Garmin makes Fenix 8 range live on its website
A couple of hours before launch, Garmin has posted all the information about its new Fenix 8 line and Enduro 3 on one its website. We now know everything there is to know about the upcoming devices. If you want to have a look for yourself, check out the the Garmin website. It lists availability for most watches as “ready to shop in 1-3 business days”.
What Fenix 8 brings over the Epix (Gen 2) Pro
The table below illustrates the differences between the Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED 47mm and the Garmin Epix 2 Pro. That would be a fair comparison considering the Fenix 8 AMOLED has now pushed the Epix range out of existence.
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A few things stand out that haven’t been mentioned amongst the plethora of leaks in recent weeks.
For starters, the Fenix 8 is thinner. That is good news as the watch is pretty bulky as it is. Shaving off a few millimetres of thickness will make it more of a unisex device. Plus the screen has been bumped up for that iteration from 1.3 inches to 1.4 inches thanks to a more narrow bezel. Hence you get a resolution boost.
Garmin has actually achieved this while improving battery life, which is impressive. You will get an hour extra in always-on display smartwatch mode and 5 more hours in GPS mode. All the other battery modes also see improvements.
Another design tweak are the leak-proof inductive buttons and enhanced military standard certifications. While water-resistance is unchanged, the Fenix 8 gets a 40 meter dive ability with various features supporting the new functionality.
Other improvements include QZSS/BEIDOU connectivity, Garmin Share support, a new training feature called Workout Advantage and a Course and Weather Specific Race Predictor. Hopefully, these last two features will trickle down to older generation devices.
Fenix 8 – 47mm, AMOLED | Epix Pro (Gen 2) – Sapphire – 47mm | |
|---|---|---|
Price | 999.99 euros | 949.99 euros |
Size | 47 x 47 x 13.8mm | 47 x 47 x 14.5mm |
Weight | Stainless steel: 80g (case only 59g) Titanium: 73g (case only 52g) | 70g (case only: 47g) |
Leak-proof inductive buttons | Yes | No |
Built-in speaker/microphone | Yes with support for bluetooth calling and offline voice assistant | No |
Screen size | 1.4 inches | 1.3 inches |
Screen resolution | 454 x 454 pixels | 416 x 416 pixels |
Battery life | Smartwatch: Up to 16 days (7 days always on) Watch mode with battery saving mode: Up to 23 days GPS only: Up to 47 hours (37 hours always on) All satellite systems: Up to 38 hours (30 hours always on) All satellite systems + multiband: Up to 35 hours (28 hours always on)* All satellite systems and music: Up to 10 hours Maximum battery life in GPS mode: Up to 81 hours GPS in expedition mode: Up to 17 days *In normal use with SatIQ technology | Smartwatch: Up to 16 days (6 days always on) Watch mode with battery saving mode: Up to 21 days GPS only: Up to 42 hours (30 hours always on) All satellite systems: Up to 32 hours (24 hours always on) All satellite systems + multi-band: Up to 20 hours (15 hours always on) All satellite systems and music: Up to 10 hours Maximum battery life in GPS mode: Up to 75 hours GPS in expedition mode: up to 14 days |
QZSS/BEIDOU connectivity | Yes | No |
Depth sensor | Yes (up to 40m), support for scuba diving | No |
Garmin Share | Yes | No |
Workout Advantage (Training feature) | Yes | No |
Course and weather specific race predictor | Yes | No |
There you have it folks, some of the improvements that are arriving with the latest generation of Garmin watches. The live-streaming event will start shortly. Head over to creacast.com to learn all the final details at 1pm CET today.
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