After years of providing one smartwatch for everybody, Samsung, very similar to Apple, is making an attempt to court docket a extra athletic or outdoorsy kind with the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra. That places each corporations, however significantly Samsung, who launched its “Professional” smartwatch in 2024, in the identical area as well-known manufacturers like Polar and Garmin who’ve been making GPS-enabled health trackers for years.
Now that Garmin’s launched the Garmin Fenix 8 with most of the similar fundamental {hardware} options as Apple and Samsung’s watches, the comparability between a watch just like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely and the Garmin Fenix 8 has gotten much more attention-grabbing. If you happen to’re out there for a smartwatch, or have already got one and seeking to take your coaching extra significantly, which smartwatch do you have to get?
To unravel it, we’re evaluating the Garmin Fenix 8 to the Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely instantly to determine which smartwatch is finest.
Worth, availability, and specs
The Garmin Fenix 8 was announced by Garmin in August 2024, with a beginning worth of $799.99 for the Garmin Fenix E mannequin, which does not embody a flashlight, speaker, or microphone, $999.99 for the Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED, and $1,099.99 for the Garmin Fenix 8 Photo voltaic. Garmin sells a number of totally different colours and finishes of its watch, together with 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm sizes, however for the smartwatch we reviewed and the one which’s most just like the Apple Watch Extremely 2, with both stainless-steel or titanium our bodies, glass or sapphire cowl screens, and a number of totally different colours of watch bands. Garmin’s watches are extensively accessible from Garmin and on-line retailers, like Amazon, Finest Purchase, and REI.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely was announced by Samsung in July 2024, with a beginning worth of $649.99. The watch was launched alongside the Galaxy Watch 7 as a substitute of types for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, Samsung’s earlier move at a extra premium smartwatch. The Galaxy Watch Extremely is on the market in grey, white, and silver titanium finishes, and might be bought instantly from Samsung or the standard on-line retailers.
By way of year-over-year enhancements, the Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED shares most of the similar fundamental specs with the Garmin Fenix 7 and Epix fashions that got here earlier than it. The brand new additions, past waterproofing some buttons and making the watch extra sturdy, are the addition of a speaker and microphone, permitting the watch to take and place calls and use voice assistants. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely has a brand new Exynos W1000 chip, together with a brighter display that reaches 3,000 nits of brightness, and a 590mAh battery. For extra particular comparisons, take a look at the spec desk under:
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Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely Coronary heart Fee Monitor Sure Sure Coloration Display Sure Sure Notification Assist Sure Sure Battery Life As much as 16 days (7 days always-on) for 47mm mannequin As much as 100 hours Onboard GPS Sure Sure, GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo SIM Assist No Embedded-SIM Lens Materials Corning Gorilla Glass or sapphire crystal Sapphire crystal Case Materials fiber-reinforced polymer with steel rear cowl Titanium Calendar Sure Sure Climate Sure Sure Smartphone Music Management Sure Sure Case dimension 43mm, 47mm, or 51mm 47mm Show AMOLED 480 x 480 Tremendous AMOLED Connectivity Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE Well being sensors Coronary heart charge monitor, thermometer, pulse ox monitor, barometric altimeter, compass, gyroscope, accelerometer, ambient mild sensor Accelerometer, ambient mild sensor, barometer, compass, gyro sensor, temperature sensor Dimensions 47 x 47 x 13.8 mm (47mm mannequin) 47.4 x 47.1 x 12.1 mm Weight Chrome steel: 80 g, Titanium: 73 g (47mm mannequin) 60.5 g Cell funds Sure Sure
You have seen the design of the Galaxy Watch Extremely and Fenix 8 earlier than
Samsung’s watch is a clone, whereas Garmin’s is a riff on wearables which have come earlier than
Samsung’s dedication to recreating the aesthetic of the Apple Watch Ultra is commendable. The Galaxy Watch Extremely might need a spherical show, but it surely’s sq. titanium physique, and outstanding new button with an orange accent has plenty of the identical DNA as Apple’s watch.
The Galaxy Watch Extremely, like different premium smartwatches, is thick, clearly raised above your wrist, with a raised rim across the show itself. The watch itself is 47mm, with a touchscreen that is a 1.5-inch 480 x 480 AMOLED, providing extra room for watch faces and navigating apps together with your finger. Alongside the perimeters, that new orange button is Samsung’s largest {hardware} tweak. It is referred to as the “Fast Button” and it offers you quick access to an assigned exercise, timer, or different shortcut from a brief record of choices. On the opposite facet of the watch there are two buttons for pulling up menus and utilizing Google Assistant, Bixby, or a cellular fee app. The watch itself appears like Samsung’s regular Galaxy Watch 6, simply lowered into the boxy physique of an Apple Watch Extremely.
The Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED has a spherical titanium or stainless-steel physique and a vivid, spherical AMOLED touchscreen. It appears extra like a standard watch than the Galaxy Watch Extremely, but it surely appears simply as massive on a wrist, particularly the bigger sizes. The Fenix 8 AMOLED makes use of the identical sensors because the Fenix 7, and options the identical sensor bump towards your wrist. Alongside the perimeters of the watch there are three buttons on one facet and two on the opposite, every with a number of roles relying on how usually you press them or what display you are at the moment.
Gamin’s watch appears extra like a standard watch, and blends in together with your clothes in a method that Samsung’s watch won’t, however both method, you are coping with one thing thicker than the typical smartwatch.
The Galaxy Watch Extremely’s software program is simpler to make use of than the Fenix 8’s
WearOS does much less, however is method simpler
The largest similarity between the software program on the Galaxy Watch Extremely and the Fenix 8 is a perception in offering glanceable info. Each Samsung and Garmin help some notion of “Glances,” slivers of apps or knowledge gathered by the smartwatch, you could view on demand for insights into what is going on on.
WearOS on the Galaxy Watch Extremely is technically Samsung’s One UI-skinned, and is totally different from the model working on a Pixel Watch 3.
WearOS on the Galaxy Watch Extremely nonetheless depends on discrete apps equally to Apple’s smartwatches, however extra issues are accessible with out having to dive into an app launcher. Plus, Samsung has some enjoyable and colourful watch faces. That is much more true of the Garmin Fenix 8, which places plenty of the watches’ core performance at your fingertips — when you’re capable of keep in mind what button to press and the place you should go into the watch’s interface to get what you want.
There are bigger philosophical variations too. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely can function by itself with a mobile connection, allow you to ship messages, make calls, and entry some key sources of data in your telephone, like your mail app, however put aside the well being and health options, and it is designed to be a companion. Both performing as a solution to do telephone issues when you do not have your telephone on you, and a display in your wrist once you do.
The Garmin Fenix 8 is rather more targeted on its particular abilities of navigation, exercise monitoring, and well being knowledge assortment. There are third get together apps, and because of the speaker and microphone, a better means to do issues like reply a telephone name or discuss to a voice assistant both on the watch or in your telephone, but it surely’s probably not meant to be slightly wrist mounted pc.
It is exhausting for the Galaxy Watch Extremely to beat the Fenix 8’s health monitoring
Samsung does nonetheless have some well being options Garmin is not touching
The unique well being and health options the Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely can monitor are restricted, however do make it stand out from the Garmin Fenix 8. The watch is able to sleep monitoring, as you may anticipate, but in addition has a sleep teaching characteristic designed to provide you tricks to get a greater evening’s sleep, and sleep apnea detection. Samsung claims the info from the watch may also be used to provide you insights into your metabolic well being, which appears doubtful, however might be a plus for some individuals.
Past that, there are a number of sorts of exercises the Galaxy Watch Extremely can monitor, however what it gives when it comes to precise coaching recommendation would not get rather more sophisticated than a readiness rating and coronary heart charge zones, so you possibly can alter your effort throughout a exercise. That is lots for most individuals, however not precisely the identical sport Garmin is taking part in.
The Garmin Fenix 8 is particularly designed for athletes, or anybody coaching like one, and its options mirror that. Issues like sport-specific power coaching plans, a coaching readiness rating, an endurance rating, a number of totally different instruments for monitoring runs, and pacing your self throughout a race. That is on high of extra normal options like stress monitoring, respiration monitoring, and a software that may estimate the way you’re acclimated to adjustments in altitude and temperature. After which there’s all of the extra approachable exercise monitoring you will discover on rivals’ watches. The Fenix 8 can do so much that the Galaxy Watch Extremely merely cannot,
The Fenix 8 battery life simply laps the Galaxy Watch Extremely
Samsung’s watch lasts longer than some, however not Garmin’s wearable
The Garmin Fenix 8 lasted round 16 days with its always-on show disabled once we reviewed it, and round per week when the always-on show was enabled. That is higher battery life than what you will get from any watch at the moment offered by Apple, Google, or Samsung. Garmin has some benefits in that it isn’t making an attempt to supply all of the smartwatch options of its rivals, and that you should use the Fenix 8 with its smartwatch performance disabled to save lots of on battery, but it surely’s nonetheless fairly exhausting to beat.
That is higher battery life than what you will get from any watch at the moment offered by Apple, Google, or Samsung.
In our checks of the Galaxy Watch Extremely, the wearable did not make it to the total 100 hours that Samsung promised, and nearer to about two days of use. That is longer than different Galaxy Watches, and even the Apple Watch Extremely 2, but it surely won’t do sufficient to justify the Galaxy Watch Extremely, particularly when you’re within the in-depth well being and health options Garmin is provided to supply.
Which smartwatch is best for you?
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is fairly nice as a premium model of a smartwatch, offered you want its design. It is much less profitable as a substitute for the sort of health monitoring {that a} Garmin can present. If you happen to suppose you can use Samsung’s unique well being options, otherwise you’re already closely invested within the firm’s ecosystem, there are causes to contemplate. It’s cheaper than the Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED in spite of everything.

Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED
The Garmin fēnix 8 AMOLED blends smartwatch and journey watch options into one extremely superior wearable with a vibrant AMOLED show. It includes a microphone and speaker to take calls and use voice instructions proper in your wrist, plus an expansive record of coaching and navigation instruments.
However the great thing about the Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED is that it is platform-agnostic. It ought to work simply as properly with an Android gadget because it does with an iPhone. If you happen to suppose you can use its well being and health options, favor a spherical watch, and are keen to take care of a extra sophisticated interface than what you will discover on a Galaxy Watch or Apple Watch, it’s best to completely get the Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely
The Galaxy Watch Extremely is a rugged, titanium smartwatch with a brand new Fast Motion button you could assign to a shortcut of your selection.
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