Garmin has launched the Fenix 8 Pro sports watch, which offers some major upgrades on the standard Garmin Fenix 8 including LTE connectivity and a microLED option.
There are two models of the Fenix 8 Pro, one with an AMOLED display that comes in two sizes, and one with a microLED display that’s only available in one size and costs an eye-watering $2,000.
If you’re a fan of bright screens, it might be worth the outlay, because at 4,500 nits the Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED has the most dazzling display on any smartwatch available — at least until the Apple Watch Ultra 3 launches next week, since that’s also rumored to be getting a microLED screen.
Price and availability
The Garmin Fenix 8 Pro is live on the Garmin website now but you can’t order the watch until September 8. The Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED comes in 47mm and 51mm sizes and costs from $1,199 / £1,029 to $1,299 / £1,119, depending on the size you got for.
The Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED is only available in the larger 51mm size and costs $1,999 / £1,729, making it the most expensive Garmin Fenix ever.
Both watches are also listed on the Garmin Australia website saying the estimated availability is two to three weeks, but no price is listed yet for the Fenix 8 Pro in Australia.
The brightest screen on any smartwatch
MicroLED displays have been rumored as the next big thing for smartwatches for years, and the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro is the first major release to use the technology.
It has over 400,000 individual LEDs in its display, which allows for 4,500 nits of brightness – a huge increase on even something like the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which offers 3,000 nits.
The new screen should offer unrivalled clarity in any lighting conditions and be easy to read from all angles
This bright display does seem to come at a cost in terms of battery life though, since the Fenix 8 Pro microLED is listed as lasting 10 days in smartwatch mode or four days with the screen always-on, compared to 27 days or 15 days always-on for the AMOLED Fenix 8 Pro 51mm.
LTE connectivity for the great outdoors
The other innovation launching with the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro is LTE connectivity, which you will need to pay for through a monthly subscription, the details of which are not yet clear.
You can send messages and make calls with the watch without your phone through the GarminMessenger app, and the Fenix 8 Pro has Garmin’s InReach technology built in, so you have satellite messaging on your wrist and the ability to get emergency assistance even when you venture off the grid.
The Fenix 8 Pro can also access weather forecasts using its LTE connection, and you can also use Garmin’s LiveTrack feature without your phone, so friends and family can track your progress and check on you during an activity.
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