The long-awaited Garmin Fenix 8 sports watch could have a major screen upgrade, according to a listing published prematurely by an Icelandic retailer. The new info comes just a few days after a Finnish store published the names of two forthcoming devices: the Fenix 8 and Fenix E, both of which appear to be due to launch soon.
The latest details were spotted by Reddit user Flintoff13, who shared a screengrab of their findings (embedded below). The page on Garminbúðin has now been taken down, but the listing describes a watch with a 43mm diameter case in a Whitestone/Silver colorway.
It is listed at 179,900 Icelandic Króna, which converts to roughly $1,300, but looking at other watches on the site, the final US price is likely to be lower.
Shoplisting seems to confirm AMOLED on the new Fenix 8 line from r/Garmin
Until now, all watches in the Fenix series have used MiP (memory-in-pixel) screens, which use relatively little power, helping the watch run for longer between charges. Pixels only use power when they change color or brightness ('remembering' their current state the rest of the time). They are easy to read in sunlight, but require an LED backlight to be read in dark conditions.
AMOLED (active matrix organic light emitting diode) displays are made up of LEDs that each emit light independently. This type of display offers a wider color gamut, faster refresh rates, and better visibility in low lighting conditions than MiP. The trade-off is its increased power usage, particularly in always-on mode.
The fact that Garminbúðin specifically mentions the use of AMOLED (along with the case size) suggests that Fenix 8 owners may be able to choose between AMOLED and MiP options. Since the Garmin Epix (Gen 2) is essentially just a Fenix 7 with a different display, this would essentially mean the two series would be merged together, with no more Epix models incoming.
That wouldn't be a bad thing. The Epix naming system is confusing (the first-generation Epix was released in 2015, and bore little resemblance to the Epix (Gen 2) launched in 2022), and since the only real difference between the Epix and Fenix lines is the screen, merging the two makes sense.
It's interesting stuff, and we'll continue to keep an eye out for more leaks and hints about the Fenix 8 as they emerge.
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