Garmin Fenix 8 Pro Pips Apple With Life-Saving “Brightest Smartwatch Ever”

Garmin has released the long-awaited follow-up to its popular Fenix 8 series of watches with the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro.

There are two major additions for this generation. You have the option of a microLED screen, not seen in other smartwatches yet. And both the microLED and AMOLED versions get inReach communication and cellular connectivity.

MicroLED tech is the most eye-catching of these new additions. This kind of display panel blends ultra-high peak brightness with the per-pixel lighting of an OLED screen.

Garmin Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED

It has been discussed for years, but is not seen in consumer gadgets yet as it is a nascent, and very expensive-to-implement, technology.

And this is no doubt why the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro is the most expensive Garmin watch I’ve seen that is not highly specialised or part of the Garmin Marq luxury range. It can reach up to 4,500 nits according to Garmin’s own stats, where the current Apple Watch Ultra generation can reach 3,000 nits, much like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra.

The spec sheet nits brightness numbers of devices like phones or watches and what you’ll actually see in real-world use are often quite different. However, Garmin’s recent Forerunner 970 suggests bringing ultra-high screen intensity to day-to-day use is something the company is focused on.

It is an extremely bright watch at its default settings, to the detriment of battery life in many use cases.

Garmin Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED Price And Features

The Garmin Fenix 8 Pro microLED costs $1,999.99. While pricey, Garmin’s already-stacked catalogue of very high-price watches means it can release such a watch without rocking the boat, in a way Samsung simply could not.

Elsewhere in the Fenix 8 Pro series, inReach is a communications system usually linked to its standalone Satellite Communicators series rather than its watches.

But, sure enough, the Fenix 8 Pro is indeed equipped with satellite communication as well as LTE mobile internet. It’s serious stuff.

What is The Garmin Fenix 8 Pro’s InReach?

InReach is used to send messages to other people using the Garmin Messenger app, to ping your location to them, and for SOS alerts. When connected to LTE rather than Satellite you can also hold voice calls, no phone required, and broadcast your location to followers using Garmin’s LiveTrack feature.

InReach’s satellite communication uses Skylo satellites in the Fenix 8 Pro and claims to cover “the continental U.S., parts of Canada and most of Europe.” There’s also a more in-depth page on coverage over at the Garmin website.

The Garmin Fenix 8 Pro’s LTE and satellite features do of course require a subscription. InReach sub costs vary hugely by tier of service. They start at $7.99 a month, rising to $54.99 a month for individuals.

They determine how many satellite texts and location check-ins you can make before having to pay extra. More details, again, at the Garmin website.

A microLED option and far more advanced communication aside, the Fenix 8 Pro series should seem fairly similar to the existing Fenix 8 family. And your sizing and finish options are more limited with this more pro-geared series.

Garmin Fenix 8 Pro Options And Release Date

Garmin’s AMOLED Fenix 8 Pro is available in 47mm and 51mm diameter sizes, with either a darker or lighter toned Titanium bezel. The Fenix 8 Pro microLED only comes in the darker bezel variety, and at 51mm diameter.

There’s a significant battery life tax to pay for the microLED model’s searing brightness too. Garmin rates its stamina at 10 days of normal use or four days in its always-on display mode. The AMOLED edition is rated for 27 days of use, or 15 days always-on. Judging by the Forerunner 970 it may already be very bright in its own right too.

The Garmin Fenix 8 Pro microLED and AMOLED watches will be available from September 8. 47mm AMOLED varieties cost $1,199.99, which is $100 more than their non-Pro series cousins. 51mm variants are $1,299.99, while the microLED watch costs $1,999.99.