Garmin Fenix 8 Pro / MicroLED – LTE support and the world’s brightest display?

Tags: Presentation | Garmin

24.1.2026 | 3 MIN

The new generation of Garmin Fenix 8 Pro brings LTE and satellite communication to the series for the very first time. That’s not all—Garmin is also releasing a new model with the brightest smartwatch display in the world.

The new Fenix generation pushes boundaries—bringing LTE support for the first time and the brightest display in the history of Garmin smartwatches.

Every time Garmin introduced a new higher-end smartwatch line, the same refrain followed: it lacked LTE. Garmin has finally listened, and the new Fenix 8 Pro arrives with LTE support.

If you’re reading this expecting the Fenix to have gained eSIM, I should clarify right away that this isn’t the case.

Communication works via the inReach service and the Garmin Messenger app. In practice, you’ll find Garmin Messenger preinstalled on the watch, where you’ll have two options—satellite communication or LTE.

Satellite communication lets you send text messages and share your location every 10 minutes (every 2 minutes with a higher-tier subscription).

Sending messages works a bit differently than on standard Garmin inReach devices. The watch uses geostationary satellites, which are farther away and each covers only one region. So if you want to send anything, you need to aim the watch at the relevant satellite. The watch guides you through the process and shows you exactly where to aim.

The nice touch is that you can also use the watch as a transmitter—compose messages comfortably on your phone and let the watch handle the actual sending.

On top of that, LTE adds phone calls and voice messages.

As I mentioned, everything hinges on the Garmin Messenger app. For any communication to work, both you and the recipient must have it installed.

If someone calls your regular phone number (not via Garmin Messenger), the watch can handle the call only when your phone is nearby. If it’s out of range, nothing will appear on the watch.

The subscription should come to about 10 € per month, but unlike inReach communicators, the advantage here is you don’t have to pay the 50 € activation fee.

Otherwise, the Fenix 8 Pro remains virtually unchanged, except that the case is 1 mm thicker.

The Fenix 8 Pro is priced at approximately €1,300 for the 51 mm version and around €1,200 for the 47 mm.

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The Garmin Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED will be impossible to miss

Let me get this out of the way right up front: yes, Garmin has built its brightest smartwatch display to date. If you know Garmin’s lineup, you may have noticed the brand never disclosed maximum display brightness. This time, however, it made an exception—and for good reason. The display reaches up to 4,500 nits.

MicroLED technology is based on arrays of microscopic LED diodes, resulting in higher resolution and greater brightness. Unlike OLED displays, the emitters are inorganic, so they should be far less prone to burn-in.

Comparison of LCD, OLED and MicroLED technologies. (Source: blog.delmic.com)

The LTE version is 1 mm thicker, and MicroLED adds another millimeter on top of that.

Hardware-wise, the MicroLED variant is identical to the Fenix 8 Pro, so it supports LTE.

The Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED is priced at approximately €1,960 and is available only in a 51 mm variant.

The MicroLED variant will be available exclusively on Garmin’s official website, with production limited.

Photo credits:

• official Garmin images