Garmin has finally revealed the Garmin Fenix 8 – which is shaping up to be a potential Apple Watch Ultra-beater – alongside the Garmin Enduro 3. And both watches look set to be among the best Garmin watches released yet.
The Garmin Fenix 8 comes in 43mm, 47mm, or 51mm sizes, with two screen options: a bright AMOLED screen and the older, more power-efficient memory-in-pixel (MIP) screen, which offers solar charging capabilities thanks to Garmin’s Power Glass tech. The AMOLED screen models can last for up to 29 days in smartwatch mode, while the MIP screen models can last up to 48 days in smartwatch mode, and that’s with the always-on screen enabled. Incredible stuff.
Garmin Fenix 8 now has diving modes, with the watch capable of becoming a working dive computer to descend down to 40 meters of depth for scuba activities. According to an exclusive chat we had with Jon Hosler, the Fenix 8 Product manager, the leakproof buttons ensure that even below 40 meters of depth, divers can still return to the 40-meter mark and the Fenix 8 will still operate fine.
Alongside the leak-proof buttons, models with optional titanium bezel and sapphire glass upgrades will be available for purchase.
Hardware features such as the LED flashlight from the Garmin Epix Pro, a new speaker, and a microphone for taking quick calls and setting simple commands like “set a five-minute timer” are all present here.
The Fenix 8 also promises upgraded strength training modes and new map functionalities like a “dynamic round trip routing,” feature that suggests options to guide you back to the start of your route. Running users will now get a prompt for this when they’re around 40% through a run.
The Garmin Fenix 8 is available for pre-order now and will start at $999.99 in the US and £869.99 in the UK. AU prices and exact pricing for all six models (three sizes with AMOLED and MIP screens) have yet to be revealed.
Introducing the Garmin Enduro 3
The Garmin Enduro 3 is the latest watch in Garmin’s range of super-premium endurance race tools. Designed to be “lighter than ever” at 63g (the old Garmin Enduro 2 watch was a very hefty 70g), the Garmin Enduro 3 shares many of the powerful tools as the Garmin Fenix 8. The Fenix 8’s dynamic round trip routing is here, alongside the built-in LED flashlight and thousands of preloaded TopoActive maps.
The Enduro 3 only comes in one size, 51mm, with a titanium bezel and scratch-resistant sapphire lens. Its MIP screen also features solar charging technology, lasting for 320 hours in GPS mode and up to 90 days in smartwatch mode. Garmin states that enabling “SatIQ technology – which automatically toggles between GPS modes – secures the superior positioning accuracy of multi-band GPS for up to 120 hours.”
Enduro 3 also adds Garmin Messenger, the in-watch instant messaging widget, alongside Garmin Pay and the ability to download songs from streaming services such as Spotify and Deezer for phone-free listening. However, the microphone and speaker on the Garmin Fenix 8 line are missing here.
The Enduro 3 is available for pre-order now for $899.99 in the US and £769.99 in the UK. As is the case with the Fenix 8, Australian prices will be added to this article when we receive them.