Garmin's plans for future smartwatches with extra-bright MicroLED displays

Garmin has long held a notable position in smartwatch display technology. More specifically, some of its devices feature memory-in-pixel (MIP) displays, which are known for excellent readability in sunlight as well as low power consumption. However, Garmin is gradually shifting towards AMOLED technology across its product lines and recently introduced a MicroLED version of the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro (available here on Amazon), which offers exceptional screen brightness.

In an interview with Tom’s Guide, Ralph Poshak, Garmin’s display technology manager, delved deep into the topic of displays, addressing criticism of the company’s use of MicroLED technology whilst providing a glimpse into future developments. Poshak emphasised the potential of MicroLED technology in terms of its colour performance and OLED-beating brightness, all without the drawbacks of OLED such as burn-in – an issue that could affect smartwatches.

Future Garmin watches featuring MicroLED displays will reportedly tackle several current problems with the technology, at least in its implementation. For example, the MicroLED variant of the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro is more power-hungry than its OLED counterpart, which could be a concern for mobile devices with limited battery capacity. Furthermore, the MicroLED screen is slightly thicker, adding one millimetre to the Fenix 8 Pro’s overall height. Ralph Poshak also revealed plans to integrate touch functionality into upcoming Garmin smartwatches – a feature absent on the Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED, unlike other versions.