Experience Fenix ​​8 microLED: Unrivaled screen

The year 2025 marks many big changes for Garmin when most of its product lines have major upgrades. The company is no longer “conservative”, accepting market trends by popularizing AMOLED screens from mid-range to high-end lines. However, with the Fenix ​​8 MicroLED, Garmin returns to its leading position in the smartwatch market as this is the first watch to use a high-end MicroLED screen.

Along with being equipped with the best display technology today, Fenix ​​8 MicroLED also has a high price exceeding the market average of 54.9 million VND. This level makes watch models previously classified as expensive such as Fenix ​​8 Solar (28 million VND), Apple Watch Ultra 3 (24 million VND) become “affordable”.

Before the Fenix ​​8 MicroLED, the watch with the brightest screen was the Apple Watch Ultra 3 with a parameter of 3,000 nit, which is considered enough for most daily use needs. Even with Garmin’s smartwatches this year from the Forerunner 970 series to the regular Fenix ​​8, the AMOLED screen has good brightness and users rarely have to complain about visibility.

However, when actually using the Fenix ​​8 MicroLED, the experience with the new screen is still quite clearly different. With a maximum level of 4,500 nit, users can clearly see content and colors in situations of direct outdoor use with strong sunlight. The biggest difference compared to AMOLED screens is the wide viewing angle. Tested from an angle of about 170 degrees, the image still retains color accuracy and is bright enough to overcome ghosting.

Not only in normal display mode, Garmin’s new watch also performs better than AMOLED watch models in always-on (AOD) mode. Compared to Ultra 3, Fenix ​​8 feels sharper and brighter in detail even though the brightness is much reduced compared to normal mode.

“The new Fenix ​​8 Pro display is like giant screens from sports stadiums scaled down to your wrist,” Ralph Polshak, Head of Displays at Garmin, told Tom’s Guide. Panel technology that is only available for high-end TVs measuring around 100 inches is “crammed” by the company into a 1.4-inch watch. Below the glass panel are 400,000 individual LED lights that glow and display distinct colors.

AMOLED is highly appreciated for its display capabilities, but the limit of this technology often lies in brightness because it is related to panel longevity. This is considered a consumable material, the quality of which declines over time although not really significant compared to the life cycle of a smartwatch model. Meanwhile, MicroLED is an inorganic material, more durable and does not suffer from image retention like OLED.

Garmin said it has been working on bringing the technology into commercial products for two years. This achievement helps the company “reverse” its thinking about competition in the smartwatch world when companies like Apple and Samsung are always strong in display technology while Garmin is often good in GPS accuracy and the ability to measure exercises.

However, there are still trade-offs on Garmin’s new smartwatch. This model only has a single large size of 51 mm, thicker and heavier than the rest of the Fenix ​​line. Compared to AMOLED, MicroLED screens need a separate touch panel – one of the reasons why the watch is significantly thick, up to 17.5 mm, 3 mm larger than the regular version.

Even for people with large wrists, fitting and experiencing daily wearing of this device is not easy. The weight of 68 grams (90 grams with cord) is not large, but the protruding size will sometimes make living inconvenient. People with small wrists are therefore not suitable for using the world’s first MicroLED watch model.

In addition to price, equipped with new display technology also makes Fenix ​​8 lose compared to Fenix ​​8 AMOLED in terms of battery life. Actual testing shows that if you play sports for an hour a day, turn on AOD mode, and only turn on necessary notifications, the watch’s battery will last about 4 days. This is good compared to Apple watches but much worse than Garmin models.

Fenix ​​8 MicroLED is fully equipped with Garmin’s advanced sports tracking technology. These hardware are not much different from the regular Fenix ​​8 version. The top LED light helps illuminate workouts in dark areas with three different brightness levels and a red light option for emergencies.

Similar to the new Forerunner 970 and 570 series, Fenix ​​8 MicroLED can receive and make calls directly from the watch thanks to the built-in microphone and speaker. The watch can also connect to the phone’s virtual assistant to allow commands and texting. Smartwatch has 32 GB internal memory, full Bluetooth and wifi connectivity.

In 2025, in addition to exercise capabilities, Garmin also tries to add many comprehensive health monitoring features for users. Notably, the Morning Report (morning overview) and Evening Report (reviewing the day’s status) functions help personalize a seamless health monitoring experience. Besides, the product fully inherits 24/7 in-depth health monitoring indicators such as heart rate, stress level, HRV, body energy, respiratory monitoring, Pulse Ox, electrocardiogram (ECG)… Users can monitor in-depth parameters through the Garmin Connect application.

With a high price and a choice of sizes, the Fenix ​​8 MicroLED is not a product that will suit the majority. The device is not only for those who simply love sports, but also those who love new technology and like luxury items. The new Fenix ​​8 also helps Garmin demonstrate its ability to develop technology after a period of “oversleeping” against competitors in the market with AMOLED screen technology.