Unofficial Review - Garmin Fenix 8 51mm AMOLED Watch Review - A golfers perspective

[MissionMan]

The new Garmin Fenix Watch range has just been released so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it from a golfers perspective.

I’ve included a fairly detailed overview of the Garmin golf software/ecosystem, as I have been using a Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar for a while. I thought it may be helpful as the ecosystem is a large part of the purchase. If you’re looking for something you can read in 30 seconds, go straight to the conclusion at the bottom; otherwise, strap yourself in for something lengthy with a lot of screenshots to break the boredom.

I’m not new to Garmin. I’m coming from a Fenix 7. I haven't been 100% happy with Fenix 7, primarily the screen quality, as I came from the Apple watch looking for better battery life. The screen on the Apple watch was brighter and higher resolution. The issue was my fault and my failure to research properly. Garmin has two models in their premium range, one of which is a better quality screen version called the Epix. I should really have got the Epix, not the Fenix. The Epix came with an OLED screen while the Fenix came with the MIP screen, so they are really targeted at different audiences.

Garmin has now merged the entire range into a single Fenix range with MIP/AMOLED options on each side. I think it makes it far easier for people outside the Garmin ecosystem to understand the range and fewer mistakes like I made. When the new range Fenix was announced, I used it as an opportunity to fix my mistake and shift to an OLED-style screen, or the new AMOLED in this case. I also went to a slightly larger screen, 51mm, instead of my current 47mm. I'm getting old, so the extra screen size will help.

I ordered the Carbon Grey DLC version and added an orange strap as a side order. There is a version that comes with the orange strap, but I’m not a fan of the orange metal piece that protects the depth gauge and microphone on the side of the watch, particularly if I want to use it with something like a leather strap. The version I bought has a plain black frame making it easier to match with other strap options.

Packaging and construction

The Fenix 8 is not cheap ($1,200 retail). The boxing matches previous generations and doesn’t feel cheap, but it is underwhelming compared to other premium watch experiences like Apple. Maybe it's an effort by organisations to limit their carbon footprint, but I still think it could be better.

Inside the box, you’ll find the watch with strap, basic instruction guide and charging cable. The charging cable is a proprietary Garmin cable and the watch has no wireless charging capability. The lack of wireless charging is disappointing but we are also talking about something you only have to charge once every 2 weeks.

The build quality of the watch is pretty much flawless. The watch is sturdy and well-constructed. The buttons are solid, and feel different to the previous generation, a little more of a spongy feel to them. Apparently this is to address the increased diving capability.

The screen is a sapphire scratch proof screen. The AMOLED screen quality is impeccable, it looks beautiful and vibrant. Resolution is 480×480 which is more than adequate for a screen of this size. I can't physically see any pixels here where with my Fenix 7 MIP Screen I could.

The speaker isn't going to win awards but I'm guessing this won't be anyone's first choice of boom box. Straps are easily to change using something called Quickfit and there are a large variety of Garmin and aftermarket straps available.

There is a tiny flash light on the top of the watch. You can adjust brightness and colour can be switched between white and red. Initially I didn't think I would use it much, but it's been handy for times when I don't have my phone with me like taking the dustbins out.

AMOLED vs MIP

In the introduction I mentioned wanting to move from MIP to AMOLED. For those who don't know the difference, MIP (Memory in pixels) doesn't emit visible light while AMOLED is similar to what you have in your smartphone. MIP is like a colour version of the old LCD Casio watches that lasted forever, but required a light in the corner of the screen when it went dark. It works well outdoors but bad indoors, whilst AMOLED is harder to see outdoors, but great indoors.

Like most things, it's about compromise, and Garmin tried to give consumers the option to pick their own, as both options are available in the Fenix 8 lineup.

MIP has a much longer battery life, over twice as long. The MIP version (which also benefits from solar charging) has a battery life of 30-48 days, depending on how much sun you have, while the AMOLED version 13 days (always on) and 29 days using gesture where the screen only comes on when you look at it. I'm currently using it in gesture mode.

Colours on the MIP version are only 64 colours, while the AMOLED has 64,000 colours. Aside from the colours, AMOLED has a much higher resolution with 454x454 vs 280x280. It's three times the resolution on the AMOLED, with 230,400 over 78,400.

Here is MIP and AMOLED indoors with the MIP light on

Here is MIP and AMOLED indoors with the MIP light off

Setup

If this is your first Garmin, the setup process isn't difficult. The watch prompts you with a QR code on the screen. It will either take you to the app in your phone app store, or open the app if you already have it installed. One app is mandatory (Garmin Connect) to connect and setup the device, a secondary Connect IQ is the Garmin App Store where you are able to source a large variety of apps, data sources and watch faces. If you plan on using it for Golf, you can install the Garmin Golf app on your phone.

I probably should have waited for the update to complete before I started the setup. Being a new release, the OS was flakey, with a substantial amount of lag. After subsequent updates, it's been performing much better. I suspect it will still need another update or two, such is the nature of new releases.

For those upgrading from a previous generation Garmin, there is no automatic upgrade process, but it’s a relatively painless exercise to setup as it does still take most of the exercise and health history from your phone if you've previously setup a device. .

Features (some - not too detailed or I could be here for hours)

The Fenix 8 feature list is longer than some of my golfing buddies drives so I’m not going to list them all here. You can take a look at the Garmin website if you want to see them in more detailed version. Some highlights:

• 13 days (always on) or 29 days (gesture) of battery life
• Sapphire scratch proof AMOLED screen
• Microphone and speaker (the previous gen didn’t have the microphone)
• Recreational diving capability 
• Built in LED flashlight with both white and red options
• Training Status, Recover time and a variety of workouts
• Lots of sensors and Apps

As I mentioned previously, I shifted to Garmin for battery life and I think it's one area Garmin obliterates Apple. The battery life is 10 times longer than the Apple Watch Ultra 2 which is only 1.5 days. If you shift to gesture, it increases to nearly 20 times longer.

The AMOLED screen is gorgeous. I know a lot of people are happy with the MIP screen, but I’m not one of them. This is a copy of the screen at full resolution, so it's easy to imagine how clear this is on a watch screen that is only 2 inches across.

I feel Garmin is more of a sports smartwatch, whereas Apple is just a smartwatch. As an example, it wasn't uncommon for me to have my Apple Watch battery go flat during heavy or lengthy exercise sessions, which simply doesn't happen with the Garmin.

For those who have never used Garmin, if you're worried about your notifications, which I feel is the main reason most people rely on their smartwatch, you'll have a complete set of notifications with the Garmin. It replicates all the notifications coming from your phone straight onto your watch.

Where Apple betters the Garmin is in responses to notification. If you just read your notifications, the Garmin is fine. If you want to use the watch to reply to a message, Apple is better.

In line with focussing on sports/golf, there are plenty of training options embedded in the Garmin watch out of the box. As expected, these are focussed around traditional exercising like cycling and running. It would be great to see a training program specifically focussed around golf fitness, as nothing exists. 

Garmin also includes a customisable morning report, giving you feedback on the upcoming day, including weather, your training levels and anything else that may be relevant. 

Garmin Golf App

This is what we're all here at the end of the day. Garmin Golf is preinstalled on the watch. It is where I believe Garmin excels, and not just the watch itself, but the Garmin Golf ecosystem as a whole.

Garmin Golf (which integrates with the Garmin Z series range finders, R series launch monitors and CT10 club identifiers). This allows you to setup up different clubs, get distances using the launch monitor and track real time distances on the course when you hit shots.

I don’t personally have the CT10 range (concerns about durability based on some of the reviews I’ve seen), and I have distances based on a Skytrak+, so I’m not using an R10 launch monitor either. I do use the Z30 as my range finder so I’ve got a partial ecosystem.

Getting a game started is really easy:

1. Top right button to access activities
2. Top right button for Golf is the first app at the top, so I just tap it again.
3. It'll search for a course nearby based on the GPS location
4. If there is only one course, it will select the correct course, or it will present multiple options.
5. It asks which tee you are off
6. Finally, it'll ask if you want it to track the number of strokes automatically, and you're ready to go

That may seem like a few steps, but in reality, you're clicking the same button a few times in a tow, so it's not a lengthy or difficult process. 3 quick clicks will have the golf app activated and searching for the course.

Most of the time, the first view you get will be something like this off the tee. The white ring is an indicator of your driving distance (or selected club), while the blue, white and red bands shows 200/150/100 locations to give you an indication of how you could approach the hole. In this case, the large volume of trees and narrow fairways may promote rather taking an iron off the tee.

The man in white at the bottom of the screen is your caddy, so if he will indicate on distance to the green or pin if you've lasered it. In this case, I've tried to pick a location where it will show a caddy recommendation so I'm doing a measurement only 115 yards from the tee. His recommendation is that I hit my 3W. These recommendations will be based on your average shot distance if you have built up sufficient history to measure it, but you can manually insert distances to start.

You have the ability to zoom in and try understand the distance to a different landing spot, to avoid a fairway bunker as an example. The white curve on the top right allows you to drag your finger up or down to zoom if you need a little more accuracy when placing the mark.

A menu option also allows you to access a green map that helps understand the slopes before you approach a green. While you may not like pin chasing, but knowing whether the best play is long or short is helpful. Strong downhill putts on fast stimp could be brutal, so erring on the low side of the hole is better. Again, the zoom curve appears although zoom is limited in competition mode.

Using the smartphone integration, it has a plays-like features, including wind speed, direction and density, and if you’re not sure what parts are legal for competition, it’ll automatically switch off the features that aren’t competition legal (Pin seeker and plays like) if you set it to competition mode. Here it shows slope, wind and air density

As a side note, Green Slopes capability (along with some of the other functionality) does require a subscription. I don’t think the slope percentages are professional level accurate but they’re good enough to help identify ridges and general slope steepness, and occasionally push in the right direction for those flat putts that could go either way. Here is a comparison between the free and paid versions.

My personal view is if you purchased the Z30 or Garmin Fenix, the greens should be free. Most of the premium functionality is targeted at R10 owners:

Combined with other devices in the Garmin ecosystem like the Z30, functionality is extended to include pin location. It will show exactly where on the green the pin is located (with front and rear measurements) when your laser the pin. If you range a general obstacle like a tree, it will automatically zoom into the laser location on your watch screen. There is a lot more included with the Z30, so you can see the separate review I put together here.

The shot tracking is obviously good, but it can be a little unreliable. It’s not going to pick up all your putts or strokes and will occasionally ask you how many strokes you made. Sometimes, I’ll have a practice swing while waiting for someone, and it’ll register it as an additional stroke. For social rounds, it’s not a big deal and easy to fix. For comp rounds, I score in a proper comp tracker.

Negatives

Like most things, the Fenix 8 isn't perfect.

First off, I'll say that I should have updated it before trying to set it up. Rookie mistake with a new release. The software installed was pretty laggy/buggy but as soon as it updated, things improved drastically.

Next, no wireless charging? I appreciated that they couldn't put USB-C on it because of the waterproofing levels required for diving, but no wireless seems a little 2020ish.

I think the workout area could be improved over current capability. It seems to be very running/cycling / gym focussed, down to the naming conventions used. Trying to add custom work outs can be challenging, because activities can't be given custom names. It's also not possible to add custom exercises.

Finally, the Garmin Fenix is a premium pricing range, but the strap pricing is a little ridiculous. $150 for a mediocre leather strap, $300 for a titanium link bracelet? These aren't priced up because of high quality; it's priced up because of the Garmin logo.

What other improvements would I like to see?

Garmin has invested a lot in the golf ecosystem, so I was surprised that there aren’t any decent training plans for golf. It's great that you can play golf and see important things like distances to pins, but how about helping you score by improving your warm-up routine at the course or helping you increase your distance or flexibility?

They have these available for other sports, and it seems like a big miss not to include these for golf.

The kinds of things they could cover include:

• Pre-game warm up and stretching routines
• Range warm-up
• Golf Strength training workouts
• Golf flexibility training workouts

I have created some of my own, but it would be nice if these were provided standard.

Conclusion

Overall, there isn’t a lot you can fault the Garmin Fenix, it’s a really impressive system. As far as a golf ecosystem goes, Garmin is becoming one of the leaders in this space, and whilst I think there are some small gaps around pre-game warmups, there aren't many gaps in the golf offering as a whole.

By comparison to the Apple Ultra Watch 2,  I think it’s a much better product. It has 10 times the battery life, or 20 in the gesture mode I use, removing the need to charge every night., or even every week. I can go away for 2 weeks and not even bring my charger.

The issues I noted are small. Some will say the price is excessive but it's not unreasonable given the construction and quality.

 If you're looking for a premium watch and have the budget, I'd highly recommend it.

[Shankster]

Bravo.  Extremely well written and informative review.  I have been looking to move on from the Apple Watch because of battery life.  

[MissionMan]

1 hour ago, Shankster said:

Bravo.  Extremely well written and informative review.  I have been looking to move on from the Apple Watch because of battery life.  

Thanks.

Battery life was my killer as well. If I did kitesurfing sessions in the afternoon, I would find my battery dead by the end. 

[Rob Person]

This was an exemplary review!  Well done!

[VernL4]

Excellent review! I have a Fenix 7 solar. I'm a fan of the MIP display. Some people like it, some people don't. I work outside, so I prefer the better legibility and longer battery life when compared to the amoled screen. But yes, the amoled is much better while inside. 

I do have a question about one of your comments. You said "It's also not possible to add custom exercises." I can create custom activities on my Fenix 7. When in the list of activities, I long-press the middle-left button. There is an option to "copy activity" in that list. I've used that option to create an activity for indoor walks, and I also created a custom bike-mountain bike-bike activity. They also already have generic acitivities like "other" and "track me" that can be added to your favorite activity list, then copied and customized. All of these options for adding/copying/customizing activities are also available on the Connect app on your phone. Maybe you could take a look at one of those options. 

[MissionMan]

5 hours ago, VernL4 said:

Excellent review! I have a Fenix 7 solar. I'm a fan of the MIP display. Some people like it, some people don't. I work outside, so I prefer the better legibility and longer battery life when compared to the amoled screen. But yes, the amoled is much better while inside. 

I do have a question about one of your comments. You said "It's also not possible to add custom exercises." I can create custom activities on my Fenix 7. When in the list of activities, I long-press the middle-left button. There is an option to "copy activity" in that list. I've used that option to create an activity for indoor walks, and I also created a custom bike-mountain bike-bike activity. They also already have generic acitivities like "other" and "track me" that can be added to your favorite activity list, then copied and customized. All of these options for adding/copying/customizing activities are also available on the Connect app on your phone. Maybe you could take a look at one of those options. 

I don't actually have an issue with MIP. I know plenty of people who are happy with it. It just wasn't my preference. I think if you did a lot of outdoor stuff it would be perfect. I think part of the challenge is being over 50 means my eyesight isn't as good so I find I have to switch up brightness on my phone compared to my kids, need more light in restaurants to read menus, etc. It's seems like an issue with aging and the preference for a brighter screen.

To clarify that I meant, there are a few limitations on the custom workouts:

1. You can’t add a custom exercise if the item you need is in this list. You can add custom “workouts” which is what you are referring to, but not custom exercises. Some of the rotational exercises used in golf exercises aren’t in this list and you can’t add custom ones. You have to add their one and then in into notes what it really is which isn’t ideal. I think it would be easy for them to give people the option to add their own, along with maybe a picture or video of the exercise. 

2. They have predefined step groups (I'm pretty sure they referred to these as activity types) like warm up and workout. Again, you can’t rename these so if I wanted to use another name, I’m constrained to the structure they have. With golf, I could use warm-up for the pre-game stretching, but if you’re on the range as a pre-game activity, then having some renaming would be nice to make it golf-centric. So I would prefer to have groupings like "Pre-range Stretch" and then have another group for the pre-game range session. 

 

 

Edited September 9 by MissionMan

[Coulter]

I really like the garmin watches but the biggest problem I have is to update courses you have to do it via garmin express which can only be accessed on a Mac or pc. As I have access to neither I was unable to update the garmin s70 I bought a couple of months ago and ultimately had to return it. 

[MissionMan]

31 minutes ago, Coulter said:

I really like the garmin watches but the biggest problem I have is to update courses you have to do it via garmin express which can only be accessed on a Mac or pc. As I have access to neither I was unable to update the garmin s70 I bought a couple of months ago and ultimately had to return it. 

Can’t you update via the phone app? I’ve always had it download from my phone to watch without issues. 

[Coulter]

11 minutes ago, MissionMan said:

Can’t you update via the phone app? I’ve always had it download from my phone to watch without issues. 

No I had an issue with my home course and was told 2 times that the 1st step before they would do anything was to update the watch via garmin express NOT garmin connect (the phone app) when I told them I didn’t have access to a Mac or pc they suggested borrowing one from a friend or family member.

Edited September 10 by Coulter

[VernL4]

14 hours ago, MissionMan said:

I don't actually have an issue with MIP. I know plenty of people who are happy with it. It just wasn't my preference. I think if you did a lot of outdoor stuff it would be perfect. I think part of the challenge is being over 50 means my eyesight isn't as good so I find I have to switch up brightness on my phone compared to my kids, need more light in restaurants to read menus, etc. It's seems like an issue with aging and the preference for a brighter screen.

To clarify that I meant, there are a few limitations on the custom workouts:

1. You can’t add a custom exercise if the item you need is in this list. You can add custom “workouts” which is what you are referring to, but not custom exercises. Some of the rotational exercises used in golf exercises aren’t in this list and you can’t add custom ones. You have to add their one and then in into notes what it really is which isn’t ideal. I think it would be easy for them to give people the option to add their own, along with maybe a picture or video of the exercise. 

2. They have predefined step groups (I'm pretty sure they referred to these as activity types) like warm up and workout. Again, you can’t rename these so if I wanted to use another name, I’m constrained to the structure they have. With golf, I could use warm-up for the pre-game stretching, but if you’re on the range as a pre-game activity, then having some renaming would be nice to make it golf-centric. So I would prefer to have groupings like "Pre-range Stretch" and then have another group for the pre-game range session. 

 

 

Oh! OK, yeah, I understand now. I don't know anything about those exercises within workouts... 

[MissionMan]

12 hours ago, Coulter said:

No I had an issue with my home course and was told 2 times that the 1st step before they would do anything was to update the watch via garmin express NOT garmin connect (the phone app) when I told them I didn’t have access to a Mac or pc they suggested borrowing one from a friend or family member.

That makes more sense. It’s more of a watch software update than course update. I guess they never thought it would be an issue given many households have one of the two at home.

From what I can see you can now do it directly from a mobile device

Edited September 10 by MissionMan

[VernL4]

13 hours ago, Coulter said:

No I had an issue with my home course and was told 2 times that the 1st step before they would do anything was to update the watch via garmin express NOT garmin connect (the phone app) when I told them I didn’t have access to a Mac or pc they suggested borrowing one from a friend or family member.

Oh wow, that's a bummer! Like MissionMan said, I see an option in the Garmin Golf app on my phone to download course maps. I honestly don't know if that updates the map on the watch, though. I'm sorry to hear that you ended up returning the watch.  

[Coulter]

9 hours ago, VernL4 said:

Oh wow, that's a bummer! Like MissionMan said, I see an option in the Garmin Golf app on my phone to download course maps. I honestly don't know if that updates the map on the watch, though. I'm sorry to hear that you ended up returning the watch.  

I was bummed out for sure. The only other issue I had was going off of the amount of calories burned in a day had me close to 4000 a day which seemed pretty excessive. I’ll probably be giving garmin another try in the future as they’re definitely my favorite all around watch just for $600 I wasn’t willing to put up with the problems I was experiencing.

[Leonvdwesthuizen]

Well done @MissionMan, on a well written and explained review.

I was an early adopter of Garmin way back when I first started cycling and quickly switched over to Garmin.

Fast forward to today and I have owned more than 6 x Garmin watches and computers and I am just always in awe at how well they track activities and design their equipment.

Activity tracking is probably where they shine the most for me, as they have almost every activity, that I want to do, as an option to track.

Does the Fenix 8 track your activities in a different way than with the 7, or is it still the same ecosystem, and activity feedback you get?

How accurate do you find it to be, compared to the 7?

Thanks

 

[MissionMan]

16 minutes ago, Leonvdwesthuizen said:

Well done @MissionMan, on a well written and explained review.

I was an early adopter of Garmin way back when I first started cycling and quickly switched over to Garmin.

Fast forward to today and I have owned more than 6 x Garmin watches and computers and I am just always in awe at how well they track activities and design their equipment.

Activity tracking is probably where they shine the most for me, as they have almost every activity, that I want to do, as an option to track.

Does the Fenix 8 track your activities in a different way than with the 7, or is it still the same ecosystem, and activity feedback you get?

How accurate do you find it to be, compared to the 7?

Thanks

 

It still has the same ecosystem, so there's not a big difference in the way it tracks. Slightly different interface but exact measurements.

Hard to say on the accuracy front. I don't really have anything to test it against, and if one was different to the other, I wouldn't be able to say which was correct. 

There looks to be a pro version coming out in the next year so not sure if that will have different hardware.

[Josh Parker]

@MissionMan great review!  I love the larger face and clarity!  I have the Fenix 6 solar and have really liked the watch. I do wish the screen was that clear though. 

[Shrek74]

@MissionMan excellent write up and review. I've been wondering about these more high-end Garmin watches for some time now, especially since they can be golf watches as well as workout watches as well as smart watches all in one package.

I've had my eye on the epix (Gen2) sapphire for a while as a nice entry point into the watch ecosystem (I have an R10). I've had more less expensive workout based Garmins in the past but nothing for a while.

I've had the Galaxy Watch4, 5, and now the 7. I have a Galaxy phone as well, so they pair well together. One thing I like on the Galaxy watch better is the sensor. It's a larger diameter, but it's also not as obtrusive as the Garmin (doesn't stick out as far). The problem I've had in the past with the Garmin's was that the sensor stuck out farther, and being a smaller diameter would rub my skin and cause irritation to the point I had to take it off for several days. I don't have that with my Galaxy watch.

I've been trying to find a single watch that can be everything for me - smart watch, workout watch, golf watch, etc and not have to be swapped out when I golf just to get distances and do stat tracking (I have a Shot Scope V5 now I swap out when I golf). I had hoped Garmin could fit that role, but with the CT10 sensors being pretty much garbage and the sensor rubbing issue, I just can't pull that trigger.  I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and grab the Arccos Link Pro to go with my free sensors and the app on my phone/watch for now and get rid of my Shot Scope stuff.

But great review and glad it's more of what you needed/wanted.

[MissionMan]

4 hours ago, Shrek74 said:

@MissionMan excellent write up and review. I've been wondering about these more high-end Garmin watches for some time now, especially since they can be golf watches as well as workout watches as well as smart watches all in one package.

I've had my eye on the epix (Gen2) sapphire for a while as a nice entry point into the watch ecosystem (I have an R10). I've had more less expensive workout based Garmins in the past but nothing for a while.

I've had the Galaxy Watch4, 5, and now the 7. I have a Galaxy phone as well, so they pair well together. One thing I like on the Galaxy watch better is the sensor. It's a larger diameter, but it's also not as obtrusive as the Garmin (doesn't stick out as far). The problem I've had in the past with the Garmin's was that the sensor stuck out farther, and being a smaller diameter would rub my skin and cause irritation to the point I had to take it off for several days. I don't have that with my Galaxy watch.

I've been trying to find a single watch that can be everything for me - smart watch, workout watch, golf watch, etc and not have to be swapped out when I golf just to get distances and do stat tracking (I have a Shot Scope V5 now I swap out when I golf). I had hoped Garmin could fit that role, but with the CT10 sensors being pretty much garbage and the sensor rubbing issue, I just can't pull that trigger.  I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and grab the Arccos Link Pro to go with my free sensors and the app on my phone/watch for now and get rid of my Shot Scope stuff.

But great review and glad it's more of what you needed/wanted.

Appreciate the feedback. 

The ct10 issue is odd. Seems to be a lot of people having issues with them either getting lost or breaking. Hopefully it gets fixed with the next gen. 

Edited September 18 by MissionMan

[Shrek74]

1 hour ago, MissionMan said:

Appreciate the feedback. 

The ct10 issue is odd. Seems to be a lot of people having issues with them either getting lost or breaking. Hopefully it gets fixed with the next gen. 

Yeah, it's been a really disappointing part of their ecosystem. They're really expensive and they're enormous. Plus, they either break or just randomly fall off and get lost. They really need to fix them to be competitive at all.