Last summer, Garmin released the new fenix 8, introducing a new top of the line watch and creating some separation from the cheaper Forerunner line. But this summer, Garmin released the new Forerunner 570 and 970 – and there’s now much less daylight between the fenix and the Forerunner.
Historically, there weren’t a lot of feature differences between the two watches. But the fenix typically had a premium build with more expensive components. That’s no longer the case, and the two watches have a lot in common – including big price tags.
If you’ve got a big budget and you’re looking for a premium running watch, you’ll likely find yourself comparing the Garmin fenix 8 vs Forerunner 970. But which of these top of the line watches is right for you?
Let me run down the key differences and similarities so that you can make an informed decision.
What’s the Price Difference Between the fenix 8 and the Forerunner 970?
First things first – what do these two watches cost?
Although they’re both at the upper end of the price range, the fenix 8 is significantly more expensive.
A fenix 8 47mm AMOLED – the closest comparable watch to the Forerunner 970 – retails for $999.99. The smaller 43mm watch is the same price.
If you opt for the solar version, you’ll end up spending another $100. The larger 51mm version is an extra $200 – regardless of whether you get the AMOLED or the Solar version.
Meanwhile, the Forerunner 970 retails for $750.
So the Forerunner 970 is $250 cheaper than a comparable fenix – and you’ll spend $350 or $450 more if you’re looking at either the solar or the 51mm versions.
Although they’re both expensive, that’s still a substantial difference between the Forerunner 970 and the fenix 8. So the question you need to answer is – what does the fenix 8 bring to the table to justify an extra $250 (or more)?
What Are the Physical Similarities Between the Garmin fenix 8 vs the Forerunner 970?
It’s hard to overstate the fact that these watches are now very similar. If you’re used to the old paradigm where the Forerunners were cheaper – and lesser – watches, then the first thing you should understand is that that’s no longer the case.
The Forerunner 970 now comes with a titanium bezel and sapphire crystal glass. Previously, the Forerunner 965 had Gorilla glass, and other Forerunners had polymer bezels.
The screens are the same size and resolution, and all of the AMOLED versions have red shift mode.
Like the fenix 8, the Forerunner 970 now comes with a built in microphone and an LED flashlight. These are the latest upgrades on Garmin watches, and they’re standard on both the fenix and the Forerunner.
What Are the Physical Differences Between the Garmin Forerunner 970 and the fenix 8?
In terms of sensors and hardware, the key differences on the fenix 8 relate to its function as a diving watch. It includes a dive sensor, it has leakproof inductive buttons, and its water rating is 10 ATM instead of 5. If you’re scuba diving, these things matter. Otherwise, they’re not really relevant.
Another difference is that the fenix 8 comes in different sizes. The Forerunner 970 only comes in the 47mm size – which is large, but not huge. The fenix 8 also has a smaller 43mm version, similar in size to the Forerunner 265, and a larger 51mm version, similar in size to the Enduro. So if you prefer a different size, look at the fenix 8 options.
In the same vein, the Foreunner 970 only comes in an AMOLED version. Previously, the Forerunner 965 and 955 were pretty much identical – except for the MIP screen on the 955. There is, at least not at the moment, no MIP equivalent to the Forerunner 970. But the fenix 8 does have a MIP version – which also has solar charging. So if you prefer a MIP screen, you should consider the fenix.
Finally, the fenix 8 has a marginally better battery – in some circumstances. When you parse out the different use cases outlined by Garmin, the 47mm fenix typically has better battery life. In Smartwatch mode, it’s rated for 16 days vs 15 days for the Forerunner, and while tracking activities the fenix has significantly longer battery life. The outlier is the music mode, where the Forerunner is rated for 12 hours to the 10 hours of the fenix.
It’s similar enough that I wouldn’t think much about it if you’re sticking with the 47mm AMOLED. But the fenix 8 51mm has much better battery life than the Forerunner 970, and the 47mm Solar has mildly better battery life.
Feature Differences Between the Garmin Forerunner 970 and the fenix 8
At the end of the day, there aren’t very many feature differences between the two watches, either.
The Forerunner 970 did ship with some additional features. But many of these – including triathlon coach, multisport workouts, evening report, running tolerance, and running economy – are currently in beta on the fenix 8. These features will likely roll out in a future software update in the next month or two.
Of the new features on the Forerunner 970, the ones that don’t appear to be in beta at the moment are step speed loss, the autolap by timing gate, the finish line trimming, and the projected race time. It’s quite possible (likely?) that these features will roll out to the fenix 8 in the next few months. But you can’t be sure, so if any of these are a deal breaker for you – but I doubt that they are – you may want to stick with the Forerunner.
The fenix 8, on the other hand, does have some specialized features that distinguish it from the Forerunner. But these are specific, niche use cases.
The big headline when the fenix 8 was released was that it included dive features. If you’re a scuba diver, this can be very useful. High end diving watches do have a few additional features, but the fenix has most of what you would need. And combining that with a running watch, if you happen to run as well, is super convenient.
A subtler difference is that the fenix 8 includes a handful of additional golf features, like swing tempo and tempo training. The Forerunner 970 has most of Garmin’s golf features – which was also true of its predecessors, the Forerunner 965/955. But the fenix 8 does have a few of these minor golf-related features.
If you’re a golfer and/or a diver, you may want to consider the fenix for these additional features. But if you’re just a runner like me – or even a triathlete – this should not impact your decision at all.
Future Software Features and Updates
One other thing to consider is the way that Garmin has handled software features and updates in the past few years. This isn’t an official written policy, but it appears that Garmin is rolling out eligible new features to the latest watch in each product line – and not to previous watches. Read more about this here.
Practically speaking, here’s what that means. When the fenix 8 came out, it included some new features – and some of these new features were rolled out for the Forerunner 955/965. These were the latest Forerunners at the time. But the new features were not ported back to the fenix 7.
In the next couple of years, Garmin will eventually introduce a new fenix and a new Forerunner. It’s quite possible that the next fenix comes out before the next Forerunner – and there will be a similar period where the Forerunner 970 receives new features that don’t get introduced on the fenix 8.
So if you’re on the fence, and there’s nothing pushing you towards the fenix, you may want to stick with the Forerunner. It’s got pretty much the same hardware and the same features, and there’s a good chance that it will continue to get additional features for another year or so after the fenix 8.
But it’s also not likely that there will be any ground breaking features, so if there is a reason that you want to get the fenix 8, this should absolutely not be a reason to choose the Forerunner. It’s less future proofing and more hedging your bets.
Garmin fenix 8 vs. Forerunner 970: Final Considerations
At the end of the day, these watches are very similar. They are both premium products with similar hardware and features. It’s no longer really the case that the fenix is the high end watch and the Forerunner is the mid tier product.
But the fenix 8 is significantly more expensive. You’ll spend at least an extra $250 compared to the Forerunner 970. If you don’t have a compelling reason to get the fenix, you should probably stick with the Forerunner. Besides saving some money, you get the added benefit of (possibly) experiencing an extra year of feature updates.
That being said, here are the key reasons you might want to choose the fenix 8:
- You’re a scuba diver, and the dive features are valuable to you
- You prefer a smaller or larger watch
- You prefer a MIP display to an AMOLED display
- You really care about battery life and/or want solar charging
It’s also worth pointing out that there are some other cosmetic differences. The fenix 8 has a broader array of color options and the stock watch faces also have a different vibe to them. I can’t imagine this would add enough value to justify the extra expense, but if money is no option … you’ll want to consider the style and look of each watch.
Personally, I’ve currently got a fenix 7S Pro Solar. If I were in the market for a new watch today, I’d probably lean towards the Forerunner 970. I prefer the MIP screen and the smaller size – but at the price tag of the fenix 8, I just couldn’t justify it.
Once you’ve made a choice, check out the latest prices on Amazon:
What’s the deciding factor for you – and which watch are you leaning towards?