fēnix 8 Solar 51mm

Fenix 8 Solar 51mm. 22d. No workout tracking, no notifications. Just passively tracking my life.

I was holding out for the 8 Pro, but after the reveal I went with the 8 51mm Solar.  I am team MIP display and that not being an option on the 8 Pro I was immediately turned off on it. 

Im in garmin ecosystem for 1 year and I dont see such problems as other users. I mean, im using a Fênix 8 51mm solar now and didnt notice bugs and the battery doesnt reach as much as advertised, but performs very well. My former epix 2 had some bugs, but Garmin fixed. Charging port its ok. However, my old t Rex 2 from amazfit had magnetic charging port, which was nice.

Fenix 8 51mm AMOLED around 14-16 days - no activities at all. Fenix 8 51mm MIP around 18-19 days - no activities. MIP should be double battery life. It sucks

The only solution is to wear them both. The only problem is which one goes on which arm. I keep flip flopping. So far left arm is for Fenix and right for AWU. If Apple Watch Ultra had at least 5-7 days of battery life, a way to operate it with or without touchscreen, had a flashlight, and offline maps it would be unbeatable. I doubt any of these things are coming any time soon.

I have a Fenix 8 Solar and I have to charge it weekly. That’s 52 times a year

The hyperbole is unwarranted since the Fenix 8 Solar 51mm, which is basically the best Fenix, battery-wise, is so far from charging it once a month, that it’s ridiculous. It’s not a smartwatch (unlike the Apple Watch, for example) and the battery everyone brags about is perhaps if you’re not using it to track anything. I’ve had mine for 11 months now and I’m literally charging it weekly. I like the running metrics, especially since the last update, but still, where’s my one month battery?

I replaced my Fenix 8 51mm solar a few days ago and I'm totally happy. I like the app much better. My Suunto works much better with rouvy than Garmin (there I always had to run two activities) and also when running Zone Sense is a game changer So from my side: I'm glad to have changed and don't look back anymore

Be aware you will be losing a lot leaving Apple Watch. You’ll get lots of benefits of course but the UI / Apps / Software / Music Streaming are pretty bad. It’s going to feel especially bad coming from a polished OS experience. Having said that loads of pros. Top notch fitness tracking. Battery for days. Flashlight. Super rugged looking and performing hardware. No phone on your wrist distracting you lighting up like a Christmas tree all the time. The software and the bugs are what let Garmin down. If you can cope with that I have an Enduro 3. IMO best watch Garmin make. Second Fenix 8 (non pro) 51mm solar.

It’s the king of Garmins line up in my opinion. If you don’t dive or need a speaker then no point getting the 8. The enduro is an 8 without those features. It’s also lighter. Super comfortable and has battery for weeks.