In September Garmin launched its Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED smartwatch, the world's first with a microLED display. The panel is a 1.4" 454x454 round display that offers a brightness of 4,500 nits, produced by AUO.
The company recently launched the next-generation Fenix 9 Pro smartwatch family, without a microLED option. The display is an AMOLED display, with a brightness of 3,000 nits. We did not know whether the company plans to release a microLED edition, but in a recent statement Garmin said: "MicroLED is an exciting emerging technology that continues to evolve. While it played an important role in the fēnix 8 Pro 51mm lineup, we’re excited for the opportunity to bring our brightest and largest 1.5″ AMOLED screen to fēnix 9 Pro 51mm. We will always monitor advancements in display technology and will look to bring those to the Fenix lineup when they make sense".
It seems as if Garmin admits the AMOLED is good enough, and bright enough. It seems that AUO will have to deliver a thinner, more efficient, and cheaper microLED if it has to compete with OLEDs. Samsung meanwhile released a 5,000 nits OLED smartwatch, which surpasses the microLED brightness.
The Fenix 8 Pro microLED display was actually received quite well, and reviewers praised the high brightness, and excellent viewing angles. The microLED, however, came with a price: the watch is much thicker than the AMOLED alternative (the touch layer was not integrated into the display), the power consumption is almost double, and at launch it had a $700 premium. Garmin did reduce the price of the Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED two times, and it now costs $1,299 (down from the original $1,999).
