Which Is the Better Watch Display, MIP or AMOLED? ...Middle East

If you’re deep into comparison shopping for fitness watches, you’ve probably come across some debate on the different display technologies. Manufacturers are moving toward AMOLED style screens (bright! Colorful! Sharp! Modern!) while some longtime users are diehards for the older MIP or LCD style screens (the general vibe is: pry them out of my cold dead hands). So where does that leave you, the shopper, wondering what to get for your first or next watch? I’m going to break down all the pros and cons. 

AMOLED displays have tiny pixels that glow to create the display, leaving black areas where the pixels are not turned on. (Your phone’s screen is probably AMOLED.) AMOLED displays are full color, and they use power any time they’re on. They’re bright and highly visible in the dark, but can potentially get washed out in extremely bright sunlight.

AMOLED displays tend to be higher resolution, brighter, and sharper. MIP displays look more old-fashioned, but they always look good in bright sunlight, and they can be always-on without running down the battery life (assuming you have the backlight turned off). 

Which watches have MIP and which have AMOLED displays? 

We’re currently at a transition point where most manufacturers are moving toward AMOLED if they haven’t switched already. Any fancy-looking smartwatch is likely to be AMOLED; there’s no MIP Apple Watch, for example. But among sports watches, there are plenty of models with MIP displays still being sold new. Here’s a breakdown of some of the more popular watches: 

Apple Watch

Pixel Watch

Coros Pace Pro

Garmin Vivoactive 5

Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED

Suunto Race

Coros Pace 3, Apex 2, Apex 2 Pro, Vertix 2 (everything except the Pace Pro)

Garmin Instinct (this is actually not MIP but a regular 2-color LCD)

Garmin Fenix 7

Polar Pacer, Pacer Pro, Grit X, Grit X Pro

Real-world visibility tests

I’ve been reviewing watches nonstop for a few months now, mostly AMOLED models, so I was surprised when I dug into the running watch forums and found people saying they would never upgrade to an AMOLED watch because they just aren’t readable in sunlight. Huh? Every AMOLED watch I’ve tested has been great in the sun. But OK, maybe there was something I was missing. 

Ever since I read those posts, I’ve been paying attention to visibility, the better to form my own opinions. I got into the difference in display types in my comparison between the Coros Pace 3 (MIP) and Pace Pro (AMOLED), for example. And for today’s analysis, I’ve also borrowed a Forerunner 55 (MIP) to compare to my Forerunner 265S. So let’s take a look. 

In bright sunlight, at the right angle, MIP has a slight edge

Left: Coros Pace 3 (MIP). Right: Coros Pace Pro (AMOLED) Credit: Beth Skwarecki

This is the best case for MIP superiority, and it comes with caveats, so let’s enjoy it while we can. When you have bright light shining directly on a MIP screen, it practically glitters. Modern AMOLEDs tend to be pretty bright as well, but on the brightest of days in the directest of sunlight, they can be a bit washed out. That said, AMOLEDs don't show up well in photos on sunny days, so I don't think the photo above really does the AMOLED screen justice. (Those black horizontal lines on the AMOLED are also an artifact of the camera taking the picture faster than the display could refresh; they're not visible in real life.)

Left: Garmin Forerunner 55 (MIP). Right: Garmin Forerunner 265S (AMOLED) Credit: Beth Skwarecki

I didn’t have a lot of great side-by-side photos in sunlight, so for another test I put both Forerunners directly under a bright desk lamp. A desk lamp is not the sun. However, I feel like this is a better demonstration of typical conditions—as judged by my own personal eyes and brain. Your own opinion might differ. If you're making your shopping decision based on how the displays look in sunlight, trying them out in person will tell you a lot more than any photo will. (Underrated shopping tip: show up to a running club and ask everybody about their watch. They'll be more than happy to show them off.)

In shadow (even on a sunny day), AMOLED stays visible

Left: Coros Pace 3 (MIP). Right: Coros Pace Pro (AMOLED) Credit: Beth Skwarecki

I went for a few runs on bright sunny days with both of the Coros watches, and found I actually preferred the AMOLED display even in the sun. That’s because sunny days are also days with deep shadows. You have to get the angle just right to get that bright glittery effect on a MIP screen. But an AMOLED will shine from the shadows. Most of the time, either my body or the screen’s own bezel was shading it a bit. The photo above was taken on the same day, same run, as the outdoor Coros photo in sunlight. The sun didn't go behind a cloud, I was just standing in a different position.

Left: Garmin Forerunner 55 (MIP). Right: Garmin Forerunner 265S (AMOLED) Credit: Beth Skwarecki

And the photo here is the exact same setup with the desk lamp, but with the watches angled just a few degrees downward. Drastic difference in readability. Now, if you’re used to MIP watches, you’re used to angling them into the sun to get a good look. If you’re fine with that, great. I prefer the AMOLED in this situation.

In medium-light scenarios, both are good

Left: Garmin Forerunner 55 (MIP). Right: Garmin Forerunner 265S (AMOLED) Credit: Beth Skwarecki

Here are both watches outdoors, on an overcast day, displaying the kind of screen you'd see most often during a running or other sports activity. This is probably the most telling photo of all: they are both fine. The MIP watch makes up for its potential visibility issues by defaulting to a white background, and the AMOLED just keeps showing bright numbers on a dark screen like usual. I use the AMOLED (the 265S) in this photo for most of my runs—it's not a review unit, it's the watch I actually own—and it's always visible, always looks great, in any weather and with or without sunglasses. But the MIP? It's good too! Nobody loses points here.

In the dark, both screens light up just fine

Left: Garmin Forerunner 55 (MIP). Right: Garmin Forerunner 265S (AMOLED) Credit: Beth Skwarecki

In actual darkness, like when you’re putting your kids to bed, your best bet is an AMOLED watch with a “sleep mode” that displays the time dimly. That way you don’t need to turn on a backlight to see the time.  So if you’re concerned about the light being too bright, you probably want AMOLED.

Battery usage

MIP diehards like to say that MIP screens are more battery efficient. That may be technically true, but nobody buys a watch based on the battery life of its display. We want to know about the battery life of the entire watch. 

And honestly, AMOLED watches tend to have just as good a battery life as their MIP counterparts. Whether it’s better battery technology, power savings elsewhere in the software or hardware, or AMOLED itself being more efficient than you’d expect, it doesn’t matter. The Forerunner 965 (AMOLED) and the Forerunner 955 (MIP) both have a battery life of 8.5 hours during an activity with multi-band GPS mode and music playing. In smartwatch mode (not tracking activities), the 965 lasts 23 days in smartwatch mode, compared to 15 days for the 955. In other words, the AMOLED ...

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