“We do see the potential for microLED to continue, but one of the key challenges we have is the amount of supply chain diversity and the ability for the supply chain to ramp up to support the needs of our customers.” That’s Garmin COO Brad Trenkle telling Forbes why the fēnix 9 Pro shipped without a MicroLED version.
In the same interview, he wouldn’t promise that Garmin prices hold.
Price: $1,099.99 (47mm, Titanium Autumn Orange)
Where to Buy: Amazon
Why didn’t the Fenix 9 Pro get MicroLED?
Panel supply. There aren’t enough MicroLED makers yet, and they can’t build the panels in several sizes at Garmin’s volume. The 8 Pro MicroLED only ever came in one case size, while the 9 Pro comes in 43, 47 and 51mm. Panel maker AUO has told investors a new generation of MicroLED watch panels is planned for 2027. Trenkle gave no date for Garmin.
Is the brighter 8 Pro MicroLED still worth buying?
Only if brightness beats everything else. Its panel hits 4,500 nits against 3,000 on the largest 9 Pro’s 1.5-inch AMOLED. It’s also thicker at 17.5mm against 15.8mm, and Garmin rates it for 10 days as a smartwatch against 31.
Garmin now sells it for $1,599.99, down from $1,999.99 at launch, while the matching 9 Pro inReach runs $1,299.99. The older AMOLED 8 Pro and the plain 9 Pro both sit at $1,199.99 in the biggest case, so last year’s model has no price edge left.
Will Garmin watches cost more?
Garmin isn’t ruling it out. Trenkle said some components Garmin paid $4 or $5 for a year ago now cost almost ten times that, and that Garmin’s margins let it absorb more of the jump than most rivals. “We’re not immune to it,” he said. “Nobody is.”
Flagship pricing hasn’t moved so far. Garmin’s base fēnix 9 starts at $999.99, what the fēnix 8 cost at its 2024 launch.
Price: $1,099.99 (47mm, Titanium Autumn Orange)
Where to Buy: Amazon
If the 9 Pro is already on your list, today’s price is one Garmin hasn’t touched.
