Is Fenix 8 really that bad?

I fully disagree, most of the complains I shared earlier are still there.

it's better for turn by turn, but there is a lot of useability contraints about it (you can't stop/enable it during an already started navigation)...

so if you go outdoor and plan to navigate, do not buy. I sold my fenix 7x and I fully regret it.

Add to this that the oled screen is painfull by night with a headlamp, as you have to wait it light up (even in always on mode), andyou'll see this watch isn't good for ultra adventures yet !!

It really depends on what you mean by "that bad". Yes, Garmin has always had mindbogglingly bad software issues on pretty much all of their software, releasing firmware updates with absolutely horrendous, crippling bugs to the unsuspecting public on a regular basis. My guess is they have their software development outsourced to some fishy sweatshop in India. I remember one update for my cycling computer once (I think it was an Edge 800) after which the darn thing would completely mess up something as simple and fundamental as the speed readings (being off by more than 10mph, mind you...). Or, to this day, selling a scale that pretends to make body fat measurements when in fact it does no such thing at all. But I digress...

So, for a brand new watch like the Fenix 8, I'm not surprised that there are a number of serious bugs (like, after having set my watch to start a Hike, it still has not acquired a satellite signal after sitting there for more than 10 minutes, for one example). In this case, I am somewhat hopeful that they'll manage to get the thing to work properly, mostly, eventually. I'd say to give it six months to a year or so, and the watch might actually work alright for almost all of its functions. Right now, at the current release, I would call it borderline acceptable, but your mileage may vary, as they say.

This watch is an absolute travesty of design—clumsy, counterintuitive, and riddled with unnecessary complexity that forces users to download a myriad of apps just to function. The screen resolution is abysmally low, a stark indicator of its poor quality. Attempting to add a custom face? It demands a software update, despite having updated just two days ago. The build is disappointingly cheap, primarily plastic with minimal metal components, and the unsightly yellow powder-coated patch on the side clashes with the supposed “titanium” bezel, adding to its aesthetic failure. I am returning this and will never consider another Garmin product again. Frankly, words fail to capture the level of disappointment and absurdity this device embodies.

This forum is riddled with people that complain about every little thing, so don't listen to all the haters.

Sure there was some issues at launch, and still are some, but garmin is working on it, and have fixed a lot of the major ones. If you want to try it, get it from a place that has a return policy, and give it a try.

I have had mine for about a week, and it has been working fine for what I do. Personally, I think it's the best fenix to date, and I have owned every fenix ever made.