Garmin Forerunner 970 vs. Fenix 8: Key Differences and Similarities

Price and Size Options

• 💰 The Forerunner 970 is priced at $750, while the Fenix 8 typically ranges from $1,000 to $1,200, though recent sales offer around $200 off.
• 📏 The Forerunner 970 comes in a single 47mm size, whereas the Fenix 8 offers three sizes: 43mm, 47mm, and 51mm, providing more options for different wrist sizes.

Comfort, Materials, and Durability

• ⚖️ The Forerunner 970 is about a millimeter thinner and weighs less than the Fenix 8, making it potentially more comfortable, especially for sleep tracking.
• 💎 Both watches now feature a sapphire lens for scratch resistance, though the stainless steel Fenix 8 uses Corning Gorilla Glass.
• 🛡️ The Fenix 8 generally has more robust materials, including a metal backplate and a thicker bezel, contributing to its durability but also its weight.
• 🌊 The Fenix 8 boasts a 10 ATM water resistance rating and leak-proof buttons, making it suitable for recreational scuba diving (up to 40m), while the 970 has a 5 ATM rating and a snorkeling profile.

Display and Battery Life

• 💡 The Forerunner 970 features an AMOLED display that is noticeably brighter than the Fenix 8's AMOLED option.
• ☀️ The Fenix 8 also offers a Memory Pixel Solar display, which excels in direct sunlight and offers significantly longer battery life, though with less vibrant visuals.
• 🔋 While daily smartwatch battery life is similar between the 47mm Fenix 8 and 970 (without always-on display), the Fenix 8 generally offers longer battery life, especially for outdoor activities.

Smartwatch Features and Audio

• 🔦 A major upgrade for the 970 is the built-in LED flashlight, a feature highly praised for its daily utility.
• 📞 Both watches include microphones and speakers, allowing for taking calls on the watch (phone must be in Bluetooth range) and accessing voice assistants.
• 🎵 Both models offer onboard storage for music playback from streaming services and can play audio through Bluetooth headphones or their built-in speakers, with the 970's speaker potentially being louder.

Health and Training Metrics

• ❤️ Both the Forerunner 970 and Fenix 8 utilize Garmin's 5th generation heart rate sensor and include ECG capabilities.
• 📊 Training feedback, including training status, readiness, and V02 max, is largely identical, though the 970 has slightly separated performance widgets for running and cycling.
• 🏊 The Fenix 8 includes specialized sport profiles like scuba diving, free diving, water skiing, and jump master, which are not present on the 970.
• 🗺️ Both watches offer multiband satellite chipsets and full offline maps, with the AMOLED versions of both providing more detailed map displays compared to the Memory Pixel Solar Fenix 8.