Latest news with #GarminFenix8
Tom's Guide
6 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Garmin Fenix 7 Pro hits lowest ever price for Prime Day — here's why I'd get it ahead of the Fenix 8
The Garmin Fenix 7 Pro is a regular in sales, having been released two years ago and since superseded by the Garmin Fenix 8. However, I've never seen the price of the sapphire solar model of the watch drop as low as $499, which it's going for on Amazon right now just before Prime Day technically starts. That's a $400 saving on its full price and half the price of the equivalent model of the Garmin Fenix 8. The Fenix 7 Pro might not be the newest option in Garmin's range, but there's no better sports watch available for $499. The Fenix 7 Pro has crashed to its lowest ever price just ahead of Prime Day, with this deal on the sapphire titanium model of the watch making it half the price of the equivalent Fenix 8. You won't find a better sports watch for $499, with the Fenix 7 Pro offering top-tier sports tracking, training analysis and navigation features, plus outstanding battery life, all in a durable and attractive watch. The Garmin Fenix 7 Pro was once the flagship watch in the brand's range, and it still has almost all of the key sports tracking features you get on the best Garmin watches. It offers precise tracking, the best navigation tools available from any brand including offline maps, detailed training analysis and a rugged but lightweight design. Compared with the Garmin Fenix 8 Solar model, you don't get the mic and speaker and diveproof design of the new watch, and you also miss out on some running analysis features like running economy estimates, but the core tracking experience is still the same. This deal is on the sapphire titanium model of the Fenix 7 Pro, which has a more scratch-resistant screen and durable bezel than the standard steel watch. This deal is on the sapphire titanium model of the Fenix 7 Pro, which has a more scratch-resistant screen and durable bezel than the standard steel watch, which actually isn't available in a deal for less than the sapphire watch right now. I wore the Fenix 7 Pro for over a month during my testing and the key advantage it offers over Garmins with an AMOLED display like the Epix Pro is battery life. The Fenix 7 Pro has a memory-in-pixel display, which means it lasted three weeks on a charge for me even when running 60-70 miles a week. That battery life can be boosted significantly in sunny conditions too, with the solar panels that run around the watch face able to add several days of battery life if you're out in the sun for three hours every day. To put this deal price into perspective, right now the Fenix 7 Pro is cheaper than the Garmin Forerunner 570, a mid-range watch with far fewer sports features that also doesn't have maps. It's a fantastic deal and a price I doubt will be bettered even when Prime Day gets into full swing.
Tom's Guide
25-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
Garmin Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 get 28 upgrades in free software update — here are the 6 best new features
Garmin Fenix 8 owners are unlikely to have had any interest in buying the new Garmin Venu X1 and Garmin Forerunner 970 watches — they already own one of the best Garmin watches, after all. They should have been paying close attention to those new launches, however. Both the Venu X1 and Forerunner 970 arrived with new features that weren't yet on the Fenix 8, like running economy measurements and a smart alarm. Those upgrades are now heading for the Fenix 8, along with the Garmin Enduro 3 and Fenix E, courtesy of a free software update that is now available as part of Garmin's Public Beta program, and will go on wider release in due course. There are 28 new features in total in the software update, along with 30 fixes and other improvements for the watches. You can see the full release notes on the Garmin Forum, and if you're signed up to the Public Beta program you can get it now by hitting 'check for updates' in the settings menu on your watch. The flagship sports watch in Garmin's range now has the features introduced on the Forerunner 970 and Venu X1. It's a fantastic sports and adventure watch that lives up to its high price, and should start to appear more regularly in sales in the second half of 2025. I've been testing the Forerunner 970 and Venu X1 since they launched and have tried the new features heading for the Fenix 8/E and Enduro 3. Here are the ones you should be most excited about. This is my favorite new feature from the Forerunner 970. Running tolerance estimates how much mileage your body can handle in a week based on recent training, and takes into account how hard your runs actually are. For example, when I did a flat-out 10K race, and the impact deemed to be 15km of running. So my acute impact load for that week was higher than my actual mileage — a helpful reminder that hard runs have more of an effect on the body. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. You can use this feature to build up your mileage gradually and safely, and ensure not doing more running than your body can handle in total. While avoiding excessive fast or hard running, which increases your risk of injury. Each evening your watch will now give a breakdown of your day's activities and things like your stress levels throughout the day, and give a sleep suggestion from Garmin's Sleep Coach feature, which basically amounts to saying you need more or less sleep than usual. The report also shows upcoming weather and appointments, along with your suggested workout for the following day. It's a handy way to get your data from the day shown to you without digging through a load of menus or widgets. To get these new stats you'll need to use your watch with the Garmin HRM600 chest strap, which enables measurement of your step speed loss during runs. This shows how much you slow down with each step, with a lower number being better as it takes less effort to then speed up again during a stride. These step speed loss measurements feed into an overall running economy estimate, which says how efficient you are as a runner. It takes a few runs to get the running economy measurement on the watch, but once you do it's another handy way to look at the impact of your training in making you a better runner. In general, running more and doing structured training will help to improve your running economy, and a more efficient runner is a faster one, because it takes less effort to maintain higher speeds if you're running more economically. The smart alarm feature initially launched on the Garmin Vivoactive 6 and is also on the Venu X1, and basically involves the watch tracking your sleep and waking you up when you're not in deep or REM sleep so you don't feel groggy. You set a 30-minute window when you want to be woken up, and your watch will then detect when you're in light sleep and buzz to wake you. As someone who has two young children I haven't needed an alarm in years, but lately my youngest has decided to sleep in on rare occasions — usually when I need to be up early myself — so I've tried the smart alarm. I wouldn't say I've felt less groggy while using it to wake up, but that could be because it's summer and I'm generally waking up early naturally as it's lighter. Once the dark days of winter arrive it should be a handy addition to my watch, and it will be more useful for those with less consistent sleep schedules. Turning your $1000 smartwatch into a retro Casio calculator watch is surprisingly enjoyable, and the calculator app available in the update also includes a useful tool to work out tips and split bills between people. Focus modes allow you to say which notifications you want coming into your watch at certain times, if any. Standard focus modes on Garmin watches include sleep and activity, and since this update you can now create your own modes to turn on in certain situations, like when you're watching a movie. To get the update now you have to enroll in Garmin's Public Beta program through the Garmin Connect website. Navigate to your device page there and click 'Join Beta Software program'. This will give you access to early updates, but it does also mean that you won't be getting the finalized versions of that software, so it can mean less stable performance, though I haven't had any real problems using the program myself. However, there is a downside if using the program as a Fenix 8 user. The watch's ECG and Dive features are disabled when using the current beta software, so you'll have to wait for the full update if you want to keep those features.
Tom's Guide
19-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
I used the Garmin Epix Pro for a year and it just hit its lowest ever price on Amazon
While I love testing out the latest Garmin watches like the Fenix 8, the high price of new sports watches means there is always value to be found in hunting for deals on older models. That's made abundantly clear by this incredible discount on the 51mm model of the Garmin Epix Pro, which is reduced to $689 at Amazon right now, a $410 saving that brings the watch down to the lowest price I've ever seen it. LOWEST PRICE! This deal reduces the 51mm Epix Pro to its lowest ever price, and for $689 you're getting an incredible AMOLED sports watch that has best-in-class navigation tools on top of the tracking and training analysis it offers. As this is the largest watch in the Epix Pro range, you also get excellent battery life, and the titanium case and sapphire crystal screen mean that it's light and durable too. The Garmin Epix Pro is the predecessor to the Garmin Fenix 8, which is undoubtedly a fantastic sports watch but costs over $1000. As someone who has used both watches extensively, running marathons with both and using the Epix Pro for a year, I'd say the older model definitely offers better value right now. That's especially true because this deal is on the titanium model of the Epix Pro, which is lighter and more durable than the standard steel watch, and it has a scratch-resistant sapphire screen, so you can be sure it will last you many years of heavy use. My Epix Pro barely has a mark on it after a year of everyday use, and I preferred using the larger 51mm model of the watch because of its bigger screen and impressive battery life — even with the always-on AMOLED screen enabled it lasted me 10 days on a charge when running 70-80 miles a week. Newer Garmin models like the Garmin Fenix 8 and Garmin Forerunner 970 have some upgrades like the addition of a mic and speaker and some new training analysis, but the core experience of using the Epix Pro is similar, and it's just as accurate a sports tracker. It also has Garmin's latest heart rate sensor on board, which is one of the most accurate optical sensors I've tested on a sports watch, and a built-in flashlight, which I've found incredibly handy throughout testing. If you'd prefer a smaller watch the Garmin Epix Pro 47mm is reduced to $699 in the Amazon sale. It has a slightly smaller display and shorter battery life than the 51mm watch, and is $10 more expensive, but that's still a great price if you feel the 51mm is too large for your wrist.
Tom's Guide
12-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
Garmin takes on Apple Watch Ultra — here's the first look at the Garmin Venu X1
Garmin has launched the Venu X1, an all-new smartwatch that has the largest AMOLED display in the brand's range and a square design. It looks like a direct rival to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and is priced accordingly — it will set you back $799.99 in the U.S. and £679.99 in the U.K., and will be available to order on 18 June. As ever with the best Garmin watches, you can expect a first-class sports tracking experience, and it's clear that Garmin is keen to cut into the smartwatch market from the design of the Venu X1, which has a slim and lightweight case to go along with the vast 2-inch display. The Garmin Venu X1 comes in two colors — black and moss green – and has a nylon strap as standard, which I usually find more comfortable than silicone straps for all-day wear. It has a titanium case back and a sapphire crystal screen to ensure it's durable enough for your outdoor activities, and also has a built-in flashlight, a feature I find very useful on watches like the Garmin Fenix 8. Though it doesn't offer cellular connectivity like an Apple Watch, it has smarts like music storage, NFC payments, and a mic and speaker, which you can use for voice commands. One area where Garmin watches have always excelled compared with smartwatches is battery life, but the large screen on the Garmin Venu X1 means it will only last two days on a charge if you have the display set to always-on. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. You can extend the battery life to eight days in watch mode if you have the screen set to raise to wake, and the Venu X1 offers 16 hours of GPS tracking. The decision to opt for the brighter, larger screen over battery life is another indication that Garmin is gunning for smartwatches with the Venu X1, rather than its traditional sports watch audience.
Gizmodo
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Gizmodo
Want the Garmin Fenix 8 but Can't Afford Full Price? Amazon Just Dropped It to an All-Time Low
If you're looking for the ultimate sports smartwatch, the Garmin Fenix 8 stands as the very best of what's available today. Known for its premium build and unrivaled feature set, this watch is a dream for athletes but it comes with a price tag to match its elite status. However, if you've been holding off due to cost, now is the time to act: Amazon has just slashed the price of the Garmin Fenix 8 to an all-time low, dropping it from $1,199 to just $999 which is a 17% discount that makes this high-end device suddenly much more accessible. See at Amazon Best Sports Watch With its powerful 51mm titanium case and clear 1.4″ AMOLED screen behind the protection of a scratch-resistant sapphire lens, the Garmin Fenix 8 is built to withstand the toughest conditions. The rugged build of the watch is matched by its advanced features and it is a top seller among those who demand toughness and capability from their gear. The built-in LED flashlight gives an extra dose of safety and convenience for evening adventures and the titanium and spark orange/graphite band add a rugged and distinctive look. The watch boasts over 30 built-in sports apps, ranging from running, cycling, and swimming to more specialized activities like skiing, golfing, and even scuba diving. For endurance athletes, the watch features strength training programs that are specific to your objectives in-real-time endurance tracking and sport-specific training to push you to your limits and beyond. In smartwatch mode, the Fenix 8 runs for up to 29 days on one charge and in GPS mode, it gives up to 84 hours of continuous use which is significantly ahead of much of the competition. The watch also comes with a microphone and speaker so you can receive and make calls from the wrist with your smartphone pairing. You can even use your smartphone's voice assistant to read messages and commands and there is an off-grid voice command that allows you to access some watch controls even if you're not connected to your smartphone. Convenient navigation is delivered through multi-band GPS with SatIQ technology to ensure the most accurate positioning regardless of where you are. Built-in sensors like a 3-axis compass, a gyroscope and a barometric altimeter also help keep you on track when venturing outdoors. Dynamic round-trip routing also introduces variety in your workouts by enabling you to enter a chosen distance and obtain turn-by-turn directions that dynamically optimize to have you back at your start point on schedule. For water sports enthusiasts, the Fenix 8 is dive-rated to 40 meters and has leakproof metal buttons so it is ready for scuba and apnea diving. Health and wellness monitoring includes comprehensive with 24/7 wrist-based heart rate tracking, advanced sleep monitoring, respiration tracking. Whether preparing for a marathon run or hiking in the backcountry, the Fenix 8 does not fail on any front. See at Amazon
