PUTTING FENIX 8 UPDATES To The TEST

[@CyberEditing]

Really happy with mine. It has been a superb fitness preparation tool for my Himalayan climbing expedition in November.

[@DaveDoesFitness]

Thanks for watching and hope your training is going well!

[@noisetin]

I think you nailed the conlusion at the end of your video. People have the biggest problem not only with the fact that they get a product that is slightly better than the previous generation, with a weak processor and no groundbreaking features, but mainly with the fact that they get such a product at such a price. When you also realize that it has only just been released and will be on the market for at least a year, and in the meantime the competition will be releasing their watches, the gap will be even greater.

[@UrbanArmed]

I’m glad all you Fenix 8 owners are beta testing and working out all the bugs. I’ll wait for the Fenix 8 Pro and keep rocking the Epix Pro gen 2 for now, works fine and I’m not spending over a grand for a watch with all these issues.

[@Mdogbrown]

Remember, the consumers have the power to pressure Garmin to do better. I refuse to buy the 8. I will not give them $1,000+ for a half baked watch when watches $800 less perform better and have 80% of the features. Right now, it would be wise to keep your current Garmin if it’s functioning well, or if you’re new to Garmin, look at the Fenix 7, 7 pro, Epix 2, Epix 2 pro, Enduro 2 ( or even enduro 3). I may be wrong, but it seems the Fenix 8 solar has a lot less bugs (probably because MIP doesn’t require as much processing power). This is just my opinion. If you’re reading this and have a Fenix 8 that works flawlessly then great! Keep it! Just know for the price of a glitchy Fenix 8, you could get a used Fenix AND an Apple Watch Ultra 2 lol.

[@noisetin]

This is the only language corporations understand - voting with your wallet. Look at Sonos, it hit them hard there.

[@GarminPro]

The only thing that you’re going to do is force Garmin to do, is to create a product that doesn’t have extreme battery life. Apple has the best engineers in the world, they are a $1 trillion company, and their battery life is what it is because they have high refresh Screens, and they have high clock speeds on custom silicone all that comes with a price of battery life in exchange for fluidity and performance. As someone who purchases Garmin products because I want the sports watch, I hope they keep doing what they are doing.

[@noisetin]

@@GarminPro Two mistakes in your statement: you compare a smartwatch with a sports watch, secondly you write as if there were only Garmins and Apple Watches in the world. You can easily check that Garmin's competition in sports watches such as Suunto, Coros, Polar or even the cheap Amazfit has a much more advanced and fluid UI. Garmin uses old processors/SOCs from 2-3 years ago, where in the meantime they were created with greater computing power and the same battery efficiency. There is no excuse for Garmin.

[@GarminPro]

@@noisetin the watches you mentioned are not processing the same degree of feature set. Actually, not even close. Lol

[@thetravlinman8111]

⁠@@GarminProWell said!!! People buy these watch’s for their built quality, battery life and data accuracy. These aren’t smartwatches, never have been and never will be, period.

[@christiandenhartog9833]

I had a Fenix 8 and I brought it back and now have an Epix Pro for a very nice offer and I am totally happy with it! I couldn't stand all those problems for such an expensive watch, also switched to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for a while, but am still really a Garmin fan and very happy with the Epix Pro.

[@heinzmuller8831]

It's quite possible that they're trying to find a compromise between processor performance and the watch's downtime. A more powerful processor would probably mean that the watch would have to be charged more often, more functions would also be at the expense of the processor and with the AMOLD version, this is also controlled by the processor, with MIP this is probably not as critical. I can therefore well imagine that if it is actually the same processor as the previous versions of the Fenix ​​7 and 7Pro, then they are gradually reaching the limits of what is possible. On the other hand, it's a watch, I don't have to rush through the menus like I do with a smartphone, I don't need animations or anything like that. First of all, it's important that the watch works stably and reliably and they seem to be on the right track here since the last update.

[@DaveDoesFitness]

Yes you make some great points and I think others have brought up the same that performance comes at a cost (battery life). On the other hand Garmin has built up the UI to be more graphically intensive, which seems out of line with the current level of processing power they are offering. I wish I had caught a few of the animations as well because it's frequent that those can lag, so you are right that it isn't frequent in the day you are scrolling glances, but animations are displayed regardless of input (finishing activity, reaching daily goal, etc)

[@elzLeon]

New processor power is not the only concern. Garmin would have to relearn and rewrite all of they drivers software. This also means they might need to rewrite the whole OS or make a serious adjustments. This also means Garmin will have to maintain two incompatible branches of software.

[@GarminPro]

I think it’s pretty obvious that they are not clocking the processor very high, in order to maintain battery performance. If that’s what they are doing, I’m OK with having some reduced refresh rate on the user interface, to maintain the battery life.

[@DaveDoesFitness]

Thanks for watching! I agree with that and wouldn't want to sacrifice battery (particularly on an OLED version), but I also don't think it's a refresh rate or sampling rate issue since the lists without data scroll perfectly well and respond well to touches. I think it really is just bumping up to the limits of the processor.

[@jeversace]

Just watched this and did the same fast scrolling as you did on the glances to test (as Ive never needed to do this). Mine is completely smooth even with added glances and folders. I also have the haptic feedback on so the watch is vibrating crazy while i flick scroll. I have the Amoled 47mm too. Maybe give yours a reboot after the update? Been a fantastic upgrade for me.

[@DaveDoesFitness]

Thanks for watching and giving it a test. I'll try another reboot, never hurts to try!

[@nosemellon]

Honest to god, I went from the galaxy watch ultra, pixel watch 3, trex 3 to the fenix 8 51mm….. beats them hand down….. it’s pricey, but worth every penny…. I just wish the speaker was better.

[@CoreyMarlin]

I’m generally satisfied with my Fenix 8 47mm. I believe the 47 is the ideal size for this year, but I’d love to see them incorporate a more recent chipset and increase the screen size to 1.6 inches on the 8Pro. It would have been great if this had been done with the Fenix 8 standard model.

[@antoniopaulo5071]

I've returned my Fenix 8 Amoled 47 a week after I bought it. The lagging was very anoying but that was not all; as a previous Epix Pro owner which performed like a champ, I felt a bit scammed when paid that amount of money for a Top of the market Sports Watch when in fact it's not Top at all... I'l wait for the next...

[@ace_runner]

Dave, I’m so glad you mentioned your Fenix 8 crashed when you went to save an activity recently. I bought the Enduro3 thinking I would escape these problems, but nope. My Enduro3 crashed when I went to save a long run which made me think I did something wrong. Totally lost a run and the associated metrics. Glad I still have my Fenix7 Pro.

[@jaroslavsplichal97]

Hi, thanks a lot for the video. I would like to mention that my watch is not suffering from any lagging. It could be caused either by different OS versions or by custom stuff installed on your device.

[@thomaskustvik1171]

When it comes to not lagging when you swipe, is there a speed difference when updating the screens between an amoled and a MIP watch? The resolution between the two types of screens do differ. That would be interesting to know. I am about to buy one Fenix 8 watch. Also there are rumours that there will be a fenix 8 pro later on. Is that true?

[@FranciscoGaxiola]

I have the solar version 51mm winning 11.89 and mine doesn't lag like yours. I get no lag in the widgets and it's smooth as you would expect.

[@anthonyrampino7734]

Do you think that because yours is a MIP display that it doesn’t lag?

[@markocampo8979]

@@anthonyrampino7734 yes, lower resolution would mean the processor would technically work less. I’m assuming the hardware is the limitation for a buttery smooth interface. Main reason I went with MIP also , well, aside from then increase battery life.

[@anthonyrampino7734]

@@markocampo8979 thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

[@anthonyrampino7734]

Hey Dave, I appreciate the video. Now since you are using a amoled model, is all that you showed true for the MIP version as well?

[@leeharding8306]

Mines been flawless from day one and it’s much better than I expected.

[@BilloBob1231]

Oh really huge bugs in fenix 8.... so many issues with the fenix 7 that have not been resolved! What a surprise

[@noisetin]

I was waiting or this, thank you!!

[@stefanfeenstra2421]

Sad to hear they put development time in speed change for watch face. Who cares? I did that once to never use it again, it's a sports watch. The water temperature issue I understand, but what's the big deal. Ever tried putting the Fenix over your drysuit? I don't think one percent of the users will ever do that. I never experienced any scroll lags by the way.

[@jackhigh13]

On the start of the Chicago marathon my watch started 11.89 update🤬

[@DaveDoesFitness]

Nooooo! Pretty absolute worst possible time 😭 Hope you still crushed the race! One day I'll line up at Chicago! 💪🏃

[@markmcc1]

A little quirky but I wear it 24/7. Unlike the Ultra, this is a statement watch that lets people know you're a workout person. I think it looks great and the battery life, even on the 47 is fantastic.

[@carlosjosesoto1868]

I still have hope Garmin can fix the many issues I have had with Fenix 8 AMOLED. Just yesterday mine crashed when I was about to start a half marathon race, then this morning there was no sleep data and my body battery was 5, it has crashed while navigating and while saving. It is a beautiful watch with too many issues that again I hope will be solved, but so far I feel that the price is just too high for what I got.

[@Davedublin]

I’m probably 80/20 The one thing that really bugs me is the pathetic watch faces. I thought I would have so much to chose from. To make it worse the pre installed ones are crap. I’ve bought a couple third party ones that have helped.

[@stevehallesy]

great honest review its a shame some of the main influencers aren't so honest

[@661larry]

Yes price point is crazy but coming from the Fenix 6X 51mm I have zero complaints (other than price) 😂

[@rulerofbeanvillage1716]

I’ve got the Fenix 8 solar 51, it doesn’t lag. I guess because it doesn’t have to load all those color screens.

[@DaveDoesFitness]

I have read that people with the MIP models don't seem to be affected. The displays are about half the resolution so I'd imagine they are less demanding on the processor. Thanks for watching and glad your watch is performing well! 💪🏃

[@noisetin]

@@DaveDoesFitness I can also confirm this from what I read on reddit. F8 Solar users not only do not have as many bugs as the AMOLED versions, but they also have a much smoother UI.

[@kristofigo]

In my eyes for me they fixed all the mayor issues that are important to me. HIIT timers are fixed, it IS running smoother. For me it’s now the watch how what i would expect it to be. But it will get better and better in the future of course.

[@pmedic523]

As much as I was really excited for the Fenix 8 and wanting to upgrade from my original instinct solar, I agree and think that the processor has reached its limit. I’m probably going to be waiting to see what the tactix 8 is like but unfortunately most likely will be waiting a year and a half until the pro.

[@ugursayan238]

I will continue to wait.. I don't want to buy wu 2. Come on garmin more updates. Better speaker sound when talking on the phone..... Again nice video thanks... (phone call speaker and microphone test would be great)

[@Kees_vH]

Better to have a watch with software that is a bit less smooth than a watch with super smooth software that you have to charge after a day

[@kisieloski]

Thank you for sharing this! METRONOME question. Anyone here having problems with metronome? When I try to use it for pacing my runs the sound alerts go out of rhythm all the time making this feature useless.

[@JoshyMore]

I just subscribed I love your videos very professional

[@DaveDoesFitness]

Thanks for subscribing! I'll keep working to bring quality content 💪🏃

[@rideSYV246]

Like the Team-Hat hat! 😂

[@DaveDoesFitness]

Yes! You're the first one to recognize it 😈

[@JoshyMore]

Can you track the watch to find it if we lost it?

[@360Link]

What is the name of that watch face? Tnx

[@stefanconstantinescu1576]

Fenix 8 was made to steel Android and IOS users. There is way larger market than sports one In the sports market they are already leaders They tried this with Epix but Oled display was not enough. The regular smartwatch users needed a speaker, a less rugged more classy/sophisticated look, a nicer watch face, etc etc . They new exactly what to do with Fenix 8 and it is already a succes : the sales are more than predicted, and most of the customers are not former Garmin users but Apple watch and Android watch users

[@markocampo8979]

The mip doesn’t lag

[@anthonyrampino7734]

How do you like the way the maps look on the MIP?

[@markocampo8979]

@@anthonyrampino7734 I like it. I had both the amoled and mip fenix 8 at one point. Yes, the amoled is more detailed but it does lag 1-2 seconds when I was using the map. For what you need , I think the mip is more than fine. Honestly, if you need an amoled screen, I would go for the trex 3. It’s nice, the only reason I sticked with garmin was because the solar isn’t covering the mip screen anymore. But yeah again I would go with trex 3 if you wanted amoled. I think the processor for the fenix 8 isn’t doing well with high resolution things.

[@michaelpimenteljr3530]

I don't have any issues. Actives are solid.

[@doctorkj5640]

This is really a disgrace for a company as big as Garmin to release unfinished and buggy product to the market. It seems like they’re so afraid of the competition so they rushed out the launch. I wonder how they tested the watch prior to release? Did anyone see the bugs or they just went like… ha, never mind let’s see how it goes and then we’ll fix the software if necessary….

[@rafibenatar2519]

11.89 it’s the latest as of now

[@MJMImages]

I’ve owned it since day one release and had zero issues. Love the Fenix 8.

[@blackkugu5396]

zamanla bu hız sorununa çözüm üreteceklerine eminim artık yazılımla ada fenix 9 ile :)

[@JoshyMore]

We will see this watch at Ross for $20 in a couple months…🤭

[@DaveDoesFitness]

lol let me know if you ever see it for that price! I'll get one for each wrist and maybe each ankle 😂

[@Nosci20]

They should immediately change that processor their using asap that shouldn't be on a 1200 euro watch ever! even a 99 euro smartwatch is smoother than that 1200 euro garmin jeez! thats the only reason thats keeping me away from buying Garmin because of OS lagginess! im still waiting for the rumored 8 pro and if its the same processor then im gonna stick to my AWU2

[@4bearsi678]

You get a thousand dollars worth of out dated and pathetic with the Fenix 8

[@morriemariani9646]

Garbage watch. Returned mine. For the money it's friggin useless.

[@taufiqcorvin]

Literally kept crashing and restarting as I was starting the garmin 10k race yesterday at the starting line. Just minutes before the flag off. Had to use the normal run activity instead. 🫠

[@DaveDoesFitness]

Oh no! That's a stressful way to start a race 😞 Was that with a Fenix 8 on production software? Hope you crushed the race anyway! 💪🏃