Garmin’s Fenix ​​​​8 takes on Apple Watch Ultra 2 with months of battery life

Garmin’s new $999 Fenix ​​​​8 smartwatch has many features that sound familiar Apple Watch Series 2 or Galaxy Watch Active2 owners, including a speaker, microphone, and diving tools. But the battery life is far superior to these smartwatches, as it lasts almost a month on a single charge.

Both Apple and Samsung have become competitors to Garmin’s outdoor watches in recent years, appealing to people looking for a rugged, high-quality smartwatch with longer battery life than standard models. However, the $799 Apple Watch Ultra 2 and $649 Galaxy Watch Ultra generally last between two and three days on a single charge, while the Fenix ​​8 manages a maximum of 29 days.

Garmin is focusing on sports and endurance use with the Fenix ​​8 and the $899 Enduro 3, which was also announced at the same time. The Fenix ​​8 features new sensor protection, spill-proof buttons and a 40-meter diving depth, while the Enduro 3 is lighter than Garmin’s previous Enduro watches, weighing 63 grams.

The Fenix ​​8 comes in three sizes (43, 47 or 51mm) and the battery lasts up to 29 days on the 51mm AMOLED watch, 16 days on the 47mm version and 10 days on the 43mm version. Like previous Fenix ​​watches, the Fenix ​​8 in both sizes comes in a solar version that charges the watch so you don’t have to be near a power source to charge it. This version, with a memory-in-pixel (MIP) display, lasts up to 48 days.

However, the Fenix ​​8’s speaker and microphone capabilities seem limited compared to what Apple and Samsung offer. Garmin says the Fenix ​​8 lets you make and receive calls when your phone is in range, or use voice commands like setting a timer or saving a waypoint on a map, even when you’re offline. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 has similar offline voice control, but is fully integrated with Siri online as well. It also has a new voice-controlled translation app in WatchOS 11Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra offers two voice assistants to choose from: Google Assistant or Bixby.

Garmin also introduced some new advanced strength training features with the Fenix ​​8, including four to six week workout plans that appear on the watch. Topographic maps are also built in, allowing you to view terrain contours and adjust map layers for easier navigation. The Fenix ​​8 and Enduro 3, like the Apple Watch and Galaxy Watch, feature a Food and Drug Administration-approved ECG app, as well as sleep tracking and a blood oxygen sensor.

The Fenix ​​​​8 and Enduro 3 are available from today on the Garmin website. They come to market at a time when many smartwatches are coming to market, as Google is just launching the Pixel Watch 3 and Apple is expected to announce the Apple Watch Series 10 at its September 9 event.