Garmin Fenix 8 vs. Apple Watch Ultra: My Disappointing Experience

Background: I'm new to smartwatches, having only worn Seikos and Casios before. I started running regularly a few months ago when I signed up for a half-marathon in October. Before August, I was using my phone to track runs on Strava and listen to music. I almost bought the Epix Pro 42mm but decided to wait for the new Fenix release in September. To bridge the gap, I picked up an Apple Watch Ultra 2 on August 1st with a 90-day return policy. Last week, I got the Fenix 8 43mm, and so far, it's been disappointing. Here's my experience:

  • Fit and Finish: This is extremely subjective, but still meaningful in my opinion. I prefer the look of the Garmin compared to the AWU. The Garmin case is slightly smaller and thinner in the 43mm size, and it looks much more like a traditional watch. However, somehow the Garmin watch feels cheaper / less premium than the AWU. This could just be a weight thing, as the Garmin is definitely lighter, but feeling less premium is a tough pill to swallow when the Garmin is $400 more expensive than the AWU.
  • User Interface: I've found the UI of the Garmin to be poor in comparison to the AWU. Features within the Garmin take digging and digging through menus to find what you're looking for. I had to watch hours of DC Rainmaker videos just to find half the features. I can't imagine someone trying to figure out this watch without having those videos as a resource, Garmin does not teach you how to access or use the watch in any significant way. Even basic things like setting a timer take like 5-6 button presses, whereas, on the Apple watch you can have a timer complication set on your watch face and it takes 1-2 taps.
  • Watch Faces: This kind of goes hand in hand with the user interface, but the default watch faces available for the Garmin are not attractive. They all look super tacti-cool, except the analog ones, but they hardly show any data. Then if you want to explore other 3rd party options, you need to download a separate app called connect IQ. There are much better options on the AWU, and the complications on the watch face you can just tap which will open the app on the watch. It is much easier to navigate.
  • Payments: I realized Garmin Pay isn't supported by Citi, which is the primary daily credit card I use. Therefore this feature isn't even available to me whereas I was enjoying using my AWU for apple pay on a daily basis.
  • App Availability: One of the primary complications I was using on my apple watch face was from Lose It! which I have a lifetime subscription to. It shows me how many calories I've eaten and how many I have remaining at a glance on my watch face. No such feature is available on Garmin. They only have an integration available with MyFitnessPal, but I don't plan on switching.
  • Activity Tracking: Feels the same between the two watches, at least from a running perspective. There's nothing that the Garmin has been offering to me that the AWU wasn't. AWU has fitness rings, which I didn't think I'd care about but now I feel like I've been missing since I switched to the Garmin. The strength training workouts that Garmin offers have been underwhelming.
  • Battery Life: Everyone touts the battery life of Garmin watches, but when you compare the 43mm Fenix 8 in always on display to the AWU, this argument essentially goes away. Battery drains pretty quick on the Garmin when listening to music + using GPS activity tracking. I still have to think about charging each of the watches every other day or so.
  • Cellular Connectivity: If I'm out running for longer than 30 minutes I feel much safer having communication available in case of emergency. This creates a need for me to carry my phone on me when I use the Garmin, which negates the reason I got a fitness watch in the first place.
  • The Dealbreaker: I have Airpods Pro 2 that I use on a daily basis for everything. During runs and activities, the Garmin watch cannot maintain bluetooth connection to the Airpods, and music starts cutting out. It gets resolved temporarily by pressing play/pause in the Spotify app on the watch, but the connection will cut out again within 5 minutes. I've searched Garmin forums and found that this issue has persisted since the Fenix 6, with no indication that Garmin plans to fix it. The #1 feature I bought a fitness watch for is essentially broken.

The only remaining feature I have yet to test with the Garmin that I was very interested in is playing golf. I'm playing a couple rounds over the next couple weekends so it'll be interesting to see how much I enjoy using the watch.

I think the big thing for me is that when I use the Garmin, it feels like a watch that should cost $500 or $600. Knowing that I spent $1,100 on it is very difficult to get over. Despite the potential benefits for golf, the overall experience with the Garmin Fenix 8 feels lacking for its price, and I'm strongly considering returning it in favor of the AWU.