I've had mine for a few months now and I'm delighted with it. Regarding the use of the buttons, it's something that Garmin users love, not having to take off my gloves or being able to make queries under water is easier with buttons. Greetings
Hey Michael, great review! I think this has to be the only review out there covering the watch as a whole. I've been using Garmin watches for over 10 years now, my newest one is the Epix pro 51, I was tempted to go upgrade to a Fenix 8 but decided to go for an Apple watch ultra II because of the cellular option. I have to say I love the AW but for training and sleep I keep coming back to Garmin.
Hey, an awesome comment, thanks a lot for that. Sounds like we value similar features in smart watches 😊 Perhaps going to a watch with a week-long battery life feels refreshing from time to time 😊
It had or has (i dont know) so many issues that i sold the watch after wearing it for four weeks.. I couldn't read the data from the screen while walking outside in the dark. It was or is (no idea if this issue is updated already) way too dimmed. Could hardly see the data on the watchfaces with the amoled screen..
It's the model that's not Sapphire. It has the red sensor guard. The Sapphire 51mm in black does not have that option. But on the Garmin web site, they occasionally have a custom option to change a few things on your watch.
Great watch, love the design and functions but the UI really seems to be sometimes laggy, and no wireless charging is a miss as well. How was/is situation with Fenix 7/Epix 2 - is the menu laggy as well? or was it improved with time?
καλημερα σας, θα ηθελα την αποψη σας σχετικα με τις εξυπνες δυνατοτητες στην καθημερινη χρηση σε συμβατοτητα με κινητο android. Αυτο η το huawei gt5 pro?
You will lose the ability to respond to notifications. The battery life is quite awesome on the other hand. I dont have the Ultra around, so at this point of time it looks rather unlikely to make such a video.
Watch has so many bugs still… Worst is the aggressive screen deeming which makes the watch unreadable during the night.. Never had this issue with Epix Pro 51 Amoled but with Fenix 8 is a nightmare.. Garmin doesn’t recognize this as a problem despite the hundreds of complaints in Garmin forums.. It’s shame for such an expensive watch!
Man, this is such a big relief! I was thinking that my eyes are getting old and was wondering why I cannot read my steps on the watchface when it is dark outdoors. Now this feels like a reasonable explanation.
@ Naaaah, your eyes are OK! Just putting the watch next to the EpixPro you can easily see the huge difference in the screen deeming… Only Garmin don’t want to understand the issue and i think it’s because they want to maintain the battery time at the same level as the EpixPro… Truth is that Fenix8 has in reality worst battery from EpixPro and they try with this to somehow justify their claim for battery autonomy making twice problem for us the owners, worst battery and unusable watch in the nigh or in dark environments.. its a shame for #Garmin
Agreed. As long as the owner is consistent. But so can many other watches already. I have my own opinion about the price, but the overall quality and performance are superb.
@@30mattdavies the optic is fine for resting but you'll need to strap on a chest HR to get accuracy. As for other metrics they're close enough to let you know when you need to rest or take full advantage. I had a watch ultra and watch 6 before but couldn't improve my fitness. Garmin took me from 5k runner to 1/2 marathon inside of 6 months. That's worth every yen I paid for the epix (used at the time) and now rewarded myself with the Fenix 8 which I'll admit is luxury.
Garmin's attempt to go more mainstream with the microphone and speaker has been half-hearted. Virtually no possibility to answer to messages. Then that they just are not able to mirror ALL the app-icons from the phone. How often do you have to guess from which app the notification could be? And they just doesn't change it. I have even made this suggestion to them...years ago. I guess many mainstream buyers (the seller in Mediamarkt, a big one in Germany, told me he suggests mostly the Garmin's as "Smartwatch") just return the watch when they realize it's actually rather a sportwatch than a smartwatch. Garmin watches are great, I had really many of them, but it's time to catch up on the Smartwatch-functions. I mean what more sport functions should Garmin implement? And not to forget, many Smartwatch manufacturers like Google, Samsung, Apple etc. implement more and more sport functions like the cardio load, energy score and so on.
Garmin is a sportwatch with some smartwatch functions , if you are a sport person, adventure person...the Garmin in general is the right watch for you, if you are a ™normal person" well, google, apple or Huawei maybe is the right. I'm a Garmin user but I'm not blind (with all the respect to the blind people), and when the day arrive one brand can do it better than Garmin ...I change.
@@the-portuguese-guy Garmin is not Swiss lmao... Garmin was founded in Kansas and is still based in Kansas today. Only their paper corporate registration is Swiss for tax dodging purposes. There is literally nothing Swiss about them except for their corporate paper registration. They have no offices in Switzerland and zero employees in Switzerland.
@@BeaverTerror Garmin born in Kansas and today officially, legally or what name you want calling is a Swiss registered company, and is a Swiss company is not because taxation, it's because credibility. The American Dream is over( sorry if you are American from Kansas 😏)
To be honest…Garmin makes beautiful and smart watches, but they fall short in terms of durability. They are very fragile, scratch easily, and the paint wears off quickly. Compared to the Apple Watch, which is strong and resistant, Garmin watches seem weak and prone to damage. Given their high price, they don’t offer the robustness one would expect. It might be better to consider other watch brands that provide better value for money. Expensive and fragile-that’s the impression Garmin gives.
Definitely not my experience. I've had high end Garmins glued to my wrist for the last 20 years, mountain biking, trail running, climbing, kayaking, surfing, tennis, golf, hundreds of hours in my workshop etc. and they are super durable and reliable. Never any problems with damage, so it sounds like you may have had a lemon, which is a shame. Cheers - Dave
I've not experienced that at all. I had the Fenix 3HR, then bought the Fenix 5X Plus. It's been my watch the past 7 years. This 5X Plus is indestructible. Battery life has held well. I ordered the Fenix 8 yesterday only because I want the AMOLED display.
If Elon would be boss at Garmin, he would eliminate the useless interior painted border of the watch and extend the solar panel, or paint the symbols on the panel -> that is a 40% extra surface and improvement in solar charging power!!!
Thanks for the exciting video! How can it be that everyone is using new charging technologies but Garmin is still in the middle ages? To me, the watch looks like a cheap smartwatch from the far east. no wonder Garmin is losing a lot of market share to competitors.
The watch in no way feels cheap, I can assure you. But the look... Compared to GT5 by Huawei looks rather boring. Totally agree about the charging option. On the other hand - it is among the few where you can use the cable for file transfers too 😊
With the amoled in direct sunlight you'll never know if is 2 or 4 or 7 o'clock. It is just stupid to advertise something that cant do it. Want colors and resolution in direct sunlight? Get Ultra 2
You can see no shit not even in cloudy condition. And also they want to pay for maps. Get the MIP and Amolrd. Compare them side by side. The amoled is just junk. Period
2-3 more years and transflectives will be gone or at least a rarity. AMOLEDs can go 6000nits already. Just for the record - I do prefer to see more watches with transflective displays. But this limits the development of some features.
I've had mine for a few months now and I'm delighted with it. Regarding the use of the buttons, it's something that Garmin users love, not having to take off my gloves or being able to make queries under water is easier with buttons. Greetings
Same with me. I just can't get used to the way workouts are being ended and it's already 2 months 🤔
Fantastic video as always mate! Are you going to test out the Enduro 3?
Thank you!
Most likely I won't be able to cover the Enduro 3. Will keep trying to find a test unit though.
@ I feel ya!!
Hey Michael, great review! I think this has to be the only review out there covering the watch as a whole. I've been using Garmin watches for over 10 years now, my newest one is the Epix pro 51, I was tempted to go upgrade to a Fenix 8 but decided to go for an Apple watch ultra II because of the cellular option. I have to say I love the AW but for training and sleep I keep coming back to Garmin.
Hey, an awesome comment, thanks a lot for that. Sounds like we value similar features in smart watches 😊 Perhaps going to a watch with a week-long battery life feels refreshing from time to time 😊
So, if you have a 7 solar you may as well keep it? Not sure the 8 has enough upgrades to leave the 7. 🤔
Totally
Yep. I have a F7S pro sapphire solar and I'm keeping it.
Well, in the end.. its still the best and most complete sportswatch on the market.
It had or has (i dont know) so many issues that i sold the watch after wearing it for four weeks.. I couldn't read the data from the screen while walking outside in the dark. It was or is (no idea if this issue is updated already) way too dimmed. Could hardly see the data on the watchfaces with the amoled screen..
I loved it too.
I used to have Huawei,Samsung,Amazfit...Now i bought Fenix 8,and i am really impressed,never ever i am going back to other brands 😊
Yes..but the price can be expensive too..huhu
Glad to see that you enjoy yours. An excellent watch indeed. Quite expensive too
Enduro 3 FTW
How did you get the red accent on the side?
You go to the watchface and choose the edit button and then you can choose among many colors
It's the model that's not Sapphire. It has the red sensor guard. The Sapphire 51mm in black does not have that option. But on the Garmin web site, they occasionally have a custom option to change a few things on your watch.
Great watch, love the design and functions but the UI really seems to be sometimes laggy, and no wireless charging is a miss as well.
How was/is situation with Fenix 7/Epix 2 - is the menu laggy as well? or was it improved with time?
Yeah, the menus there are the same. The. Garmin's OS is optimized towards transflective displays. Will for sure get better in time.
Can you review redmi watch 5. I am not talking about lite version
Sure. The review will appear in January when the Global version gets released
I’m torn between amoled and the solar version. Any recommendations or insight here?
I knew I want AMOLEd so I am happy with it.
If you are about to use it outdoors mostly - the solar sounds better
Both, like me!!
Garmin's metrics are just top notch.
Indeed
Thanks.Good news after abgrate new firmware12.35 everything ok
Lovely! I notice that battery life is slightly improved too.
How about the auto dimming issues several are reporting, with the screen becoming too dim to see in low light conditions...has that been resolved yet?
καλημερα σας, θα ηθελα την αποψη σας σχετικα με τις εξυπνες δυνατοτητες στην καθημερινη χρηση σε συμβατοτητα με κινητο android. Αυτο η το huawei gt5 pro?
They are different. The Huawei model is more... fashionable. The Garmin Fenix line is superb about fitness tracking
Epix gen pro 2 for 850 or pay 960 for this one? With coupon. What would you do?
@@BrandonVelazquez-e5f with the bigger screen and smaller bezels i would go for the 8 for that price difference.
They sometimes discount the AMOLED edition - got mine for 900
I appreciate the basic model review. Most of other reviews are with sapphire verions. Nice one.
Glad it was helpful!
And yeah, try to cover the vanilla versions as much as possible.
I’ll take battery life over an amoled display. I still like the solar variants better than these.
Yeah, the solar editions offer insane battery life
Compare it to the Apple Watch Ultra! I currently have the Ultra 1 and considering selling it for the Fenix 8 but that is a huge step.
You will lose the ability to respond to notifications. The battery life is quite awesome on the other hand.
I dont have the Ultra around, so at this point of time it looks rather unlikely to make such a video.
Watch has so many bugs still… Worst is the aggressive screen deeming which makes the watch unreadable during the night.. Never had this issue with Epix Pro 51 Amoled but with Fenix 8 is a nightmare.. Garmin doesn’t recognize this as a problem despite the hundreds of complaints in Garmin forums.. It’s shame for such an expensive watch!
Man, this is such a big relief! I was thinking that my eyes are getting old and was wondering why I cannot read my steps on the watchface when it is dark outdoors. Now this feels like a reasonable explanation.
@ Naaaah, your eyes are OK! Just putting the watch next to the EpixPro you can easily see the huge difference in the screen deeming… Only Garmin don’t want to understand the issue and i think it’s because they want to maintain the battery time at the same level as the EpixPro… Truth is that Fenix8 has in reality worst battery from EpixPro and they try with this to somehow justify their claim for battery autonomy making twice problem for us the owners, worst battery and unusable watch in the nigh or in dark environments.. its a shame for #Garmin
The watch can literally train you from couch potato to 1/2 marathon runner inside of a year. Value for money is unquestionable.
Agreed. As long as the owner is consistent. But so can many other watches already. I have my own opinion about the price, but the overall quality and performance are superb.
@TechMishka yes, the watch won't do all the running
Value for money is questionable… the optical hr is terrible. All other metrics thrown…
@@30mattdavies the optic is fine for resting but you'll need to strap on a chest HR to get accuracy. As for other metrics they're close enough to let you know when you need to rest or take full advantage. I had a watch ultra and watch 6 before but couldn't improve my fitness. Garmin took me from 5k runner to 1/2 marathon inside of 6 months. That's worth every yen I paid for the epix (used at the time) and now rewarded myself with the Fenix 8 which I'll admit is luxury.
Un'altra mancanza è la possibilità di spostare la musica dallo smartphone al fenix senza doverlo collegare al PC.
Good point!
Garmin's attempt to go more mainstream with the microphone and speaker has been half-hearted. Virtually no possibility to answer to messages. Then that they just are not able to mirror ALL the app-icons from the phone. How often do you have to guess from which app the notification could be? And they just doesn't change it. I have even made this suggestion to them...years ago. I guess many mainstream buyers (the seller in Mediamarkt, a big one in Germany, told me he suggests mostly the Garmin's as "Smartwatch") just return the watch when they realize it's actually rather a sportwatch than a smartwatch. Garmin watches are great, I had really many of them, but it's time to catch up on the Smartwatch-functions. I mean what more sport functions should Garmin implement? And not to forget, many Smartwatch manufacturers like Google, Samsung, Apple etc. implement more and more sport functions like the cardio load, energy score and so on.
Garmin is a sportwatch with some smartwatch functions , if you are a sport person, adventure person...the Garmin in general is the right watch for you, if you are a ™normal person" well, google, apple or Huawei maybe is the right. I'm a Garmin user but I'm not blind (with all the respect to the blind people), and when the day arrive one brand can do it better than Garmin ...I change.
Yeah, a sports watch, or a feature watch. With some smart functions. Still - smarter than many other that bother to call themselves "smart"
I completely disagree. I find the smart functions of the Fenix 8 absolutely fine, and don't want or need it to be any smarter.
Blaming Garmin for the poor iOS support is misplaced - this is deliberately crippled by Apple...
Looking forward to epic
☺️
The price is what, $1k??? Oled shouldn't cost so much imo but hey it's Garmin
While the price is really high, people are not buying it because of the display.
Do not forget, when you buy a watch Garmin you buy a Swiss watch, Garmin is a Swiss brand but the smartwatch is made in Taiwan 😊
@@the-portuguese-guy Garmin is not Swiss lmao... Garmin was founded in Kansas and is still based in Kansas today. Only their paper corporate registration is Swiss for tax dodging purposes. There is literally nothing Swiss about them except for their corporate paper registration. They have no offices in Switzerland and zero employees in Switzerland.
@@BeaverTerror Garmin born in Kansas and today officially, legally or what name you want calling is a Swiss registered company, and is a Swiss company is not because taxation, it's because credibility. The American Dream is over( sorry if you are American from Kansas 😏)
Yeah... Garmin. Have you seen the price of their straps? 50 dollars!
To be honest…Garmin makes beautiful and smart watches, but they fall short in terms of durability. They are very fragile, scratch easily, and the paint wears off quickly. Compared to the Apple Watch, which is strong and resistant, Garmin watches seem weak and prone to damage. Given their high price, they don’t offer the robustness one would expect. It might be better to consider other watch brands that provide better value for money. Expensive and fragile-that’s the impression Garmin gives.
Very surprised to read this comment. The high end series by Garmin are known for their great durability
Definitely not my experience. I've had high end Garmins glued to my wrist for the last 20 years, mountain biking, trail running, climbing, kayaking, surfing, tennis, golf, hundreds of hours in my workshop etc. and they are super durable and reliable. Never any problems with damage, so it sounds like you may have had a lemon, which is a shame. Cheers - Dave
I've not experienced that at all. I had the Fenix 3HR, then bought the Fenix 5X Plus. It's been my watch the past 7 years. This 5X Plus is indestructible. Battery life has held well. I ordered the Fenix 8 yesterday only because I want the AMOLED display.
Kinda hard to imagine a Garmin watch with AMOLED, let alone see one.
There were a bunch before with AMOLED already. Not new by any means.
@JasonRaneses oh ok, thanks for the clarification
Haha, feels weird after so many years.
Germin fenix 8 no more tone after abgrate new firmware
GARMIN PEASE FIX
Did you try to restart?
If Elon would be boss at Garmin, he would eliminate the useless interior painted border of the watch and extend the solar panel, or paint the symbols on the panel -> that is a 40% extra surface and improvement in solar charging power!!!
🤣
No first
No?
@ Epix 2/epix pro
Thanks for the exciting video! How can it be that everyone is using new charging technologies but Garmin is still in the middle ages? To me, the watch looks like a cheap smartwatch from the far east. no wonder Garmin is losing a lot of market share to competitors.
The watch in no way feels cheap, I can assure you. But the look... Compared to GT5 by Huawei looks rather boring.
Totally agree about the charging option. On the other hand - it is among the few where you can use the cable for file transfers too 😊
Please Do a review On ausek S81tr. I have asked before a while ago
You have. Feel free to send me an email and I'll see if I can help you with some guidance about it.
With the amoled in direct sunlight you'll never know if is 2 or 4 or 7 o'clock. It is just stupid to advertise something that cant do it. Want colors and resolution in direct sunlight? Get Ultra 2
Never had issues at sunlight, but it is not summer yet, so I will have to wait and see
You can see no shit not even in cloudy condition. And also they want to pay for maps. Get the MIP and Amolrd. Compare them side by side. The amoled is just junk. Period
2-3 more years and transflectives will be gone or at least a rarity. AMOLEDs can go 6000nits already.
Just for the record - I do prefer to see more watches with transflective displays. But this limits the development of some features.