If you don't know whether you should buy last year's Apple Watch Ultra 2 right now (at a cool discount) or wait a couple more weeks for a (presumably) improved Apple Watch Ultra 3 to (presumably) go official, you may want to pause for a second and consider the hot new Garmin Fenix 8 as well.
This is billed as the "ultimate GPS smartwatch", coming in three different sizes (two of which offer solar charging as an optional add-on), and its rugged design, health and activity tracking tools, and especially battery life look virtually impossible to beat today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and two weeks from yesterday.
If you're familiar with the Fenix 7 lineup, which includes confusing Pro, S, S Pro, X, and X Pro models, you're likely to immediately notice that every member of the new Garmin Fenix 8 family is called simply Fenix 8.
You've got 43, 47, and 51mm Fenix 8 versions, mind you, priced in the US at $1000, $1100, and $1200 respectively, as well as 47 and 51mm solar charging-equipped models that cost $1100 and $1200 respectively. How come you don't have to pay a premium for your optional solar charging functionality? It's simple - the three variants that lack that crucial battery life-maximizing feature instead come with sharp and bright AMOLED touchscreens.
Even with AMOLED, however, the Fenix 8 is capable of surviving for up to a mind-blowing 29 days between charges in a 51mm size while promising up to 10 and 16 days of battery life with 43 and 47mm cases respectively. As you can imagine, the Fenix 8 Solar takes those numbers even higher, claiming to keep the lights on for as many as 28 days and 48 days (!!!) in 47 and 51mm sizes respectively.
Speaking of surviving, the Fenix 8 series unsurprisingly shines when it comes to its build quality as well, with not just a titanium bezel like we know what Garmin rivals, but a scratch-resistant sapphire lens, "leakproof" buttons, a metal sensor guard cover, and all the necessary certifications to guarantee top-notch thermal, shock, and water protection as well.
In addition to your everyday runs, hikes, swimming sessions, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, and other "routine" (indoor and outdoor) workouts, the Fenix 8 can also keep up with your "recreational" diving, which is yet another key upgrade over the already feature-packed Fenix 7 family.
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There's even ECG monitoring technology out the box, as well as a built-in speaker, microphone, and LED flashlight for an extra touch of versatility. The all-new AMOLED display comes with an excellent resolution of up to 454 x 454 pixels and an optional always-on mode (that will of course drain your battery much faster), and in terms of US availability, your waiting times will greatly differ depending on your final model choice.
The 47mm Fenix 8 AMOLED, for instance, is available to ship in just one to three business days at the time of this writing from Garmin's official e-store, while Fenix 8 Solar variants will keep you waiting anywhere between five and eight weeks... if you order one right away.
Wait, what about the Garmin Fenix E?
That's right, there's also an "economical" new Fenix priced at... the same $799.99 tag as the state-of-the-art Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Fenix E is rather modest compared to a Fenix 8, lacking among others its "cousin's" dive rating, titanium bezel, sensor guard, flashlight functionality, solar charging capabilities, and ECG technology.
The Fenix E is a battery life champion with a beautiful screen. | Image Credit -- Garmin
That sounds like a lot of compromises for a reduced expense of $200 or $300, but the Garmin Fenix E does come with a large 47mm case (and only a 47mm case), high-quality AMOLED display, military-grade resistance to shocks, extreme temperatures, and water immersion, and perhaps most importantly, a stellar battery life rating of its own of up to 16 days.
That's something Apple and Samsung are unlikely to come close to achieving anytime soon as far as their AMOLED-sporting rugged smartwatches are concerned, so if you can't afford any of the aforementioned Fenix 8 models, you might as well order the Fenix E today and (hope to) receive it in three or four weeks.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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