From long time Apple Watch and AWU user to Garmin Fenix 8 - Sharing the experience
Hi there!
I've recently purchased a second hand Fenix 8 Solar (10 moths old, 630€), and have sell my Apple Watch Ultra 3, and that is a good TLDR 😄
I'm a huge Apple fan with a lot of Apple devices, from Apple TVs, Macs, iPhones and until recently Apple Watches.
My first impression was that the Apple Watch is clearly much more of a smartwatch than the Fenix. The UI smoothness, menus, setup experience, notifications, replying to messages, answering calls, changing watchfaces depending on context/location, BMW digital key integration, leaving the iPhone at home while still being 100% reachable during runs… Apple is definitely ahead there.
The display difference was also immediately noticeable, although that’s expected since I went with the Fenix 8 Solar rather than the AMOLED version. The Apple Watch obviously feels much more modern and vibrant indoors, while the Garmin has more of a functional/outdoor “tool watch” feel to it.
And to be fair, I actually used many of those smartwatch features regularly. But at the same time, I always felt the fitness side of the Apple Watch was somewhat fragmented. I used Bevel for recovery/readiness style metrics and WorkOutDoors for better workout layouts and screens, but in the end it still felt like I was building a fitness ecosystem on top of a smartwatch, instead of having a watch designed around fitness from the ground up.
Deep down, I realized I actually wanted the opposite: a fitness watch that also happens to have some smart features.
I’ve also always loved the Fenix look and overall philosophy. The round rugged design, the outdoor/tool-watch vibe, and the fact that everything feels centered around training, recovery, battery life and health. Surprisingly, I don’t miss the smartwatch features as much as I expected. Most of the time my iPhone is just a pocket away anyway.
I’ll definitely miss things like BMW digital key integration, richer notifications, easier replies and LTE independence during runs — but honestly, not enough to go back.
So here I am, a new and motivated Garmin user!