Garmin Fenix 8 – Review

I upgraded not because I had to. After over three years of service, the Epix 2 was getting a little long in the tooth. I had waited for the Fenix 8 Pro but the new features were not of any use to me and so I went with the 8. A good holiday discount sealed the deal for me. Here is the breakdown:

Good

1. Downsizing. This is specific to me but I am really glad that Garmin offers the full experience on its smaller variant – 43mm. I can handle the 47mm, which has been the case for both the Fenix 6 Pro Solar and the Epix 2, as the 43mm variants of these watches lacked features of their 47mm and 51mm siblings. But the 43mm fits me far better and looks much sleeker especially in work settings. And with the 43mm Fenix 8 having the same resolution as my 47mm Epix 2, I am not losing any detail. In fact, the display is about the same size and space savings come from a significantly reduced bezel. Win-win.
2. Touch. Touch control has improved significantly. The watch is better able to pick up exactly where your finger is touching the screen. I have found myself relying on touch a lot more. And this is saying a lot coming from a physical button-only user.
3. Mic+Speaker. This is surprisingly useful. There have been many situations where my phone is out of sight, and being able to take urgent calls quickly without hunting for the phone is huge.  Voice quality is good as well.
4. LED torchlight. Yes, the previous Fenix series had them (but I skipped). It is great to have this feature on a 43mm. Use it almost every night, especially when sending the kids to sleep.
5. ECG app. It is a useful add-on, really rounds up the health features of this watch.

Not Good

1. Buttons feel slightly squishy. Garmin improved the insultation for buttons and the resulting downside is that the buttons feel less click-y. There are haptics to compensate for reduced kinetic feedback, but it is not the same. However, this might be a well-worth trade-off considering that one of the most searched post on this site is about resolving stuck buttons.
2. Default watch face a little busy. Yes, one can easily download the thousands of alternate watch faces, but I have refrained from doing so since the Fenix 5 days because poorly coded watch faces can cause system stability and battery issues. Garmin could do with a more cleaned-up and minimalistic look. It is a watch face – people need to get the right info in milliseconds.
3. QuickFit 20 nylon band is a slight downgrade. I am and continue to be a big fan of Garmin’s Heathered Black Nylon band. It is relatively expensive but it lasts forever, feels comfortable and looks good. Way better than cheaper alternatives. The downside of the QuickFit 20 variant (as compared to the QuickFit 22 variant, made for 47mm) is that the band loops are nylon and not metal. The buckle is still metal. It’s a minor thing and barely noticeable but I thought prospective buyers should be aware.

Overall, it is a sizeable upgrade from a daily use and health perspective. Sporting wise, there is little difference. Garmin will need to do much more to get current users to upgrade in future. Till then, I’ll be enjoying the new watch!