Garmin Fenix 8: The nearly perfect sports watch

Garmin has long been one of the top brands in sports watches, possibly the most prominent, with a range of models catering to different users, from children to serious runners. The Fenix series, considered the company's flagship, recently received an update with the Fenix 8, now available in Israel. We took it on a long run, literally and figuratively.

Design and Appearance

With a 47mm diameter, sapphire crystal glass, and a rugged titanium body with a black polymer back, there's no mistaking the Fenix 8. It looks like a tough, slightly bulky watch, reminiscent of Casio’s G-Shock series. The small screws on the sides are exposed, and the round, colorful AMOLED touchscreen is surrounded by ridges, with even a built-in LED flashlight at the front to illuminate dark areas. The overall look is that of a rugged sports or diving watch designed to withstand harsh conditions – and it does: 100-meter water resistance, 10 atmospheres (40 meters for diving support), and more.

In terms of interface, the Fenix 8 has no less than five physical buttons (three on the left, two on the right), and you can operate the watch either directly from the touchscreen or through short and long presses of the buttons. On the right side, there’s also a port for connecting fitness accessories like a heart rate strap. We said 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 sport band with a quick-release mechanism.

Operation and Daily Use

The Fenix 8’s interface may be a bit complicated for those not familiar with Garmin watches. It resembles other smartwatches but with a few differences. First, the buttons operate with short and long presses. The left buttons are used to scroll through 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 different buttons in the middle of a workout to find the correct one to end the session. That said, the long press functionality can be customized.

In this regard, the touchscreen interface is clearer than button operation, even though the buttons are comfortable. Another slightly confusing feature is the “Glances,” which is a quick-access information menu with editable items and folders, as opposed to phone notifications. Until this model, Garmin lagged behind in the “smartwatch” aspect compared to other market players, focusing more on dedicated sports watches (as mentioned later). But that has been fixed, and the Fenix 8 now syncs perfectly with app notifications from your phone, 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 built on folders. On 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.

Despite the interface complexities and the learning curve, in daily use, the Garmin is an enjoyable and fun smartwatch. You can answer and manage calls directly from the watch thanks to the surprisingly clear built-in speaker (a feature that was previously absent), and it also includes Garmin’s basic local assistant, along with the ability to activate your phone’s assistant. The Fenix 8 provides almost every type of information you can think of – from detailed maps (including dual GPS support) and an altimeter, to stock info, 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 allows you to load music directly onto the watch, either by downloading it through Spotify or by transferring MP3 files from your computer if you still have some, and it even supports Garmin Pay, the wireless payment service Garmin launched in Israel long before Apple or Google Pay.

Sports, Health, and Sleep

Let’s move on to the Fenix 8’s strengths – as a sports watch. The Fenix 8 is primarily built for athletes, 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) in sleep and during activity, including continuous measurement, along with stress indicators (already available on other watches, but Garmin was among the first to introduce this) and “body battery,” a combination of metrics that indicates your overall energy level throughout the day.

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

Yet, despite all this sports activity variety, there's a notable absence: dance. While watches like the Amazfit offer support for various dance styles such as modern or ballet, Garmin requires you to purchase an external app from its store to track these activities, which is a bit of a downside. Other than that, the Fenix 8 is one of the most comprehensive and intelligent sports watches we've encountered, possibly the most detailed.

Battery Life

Considering the Fenix 8 has a full-color touchscreen with high brightness, its battery life is impressive, even surprising. Thanks to screen dimming when inactive 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 usage and no screen dimming, you’ll need to charge it once a week, which is still quite decent.

However, the Fenix 8 charges via a traditional charging port, not wireless or even magnetic charging. It's unclear why Garmin sticks to its proprietary charging port, but that’s their choice.

Conclusion

In the conclusion, we must address 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. For its titanium body, premium materials, high-quality screen, and advanced technology, you pay a premium. The Fenix 8's price (depending on the model and diameter) starts at NIS 4,500 for the 43mm version. This is equivalent to its international price, starting at $1,000, with the model tested coming in at $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 need to break open your savings account. On the other hand, such a watch is an investment for years (Garmin promises software updates for many 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 there for you.

Recommended Price for the Tested Model: NIS 4,599