Choosing a smartwatch display essentially involves balancing visual impact against practical battery life for outdoor use. Currently, the mainstream landscape can be clearly categorized into two major camps and one entirely new, future-oriented track.

The Two Mainstream Camps: AMOLED vs. MIP

AMOLED: Focused on Visual Experience

AMOLED (Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode) is the most popular type of smartwatch right now. Each pixel can emit or turn off light on its own, which makes the picture look really good. However, it does use a lot of battery power. For example, if you have the screen brightness up high or you have the "Always-On Display" mode on, the battery will go a lot faster.

• The main benefits: The colours are bright, the contrast is high and the resolution is very good, which together create amazing visual effects.

• The main problems: They use more power. You can't see them well in bright sunlight, so they need to be very bright to avoid glare, which uses even more power.

• Making the most of your time outside: You can make the battery last longer by using high-brightness panels (which can reach a brightness of 850 nits or more) and LTPO backplane technology (which can reduce the screen refresh rate to 1Hz, reducing power consumption by around 40% compared to traditional LTPS backplanes).

MIP (Memory-in-Pixel): Focused on Ultra-Long Battery Life

MIP (Memory-in-Pixel) screens are basically a type of reflective LCD; their main technological strength is their "memory". Each pixel has its own memory unit. When the image is static, the pixels can stay as they are without using power, and they only need to be updated when the image changes. So, MIP screens are the best choice for people who want their screens to last as long as possible and be reliable outside.

• The main benefits: This screen uses much less power than other screens. It uses 90% less power than AMOLED screens. The Always-On Display uses virtually no power. It is very visible outside. The brighter the light, the clearer the display. It works well in cold conditions. It can operate at -20°C. AMOLED screens may not work so well in cold conditions.

• There are three main things to consider: The colour reproduction and resolution are not the best, and the backlight has to be switched on to make it easy to read in the dark.

• What it's all about: MIP uses a special layer to collect and reflect light. Each pixel has a built-in storage unit that uses very little power. It can use as little as 0.1μW of power when it is on standby.

The Star of the Future: Micro LED

Micro LED is considered the best display technology because it combines the good points of both AMOLED and MIP.

• Advantages of the Revolution: Micro LED uses self-emissive technology too, but its light-emitting units are made of inorganic materials. This means it is much brighter, lasts longer and is more efficient than AMOLED. For instance, the Garmin fēnix 8 Pro—the world's first mass-produced device featuring a Micro LED display—boasts a screen comprising over 400,000 individual micro-LEDs. It achieves a peak brightness of up to 4,500 nits, offers a six-fold improvement in contrast ratio, and demonstrates superior resistance to screen burn-in.

• Current Bottlenecks: At present, the primary hurdles lie in high production costs and the inherent difficulties associated with mass production. Nevertheless, companies within the industry are already planning to reduce the cost of Micro LED technology to parity with high-end OLEDs within the next two years, thereby paving the way for its large-scale commercial adoption.

Alternative Technology Routes

• PMOLED (Passive-Matrix OLED): This is a type of OLED technology that has a simple structure and is cheap. It is often used in cheap devices that don't need to have a very clear display, such as early-generation smart bands, children's watches, and some hybrid watch models.

• Electronic Paper (E-Paper): E-Paper technology, which includes Electrophoretic Display (EPD) technology, has two big advantages. It uses very little power and looks just like paper. But it refreshes really slowly, so it can't give the kind of smooth, easy-to-use experience you'd expect from a smartwatch. In the future, E-Paper could be combined with technologies such as OLED to create a "E-Paper + Transparent OLED" design, which would combine the strengths of both.