Considering buying a Fenix 8? A natural question would be to compare its battery life to some other high-end smartwatches like the Apple Ultra 2 or the Polar series.
Let us compare the battery backup offered by high-end GPS smartwatches and see how Fenix 8 pitches against each of these.
Garmin Fenix 8 Battery
Garmin Fenix 8 has an exceptional battery backup. On the smartwatch mode, Fenix 8 50 mm variant could last for up to 29 days (without Always on Mode enabled). It could last for up to 84 hours on the simple GPS modes.
The 47 mm and 43 mm variants of Fenix 8 offer slightly lower battery backup. But, this is still way over the other competing smartwatch brands.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
The battery of Apple Watch Ultra 2 offers higher backup that other Apple smartwatches. But, expectedly, it falls short of Garmin Fenix 8’s battery backup.
On the standard mode, the battery backup could yield up to 36 hours of run time. On the GPS Mode, it can offer up to 12 hours of battery backup extendable to 35 hours in low power mode.
Coros Vertix 2 Battery
The Vertix 2 smartwatches offer higher backup on the normal smartwatch mode and the GPS mode in comparison with the Garmin Fenix 8 smartwatch.
On the smartwatch mode, you could get up to 43 days of battery backup. The GPS mode battery backup could last up to 140 hours.
Suunto 9 Peak Pro
The Suunto 9 Peak Pro smartwatches can also compete with the Garmin Fenix 8 smartwatches. On the normal mode, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro could last for up to 21 days. And, on the GPS mode, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro can go up to 40 hours.
There are other high-end smartwatches like the Polar Grit X Pro and the Samsung Galaxy watch. The backups are long, but lower than what is on offer with the Garmin Fenix 8 smartwatches.
Battery Life Comparison of High-End GPS Smartwatches
The table below compares the battery backup of high-end GPS smartwatches. This could give you a ready reference about what sort of battery backup you could expect on the normal smartwatch modes and the GPS modes for activity tracking.
| Smartwatch | Smartwatch Mode | GPS Mode | Extended GPS Modes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin Fenix 8 | Up to 29 days | Up to 84 hours | Up to 145 hours (Max Battery GPS) |
| Apple Watch Ultra 2 | Up to 36 hours | Up to 12 hours | Up to 72 hours (Low Power Mode) |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra | Up to 100 hours (Power Saving Mode) | N/A | N/A |
| Suunto 9 Peak Pro | Up to 21 days | Up to 40 hours | Up to 300 hours (Tour Mode) |
| COROS Vertix 2 | Up to 60 days | Up to 140 hours | Up to 240 hours (UltraMax GPS Mode) |
| Polar Grit X Pro | Up to 7 days | Up to 40 hours | Up to 100 hours (Power Save modes) |
Conclusion
The Garmin Fenix 8 excels in battery performance among high-end GPS smartwatches, particularly in GPS-intensive scenarios.
Although some models, such the COROS Vertix 2, have better battery life in smartwatch mode, the Fenix 8 is a top pick for outdoor enthusiasts and athletes since it offers a fair mix of functionality and battery lifetime.
In our opinion, not many smartwatches can compare Garmin Fenix 8 in terms of battery backup and battery life.