Garmin has officially released its new Tactix 8 rugged smartwatch, which succeeds the Tactix 7 from 2023. Built for the outdoors, it comes with multi-band GPS along with a compass, gyroscope, and barometric altimeter for more accurate positioning, together with solar charging and AMOLED display options.
The Tactix 8 is a 51mm smartwatch with a 1.4-inch display that has a resolution of 280×280 and 454×454 for the solar and AMOLED editions respectively. For protection, the former only gets a “Power Sapphire” protective glass while the latter is equipped with sapphire crystal. However, both models have a titanium model with military-grade thermal, shock, and water resistance, as well as a 40-meter dive rating.
For navigation, it offers projected waypoints and mapping to any location in the worldwide aeronautical database. On the health and fitness side, it is fitted with sensors to monitor your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, stress levels, training readiness and more, with a feature that offers adaptive training plans.
The battery life of the AMOLED model takes a bit of a hit compared to its predecessor, lasting only 29 days instead of 31 on smartwatch mode, but the GPS usage gets an improvement, lasting up to 84 hours. On the other hand, the Solar version can last up to 30 days without sunlight and 48 days with solar charging.
During the night, the Tactix 8 offers a built-in LED flashlight with white and green options, along with a night vision goggle mode. Of course, the smartwatch also packs a built-in microphone and speaker for both phone calls and voice commands.
Both the Solar and AMOLED editions of the Garmin Tactix 8 retail at RM6,939 each. It can be purchased through the brand’s online store, alongside authorised retailers and its Shopee, Lazada, and AECO stores.
(Source: Garmin Press Release)
