the target audience. It’s nice to know you can dive 40 meters with it, track all sorts of niche sports, and be prepared for a nuclear war, but in my everyday life I noticed that, as an ordinary person who enjoys jogging, biking, swimming in summer, and doing short hikes, I never used 90% of the features. I’m just not a pro athlete. On top of that, the software often felt unfinished, the operating system was sluggish even by Garmin standards, and given the size and weight of the watch, the battery life wasn’t as impressive as I had expected. I eventually sold it and went without a smartwatch for a few weeks. For those who need it, the Fenix 8 is certainly an excellent watch, but for me, it just felt too overloaded and not right. After a few weeks without a smartwatch, I started missing it. So I decided to look for a watch that truly matched my needs. When the Vivoactive 6 was released, I immediately thought it might be just right for a regular person like me. Many reviews criticize that the watch doesn’t have the latest Gen 5 heart rate sensor, lacks an altimeter, and doesn’t support dual-band GPS. On paper, that doesn’t sound great, but I didn’t want to fall into the trap again of chasing better GPS, then a better heart rate sensor, then maps—only to end up back at €1000 (I live in Germany). So I ignored the spec sheet and ordered it anyway. It turned out to be the right decision. Even though it costs only about a third of what I paid for the Fenix 8, I’m far more satisfied with it. Let me walk through all the key points step by step: Feel/Build Quality: Unlike the Fenix 8, the Vivoactive 6 feels wonderfully minimalist. I was blown away by how light and comfortable it is. You hardly notice it on your wrist, which to me is worth more than all the advantages of a large watch. It also looks very elegant and high-end thanks to the aluminum bezel. It’s the kind of watch you actually want to wear in everyday life and that never gets in the way. Operating System: The OS is much more intuitive and less cluttered than on a Fenix. For someone who trains professionally, that might be a downside, but for a casual athlete like me, it’s a big plus because I can access the things I need much more quickly. The UI is also more in line with what you'd expect from a typical smartwatch, which I personally really like. Navigation is much smoother than on the Fenix 8, and combined with the better clarity, it makes me use the watch a lot more frequently. Features: Everything I used on the Fenix 8 in daily life, I can also use on the Vivoactive 6. Even for an entry-level watch, the data coverage is immense compared to other brands. While running, hiking, or cycling, I can view all relevant metrics—even running efficiency data. PacePro is included as well. I never used the features that are missing compared to the Fenix 8 anyway, often because I didn’t even fully understand them or just didn’t need them. Elevation is still tracked via GPS, which compensates for the missing altimeter just fine for me. Maybe the altitude data isn’t quite as accurate, but as a rough indicator, it’s good enough. In terms of health tracking, the watch records almost everything the Fenix 8 did—except for ECG. But since I have a healthy heart, I only used the ECG feature twice on the Fenix anyway. The smart features, aside from anything involving the microphone or speaker, are also nearly identical. You can find your phone, reply to notifications with a keyboard, make payments, listen to music, and more. On the Fenix 8, I only ever used route navigation in daily life, and I would create the routes on my phone beforehand. Everything else was too complicated. The Vivoactive 6 doesn’t have maps, but it has breadcrumb navigation, which has always been enough for me so far. Of course, maps would be nicer, but the current system works absolutely fine. As technically impressive as the navigation features on the Fenix 8 are, most people will probably use their smartphones for that stuff anyway. One feature worth mentioning is the smart alarm, which is one of the coolest and most useful features for everyday use. It’s actually something new that adds real value, and I use it every day. Accuracy: I never noticed that the heart rate sensor is older or that it lacks dual-band GPS. The data always seemed plausible to me. Maybe there are minor differences in direct comparison or during very intense activities, but for 90% of people, it probably doesn’t matter if the heart rate is off by three beats during a workout. On routes I had also run with the Fenix 8, the measured distances were identical—no noticeable deviations. Display: The display is very nice and really bright. I can’t tell any difference in quality compared to the one used in the Fenix 8. Battery Life: The battery life is impressive for the size and weight. Without the always-on display, I get around 8 to 10 days with regular workouts and blood oxygen tracking during sleep. The Fenix 8 had about 30% more battery life, but that doesn’t really justify the extra bulk and weight. When you wear such a large watch, you expect a breathtaking battery life, but with such a slim watch, 8 to 10 days is very satisfying. Most people will find time to charge it within that window. Summary: I think many people, like me, tend to buy things they don’t actually need. I can only recommend really thinking about what you actually want in a smartwatch before buying one. With a €1000 watch, disappointment hits harder because every flaw feels unforgivable. The much lower price of the Vivoactive 6 made me appreciate it all the more, as most things work just as well in daily life. It feels like a very polished product—no software bugs at all—and it fits perfectly into my life while offering many features that other smartwatches don’t have. It’s a great balance between price and functionality, and you still feel well-equipped for every situation. The price-performance ratio is especially impressive. For €300, you get a watch that does far more than you need. If you pay €200 more for an Instinct 3, you’re more likely to be annoyed by the lack of maps or the older sensor (even if it hardly matters in daily life, it feels outrageous at that price). But for €300, it’s totally fine. The low weight, smoother operation, and more streamlined OS mean that I’d honestly prefer wearing the Vivoactive 6—even if the Fenix 8 cost the same.

I would buy the 43 version of the F8. It’s the best of both worlds. I was scared it would look small, even bought the 47 too and returned it. Battery life is 10 days and has same features as the entire lineup. Looks great as a daily wearer

The older OLED fenix 8 model has even better battery life than the micro-led fenix 8 pro. It's not the display tech, it's a combination of physical battery size and garmins having relatively underpowered hardware and not as many smartwatch features running in the background.