Garmin Fenix 9 vs Fenix 8: How much of an upgrade is the new model?

Garmin Fenix 9 vs Fenix 8: How much of an upgrade is the new model? Which model should you buy? There's a new Garmin Fenix smartwatch on the market with a better screen and tons of new features, but is it enough to warrant an upgrade? The Fenix 9 will set you back $1,000, the same price we saw the previous generation launch for. Like all Garmin Fenix models before it, this one's built for athletes and outdoor adventurers who want to take on everything from ultramarathons to mountain climbing to open-water diving. The Fenix 8 is already a well-rounded and highly capable watch that covers almost every possible scenario. Since the new model's release, the company has, on occasion, discounted the older version. For instance, during the week that the Fenix 9 launched, you could get the 43mm Fenix 8 on sale for $850. The new Fenix starts at $999.99 (43mm) and goes up to $1,099.99 for the 51mm size. Since you can still get both models from Garmin, what exactly sets them apart and how should you choose? The company has its own blog post detailing some of the changes, but of course, you'll want input from a source that isn't trying to sell you its latest product. We'll go beyond the spec sheet to look at what's different between the two generations, what stayed the same and where each watch makes the most sense depending on how you train and live. Display and case This is the first clear area of improvement for the Fenix 9. The smartwatch features an AMOLED display that Garmin says is "twice as bright" as the Fenix 8's. As a refresher, the Fenix 8 was the first of its family to feature an AMOLED panel (the Fenix 7 and 7 Pro used "Sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)" displays). Garmin did not disclose the specific number of nits for the Fenix 8's AMOLED screen, but it does say the Fenix 9 Pro version reaches up to 3,000 nits of brightness, so a bit of math suggests the Fenix 8 came in significantly below that. For context, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Pixel Watch 5 both go up to 3,000 nits at peak brightness as well. The Fenix 8's AMOLED panel is still bright and vibrant, so it won't be a night-and-day difference in everyday use, but for athletes who frequently train under harsh sun, the added brightness will make the screen more readable. When it comes to the case, the standard Fenix 9 keeps the same construction as the Fenix 8 had in its higher-end models, pairing a titanium bezel with a sapphire lens. It is worth noting that Fenix 8 offered a stainless steel bezel with a glass lens on its base configuration. Still, both watches are rugged, tested to US military standards and rated for diving up to 40 meters. Storage, memory and maps The under-the-hood improvements are more substantial than they first appear. The Fenix 9 doubles the Fenix 8's capacity to 64GB, letting you download twice as many apps and store up to 7,000 songs from your Spotify, Deezer or Amazon Music accounts. The Fenix 9 also has 50 percent more RAM than the Fenix 8, so it's going to deliver a snappier performance, switching quickly between whatever apps you need to use, loading maps and so on. When it comes to map performance, Garmin also states that panning is up to 30 percent faster on the new Fenix 9, mostly thanks to a more powerful map engine. More storage is always great, especially when you don't have to pay extra for it. This will make it easier to load multiple regional maps and large music libraries, so you don't have to worry about deleting songs before an upcoming trip. Frankly, that extra storage is one of the most practical reasons to upgrade. Features, functionality and battery life There are loads of features that carry between generations. These range from the built-in LED flashlight, the onboard speaker and microphone for calls and voice commands, to the ECG capability and a slew of perks like Garmin Pay, music streaming and your daily metrics. The Fenix 9 brings some new or improved features to the table. For example, Garmin Epic is a new feature that groups multiple activities over days, weeks or months into a single shareable story in Garmin Connect. This will make your multi-day hike or training camps easier to share online. The smartwatch also makes it possible to now track stamina zones and your stamina curve, telling you more about how your endurance changes over time so you can pace yourself more effectively. The Fenix 9 also expands its rucking features. If you're going to adjust your pack weight mid-activity, you can now mark that up in your watch. The watch also integrates structured GORUCK workouts so you can follow guided routines, step counts and rests. Many of these software features may eventually reach the Fenix 8 through updates, which will soften the argument for upgrading. The hardware-dependent additions like the brighter display, however, are exclusive to the new model. Battery life is not something that should factor into your decision between these smartwatches. The Fenix 9 brings no upgrade over the previous model, delivering the same 29 days of use on a single charge. If battery life is something you have concerns over, you might be better off getting the Fenix 9 Pro Solar, which will get you up to 57 days of use. How much of an upgrade is the Garmin Fenix 9 over the Fenix 8? Stacking the two side by side, the Fenix 9 improves on the Fenix 8 in the following ways: - It has a brighter display. - It has twice as much storage space. - It delivers faster and more detailed maps. - It brings new software features like stamina tracking and Garmin Epic. At the same time, the fundamentals are strikingly similar as they both share the same starting price, size options, dive rating, health tracking suite, speaker and mic combo, ECG capabilities and flashlight. The Fenix 9 is more of an evolution than a revolution. If you already have the Fenix 8 and you're content with the features and specs it delivers, it's probably not worth shelling out another thousand dollars for it. If you're running out of storage, have a hard time seeing what's on the screen at times and you're dreaming about a faster map, the upgrade may be worth it. If you don't own the Fenix 8 but are just looking for a new smartwatch that will keep up with your training sessions and outdoor activities, then the Garmin Fenix 9 is an absolute beast that is well worth your attention and your money. Here's another thing to help you make a decision. Garmin guarantees critical security vulnerability patches for a minimum of two years from launch, and that window has already passed for the Fenix 8. The company doesn't have a clear schedule we could check, and we've reached out for clarification on this particular policy. But if it does decide to cut off these updates anytime soon, it could leave sensitive information, including that integrated into Garmin Pay, vulnerable, much like it will happen to a bunch of other popular smartwatches. [Image text:] STAMINA BPM 177 00 7:02 60 Training Status Productive Endurance Score Well-Trained 7200 54 Superior 5k17:08.0