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The flagship Garmin Fenix 8 smartwatch was made official back in August, but there are strong indications that more models are on the way – including what would be the first watch to use micro-LED technology for its display.
This rumor comes from Gadgets & Wearables (via Notebookcheck), and is based on references to new models found in documentation for watch face developers. Specifically, a Tactix 8 AMOLED watch and a Fenix 8 MicroLED watch (as it's referred to in the leaked documentation).
The Garmin Tactix 7 launched back in April 2022, and the series prioritizes rugged durability, and advanced navigation and mapping features. It also has some cool extras for a real James Bond vibe, including a stealth mode and night vision support.
What seems to be new this time around, based on these developer documents, is a new size option: while the Tactix 7 models are only available in a 51mm size, it looks as though the Tactix 8 will come in 47mm or 51mm sizes.
Micro-LED making a debut
As for the Fenix 8 micro-LED version, this follows on from leaks in September that pointed to a model with the alternative display tech, as well as the imminent arrival of a Garmin Fenix 8 Pro model to join the standard Fenix 8.
The benefits of micro-LED are higher brightness levels and lower power consumption – hello, superior battery life – but these advantages don't come for free: micro-LED displays are expensive to make, as TV manufacturers know only too well.
For years now, we've seen rumors that the Apple Watch would make the switch to micro-LED. There was also plenty of talk that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra would use micro-LED. As yet though, we haven't seen a smartwatch with this type of screen.
As Notebookcheck points out, Garmin has already signed a deal with micro-LED display supplier Vuzix, so we should be seeing the first micro-LED smartwatch sooner rather than later – though you can expect to pay a lot of money to get it.