Garmin Fenix 8 – What’s Wrong So Far

This article logs some of the issues I’ve found with my Fenix 8 since launch and what others have encountered via Garmin forums.

BREAKING NEWS: Fenix 8 Pro and MicroLED (superior AMOLED) models leaked, could be coming soon with significant hardware boosts

Optical HR Accuracy

Generally, accuracy has been good, thanks to warmer weather. However, on intervals and some workouts of over 100 minutes, I have found Fenix 8 has issues. It overestimates HR by 0.5-1.0bpm compared to HRM PRO Plus and Polar Sense. That’s not a problem for me, just a bit odd.

As the following chart shows from today’s workout, excess mini-peaks are often recorded (excluded from the general overestimates of 1 bpm) and entire intervals can be missed.

It’s not just me. Other independent reviewers like nakan.ch (below) find the same issue with missing interval data.

even dcrainmaker once found the same bug at 1;40:00

Random Restarts

I have Garmin’s Blue Triangle of Death on show about once a day due to unexpected restarts. I’m not sure of the cause each time.

Few CIQ Apps working

As is often the case with a new Garmin watch, most 3rd party CIQ data fields and apps have not been tested and published. Stryd is normally one of the first apps to start working, others can take several months.

Map Render Lags

It can take up to 5 seconds for Fenix 8 to completely draw a full-screen map. Zooming behaviour is the easiest way to reproduce this and the exact delay varies depending on what map layers and level of detail is shown.

There are other issues with map layer management.

General Lags

Using the bottom right button to revert to the watch face can result in a one-second lag before the watch face is drawn.

Button Haptics

The button has no hardware clicker. Instead pressing the button triggers a haptic via software. The resulting clicks are generally pleasing BUT difficult to notice during sport, especially if Fenix is worn over some thin layers of clothing

Sound quality

Sound quality on call and if playing music is not great. Audio hardware is limited on any watch but even so, I expected something slightly better.

Workout-based audio notifications

Audio notifications such as when pressing a lap, are sufficiently loud and the sound is more refined than what came before. However, I hanker back for the old, harsh beeps to keep me on my toes.

Pace Pro Plans Not displaying

If you sync a PacePro plan for a running race, it might not display during the run.

Auto Brightness

Even with auto-brightness set to the maximum, the display can significantly dim in low-light conditions to the point of near unreadability.

Workout Battery Drain

Some 47mm Fenix owners (like me) have experienced 20-30% battery drain in one day even with AOD disabled

Garbled Screens

On several occasions I have the text garbled on the screen. Typically a certain word, phrase or title is in the wrong place on the screen and overlaps whatever is there. (Not a CIQ Issue)

Forum bug Log

Here is a list of other bugs found and known issues

Take Out

It’s a good watch and I’m fine using it for training. I’m not sure I’d trust it for a race right now.

Here are some buy links, including Amazon. Thank you for your support!

• Buy: Fenix 8 AMOLED
• Buy: Fenix 8 Sapphire AMOLED
• Buy: Garmin Fenix 8 Solar (no links yet)
• Buy: Enduro 3 MIP
• Buy: Garmin Fenix E AMOLED

Have you found any problems with your Fenix 8, enduro 3 or Fenix E?

Comments disabled. If you would like to comment on the Fenix 8 please do so on this post – Garmin Fenix 8 First Thoughts