Unlike the traditional wristwatch industry that, in many ways, hit its zenith before I was born, I have had the privilege of seeing the birth of the modern smartwatch and have been able to meaningfully track the development of this wrist-worn communication and sensor gadget as major stakeholders in this space have toiled to constantly create interesting and competitive products. Garmin has been making smartwatches since before the category had a name when they developed their first GPS watches. Today, Garmin is one of the leaders in the smartwatch category and is easily among the most prolific developers of new smartwatch products, ideas, and software. There is a frenetic, almost confusing pace and focus with each new watch. Garmin certainly adds to the smartwatch category each year, but it can be difficult to understand how its products measure against each other, how to take advantage of new features, or which of smartwatch is right for you. I won’t be able to answer many of those questions in my review of the Garmin Fenix 8 (here with the AMOLED screen and 47mm-wide case), but I hope to describe what makes this Garmin Fenix 8 product family new and what the major features and updates are.

The last Garmin watch I reviewed that looked like this Fenix was an Epix. In fact, while Garmin might have some documentation somewhere on the matter, as a consumer, I don’t really think I understand the difference between the Fenix and Epix lines (or the Enduro). All have similar features, case designs, and price points. Depending on the model and generation year, Garmin seems to play with certain variables, including colors, case materials, and screen options. On top of that, Garmin will produce a slew of seemingly similar watches at the same time, with small differences that can be difficult to tell apart. For example, the Garmin Fenix 8 covered in this review with the black case has two distinct versions that look virtually identical. The pictured model has a carbon and steel case with a Gorilla glass screen. For only about $100 more, you can get more or less the same watch but with titanium (versus steel) metal accents, and a sapphire crystal. The difference in weight, by the way, between the titanium and steel versions is just seven grams. I guess I just don’t understand why Garmin felt compelled to make both styles.

Garmin produces two screen styles for the Fenix 8 and three case size options (not to mention the other various color and material choices). This version with the richer and brighter AMOLED screen has a 43, 47, and 51mm-wide case size. The Fenix 8 Solar has a lower-power transflective screen paired with a photovoltaic cell around the screen which helps charge the battery a bit (both watches are typically plugged in to be charged). Why all these options? The larger case sizes feature bigger batteries for those people who want to extend the autonomy of their smartwatches as much as possible. The Fenix 8 Solar is also going to emphasize battery life longevity for those who demand it. The AMOLED screen is touch-based (the Solar’s screen is not, but it has five case pushers) and is going to offer a more responsive and attractive user experience for most people. It uses more battery life but has the resolution and performance many people come to expect from a daily-wear timepiece. That’s the thing, Garmin is sometimes stuck when trying to decide if it should design for regular people walking around with their watches, or athletes and explorers who need navigation and survival technology in their smartwatches. Really, the watches are trying to maximize features for both types of wearers, though it can be feature overload for buyers in both camps.

I would have probably preferred to review the version of this watch with the sapphire crystal (you can barely tell the case difference between steel and titanium in this context), but overall, l this is a very competent new Garmin smartwatch, even if don’t entirely understand who it is specifically being marketed toward. I say this because I feel the Fenix 8 AMOLED represents Garmin taking its core adventure smartwatch package and including more friendly features for daily wearers. For me, some of the new software and user experience of this watch are more important than hardware changes.

What is new about the hardware? It is difficult to know exactly what to compare the Fenix 8 to. The most recent Garmin smartwatch I reviewed prior to the Fenix 8 is the Garmin Epix 2. Garmin took the new hardware flashlight from the Epix 2 and incorporated it into the Fenix 8 (the light is located on the side periphery of the case at the 12 o’clock position between the lugs), and there is a new bolt-on colored aluminum segment between the pushers on the right side of the case. In fact, looking at the color of that component is how to tell the difference between the steel and titanium version of this style of the Fenix 8. This steel accented model has an orange-colored section, while the titanium has a black-colored one. Most people agree that this color accent is really just Garmin borrowing a style from the Apple Watch Ultra, which has an orange-colored case pusher. Samsung more or less did the same thing (albeit more brazenly than Garmin).

Water resistance is 100 meters, but interestingly Garmin makes it a point to specify on the caseback that you should not go deeper than 40 meters if diving with this watch. That’s because water resistance rating for timepieces are traditionally not ratings that can be directly translated into how deep you can go with a watch in reality. For example, a “real” diver’s watch is supposed to be water-resistant 300 meters, even though those watches don’t actually go that deep. It’s good to know you can go as deep as 40 meters while diving with this timepiece, but most people will use it merely for swimming and snorkeling. Garmin makes other, more purpose-built diving computer smartwatches. Another new feature for the case is a built-in microphone and a better speaker. Ironically though, the watch’s software makes use of your phone’s speaker for a number of notifications. That’s smart because you can often hear them better, and it reduces battery drag on the smartwatch itself. Being able to speak to your smartwatch is an important feature nowadays for consumers, especially considering how fluid it is on the Apple Watch. In any event, Garmin now claims that you can fully take and receive calls on just your Fenix 8, in addition to issuing voice commands to control the software.

Garmin has come a long way with its smartwatch software over the years. The core navigation style and concept behind their smartwatch software operating system hasn’t changed, but they keep making it more convenient and attractive, in addition to robust and high-performance. For many years Garmin more or less let the engineers entirely control the software experience of their smartwatches. That led to very lean software that was cleverly optimized for the wrist and for low power consumption. With that said, other smartwatch makers like Apple put less emphasis on battery life and features, and more on creating pretty and charming experiences for users. Garmin pushed back for as long as possible, but we are finally starting to see Garmin’s engineering team open up for a bit of artistry. That means some of the colder-looking data screens (such as for the weather) are newly designed with animations and more pleasant visuals to look at. All of the convenience is still there, but with a more attractive presentation that users seem to demand. Likewise with the watch faces. For years Garmin seemed stuck in making mostly non-graphical watch faces without too much consideration for fashion or originality. Over the last few years, Garmin has reversed this trend and now the software options for its smartwatch products is nearly overwhelming. For that reason, each Fenix and similar Garmin smartwatch by default has a lot of the software or features somewhat hidden. As the user you need to dive into the options and see what interesting tools are available to not display by default. More so, there is a small universe of free or paid software that you can download into your Fenix 8 or other modern Garmin smartwatch.

One of the things I have complained about in the past is how much of the software customization on Garmin smartwatches needs to happen on the smartwatch itself, as opposed to the companion Garmin Connect smartphone software. The software and customization options are truly deep, but you were mostly relegated to using the small interface of the watch to adjust little details and go through long and confusing feature lists. While that isn’t totally resolved yet, I noticed that Garmin has increased the number of things you can adjust in the companion smartphone software. You still can’t adjust watch faces or customize their look via your phone, but you can select which pieces of functionality display on your watch and make other important changes to the user interface. I found it useful, and I hope Garmin continues to create a sense of parity between what you can do on the watch and what you can do via the smartphone software. All signs seem to point in that direction. That said, if you delve deep into the software’s features and options, you’ll find a rewarding level of customization and hidden features that prove how much Garmin’s smartwatches exist in a category all to themselves.

One of the best things to do with most Garmin smartwatches is exercise. These watches are purpose-built for activity tracking and thrive when actively tracking a workout whether it is a swim or a long hike. Garmin combines data from sensors such as the heart rate monitor, accelerometer, and GPS antenna, to offer some of the best tracking and exercise metrics available anywhere. The data truly goes above and beyond what is offered on the Apple Watch (for example), but it does require a user who understands the data and what to do with it. Apple, by comparison, limits features to what it thinks a wider array of users can understand. Garmin takes the opposite approach of throwing a lost list of niche features at everyone and hoping that the right users will discover the right ways to use its products. Especially with how fast Garmin comes out with new products and the natural limitation on educating consumers through communication campaigns, the effort to inform how customers should most effectively use the products is an uphill battle for the brand. But it might not be an urgent issue, as Garmin does seem to have won the marketing battle for the minds and hearts of gadget-loving adventurers, even if most of them don’t know all the things their smartwatches can truly do for them.

Garmin uses convenient quick-release silicone straps for the Fenix 8, which are relatively comfortable and easy to clean. They aren’t going to feel as nice as natural rubber, but they are efficient and get the job done. While the Garmin Fenix 8 is a decidedly “cool watch” with a ton of features and technical style, it isn’t a pretty object in the way other wristwatches are trying to be. This is still a puck of hardware put into a case that tries to play with form and style as best as possible. It’s a pickup truck of a smartwatch when compared to sports car sexy timepieces. I don’t think you need to rush to get the Fenix 8 if you just picked up a new Garmin smartwatch recently, but if it has been a few years since you’ve upgraded an older Fenix, then I think people will be impressed with how far Garmin has come in the software and convenience department. Garmin’s world of incredible smartwatches and wearable connected devices just keeps on getting better. Price for this reference 010-02904-00 47mm Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED in slate gray is $999.99 USD. Learn more at the Garmin website.