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In this episode, we chat about the the new Garmin Fenix 8, the Enduro 3, and already some discussions on what we want in a Fenix 9 (or Fenix 8 Pro?), and Enduro 4. Just cause that’s the way we roll. Oh, right, Fenix E too.
0:00 Epic Testing in Spain
11:13 Garmin Fenix 8
42:33 Garmin Enduro 3
1:01:13 Garmin Fenix E
1:05:29 What’s Coming Up?
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And what do you want in FR 975? 😉
battery optimized LTE live tracking for safety and social reasons
Same screen/battery/features as Fenix 8 (47) in a lighter and cheaper package. Also i could live without the speaker/microphone, the diving stuff and the super waterproof buttons (never had problems before).
I basically want a 965+LTE+flashlight, I think?
-47mm 1.4″ AMOLED w/ 965-like or better battery specs (“up to 23 days battery”)
-LTE for at least 945LTE-like features, ideally something else “cool” (ok if using this reduces GPS/activity battery life, that’s understood)
-Flashlight
-Touchscreen
I’m also ok without the dive features or speaker/mic, I think.
My guess: With current technology, Garmin seems to consider LTE to be „too expensive“ (in terms of component space needed and battery penalty). And i can understand – for the majority of customers it‘s more important to get the maximum size of battery which can be crammed into these small cases instead of having e.g. 10% less battery for an LTE module.
I see the value & beauty of the FR9xx in their simplicity. Ideally a sports watch dedicated to running, perhaps a few other sports.
A watch to take off after the workout. Thus most smart watch functionalities not needed.
So for FR975 I hope for more precise measurement, better info on the screen, better readability, that kind of stuff. And perhaps functionality to sport without smartphone with you.
But I’m afraid it will develop to some cheaper Fenix.
Solar+MIP variant? I know, I know… it’s improbable
“We did forget to talk about one watch though, the Fenix E”
“Garmin forgot to talk about it, too”
Brutal :D
I’ve noticed that the Garmin Fenix E forum over at Garmin still only has one post (mine), basically asking what the point of it was and how it is different from the “classic” Epix Gen 2 apart from restyled case design and the UI. To be fair, they did try to answer my question, but their answer just kind of came across like, “well, you forgot the price, that’s different too”
The last time I saw a Garmin product forum as dead as the Fenix E forum was back when the Instinct eSports Edition came out.
Hello and thank you again for your absolutely brilliant work. great videos. The amazfit Trex 3 dropped , and I would thoroughly enjoy a deep dive comparison to Garmin, as the price is only a quarter with “apparently” similar features… In general I would like to see more tests with the cheap alternatives, nobody can pay these excessive prices. Fenix e seems do be DOA…
Have you realized all the software bugs people are complaining about at the “garmin forum”?
Do you know something from garmin if there will be a soon fix fir these issues?
Looking at the forum, it’s kinda a bit of a grab bag of random things. Some are personal preference things, some are UI bugs (like font sizing stuff), and some are legit issues that some people see (and others don’t).
Sifting through a few pages of legit issues, I haven’t seen some of the ones people noted (e.g. naps showing hundreds of hours), or such. I have seen ones like the surface interval resetting when you jump in the water (e.g a cannonball). But that’s more of a design aspect than a bug per see.
Either way, in terms of daily usage, I haven’t run into any bugs that are either showstoppers, or honestly even come to mind. Obviously, that’s different than general annoyances I have with the new UI design as outlined in my review.
I think you have seen the reports about the newer F8 models released by Garmin themselves (accidentally): F8 micro LED and F8 Pro (47mm) and F8 Pro (51mm). What do you think about that?
Guess I’m not going to get what I want in a Fenix (or derivative) any time soon – MIP display, no need for solar, don’t need titanium case or sapphire glass. Black bezel. 47mm.
Just a new version of what the Fenix range has been for ages, really. I don’t want my wrist lighting up like the Vegas strip / Blackpool illuminations / (insert equivalent) every time I get a notification, hence wanting a MIP display, but I’ve no need for solar and don’t really want to pay for it.
Really disappointed with the direction the range has gone in.
Ray – what’s the best place to get follow-up questions about the Fenix 8 answered by you or Des?
I’ve tried commenting on your dual YouTube video, with no luck.
Question about the current, or potential future uses of the speaker/mic:
Can you currently, or do you expect you would be able to in the future (any software incompatibilities?), have the watches with microphones read back text messages to you?
And also, to compose text responses, and send thru the watch?
Similar to how Android Auto works, while driving.
These questions assume the watch is paired to your nearby phone, but that the phone is inaccessible/outside of listening distance.
To this end, maybe the watches need something equivalent to an Android Auto mode, to take over some phone functions, while in active use.