Earlier this week, we discussed the appearance of a mysterious new Garmin device, which had just received approval for sale in the US, and was initially rumored to be the long-awaited Garmin Fenix 8 sports watch. The product in question turned out to be a GPS dog collar, but now evidence has appeared suggesting that Fenix 8 is indeed on the way, and teasing some interesting details.
Details of the leak were published by the5krunner, who spotted a Reddit post containing a series of screengrabs from Finnish tech retailer Multitronic (embedded below). The product listings have since been removed, but they describe three size options for the Fenix 8, plus a brand new device called the Garmin Fenix E.
Garmin Fenix 8 coming in early September from r/Garmin
The Fenix 7 and Fenix 7 Pro both come in three sizes (42mm, 47mm, and 52mm diameter), but according to the leaked specs, the smallest version of the Fenix 8 will measure 43mm. There are several reasons why this might happen, but it points to a significant change in the hardware inside the case, or a change to a slightly larger battery for improved longevity.
There's no mention of sapphire or solar versions of the Fenix 8, but I'm disinclined to read much into that. It would be unusual for Garmin to only release a standard spec watch in each of the three sizes.
The 'Garmin Fenix E' sounds intriguing, but it might simply be a new name for an existing model rather than something completely new.
What is the Garmin Fenix E?
The Garmin Epix (Gen 2) and Epix Pro (Gen 2) are basically the same as the Fenix 7 and Fenix 7 Pro, with an AMOLED display rather than memory-in-pixel (MiP). It's possible than the 'Fenix E' may be a new iteration of the Epix, with a different moniker to avoid confusion caused by the company's current naming convention.
The original Garmin Epix, released back in 2015, was the company's first watch with on-screen maps, but with its chunky, heavy build, it lacked mainstream appeal. Garmin revived the name in 2022 with the Epix (Gen 2), but doing so may have sowed seeds of confusion among athletes who didn't know about the older device. Rebranding the AMOLED device as 'Fenix E' could be an attempt to make a clean break, with 'E' standing for 'Epix'.
Alternatively, the 'E' might stand for 'Enduro', implying a successor to the Garmin Enduro 2. To me, this seems less likely. The selling point of the Enduro is its extreme battery life (over a month in smartwatch mode with solar charging), and achieving that kind of longevity requires the largest battery possible. The Garmin Enduro 2 measures 51mm in diameter, but according to the specs from Multitronic, the Fenix E is only 47mm. It wouldn't make sense for Garmin to opt for a smaller cell when trying to maximize battery life.
Of course, this is only one leak, and there's no guarantee that the details provided are correct, but it's interesting food for thought nonetheless. I'll be keeping my ear to the ground for more updates, and will bring you further details as soon as they emerge.
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