What you need to know
- The Garmin fenix 8, previously MIP-only, now also has AMOLED models, making the short-lived Garmin Epix line obsolete.
- It comes with a 40-meter dive rating, built-in microphone and speaker with new voice commands, new strength training plans, and a revamped map interface with “dynamic round-trip routing.”
- The Garmin Enduro 3 now offers 90 days or 320 hours of GPS on solar power, roughly double what the Enduro 2 offered thanks to a new solar panel.
Garmin has announced its new flagship watches, the Fenix 8 and Enduro 3, with a number of hardware improvements and interesting software additions. While both watches still feature battery-saving MIP displays, Garmin continued its transition to AMOLED by offering the popular Fenix in three AMOLED sizes as well.
Previously, Garmin sold the “Epix” line as an AMOLED alternative to Fenix, so I asked my Garmin rep if this news meant Epix was dead. She replied, “Yes, we are combining Solar/MIP and AMOLED under the Fenix family, which has established itself as a very reputable brand over the past decade.”
The Garmin fenix 8 AMOLED arrives today in 43mm, 47mm, or 51mm sizes, while the fenix 8 Solar has 47mm and 51mm models. You’ll need the 51mm AMOLED to match the 47mm Solar’s 29-day battery life; the 51mm fenix 8 Solar hits a whopping 48 days per charge.
At the same time, the MIP-only 51mm Garmin Enduro 3 has arrived with a 90-day battery life and up to 320 hours of GPS or 120 hours of multi-band GPS. Garmin attributes this to its “larger, more efficient solar lens” that “offers more than twice the solar panel of the previous Enduro model.”
As always, the Garmin Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 will set you back a pretty penny. The Enduro 3 is the cheapest, at $899, while the Fenix 8 costs between $999 and $1,199, depending on size and titanium bezel or sapphire lens options.
Below we'll break down the new hardware and software tricks for both the Garmin fenix 8 and Enduro 3. Otherwise, Garmin is live broadcast Its launch at Fenix and Enduro at Charmonix starts at 7am ET today, if you want to see it up close.
Garmin fenix 8
In addition to replacing the Epix series, the Garmin fenix 8 will also encroach on Descent territory: It will have “leakproof metal buttons” and a “40-meter dive rating” with scuba and freediving activities added. That’s on top of the same MIL-STD-810H rating for thermal, shock, and water resistance as the fenix 7.
As before, it will have a built-in microphone and speaker for phone calls and transfer commands to the Google Assistant, Siri or Bixby. For the first time, Garmin is adding Guard Commands Such as “set a 5-minute timer,” “save waypoint,” or “start a strength training activity.” This feature has been long overdue, as many cheaper fitness brands have these types of commands, and I hope Garmin will incorporate it into the product lineup. Place 3 and latest generation models.
What I'm most excited about, though, is the new “Advanced Strength Training” update. Garmin promises that athletes will receive “targeted 4- to 6-week strength training plans to help them reach their personal goals, plus sport-specific workouts for athletes of all types, including trail runners, surfers, skiers, and more.”
Many Garmin watches have thousands of animated workouts with muscle maps, but Garmin's indoor workouts are too limited:Creating your own workouts is a slow process, and you won't find a wide variety of pre-defined workouts. Garmin's new Advanced Strength Training seems to do the trick, the equivalent of a Garmin Coach cross-training calendar that adjusts based on your skill level, equipment, and favorite sports.
While only the fenix 7X and Pro models had LED flashlights, it looks like all sizes of the fenix 8 will have an LED flashlight for your nighttime workouts. And you'll now have access to the Garmin Messenger app on the watch itself, in case of emergency.
Garmin also promises a “new map interface” for its TopoActive maps that allows for “customizable map layers,” but the press release doesn’t detail how this will work.
The coolest thing (in my opinion) is the new “dynamic round-trip routing.” Basically, it sounds like you’ll be able to pick a hiking destination and your intended distance, and have Garmin show you possible return routes and how long each one would take. This will help you keep your local park’s trails up to date, save you time searching for new trails on Alltrails, and ensure you get back to your car before dark.
These are all the new features of the Garmin fenix 8 that the company has revealed so far. Otherwise, you'll find plenty of familiar training tools: Workout Readiness, Endurance Score, Slope Score, VO2 Max, PacePro, ClimbPro, and Garmin Coach. You also get ECG readings, HRV status, pulse oximeter, and sleep coaching with nap detection.
Compared to others Garmin watchesYou'll get more advanced sports modes, TopoActive maps, multi-band GPS, longer battery life and a more durable design with the fenix 8 series.
Garmin Enduro 3
As mentioned above, the Garmin Enduro 3 outperforms the Enduro 2 in solar-powered smartwatch days (90 vs. 46 days), GPS hours (320 vs. 150 hours), and multi-band GPS hours (120 vs. 81 hours), thanks to a new solar panel.
I'm assuming it's the same refurbished solar panel that was added to the Solar Instinct 2X in 2023, as the Enduro 2 was released in 2022. To put that into context, that watch lasts for 145 hours of GPS or 36 hours of multi-band GPS. The Enduro 3 costs twice as much and lasts twice as long, so you can decide if you need that extra capacity or not.
Of course, the Enduro 3 has other advantages beyond battery life: a titanium bezel, a sapphire lens, a built-in LED flashlight, and a 1.4-inch MIP display that can show more text than the low-resolution two-window screen on an Instinct.
Like the fenix 8, it features preloaded topographic, golf and ski maps, plus new dynamic round-trip routing and advanced strength training plan features. Plus, it gets ECG readings for atrial fibrillation detection and a built-in LED flashlight for the first time.
Garmin claims the Enduro 3 weighs 63g (I assume without the strap) and ships with an UltraFit nylon strap. The strapless Enduro 2 weighs 64g, so I assume the experience will be comparable. It’s also important to note that the Enduro 3’s improved battery life comes from getting just a few hours of sunlight per day. Depending on the conditions where you live or hike, your Enduro 3 may not last as long as Garmin promises on paper.
