Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 - Key Differences and Which One to Choose

With the official release of the Garmin Quatix 8, many captains, fishing enthusiasts, and outdoor explorers are asking: What’s the real difference between the Quatix 8 and Quatix 7? Is it worth the upgrade? Launched in 2022, the Quatix 7 quickly became a favorite among boaters thanks to its rugged build and comprehensive marine features. Now, the Quatix 8 builds on that foundation with several notable enhancements- including a built-in speaker and microphone for voice calls and assistant commands, as well as new dive modes and improved health tracking, offering a more complete tool for professional use.

If you're considering a smartwatch built specifically for marine environments, this Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 comparison will help guide your decision. In this article, we break down the key differences in hardware, features, battery life, chart support, and more- all from a real-world usage perspective. You’ll find out whether the Quatix 8 truly fits your needs, or if the Quatix 7 still stands strong as a value-packed choice.

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Garmin Tactix 8 Review

Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 - Design

In terms of design, the Garmin Quatix 8 continues the marine-grade durable style of the Quatix 7, featuring a titanium bezel, sapphire crystal glass, and fiberglass-reinforced polymer case that withstands harsh conditions like salt spray, UV exposure, scratches, and extreme temperatures. Both models offer 47mm and 51mm sizes to fit different wrist preferences.

However, the Quatix 8 brings significant upgrades in key details: it uses the same inductive metal buttons as the Fenix 8, which are more resistant to sand and water; adds sensor guards and improves water resistance to a 40-meter dive rating; comes standard with an LED flashlight supporting both white and red light with adjustable brightness- ideal for night sailing or emergency use; and introduces two-tone bezel options and a new marine blue color for a more stylish and refined look suitable for everyday wear. In contrast, the Quatix 7 remains rugged and reliable but lacks these advanced design features and aesthetic enhancements. If you want to know more information about Garmin Quatix Accessories, you can check Garmin Quatix Watch Bands.

Winner: Garmin Quatix 8

Reason: While retaining military-grade durability, the Quatix 8 upgrades buttons, protection, lighting, and overall appearance, making it better suited for professional marine use and versatile environments.

Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 - Display

When it comes to the display, the Garmin Quatix 8 features a unified 1.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a high resolution of 454×454 pixels. This offers vibrant colors, high contrast, and wide viewing angles, ensuring clear readability in both bright sunlight and low-light conditions. Both the 47mm and 51mm models share the same screen size, delivering smooth touch responsiveness and supporting multi-touch gestures for easy operation.

In contrast, the Garmin Quatix 7 varies by model: the flagship and Pro/Sapphire editions come with a 1.3-inch AMOLED display at 416×416 pixels, which performs well but is slightly behind the Quatix 8. The standard and solar editions use a 1.3-inch low-power MIP (Memory-in-Pixel) reflective display, offering good visibility in sunlight and longer battery life but with less vibrant colors and detail. Touch responsiveness on these models is also more limited.

Both watches offer 10 ATM water resistance suitable for water activities and diving, and both feature touchscreens for convenient interaction. However, in the Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 comparison, the Quatix 8 clearly leads with superior display quality and smoother touch performance, making it more appealing to users who prioritize screen clarity and overall user experience.

Winner: Garmin Quatix 8

Reason: The consistent 1.4-inch high-resolution AMOLED screen delivers better visuals and smoother touch controls, significantly enhancing readability and interaction across different lighting environments.

Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 - Marine Features

When it comes to core marine features, both the Garmin Quatix 8 and Quatix 7 are highly capable, supporting autopilot control, engine data monitoring, Fusion audio management, electric motor operation, and anchor alerts. They both offer sailing assistance, race timers, and virtual start lines, covering a wide range of water sports. Additionally, both watches connect to Garmin chartplotters and compatible devices, providing real-time data on depth, wind speed, engine RPM, and more to enhance safety and efficiency on the water.

The key difference lies in Quatix 8’s introduction of voice control, which significantly improves hands-free operation. It also supports Bluetooth control of electric trolling motors and Fusion entertainment systems. Quatix 8 has a 40-meter dive certification with leak-proof buttons, catering to professional diving needs. In comparison, the Quatix 7 offers basic underwater data monitoring and tide alerts but lacks voice control and advanced diving features.

Overall, if you prioritize smarter, more professional marine functionality, the Quatix 8 is the better choice. For users focused mainly on core marine functions, the Quatix 7 remains a reliable and cost-effective option.

Winner: Garmin Quatix 8

Reason: Voice control and professional dive certification provide a significant upgrade, enhancing marine operations with greater intelligence and safety.

Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 - Health & Fitness Features

When it comes to health and fitness tracking, both the Garmin Quatix 8 and Quatix 7 are well-equipped with the Elevate Gen 5 heart rate sensor, Pulse Ox blood oxygen monitoring, Body Battery™ energy tracking, stress and respiration monitoring, sleep analysis, and women's health features. They also support a wide range of built-in sports modes, multi-GNSS positioning, training load analytics, and VO₂ Max assessments- meeting the needs of both casual users and serious athletes.

However, Garmin Quatix 8 takes things further with smarter, more advanced tools. It introduces training readiness scores, HRV (Heart Rate Variability) status, an enhanced sleep coach (including nap tracking), a personalized morning report, jet lag advisor, and race performance predictions. These features are built-in by default, delivering a more complete and intelligent user experience. Quatix 8 also offers over 100 sports modes, including more marine and land-based activities, and adds advanced metrics like running dynamics, ClimbPro, PacePro, and training load focus- ideal for data-driven athletes.

Winner: Garmin Quatix 8

Reason: Quatix 8 retains all essential features while offering smarter health and fitness analytics for more optimized training and recovery insights.

Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 - Mapping & Navigation Features

When it comes to mapping and navigation, the Garmin Quatix 8 and Quatix 7 both offer robust core features. They support multi-band GNSS with SAT IQ, TopoActive maps, BlueChart G3 marine charts, ski and golf maps, and useful offline features like Back to Start, breadcrumb trails, and NextFork trail navigation- perfect for marine and outdoor adventures alike.

The Quatix 8 stands out with faster performance and smarter interaction. Thanks to upgraded hardware, map loading is noticeably quicker and smoother. It also introduces voice control for compatible chartplotters and adds autopilot functionality, giving users a more hands-free and responsive experience in demanding marine conditions.

Winner: Garmin Quatix 8

Why: Faster map performance, voice chartplotter control, and autopilot support make it the smarter choice for advanced navigation.

Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 - Dive and Voice Control Features

The Quatix 8 clearly leads in diving and voice control capabilities. It supports diving up to 40 meters with professional dive computing and the Bühlmann decompression algorithm, suitable for technical diving. The Quatix 7 supports a maximum dive depth of 30 meters with more limited features. The Quatix 8 has built-in speakers and a microphone, allowing calls and voice control of compatible Garmin chartplotters directly from the wrist, offering a more convenient user experience. The Quatix 7 relies on button and touchscreen controls without voice commands.

Similarities:

• Both support basic dive modes such as freediving and scuba, with safety alerts.
• Both have speakers and microphones for calls and basic voice commands.

Differences:

• Max dive depth: 40m vs 30m.
• Gas mixture support: multi-gas support vs limited.
• Voice control for chartplotters: supported vs not supported.
• Speaker quality: clearer and louder vs average.

Winner: Garmin Quatix 8

Reason: More advanced diving features and voice control make it the ideal upgrade for serious users.

Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 - Smartwatch Features

When it comes to smart features, the Garmin Quatix 8 clearly pulls ahead. It retains all the essentials from the Quatix 7- such as smart notifications, offline music support, and Garmin Pay- but takes a big leap forward by adding voice calls, voice assistant access, satellite messaging via Garmin Messenger, and smoother UI interactions. The Quatix 8 also comes standard with a dual-mode LED flashlight (white + red), enhancing visibility during night boating or emergencies.

In contrast, the Quatix 7 still offers a solid smart experience, but lacks key advanced features like voice control, phone calls, and full LED flashlight functionality (only available on select models).

Winner: Garmin Quatix 8

Reason: A more complete smartwatch experience with voice control, satellite messaging, and better usability.

Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 - Battery Life

When it comes to battery life, the Garmin Quatix 8 offers improved power efficiency and hardware upgrades. Both models deliver around 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode and approximately 42 hours in GPS mode. However, the Quatix 8 clearly excels in more power-demanding scenarios.

Whether it’s always-on AMOLED mode, multi-band GNSS usage, or extreme expedition mode, the 47mm and 51mm versions of Quatix 8 provide longer battery life- with the 51mm model lasting up to 29 days in smartwatch mode. In contrast, the Quatix 7’s standard and AMOLED versions have slightly shorter endurance, while the Solar edition may last longer under strong sunlight but overall doesn’t match the consistent performance of the Quatix 8.

Winner: Garmin Quatix 8

Reason: Offers more comprehensive battery performance across all modes, with significant advantages in always-on display and expedition mode.

Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 - Price and Availability

In terms of price, the Garmin Quatix 8 targets the high-end market, with the 47mm version priced around $1,199 and the 51mm version around $1,299. In contrast, the Quatix 7 is more budget-friendly, with the base 47mm MIP screen model starting at about $699, and the higher-end Sapphire and Solar editions priced at $999 and $1,199 respectively.

Both watches offer multiple versions to meet different user needs, but the Quatix 8 stands out with its advanced AMOLED display and longer battery life, resulting in a noticeably higher price. If you value the latest technology and richer features and are willing to pay for an upgrade, the Quatix 8 is the better choice. If your budget is limited and you primarily need basic functions, the Quatix 7 remains a cost-effective option.

Winner: Garmin Quatix 8

Reason: Despite the higher price, it offers clear advantages in screen technology and battery life, making it ideal for users seeking a comprehensive performance and feature upgrade.

Garmin Quatix 8 vs Quatix 7 - Final Thoughts

In summary, the Garmin Quatix 8 achieves significant upgrades across multiple key areas, establishing itself as a more complete and mature marine smartwatch. It introduces full diving capabilities, supporting both freediving and scuba diving to meet professional needs. The addition of voice control not only frees users’ hands for watch operation but also allows remote control of compatible marine devices, greatly enhancing practicality and safety. The smart experience is also comprehensively improved with a smoother interface, richer health and fitness tracking features, and enhanced navigation and mapping performance.

For users who already own the Quatix 7 AMOLED version and do not require diving or voice control functions, upgrading may not be necessary. However, if you use the standard or solar versions, or want an all-in-one watch that integrates marine navigation, fitness, diving, and daily life features, the Quatix 8 is undoubtedly Garmin’s most advanced and practical choice to date.

Overall, the Quatix 8 is not a complete overhaul but a smart and practical evolution. For users who truly need diving, voice control, and top-tier marine features, this watch is definitely worth the investment. It represents Garmin’s latest pinnacle in marine smart wearables and is the ideal companion for those seeking professional performance and multifunctionality.