Just a few days before the anticipated reveal of the Apple Watch Ultra 3, Garmin has taken the limelight for itself by doing a surprise unveiling of the super-powerful Garmin Fenix 8 Pro.
This is the first Garmin smartwatch to feature a MicroLED display, boasting a far brighter panel than what could previously be achieved with standard AMOLED technology. On the Fenix 8 Pro, users can now enjoy a peak brightness of 4500 nits, which not only destroys the 1000 nits of peak brightness currently achievable on the standard Garmin Fenix 8, but also the 3000 nits cap of the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Although it was rumoured that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 would get a MicroLED upgrade, it now looks like fans will have to wait for a future model. This left the door open for a rival to get the world-first and Garmin has done it.
Alongside the upgraded display, Garmin has brought its inReach satellite technology into the Fenix 8 Pro which allows for text and voice messages to be shared between users, even when they’re off the grid and far away from a network signal. Previously, Garmin fans needed to buy one of the company’s dedicated inReach communicators in order to make use of these features.
Having inReach built into the watch will also give you the SOS ability to contact the emergency services if you do become lost on a hike and there’s no signal for your phone to connect to.
Garmin
Still a marathon runner
The Fenix 8 Pro is the first watch within the Fenix range to feature LTE connectivity, so if you’re out on a run and you don’t have your smartphone with you, you’ll still be able to receive and make calls, see weather forecasts and more, right on your wrist.
Assuaging any notion that the newer screen technology will result in an adverse effect on battery life, Garmin notes that you can get up to 10-days of use from just a single charge. It’s not quite as lengthy as the 16-day capability of the 47mm Fenix 8, but it’s not a major detraction either.
The Garmin Fenix 8 Pro will be available in one of two sizes, 47- and 51mm, although only the larger of the two has a MicroLED display, with AMOLED going to the former. Both watches are set for general sale on 8 September – the day before Apple’s big iPhone 17 launch event.
Apple will seem cheap in comparison
The only major barrier to entry is the price tag of that MicroLED model, which is a whopping £1,729.99.
That pricing makes the standard Fenix 8 seem like a bargain by comparison, and while the 47mm AMOLED Fenix 8 Pro will cost less at £1,029.99, the real allure will be that brighter display, so we’ll have to wait and see if the watch takes off with its intended audience.
While the Ultra 3 is set to come in at a similar price to its predecessor, at around £800/$800, even if Apple bumps the price – which would be understandable – it will feel like a bargain.
At the very least, one thing is very much certain about the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro – it has just taken the wind out of the Apple Watch Ultra 3’s sails.