Earlier this month, Garmin introduced the Fenix 8 series. The lineup features sturdy smartwatches made for outdoor activities, coming in regular and solar variants. The standard AMOLED watch comes in 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm sizes, while the solar model is only offered in 47mm and 51mm options.
Firstly, lets start with the displays. The AMOLED displays range from 1.3 inches for the 43mm model to 1.4 inches for both the 47mm and 51mm sizes. The solar variant, which uses a transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) panel, has the same screen sizes, but with lower resolutions.
Unsurprisingly, the AMOLED version can get a lot brighter than the solar watch, but it does come at the cost of battery life. For the former, the 43mm can last up to 10 days, the 47mm can go for 16 days, and the biggest model is rated for 29 days. Meanwhile, the latter is rated for 28 days and 48 days for the 47mm and 51mm models respectively.
The entire Fenix 8 lineup features leakproof metal buttons with a 10 ATM waterproof rating. Both sizes of the solar variant, as well as the 51mm AMOLED variant, come with a titanium bezel and a sapphire glass lens as standard, while the smaller AMOLED models get a stainless steel bezel and Corning Gorilla Glass.
Interestingly, while I was expecting the 51mm model to be overwhelmingly heavy due to its sheer size, the Fenix 8 actually feels relatively lightweight to the point I wouldn’t really mind wearing it while working out. The silicone band also felt surprisingly comfortable, even though I usually have an aversion to these.
The buttons felt very clicky and high quality, but there’s only a back button and no dedicated home button. Additionally, the UI can sometimes feel a bit slow and does get some getting used to if you’re only used to regular smartwatches.
All the models are fitted with a bright flashlight with four brightness settings and even a red flashlight mode. There are also built-in speakers and microphones to access a voice assistant and use voice commands, but unfortunately, I was told that the watch would need to be connected to a phone to use either of these functions.
The lineup is equipped with a multitude of sensors including built-in GPS, a thermometer, a depth sensor, a heart rate sensor, and a blood-oxygen saturation monitor. It offers guided workouts for several types of workouts including cardio, strength, yoga, pilates, and more, with support for hiking maps and 40-metre diving.
The Garmin Fenix 8 series starts from RM5,199 for the AMOLED version while the solar models start from RM5,720. They can be purchased through the the brand’s e-store, Shopee, Lazada, AECO e-store, Garmin Brand Stores, and all authorised retailers nationwide.
