Garmin Fenix 8: the almost perfect sports watch

Garmin has long been one of the top sports watch brands, perhaps the most prominent, with a range of models for different users, from kids to serious runners. The Fenix series, considered the company’s flagship, recently received an update with the Fenix 8, now available in Israel. We literally and figuratively tackled it in the long term.

Design and appearance

With a diameter of 47mm, sapphire crystal glass and a rugged titanium case with a black polymer back, the Fenix 8 is not to be confused. It looks like a cool, somewhat bulky watch, reminiscent of Casio’s G-Shock series. The small screws on the sides are visible and the round, colorful AMOLED touchscreen is surrounded by ridges, with even a built-in LED flashlight on the front to illuminate dark areas. The overall look is that of a rugged sports or dive watch designed to withstand harsh conditions – and it does: 100 meters of water resistance, 10 atmospheres (40 meters for dive support) and more.

In terms of interface, the Fenix 8 has no fewer than five physical buttons (three on the left, two on the right) and you can operate the watch directly from the touchscreen or by short and long presses on the buttons. There is also a port on the right side for connecting fitness accessories such as a heart rate belt. We told you this is a serious sports watch, right?

In this seriousness you’ll also find a robust heart rate sensor array on the back, with no fewer than six sensors (four in a row and two on the sides), along with a charging port. The look is completed with a black and gray silicone sports band with a quick release.

Operation and daily use

The Fenix 8’s interface can be a bit complicated for those unfamiliar with Garmin watches. It looks like other smartwatches, but with a few differences. Firstly, the buttons work with short and long presses. The left buttons are used to navigate menus and perform actions on the home screen, while the right buttons function for forward/backward navigation or confirmation/cancellation. This creates a somewhat complex interface, and I found myself pressing several buttons during a workout to find the right one to end the session. That said, the long press functionality can be customized.

In this regard, the touchscreen interface is clearer than the button controls, even if the buttons are comfortable. Another slightly confusing feature is the ‘Glances’, a quick-access information menu with editable items and folders, unlike phone notifications. Until this model, Garmin had lagged behind in the ‘smartwatch’ space compared to other market players, focusing more on dedicated sports watches (as mentioned later). But that’s been fixed and the Fenix 8 now syncs perfectly with your phone’s app notifications, with the option to customize which alerts you want to receive and even reply to messages. So that’s a plus.

However, the Glances feature is a bit complicated and folder-based. On the one hand, it provides a general overview of health, stocks, workouts, etc. On the other hand, it feels a bit overly complicated and could have been built as a single layer instead of a folder tree.

Garmin Fenix 8 (credit: Niv Lilian)

Despite the complexity of the interface and the learning curve, the Garmin is an enjoyable and fun smartwatch in daily use. You can answer and manage calls straight from the watch thanks to the surprisingly clear built-in speaker (a feature that was previously absent), and it also includes Garmin’s Local Assistant, along with the ability to activate your phone’s assistant. The Fenix 8 offers almost every type of information you can think of – from detailed maps (including dual GPS support) and an altimeter to stock information, moon phases and fishing forecasts (as detailed in the sports section).

For all these features, the Fenix 8 is an excellent smartwatch. And I almost forgot: it also lets you load music directly onto the watch, by downloading it from Spotify or transferring MP3 files from your computer if you still have one, and it even supports Garmin Pay, the wireless payment service that Garmin launched in Israel long before Apple or Google Pay.

Sports, health and sleep

Let’s move on to the strong points of the Fenix 8: as a sports watch. The Fenix 8 was built for athletes first and foremost, and it shows. Garmin’s measurement system is one of the best out there and, in my personal experience, even more accurate than other watches. The Fenix 8 offers virtually every health metric, including an ECG, which is currently inactive but will be available in the future (pending approval from the Ministry of Health). What does it offer now? Almost everything: skin temperature, heart rate, steps, breathing, sleep, blood oxygen saturation, stair climbing, heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep and during activity, including continuous measurement, along with stress indicators (already available on other watches, but Garmin was one of the first to introduce this) and ‘body battery’, a combination of metrics that indicate your overall energy level throughout the day.

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In terms of training, Garmin gives you all the tools you need for virtually any type of physical activity: from running data (including steps, pace, race planning, etc.) to personalized training creation for Pilates and strength training, complete with animated -view guidance, archery , boxing, martial arts, rock climbing, hunting, horse riding, navigation (including off-track navigation!) and more – including water sports such as competitive swimming, SCUBA diving (via a dedicated Garmin Dive app), sailing, tide forecasts for sail planning, and even fishing forecasts for those interested in fishing.

Yet, despite all this variety of sporting activities, there is one notable absence: dance. While watches like the Amazfit offer support for different dance styles, like modern or ballet, Garmin requires you to buy a third-party app from the store to track these activities, which is a bit of a drawback. That aside, the Fenix 8 is one of the most comprehensive and intelligent sports watches we’ve come across, possibly the most detailed.

Garmin Fenix 8 (credit: Niv Lilian)

Battery life

Considering the Fenix 8 has a full-color, high-brightness touchscreen, the battery life is impressive, even surprising. Thanks to dimming the screen when idle and presumably smart battery management, the Fenix 8 delivers exceptional battery life for a smartwatch, lasting up to two weeks between charges – that’s impressive. With heavy use and without screen dimming, you’ll need to charge it once a week, which is still pretty decent.

However, the Fenix 8 charges via a traditional charging port, not wireless or even magnetic charging. It’s unclear why Garmin is sticking with its own charging port, but that’s their choice.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have to talk about the elephant in the room – or rather, the elephant in your wallet: the price. The Fenix 8 is not a cheap watch, to say the least. You pay a premium for its titanium casing, high-quality materials, high-quality screen and advanced technology. The price of the Fenix 8 (depending on the model and diameter) starts at NIS 4,500 for the 43mm version. This matches the international price, starting at $1,000, with the model tested costing $1,100. That’s a lot of money for a smartwatch, especially when you could buy a high-end smartphone for the same price, or two Samsung Ultra watches for comparison.

However, if you’re a serious athlete, the Fenix 8 will meet all your needs and more, but you’ll have to break open your savings account. On the other hand, such a watch is an investment for years (Garmin promises software updates for years). So for those looking for a smartwatch with a wide range of features, exceptional durability in extreme conditions, including deep-water diving, and a professional sports watch that meets all the needs and plans of serious athletes: the Fenix 8 is for you.

Recommended price for the model tested: NIS 4,599