Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED Sapphire Titanium watch is one of the most premium watch in the Fenix series, which is made for some high end watches. But this feature rich watch is made for multi-sport GPS smartwatch, it is extremely durable, provides precise navigation, high performance athletic tracking and many more features. Let us get to the details:
When it comes to a watch, as a wearable technology piece, it is important to know the durability. This watch is specifically made for outdoors, therefore, its built is structurally sound, here is the breakdown.
- Titanium Bezel and Metal Rear Cover: Two purposes are sought out here, firstly it needs to be lightweight for the user, titanium bezel is perfect for the watch, it is lighter than steel and optimises structural strength and resists damages that a normal watch might incur on impact. The metal back protects internal sensors from vagaries of outdoor environment.
- Sapphire Crystal Lens: Outdoor adventure sports will incurs scratches from rocks or sand or any other equipment you may handle. Utility would greatly diminish if such damage causes readability issues, this is where crystal sapphire lens comes in, these lens provide ultra hard scratch resistant barrier over display so as not to degrade the readability.
- Vivid AMOLED Display: With an option for always-on display, the screen is readable even under the midday sun or a pitch black environment. It provides legible split second metrics, especially useful for people on the move in challenging environments.
- Leakproof Inductive Metal Buttons: In order to eliminate any change of mechanical failure in an high pressure environment like what a diver faces no mechanical seals have been used. Instead, non- penetrative, pressure sensitive electronic buttons are used to ensure functioning in all environments.
Now that you know most outside materials for Garmin Fenix 8, let us move on to the hardware utilities and sensors of this watch. It is top notch features. Know more:
- Built-In Variable LED Flashlight: This light could be the difference between someone spotting you or not in dark environments where visibility is near zero, or when you want to look at something at close range and you do not have the luxury of a flashlight. The built in variable flashlight works in 3 different ways. Firstly, immediate beam of light with adjustable settings allows you to view at something in dark places. Secondly, red safety light tell anyone around you of your location and acts as emergency trail light. Thirdly, it is a running safety strobe, if you put it on during a run, it will simply match the stride of the athlete.
- Integrated Speaker and Microphone: This feature has dual functionality, when paired in Bluetooth with your phone it allows you to take calls and access voice assistant. Second feature is that it also has certain offline commands, it allows users to set timers or start workouts with needing a phone and while being handsfree.
- Gen 5 Heart Rate Monitor: Recording heart rate data during high motion, high activity and resting periods is one of the best ways of knowing your heart health, Fenix 8 scans blood flow patterns with advanced optical array to ensure you get accurate and real time heart data.
- Pulse Ox (Blood Oxygen Saturation Sensor): For any mountaineering expedition, tracking high altitude acclimation is an important requirement, pulse ox measures the oxygenation levels in bloodstream to help you get better idea about yourself. This metric is also used to keep a tab on breathing efficiency during deep sleep.
- ABC Sensors: These are some of the most important features to have in a watch specifically made for outdoor adventures and professionals. A stands for Altimeter needed for tracking elevation changes, B stands for Barometer important for monitoring atmospheric pressure drops which can warn of incoming storms. C stands of 3-Axis Compass which provides precise directional orientation even if you are not moving around.
- Ambient Light Sensor: This sensor works towards conserving battery power. It samples luminance around you. It keeps adjusting brightness of AMOLED panel and conserves battery power. It also maximizes brightness to help you see the screen in blazing outdoor light.
- QZSS and BeiDou Satellite Support: QZSS is the Japanese regional satellite network and the BeiDou is the Chinese regional satellite, this when combined with GPS, GLONASS and Galileo. With support with of global satellite system, this watch is good to wear anywhere where there is satellite compliance in the world.
The Garmin Fenix 8 is a sports smartwatch with some incredible capabilities when it comes to marine and diving. Here are some of them:
- 40m Water/Dive Rating: This watch is certified for recreational scuba diving and apnea, i.e. freediving upto 40 meters under water. It has acquired the EN13319 compliance.
- Integrated Depth Gauge: This watch can display the ascent and descent rates, decompression metrics during dives, it also displays your depth in real time, so you know how much deep you are under the surface.
- Surface Interval and NO-Fly Tracking: This is one of the most important features, where a diver has to ensure he/she do not board a commercial airliner right after the dive otherwise it could cause serious health issues. For a single dive wait period is atleast 12 hours and for multiple dives it is minimum of 18 to 24 hours. This tracking can actually help you remain healthy and well without formation of nitrogen bubbles in your body.
- Useful for Triathlon Participants: During triathlons, the athlete switches between different sports with no time to waste, this watch is equipped to detect change in the sport without the user needing to change the discipline each time the sport changes. Also useful for people who may be used to a jog followed by a swim, on a regular basis.
- Real Time Stamina and Hill – Endurance Scores: For those who go for endurance training, running uphill or trekking or all day endurance, this watch tracks your health and energy levels in real-time letting you know the time when your energy levels are falling low. Or when you need to replenish to stay energetic.
- Dynamic Round Trip Routing: If you have set a target distance for the day and you started off on a route, the watch will calculate the route back to the starting point and the time of return, so that you will have completed your target distance for the day. This way you do not need to do the calculation or keep a lookout when yo u need to turn back. This is a useful feature to have especially when you are off on a long run.
- Targeted Strength Training Plans: Many a times, you may not wish to follow on your fitness regimen simply because there is not definite gameplan. However, with Garmin Fenix 8 you have a regular 4-6 week sport specific workout sessions which are tailored for running, cycling and other multisport activities to ensure you are on your way to your target fitness.
- Sleep Coach and Nap Detection: Sleep and rest is necessary after workouts and physical training, therefore, tracking sleep time and nap time is an absolute necessity for ensuring that the fitness routine works well. Sleep coach and nap detection automatically logs your sleep duration, quality of sleep and nap time to provide you appropriate data for your fitness regimen.
- Training Readiness and Morning Report: So only if you have rested well during the night, you can follow up with your regular workout during the day. This watch compiles data of the previous day including data like the HRV status, recovery time and acute training load to ensure you have recovered for the present day’s workout.
- Other Features: There are several other useful features like the QWERTY keyboard for easy typing, facility to activate smartphone voice assistants execute voice commands and ability of taking voice notes, focus modes to help you concentrate on all that matters, protective sensor guards to prevent damage and debris buildup, etc.
There are a few variations in the Garmin Fenix 8 smartwatch capabilities, however, most remain almost the same, there is hardly any change in the hardware components. Beware, because some refurbished models cost almost exactly as much.