Garmin Approach® S44 vs Garmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, SolarSize, Specs & Wrist Fit Compared
Switch or add watches
Garmin
Approach® S44 (010-03009-00)
Garmin
fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar (010-02907-20)
The Garmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar wears larger than the Garmin Approach® S44 (51mm vs 43mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
The Garmin Approach® S44 is the slimmer of the two (11.4mm vs 15.4mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Garmin Approach® S44 feels lighter (42g vs 95g, case only).
Specification Comparison
| Spec | GarminApproach® S44 | Garminfēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 43mm | 51mm |
| Thickness | 11.4mm | 15.4mm |
| Weight | 42g | 95g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Display | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | Sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 10 days GPS Mode Up to 15 hours (using default display settings: gesture wake-up in Smartwatch mode and always-on while golfing) | Smartwatch: Up to 30 days/48 days with solar* Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 48 days/107 days with solar* GPS Only: Up to 95 hours/149 hours with solar** All Satellite Systems: Up to 68 hours/92 hours with solar** All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 52 hours/65 hours with solar*** All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 18 hours Max Battery GPS: Up to 186 hours/653 hours with solar** Expedition GPS: Up to 50 days/118 days with solar* *Solar charging, assuming all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions **Solar charging, assuming use in 50,000 lux conditions ***Solar charging, assuming use in 50,000 lux conditions; assuming typical use with SatIQ technology |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 10 days | Up to 30 days (48 days with solar) |
| Battery type | — | Lithium ion |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | — | Yes |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | — | Yes |
| Power Modes - customizable in-activity battery settings | — | Yes |
| Released | 2025 | 2024 |
Full Specification Comparison
335 specs| Spec | Garmin Approach® S44 | Garmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Family | Garmin | Garmin |
| General | ||
| Battery life | Smartwatch mode: Up to 10 days GPS Mode Up to 15 hours (using default display settings: gesture wake-up in Smartwatch mode and always-on while golfing) | Smartwatch: Up to 30 days/48 days with solar* Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 48 days/107 days with solar* GPS Only: Up to 95 hours/149 hours with solar** All Satellite Systems: Up to 68 hours/92 hours with solar** All Satellite Systems + Multi-band: Up to 52 hours/65 hours with solar*** All Satellite Systems + Music: Up to 18 hours Max Battery GPS: Up to 186 hours/653 hours with solar** Expedition GPS: Up to 50 days/118 days with solar* *Solar charging, assuming all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions **Solar charging, assuming use in 50,000 lux conditions ***Solar charging, assuming use in 50,000 lux conditions; assuming typical use with SatIQ technology |
| Display Size | 1.2" (30.4 mm) diameter | 1.4” (35.56 mm) diameter |
| Color display | Yes | Yes |
| Lens Material | Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 | Power Sapphire™ |
| Bezel Material | anodized aluminum | titanium |
| Memory/History | 4 GB | 32 GB |
| Strap material | silicone | silicone |
| Charging method | Garmin proprietary plug charger | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Large font option | Yes | Yes |
| Display resolution | 390 x 390 pixels | 280 x 280 pixels |
| Quick Release bands | yes (20 mm, Industry standard) | — |
| Battery type | — | Lithium ion |
| Case material | — | fiber-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover |
| Built-in speaker/microphone | — | Yes |
| Leakproof inductive buttons | — | Yes |
| QuickFit® watch band compatible | — | included (26 mm) |
| Sensors | ||
| GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| GLONASS | Yes | Yes |
| Galileo | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes | Yes |
| QZSS | — | Yes |
| BeiDou | — | Yes |
| Thermometer | — | Yes |
| Depth sensor | — | yes (to 40 m) |
| SatIQ™ Technology | — | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | — | Yes |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | — | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | — | Yes |
| Product Info | ||
| Main SKU | 010-03009-00 | 010-02907-20 |
| Product ID | 1604358 | 1390829 |
| Product Name | Approach® S44 | fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar |
| Release Date | 1/22/2025 | 8/27/2024 |
| Product Variation | Silver Aluminum Bezel with Black Silicone Band | Sapphire, Titanium with Amp Yellow/Graphite Silicone Band |
| Clock Features | ||
| Timer | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Time/date | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm clock | Yes | Yes |
| GPS Time Sync | Yes | Yes |
| Sunrise/sunset times | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | Yes | Yes |
| Cycling Features | ||
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | Yes | Yes |
| Courses | — | Yes |
| Power guide | — | Yes |
| MTB Grit & Flow | — | Yes |
| Race an activity | — | Yes |
| Power meter compatible | — | Yes |
| Advanced cycling dynamics | — | Yes |
| Power curve and % FTP workouts | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | — | Yes |
| FTP (Functional Threshold Power) | — | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Compatible with Varia headlight camera | — | Yes |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | — | Yes |
| Cycle Map (routable cycling-specific street map) | — | Yes |
| Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor) | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Vector™ and Rally™ (power meters) | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia Vision™ (head-mounted display) | — | Yes |
| Golfing Features | ||
| PinPointer | Yes | Yes |
| Swing Tempo | Yes | Yes |
| Custom targets | Yes | Yes |
| Full vector map | yes (with Garmin Golf membership) | Yes |
| Handicap scoring | Yes | Yes |
| Tournament legal | yes (with tournament mode enabled) | Yes |
| Digital scorecard | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin AutoShot™ | Yes | Yes |
| PlaysLike distance | yes (with Garmin Golf membership) | Yes |
| Round timer/odometer | Yes | Yes |
| Auto CourseView updates | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | Yes | Yes |
| Hazards and course targets | Yes | Yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Golf app | Yes | Yes |
| Green View with manual pin position | Yes | Yes |
| Preloaded with 43,000 courses worldwide | Yes | Yes |
| CT1 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | Yes | — |
| CT10 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | Yes | Yes |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | Yes | Yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | Yes | Yes |
| Touch-targeting (touch target on display to see the distance to any point) | yes (with Garmin Golf membership) | Yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | Yes | automatic |
| Tempo Training | — | Yes |
| Virtual caddie | — | Yes |
| Green Contours (with Garmin Golf membership) | — | Yes |
| Wind speed and direction (requires connection to Garmin Golf app) | — | Yes |
| Running Features | ||
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | Yes | Yes |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | Yes | Yes |
| Hill score | — | Yes |
| Run workouts | — | Yes |
| Running power | — | Yes |
| Race predictor | — | Yes |
| Foot pod capable | — | Yes |
| Running dynamics | — | Yes |
| Lactate threshold | — | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Grade-adjusted pace | — | Yes |
| Trail run auto climb | — | Yes |
| Performance condition | — | Yes |
| Run/Walk/Stand detection | — | Yes |
| Stride length (real time) | — | Yes |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | — | Yes |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio | — | Yes |
| Ground contact time and balance | — | yes (GCT balance with accessory) |
| Course- and weather-specific race predictor | — | Yes |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Display type | AMOLED (optional always-on mode) | Sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) |
| Water rating | 5 ATM | 10 ATM |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | Up to 10 days | Up to 30 days (48 days with solar) |
| Garmin Pay™ | — | Yes |
| Music storage | — | Yes |
| Garmin ECG App | — | Yes |
| LED flashlight | — | Yes |
| Multi-band GPS | — | Yes |
| Solar Charging | — | Yes |
| Training status | — | Yes |
| Built-in mapping | — | Yes |
| Training readiness | — | Yes |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | — | Yes |
| Sleep score and insights | — | Yes |
| Make calls and send texts via voice | — | Yes |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Cycling | Biking, Indoor Biking | Biking, Road Biking, Mountain Biking, Gravel Biking, Bike Commuting, Bike Touring, eBiking, eMountain Biking, Indoor Biking, Cyclocross, BMX |
| Indoor running | Indoor Track Running | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Virtual Running |
| Outdoor running | Running | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running, Obstacle Racing |
| Outdoor recreation | Golfing | Hiking, Rucking, Indoor Climbing, Bouldering, Climbing, Hunting, Horseback Riding, Golfing, Disc Golf, Archery |
| Gym | — | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Jump Roping |
| Dive | — | Scuba Diving (single gas), Apnea Diving, Depth App |
| Swim | — | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
| Wellness | — | Walking, Indoor Walking, Pilates, Yoga |
| Multisport | — | Swimming/Running, Triathlon |
| In the ring | — | Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts |
| Team sports | — | Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Football/Soccer, American Football, Lacrosse, Rugby, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Softball, Baseball |
| Motor sports | — | Motorcycling, Overlanding, Motocrossing, ATVing, Snowmobiling |
| On the Water | — | Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Surfing, Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, Fishing, Boating, Sailing, Water Skiing, Wakeboarding, Wakesurfing, Tubing, Snorkeling, Whitewater |
| Racket sports | — | Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball |
| Snow & winter | — | Skiing, Snowboarding, Backcountry Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, XC Skate Skiing, Backcountry Skiing, Ice Skating, Snowshoeing |
| Other activity profiles | — | Inline Skating |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| Calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Passcode | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth® LE | Bluetooth®, ANT+®, Wi-Fi® |
| Find My Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Find My Watch | Yes | Yes |
| Weather forecasts | Yes | Yes |
| Smart Notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | iPhone®, Android™ | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Controls smartphone music | Yes | Yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | Yes | Yes |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | Yes | Yes |
| View images from notifications on watch (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | Yes | Yes |
| Stocks | — | Yes |
| Garmin Share | — | Yes |
| Voice command | — | Yes |
| Morning report | — | Yes |
| Smart trainer control | — | Yes |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | — | Yes |
| Plays and controls watch music | — | Yes |
| Find My Phone during GPS activity | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | — | Yes |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | — | Yes |
| Bluetooth phone calling and voice assistant support | — | Yes |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | — | Yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | Yes | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | Yes | Yes |
| Step counter | Yes | Yes |
| Calories burned | Yes | Yes |
| Distance traveled | Yes | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | Yes | Yes |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | Yes | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | — | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | — | Yes |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | — | yes (optional Connect IQ app) |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| Assistance | Yes | Yes |
| Incident Detection during select activities | Yes | Yes |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | Yes | Yes |
| Live Event Sharing | — | Yes |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | ||
| GPS speed and distance | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable data pages | Yes | Yes |
| Touch and/or button lock | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | Yes | Yes |
| % HRR | — | Yes |
| % HR max | — | Yes |
| HR zones | — | Yes |
| HR alerts | — | Yes |
| Shortcuts | — | Yes |
| HRV status | — | Yes |
| Load ratio | — | Yes |
| Manual lap | — | Yes |
| Rest timer | — | Yes |
| Auto max HR | — | Yes |
| Auto scroll | — | Yes |
| Finish time | — | Yes |
| HR calories | — | Yes |
| Voice alerts | — | Yes |
| Custom alerts | — | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | — | Yes |
| Recovery time | — | Yes |
| Training load | — | Yes |
| VO2 Max (Run) | — | Yes |
| Course guidance | — | Yes |
| Endurance score | — | Yes |
| Training effect | — | Yes |
| Virtual Partner | — | Yes |
| Workout benefit | — | Yes |
| Race an Activity | — | Yes |
| Realtime stamina | — | Yes |
| Advanced workouts | — | Yes |
| Interval training | — | Yes |
| Race glance/widget | — | Yes |
| Training load focus | — | Yes |
| VO2 Max (Trail Run) | — | Yes |
| Garmin Live Segments | — | Yes |
| Strava Live Segments | — | Yes |
| Configurable lap alerts | — | Yes |
| Unified training status | — | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | — | Yes |
| Multisport auto transition | — | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | — | Yes |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | — | Yes |
| Manual multisport activities | — | Yes |
| HRM running pace and distance | — | Yes |
| Heat and altitude acclimation | — | Yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | — | Yes |
| Trendline™ Popularity Routing | — | Yes |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | — | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Primary benefit (Training Effect labels) | — | Yes |
| Round-trip course creator (running/cycling) | — | Yes |
| Power Modes - customizable in-activity battery settings | — | Yes |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | — | Yes |
| Improved interval (includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection) | — | Yes |
| HRV stress test (measures your heart rate variability while standing still, for 3 minutes, to provide you with an estimated stress level; the scale of this is 1 to 100; low scores indicate lower stress levels) | — | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Diving Features | ||
| PO2 | — | up to 1.6 with customizable Deco settings |
| Tides | — | Yes |
| Backlight | — | yes (configurable intensity; always on) |
| Gas mixes | — | Air, Nitrox (21-40% Oxygen) |
| APNEA mode | — | Yes |
| Deep Stops | — | yes (using custom Gradient Factors) |
| No fly time | — | Yes |
| Safety Stop | — | yes (customizable off/3min/5min) |
| Dive planner | — | yes (Basic NDL & Gas Planner) |
| Nitrox support | — | Yes |
| Alerts & alarms | — | yes (vibration only) |
| Single-gas mode | — | Yes |
| 3-axis dive compass | — | yes with adjustable heading, quick change to 90R, 90L, and Reciprocal. Indicates degrees and direction back to set heading. |
| Auto start/end dive | — | Yes |
| Decompression model | — | Bühlmann ZHL-16c with Gradient Factors |
| Missed Deco Lockout | — | yes (can be disabled prior to dive with user acknowledgement) |
| Custom end-dive timeout | — | yes (20 sec to 10 min) |
| Customizable conservatism | — | yes (Low/Medium/High) |
| Surface diver status widget | — | yes (Surface Interval, no fly time, N2 loading, CNS, OTU, and Tissue Compartment status) |
| Automatic altitude adjustment | — | Yes |
| Dive ascent/descent rate indicator | — | Yes |
| Dive activity maximum operating depth | — | 40 meters |
| Sync dive log to Garmin Dive™ Mobile app | — | Yes |
| Automatically saves dive entry and exit locations | — | Yes |
| Boating Features | ||
| Wearable trolling motor remote | — | Yes |
| Swimming Features | ||
| Pool swim workouts | — | Yes |
| Critical swim speed | — | Yes |
| Time and distance alerts | — | Yes |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Drill logging (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Pacing alerts (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Countdown start (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | — | Yes |
| "Repeat on" rest timer (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | — | Yes |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | — | Yes |
| Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim) | — | yes (with HRM-Tri, HRM-Swim, HRM-Pro or HRM-Pro Plus) |
| Tactical Features | ||
| Dual grid coordinates | — | Yes |
| Outdoor Recreation | ||
| Tides | — | Yes |
| Up Ahead | — | Yes |
| Auto rest | — | Yes |
| TracBack® | — | Yes |
| Sight 'N Go | — | Yes |
| Tide glance | — | Yes |
| Back to start | — | Yes |
| Fish forecast | — | Yes |
| Explore Nearby | — | Yes |
| UltraTrac mode | — | Yes |
| Vertical speed | — | Yes |
| GPS coordinates | — | Yes |
| Area calculation | — | yes (via Connect IQ™) |
| Elevation profile | — | Yes |
| Projected waypoint | — | Yes |
| Total ascent/descent | — | Yes |
| Future elevation plot | — | Yes |
| NextFork™ navigation | — | Yes |
| Distance to destination | — | Yes |
| Expedition GPS Activity | — | Yes |
| Sun and moon information | — | Yes |
| Point-to-point navigation | — | Yes |
| Preloaded ski resort maps | — | Yes |
| ClimbPro™ Ascent Planner | — | Yes |
| Rest Timer (Ultra Run only) | — | Yes |
| Preloaded road and trail maps | — | Yes |
| Bread crumb trail in real time | — | Yes |
| Downloadable cartography support | — | Yes |
| Barometric trend indicator with Storm Alert | — | Yes |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| HIIT workouts | — | Yes |
| Yoga workouts | — | Yes |
| Cardio workouts | — | Yes |
| Pilates workouts | — | Yes |
| Strength workouts | — | Yes |
| Garmin Cycling Coach | — | Yes |
| Garmin Running Coach | — | Yes |
| Garmin Coach - Strength | — | Yes |
| Garmin Running Coach Experts | — | Yes |
| On-screen workout animations | — | Yes |
| On-screen workout muscle maps | — | Yes |
| Garmin Coach - Prebuilt Cycling Plans | — | Yes |
| Daily Suggested Workout - Cycling (Pace and Heart Rate Based) | — | Yes |
| Daily Suggested Workout - Running (Pace and Heart Rate Based) | — | Yes |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| Sleep | — | yes (advanced) |
| Hydration | — | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) |
| Breathwork | — | Yes |
| Meditation | — | Yes |
| Fitness age | — | Yes |
| Sleep coach | — | Yes |
| Nap detection | — | Yes |
| All-day stress | — | Yes |
| Women's health | — | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) |
| Health snapshot | — | Yes |
| Jet lag adviser | — | Yes |
| Respiration rate | — | Yes |
| Skin temperature | — | Yes |
| Resting heart rate | — | Yes |
| Breathing variations | — | Yes |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | — | yes (high and low) |
| Relaxation breathing timer | — | Yes |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | — | Yes |
| Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second) | — | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Garmin Approach® S44
Sits best on wrists ~45–61mm wide (≈ 12.0–16.3cm circumference).
Garmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar
Sits best on wrists ~54–73mm wide (≈ 14.4–19.5cm circumference).
2D Dimension Schematics
Accurate scale drawings based on case dimensions. Drag to pan, Ctrl+scroll to zoom. Works for every watch regardless of photo availability.
Loading schematics…
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Garmin Approach® S44 bigger than the Garmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar?
The Garmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar is bigger — 51mm vs 43mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Garmin Approach® S44 or the Garmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar?
The Garmin Approach® S44 suits wrists around 45–61mm wide, and the Garmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar around 54–73mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Garmin Approach® S44 and Garmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar side by side at true scale?
Yes — the schematics and photos above show both watches at matched scale, and our fit tool overlays each on your wrist width.
Related Comparisons
Garmin Approach® S44 vs Garmin Bounce 2Garmin Approach® S44 vs Garmin Approach® S50Garmin Approach® S44 vs Garmin fēnix® 8 – 43 mm, AMOLEDGarmin Approach® S44 vs Garmin Forerunner® 165 MusicGarmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar vs Garmin tactix® 8 – 51 mm, AMOLEDGarmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar vs Garmin tactix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar, EliteGarmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar vs Garmin tactix® 8 – 51 mm, SolarGarmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, Solar vs Garmin fēnix® 8 – 51 mm, AMOLED