Battery life

bump

not sure where you got your numbers from, but i haven't seen "navigation screen" number posted on the Garmin site before. i'm also not sure the Fenix 8 ones are you list are quite right...

this is on the website:

Smartwatch: Up to 16 days (7 days always-on)
Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 23 days
GPS Only: Up to 47 hours (37 hours always-on)
All Satellite Systems: Up to 38 hours (30 hours always-on)
All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 35 hours (28 hours always-on)*
All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 10 hours
Max Battery GPS: Up to 81 hours
Expedition GPS: Up to 17 days

*Assuming typical use with SatIQ technology

noteworthy is the All Sat + Multi-band is up to 35 Hours (presumably with gesture)

Des/DCRainmaker have done some tests on the Fenix 8 with the Navigation screen always on so maybe that's where you are getting numbers from?

As I mentioned in the first post, AI created that table, so I  dont know the source. It may be wrong. Problem is that Garmin not sharing data for All sats + MB + navigation on the map.

i didn’t check all details in this table but the conclusion is correct - FR970 battery life is worse than F7, F8 and FR965. The only improvement seems to be a more efficient GNSS chipset where dual channel (vs. GPS only) is not eating as much into battery life as with previous generations.

My guess is this: Garmin product managers concluded they should get rid of the “FR9XX is a cheaper/plastic Fenix” concept, because it’s cannibalizing Fenix sales. The last suitable Forerunner (which fits this definition) is the FR955. Which (surprise) is the one i own.

So if you want really long battery life, nowadays you need to buy a Fenix (or Enduro). And if you don’t (e.g. triathletes / runners without “ultra aspirations”), you will be perfectly happy with the FR970 and can enjoy all other improvements the watch comes with.

I think your guess is incorrect. The watch has more features and a brighter display. Without making the watch bigger that will impact on battery. If you make the watch bigger it turns it into a Fenix 8. You have to balance it out. If they put this display into the next Fenix I think they'll struggle to keep the same battery.lofe on that model too. 

This is yet another sign that amoled is not the future of sports watches, Garmin has always had its strong point in battery life and this is the first step backwards to meet the fashions of the moment and compete with Apple. I remain of the opinion, like the friend above, that the last true forerunner is the 955, today if there was a 47 mm enduro 3 it would be a great best seller at an adequate price

I must agree. Enduro 3 47mm would be immediate choice for me.

I agree that the 955 is the last of the MIPS Forerunners. I assume they will keep some sort of MIPS alive for another generation of Fenix/Enduro so long as the sales numbers show enough interest.

I too wish there would have been a 47mm Enduro... I contemplated the Enduro 3, but beyond the slightly larger diameter, the chunky thickness was too much for me.

I jumped ship to the Fenix 8 because I grew impatient of waiting for a flashlight Forerunner (and wasn't even sure if it would happen). I miss the lightness of the Forerunner (955, 945LTE, 935 were my prior watches) but appreciate many things about the Fenix 8 and have gotten used to the weight. if the 970 had better battery life, I might have a bit more buyer's remorse, but as it stands, if I had delayed purchase until today, I would still be leaning towards the Fenix 8 due to battery life and proximity of price on sale. (I paid just under $850 with discounts and cash rebates)

I speculate they could have gotten away with a bigger battery if they made the watch the same thickness as the prior generation 965, but they opted for the thinner profile. I'd be curious if people who have owned both find there is a noticeable difference. I've been surprised to experience that a few mm can make an appreciable difference in a watch's perceived feel on the wrist.

one curiosity is that the battery life of the 970 with music is a big upgrade. I have never used the music feature with any of my watches, but this is a winner for those who do.

I'm not saying that the future is the mip but only that it is not amoled, they are 2 very different things, a triathlon watch that cannot always remain on the handlebars of a bicycle is madness, but even just running a trail with the map I must always have it in sight. Answering your curiosity about listening to music, my 955 solar of a year and a half drains 2.5% / h without music, a little less in the sun, and 7,5% / h with music, a very significant difference, I imagine that the 970 has a newer chip and less energy-hungry when put under stress. I hope I haven't made too many mistakes but I'm using the translator because I'm Italian