Garmin beat Samsung and Apple with MicroLED watches. What makes the new display type interesting and why did it disappoint in efficiency?

Innovations in the display field are, for me, among the most interesting in the entire technology scene. Companies like Samsung or LG regularly showcase at major trade fairs who will be the first to introduce a panel with a brand new feature. If we focus purely on the field of electronics available to ordinary mortals, in recent years we have heard about the impending deployment of MicroLED displays in smartwatches. In the end, however, it was neither Samsung nor Apple who brought them first, but Garmin, a manufacturer of popular watches for athletes.

How Garmin Beat the Biggest Players

While speculations about MicroLED watches from Samsung or Apple have been heard for a good few years, rumors about a Garmin model only really emerged last autumn. This September, we then saw the launch – the Fenix 8 Pro watches, available in MicroLED as well as a standard AMOLED version, arrived as more advanced additions to the flagship sports tracker series that has existed for several months. 

Garmin’s journey to the first watch with a revolutionary panel type was described in an interview for Tom’s Guide by Ralph Poshak, manager of the company’s display department. 

“It was a two-year development process,” he stated, adding that Garmin became more interested in MicroLED after it became clear that one of its suppliers was working on it. Poshak believes that MicroLED has the potential to become a revolutionary technology in the smartwatch market and notes that Garmin definitely intends to continue exploring ways to adequately utilize it in its products.

What are the Advantages of MicroLED Panels?

The deployment of AMOLED panels in Garmin watches did not go without criticism from many athletes who preferred MIP panels for their energy efficiency and good visibility in sunlight. However, we can objectively say that colorful AMOLEDs are much more pleasant to look at.

MicroLED panels not only advance the image quality itself, whether it’s color reproduction or brightness, but also boast a longer lifespan compared to AMOLED displays – they do not suffer from the infamous pixel burn-in phenomenon, even when emitting maximum brightness. 

“The more you use an OLED display, the more it wears out. It’s a consumable. MicroLED is inorganic. Just like the LEDs we’ve been using for 50, 60, 70 years. You can overheat them, but with proper use, you can’t really burn them out. So, first and foremost, it solves the OLED burn-in problem,” explains Poshak.

“LCD displays, like our MIP panel, need backlighting, and you have to shine light through them. OLED and MicroLED displays create their own light, which gives you a really beautiful front-of-display experience,” he adds.

Battery Life Disappointment: Why Doesn’t the MicroLED Model Last Longer?

Although it is generally believed that when it comes to energy efficiency, MicroLED panels perform significantly better than OLED displays, the reality was a bit different for the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro. Specifically, the model with the more modern panel lasts only 10 days in smartwatch mode, whereas for the cheaper AMOLED version, the manufacturer reports up to 27 days. But why?

“There’s been a huge misunderstanding about power consumption,” says Poshak. “The best I can say is that OLED has a 25-year head start. I don’t know who came up with the claim that MicroLED would suddenly, like magic, consume less power than OLED. It will be achieved someday, but it’s not today.” He also noted that Garmin is aware of the high expectations of fans and the subsequent disappointment with battery life, adding that this shortcoming will improve in the future.

Garmin also has at least one more obstacle to contend with, which is the touch panel. Currently, it is not integrated directly into the MicroLED screen, making the resulting construction of the model 1 mm thicker than AMOLED watches. Poshak, however, confirmed that MicroLED watches from Garmin will see a solution to this problem in the future.

What do you expect from future MicroLED watches?

Where to find more details: Garmin (Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED), Tom’s Guide (interview with Ralph Poshak)