The Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED. All photographs: iRunFar/Craig Randall

The Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED ($1,000 to $1,200 relying on options, $1,100 as examined in 51-millimeter chrome steel model) is rather more than a easy GPS operating watch; it’s in an analogous class as challengers just like the Coros Vertix 2S and Suunto Vertical. These are watches with sometimes 30 or extra totally different sport and exercise choices, product of rugged titanium or sapphire supplies with a giant emphasis on mapping and navigation. But the one watch on this class to this point to supply an AMOLED choice is the Garmin fēnix 8.

The 12 months 2024 was the 12 months of AMOLED for the most important manufacturers and legacy watch sequence within the GPS operating and out of doors classes. All the main gamers — Coros, Suunto, and Garmin — unveiled new watches boasting the attractive and high-definition AMOLED shows, previously reserved for the favored Garmin Epix.

Within the Garmin fēnix 8, Garmin has added an AMOLED model to considered one of its hottest and highly effective units. Take a look again to our Garmin fēnix 7 evaluation to match this new version with the prior within the fēnix line.

AMOLED requires a number of battery energy in comparison with its Reminiscence in Pixel (MIP) counterparts, so whereas the pattern in GPS operating watches is to supply longer and longer life — largely with MIP shows — Garmin, and to a lesser extent Coros and Suunto, with the Coros Tempo Professional and Suunto Race and Suunto Race S, are discovering methods to supply greatest at school mapping, optical coronary heart price and oxygen sensors, and excessive efficiency GPS recording with out sacrificing a lot battery longevity whereas nonetheless delivering the AMOLED show enhancements.

What I’ve lengthy appreciated concerning the Garmin fēnix sequence although is its skill to switch my cellphone. It syncs to streaming service Spotify, comes absolutely loaded with labeled maps, and has the perfect, most intuitive consumer interface of any watch I’ve examined.

The Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED stays aggressive with the Coros Vertix 2S and Suunto Vertical in battery life, however it comes at a moderately massive price enhance. The Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED is about $300 greater than its class rivals, with roughly the identical battery life, however a greater show and singularly supplied options.

Learn on to seek out out if the Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED is price the additional price once you’re contemplating a purchase order of a really well-rounded out of doors sports activities watch that can be utilized for ultrarunning. We additionally suggest you try our greatest GPS operating watch information, the place we rated this watch among the many different high watches.

Store the Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED

Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED Show

The Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED in use.

The Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED display screen is further vibrant, and paired with an anti-glare coating, it’s simpler to learn, even when the solar is straight overhead. That is essential once you’re out within the mountains or deep in a canyon and don’t wish to be fiddling along with your watch to see the information. That brightness stage is adaptive too, so it adjusts relying in your surroundings, whether or not you’re within the shade or straight beneath the solar.

The display screen is sharp, clear, and readable in virtually any situation. The upper decision makes textual content and icons pop, so that you’re not left squinting at small particulars once you want them most. One of many challenges with any watch in vibrant daylight is glare and this has been a specific knock towards AMOLED shows traditionally.

For top output sport watches for ultrarunners, AMOLED shows was once a difficult proposition. Positive, it appears to be like stunning and makes your outdated watch seem like a relic, however it comes at an enormous price to battery life. Or it used to.

AMOLED tech produces richer, extra vibrant colours and deeper blacks — the form of distinction you don’t get with a standard MIP display screen. When you’ve used the Garmin fēnix sequence up to now, or watches from the opposite main manufacturers within the GPS operating watch class, you’ll instantly discover the distinction.

This adjustment out of the field might be considerably annoying although. Basically, you wish to maximize battery life, which implies using inner battery saving options, like dialing again the display screen brightness and limiting power-hungry options when you want to stretch that final little bit of juice, however it’s the adaptive brightness that may generally hinder your expertise.

Take into consideration when doing intervals, observe reps, or actually any exercise situation once you wish to verify your tempo or another knowledge rapidly. There might be severe lag between turning your wrist upward and the display screen turning into absolutely illuminated. This may be abated by turning on the always-on show choice to your particular exercise, so that you simply received’t must faucet the display screen or increase to wake the machine each time you wish to verify your time, tempo, or altitude. However, particularly on lengthy runs, this shall be a serious battery hog.

The display screen alone could warrant runners buying the Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED over the still-exceptional Garmin fēnix 7, however the fēnix 8 AMOLED in addition to the Garmin fēnix 8 Photo voltaic ($1,100 to 1,200) additionally get some spectacular new options. I’ve at all times appreciated how shut the fēnix line involves killing off my smartphone dependence whereas operating, providing great options like offline Spotify streaming and the perfect mapping of any sports activities watch, making it simpler to only go away your cellphone behind solely — at the least on daylight runs in public locations, the place you don’t really feel such as you want a cellphone for security.

Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED Measurement, Weight, Look, and Really feel

A facet view of the Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED.

The earlier two variations within the fēnix line weren’t slight units, however the 51-millimeter Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED by comparability appears much more gargantuan. Thankfully, the watch can be supplied in 43- and 47-millimeter circumstances, however I examined the 51-millimeter model. This does appear higher suited to my body at 6 ft, 4 inches in top, however even I battle to seek out it completely comfy for all-day put on. The load of my stainless-steel check unit is 102 grams.

Garmin has by no means had the panache of Suunto from a design and consumer interface perspective, however, particularly with an AMOLED model, Garmin’s feel and look is way improved, veering away from the Android/open supply comparisons of outdated to a barely extra trendy and complicated colour palette throughout the customizable shows and menus.

Perhaps my greatest gripe concerning the watch’s really feel is the button sensitivity. The watch maintains a high and backside proper button structure, and a high, backside, and center button on the left. The issue is that they are often very mushy. They merely require an excessive amount of specificity for my liking and in comparison with different watches in comparable settings. With gloves over your arms, it may be further tough to begin and cease an exercise or navigate utilizing the buttons. Alternatively, the touchscreen performance when not sporting gloves may be very strong.

Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED Voice Instructions and Notes

In a nod to Siri and Alexa, the Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED will get voice command capabilities, permitting you to begin a run, a nap, a timer, and plenty of different choices by holding the beginning/cease button on the highest proper and talking into the machine. The voice recognition app opens in an analogous method to Siri by listening then enabling your command. A few of the key voice instructions are:

• Begin or cease an exercise;
• Pause your run;
• Modify settings like display screen brightness, don’t disturb mode, or music playback with out having to navigate by means of menus — I actually like this significantly when utilizing my Spotify playlists, so that you don’t must click on by means of the cumbersome screens; and
• Activate particular options, just like the flashlight or stopwatch.

A again view of the Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED.

The fēnix 8 AMOLED additionally integrates along with your cellphone’s voice assistant, comparable to Siri for iOS or Google Assistant for Android. This implies you should utilize your watch to ship textual content messages or make calls, get climate updates, and set reminders or timers.

Whereas it’s not fairly a completely immersive voice assistant such as you get with a wise speaker in your house, it provides simply sufficient performance to make actions smoother, particularly once you want a fast adjustment or replace with out pulling out your cellphone or twiddling with the watch’s buttons and menus.

Since voice instructions nonetheless require touching a button on the machine, it isn’t as seamless as maybe if it was at all times on and hands-free. However voice instructions and recognition know-how deliver the fēnix 8 AMOLED ever nearer to its smartwatch counterparts from Apple and Google, and since I normally put on the machine full time, I truly take extra benefit of voice instructions throughout each day life for options just like the flashlight or for nap timers and alarms.

Voice notes are one other very cool characteristic that syncs and saves along with your GPS location. On journey runs or whereas navigating new routes this can be a worthwhile characteristic for leaving your self reminders about landmarks, obstacles, or variations to route-finding. It’s rather more seamless than pulling out your cellphone and recording the small print there.

There’s the helpful new skill to make the most of the built-in speaker and mic to allow you to make and take cellphone calls out of your wrist when your watch is paired to your cellphone. Alongside these traces, some bank card corporations will will let you register your card and will let you use Garmin Pay for contactless funds at distributors — one other phone-killing perk!

Garmin Fēnix 8 AMOLED GPS Accuracy and Battery Life

One of many stand out options on the Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED that carries over however is improved over the fēnix 7 is SatIQ, Garmin’s clever satellite tv for pc reception system. SatIQ is a GPS characteristic that adjusts how your watch interacts with satellites in actual time. As a substitute of utilizing a relentless, full-strength GPS sign which drains battery, SatIQ dynamically adjusts to the situations round you.

SatIQ runs within the background to present essentially the most correct place monitoring when it counts, and conserving battery once you don’t want excessive precision. For instance, in the event you’re out on a wide-open path or a comparatively flat part of a race, SatIQ would possibly change to utilizing simply GPS. Alternatively, in the event you’re in an space with dense tree cowl, a valley, or rocky terrain, SatIQ will change to pulling in alerts from world navigation satellite tv for pc programs GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo to enhance accuracy. By continuously monitoring the surroundings, SatIQ routinely switches to the perfect satellite tv for pc configuration to your environment.

The outcome? You get extra out of your watch, particularly on these lengthy days once you want each ounce of battery life to complete a race or coaching run. However it’s best to nonetheless modify your GPS-sampling price (i.e. change between efficiency modes) when you recognize you want to get essentially the most battery efficiency potential, and also you’ll additionally wish to flip off a number of different battery draining options comparable to sensors or music playback when full battery life is required for observe recording and navigation.

Actual world battery efficiency stats for the 51-millimeter model of the watch I examined, even with the AMOLED show, routinely offers me round 65 to 68 hours. This knowledge got here by means of disabling SatIQ and with all satellite tv for pc programs enabled and using the AMOLED battery saving options. On the opposite finish of the spectrum, in Expedition GPS mode, the fēnix 8 AMOLED ought to give about 31 full days of energy. AMOLED will not be out there in Photo voltaic variations of the fēnix 8, so in a direct comparability to earlier fēnix fashions with photo voltaic, battery efficiency may very well be a little bit worse with the brand new fēnix 8 AMOLED.

Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED General Impressions

Some individuals will discover that the Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED is a consolidation of the perfect options from the Garmin Epix — the show — and the present Garmin fēnix 7 — its unimaginable mapping, battery, well being, and sensors know-how. This may be so, though persevering with to construct on the inspiration of the SatIQ clever satellite tv for pc reception system to comprise and keep battery life along with AMOLED is an thrilling improvement, proprietary to Garmin.

The true alternative for a lot of will hinge on how essential show high quality is for you. I’ve to confess that it’s considerably laborious to return to different shows after spending a number of time with watches which have AMOLED shows.

There’s a big price for this know-how proper now although, so whether it is only a show dialogue, you can go for extra reasonably priced AMOLED sports activities watches just like the Coros Tempo Professional or Suunto Race S. You’ll sacrifice quite a bit from a options standpoint by turning to those different units, and maybe most significantly, in the event you worth a watch that may put far between you and your cellphone whereas providing a number of the identical options, the Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED is a really worthy funding.

Store the Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED

Our Favourite GPS Operating Watches

Try our greatest GPS operating watches article to find out about our present favourite GPS operating watches for operating!

Name for Feedback

• Have you ever tried the Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED? What had been your ideas?
• How does this model examine to prior variations within the Garmin fēnix line?