Garmin Fenix 8 overview: solely type of sensible

There was a transparent divide between smartwatches and multisport watches. On one facet, you had Apple Watches, Fitbits, and Galaxy Watches, with their snazzy screens, voice assistants, and third-party apps. On the opposite, you had Garmin, with its rugged watches, killer monitoring, and nice battery life.

That line has gotten lots blurrier up to now few years. The Apple Watch Extremely and Galaxy Watch Extremely have taken a number of pages from Garmin’s playbook. And now, with the $999.99 Fenix 8, Garmin is placing again. If its rivals need to add health options, nicely, Garmin’s simply going to make the Fenix 8 smarter.

The large additions to the Fenix 8 are a speaker and microphone. They imply now you can work together with the watch in additional methods than health monitoring and coaching. You’ll be able to take calls from the wrist, use an on-device voice assistant for setting timers and beginning actions, and connect with your telephone’s built-in assistant for extra advanced queries. In case you can persuade your family members to obtain the brand new Garmin Messenger app, replying to messages on the wrist has additionally gotten simpler.

Theoretically, these are all good updates. In apply, it means the Fenix 8 doesn’t play to Garmin’s strengths. 

The Fenix 8 is the highest canine in Garmin’s in depth smartwatch lineup. Whereas it’s not as chunky as older Fenix fashions, it’s not meant to be a glossy way of life watch just like the Venu sequence or sporty, light-weight possibility just like the Forerunner. There’s gravitas to its design. It’s the premium selection for critical athletes who need every thing Garmin can throw at them — and that’s why Garmin is bringing a variety of these sensible options to the Fenix 8. 

The majority of the “sensible” updates zero in on the addition of the microphone and speaker — specifically, voice assistants and calling from the wrist. However there’s a giant issue holding again the Fenix 8’s sensible options: the dearth of LTE. 

Sure, you may make and obtain calls with the Fenix 8… as long as your telephone is inside Bluetooth vary. Sure, you possibly can speak to a voice assistant… nevertheless it’s restricted until your telephone is close by. Sure, you possibly can reply to texts, however… you get my drift. In case you get a mobile Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch, or Pixel Watch, you possibly can go away your telephone at dwelling. That’s not likely an possibility with the Fenix 8.

The friction is especially noticeable with the on-device voice assistant. The assistant works fairly nicely, nevertheless it’s principally restricted to instructions that don’t require an web connection. You can begin actions, set timers, and tweak settings. (It might let you know the climate, supplied it’s loaded the day’s climate from Wi-Fi or… your telephone through Bluetooth.) However say you need to ship a textual content message. This anonymous assistant can’t try this. As a substitute, you’ll need to scroll to a distinct menu and launch your telephone’s assistant. It’s good to have that possibility, however at that time, you’re most likely simply going to whip out your telephone anyway. 

A part of the issue is that Garmin has all the time been staunchly platform-agnostic. I occur to assume that’s a superb factor, however the value you pay isn’t having your watch work fairly as seamlessly along with your telephone. For instance, it’s nice which you can dictate voice memos now, however their usefulness is restricted as a result of there’s no straightforward technique to get them off your wrist and onto one other gadget. That’s in contrast to the Pixel Watch 3, the place I can simply file one thing, and increase, it’s magically on my Pixel 8 Professional.

One other prime instance is the brand new Garmin Messenger. Ostensibly, that is to assist iOS Garmin customers reply extra simply to messages on the wrist. (Android customers have all the time been in a position to ship fast replies to texts, however Apple gon’ Apple.) Good luck convincing family and friends to obtain but one other chat app so you possibly can reply to messages in your Fenix 8! I roped one good friend into it. It labored, nevertheless it was type of a trouble to make use of: you possibly can’t dictate messages, the canned responses are restricted, and for some motive, Garmin thought bringing again a T9 keyboard was a good suggestion. On the finish of the check, I requested my good friend if she’d ever use the Garmin Messenger app to succeed in me. Her phrases: “Provided that I needed to.” Adopted by “Additionally, can I delete the app now?” 

A superb chunk of this sensible characteristic awkwardness can be solved with a mobile possibility — and it’d improve Garmin’s current security instruments, too. However there’s a motive most third-party smartwatch makers don’t provide LTE choices: coping with carriers is a ache. It took Fossil ages to supply an LTE possibility, and even then, it solely ever managed a single service earlier than quitting smartwatches fully. Garmin has LTE choices for its Forerunner 945 watch and its Bounce children tracker, however these require a separate Garmin subscription and are restricted to security options. 

I’ve usually criticized Garmin for making manner too many smartwatches. The Fenix 8 fortunately makes issues less complicated on the prime finish by combining the Fenix and Epix lineups. 

The second-gen Epix, launched in 2022, was basically a Fenix with an OLED show. The issue was that Garmin then had two premium watches that had been very related. The principle distinction was the memory-in-pixel (MIP) show on the Fenix and the OLED show on the Epix Professional. The MIP model will get higher battery life, whereas OLED affords a lot better visibility indoors. It’s a transparent selection for ultra-athletes however complicated for everybody else.

Now, you possibly can simply select between an MIP or OLED Fenix 8. It’d be excellent if not for only one child beef: petite-wristed of us don’t get to select something aside from the OLED show.

The MIP Fenix 8 solely is available in 47mm and 51mm sizes. In precept, I’m aggravated for the small-wristed athlete who desires an MIP show. However the actuality is the battery bump from an MIP show isn’t fairly as spectacular on the smaller watches. I acquired 9 to 11 days on final yr’s 42mm Fenix 7S Professional. This yr, I acquired eight to 9 days on the OLED 43mm Fenix 8 with the always-on show turned off. (That dwindles to about 4 days with it on.) I nonetheless assume you must give folks the choice, however I additionally perceive why Garmin didn’t. For what it’s price, I examined the OLED, and that’s what I’d suggest if you would like good indoor visibility. In case you’re trekking out in a variety of harsh, direct daylight, MIP is the best way to go. 

Even with that quibble, consolidating with the Fenix 8 was a refreshing and welcome change. I’d like to see Garmin streamline a few of its different smartwatch lineups. I don’t know that it’ll, as Garmin hardly ever passes up an opportunity to do extra, however one can hope.  

It’s a disgrace. Regardless of the upgrades, the Fenix 8 is simply form of higher at being a smartwatch. It’s nonetheless a wonderful coaching watch, and its battery far outlasts each Apple and Samsung’s Ultras. However I’m merely not satisfied anybody’s going to ditch both one for a Fenix simply because they’ll now work together with a voice assistant or make calls from the wrist.

Everybody I’ve ever met with a Fenix watch has been a triathlete, ultramarathoner, or somebody who casually qualifies for the Boston Marathon with a sub-three-hour marathon time. These of us choose one thing just like the Fenix as a result of they want a tracker with mondo battery life, stellar GPS accuracy, in-depth coaching packages, and maps for traversing trails. These are the options that folks would depart Apple or Samsung for — they usually don’t get a serious improve with the Fenix 8.

To make issues worse, I virtually choked after I noticed the Fenix 8’s beginning value was a complete $350 greater than the Fenix 7. That’s not a $50 to $100 hike the place you grumble after which begrudgingly admit that inflation is a bitch. For $999, you could possibly purchase a laptop computer. Hell, the Apple Watch Extremely 2 is $800, whereas the Galaxy Watch Extremely is $650. And people do include LTE. In case you’re decided to get a Garmin, there are actually dozens of cheaper choices. (Would possibly I recommend the $450 Forerunner 265 or a reduced Fenix 7 Professional or Epix Professional?)

It’s irritating as a result of Garmin is true to shore up its sensible options. There’s not a lot to enhance on the health entrance, so making its watches extra helpful exterior of coaching makes a variety of sense. It’s additionally crystal clear that Garmin has some catching as much as do, and progress isn’t going to occur in a single day. The Fenix 8 may be heading in the right direction, nevertheless it doesn’t fairly nail the value or execution.