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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.
What’s the difference between MIP and AMOLED displays?
I’m going to gloss over a lot of the detail you’d need to be an engineer to love and concentrate on what it’s like to use these screens. With that in mind:
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.
MIP displays (memory-in-pixel), also called memory LCD, do not light up on their own. These displays reflect light, much like old-school LCD watches, so they are highly visible in sunlight but require a backlight to be seen in the dark. They can display color, but only a limited range of colors and they are not as vibrant or as high-resolution as AMOLED screens.
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).
AMOLED displays tend to be touchscreens, but MIP displays can have touchscreens as well. For example, the Coros Pace 3 has a touchscreen, while the Garmin Forerunner 55 does not. (If you don’t want a touchscreen, you should know that you can disable the touchscreen on most sports watches.)
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:
AMOLED (or similar) displays:
MIP (or similar) displays:
Coros Pace 3, Apex 2, Apex 2 Pro, Vertix 2 (everything except the Pace Pro)
Garmin Forerunners 55, 255, 955, and any other Forerunner not ending in -65 or -70
Garmin Instinct, Instinct 2, Instinct E, and Instinct 3 Solar (these are actually a regular 2-color LCD rather than full color MIP)
Garmin Vivoactive 4 and earlier
Garmin Fenix 7 and earlier
Garmin Fenix 8 Solar (and pretty much any solar watch)
Polar Pacer, Pacer Pro, Grit X, Grit X Pro
Suunto Core, 9 Baro, 9 Peak
As this list should make clear, MIP screens are mostly found on older models—although often those models have similar functionality as their AMOLED brethren. For example, the Garmin Forerunner 255 and 265 are basically the same watch with two different displays (and very different price points).
The only place I'm seeing MIP or reflective screens on new watches would be Garmin's solar offerings, since the charging panel isn't compatible with AMOLED. The Fenix 8 and the Instinct 3 both come in a MIP version with solar charging, and an AMOLED version without.
MIP is always "on"
This photo shows what different screens display when you're not looking at them. Left to right: Apple Watch (AMOLED) with AOD, Coros Pace 3 (MIP) with full display, Garmin Forerunner 265S displaying nothing.
Credit: Beth Skwarecki
The biggest argument in favor of MIP screens is that you can have an "always-on" display without draining the battery. There's a big caveat on that statement, though: MIP screens aren't actually "on" at all. They're like e-ink in that they always display something, but you may not be able to see what they're displaying without proper lighting.
So in normal daytime conditions, a MIP screen is readable even without turning on its backlight. If you're typing on your computer, wrist in view, you can glance at your MIP watch and see the time even without pushing a button or turning your wrist.
AMOLED watches, meanwhile, only get that feature if you turn on their "always-on display" (AOD). There are two downsides to the AOD on most watches: First, it eats battery. And second, to avoid eating too much battery, the AOD face will be a lower-energy version with less data and a dimmer display. A MIP watch, on the other hand, will display the same watch face all the time.
To view a MIP screen in the dark, you can usually set the watch to turn on a backlight when you raise or turn your wrist. There's also typically a button that turns on the backlight as well. Some watches let you set the backlight gesture so that it's only available in the evening, assuming that you'll have plenty of light at other times of day.
Real-world visibility tests
I've happily reviewed a ton of AMOLED sports watches, with no problem viewing any of their displays in strong sunlight, but on forums like Reddit you'll find MIP devotees who say they would never consider an AMOLED watch for outdoor sports. They're afraid it wouldn't be readable in the sun. 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, using those two pairs of watches as our test subjects.
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 a win for MIP, with caveats (see below about shadows). When you have bright light shining directly on a MIP screen, it practically glitters. Modern AMOLEDs tend to be pretty bright as well, and it seems every new watch release claims to have "our brightest screen ever." But on the brightest of days in the directest of sunlight, AMOLEDs can indeed be a bit washed out.
That said, AMOLED screens don't show up well in photos on sunny days, so I don't think the photo above quite does the AMOLED screen justice. (Those black horizontal lines on the AMOLED are an artifact of the camera taking the picture faster than the display could refresh; they're not visible in real life.) In my opinion MIP screens look great in direct sunlight, while AMOLEDs are just OK.
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, while 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. And here are both watches indoors, with normal ambient lighting:
Indoors with normal lighting. Left: Garmin Forerunner 55 (MIP). Right: Garmin Forerunner 265S (AMOLED)
Credit: Beth Skwarecki
In the dark, both screens light up just fine
Left: Garmin Forerunner 55 (MIP). Right: Garmin Forerunner 265S (AMOLED)
Credit: Beth Skwarecki
You probably expected me to say that AMOLED is better in the dark. Honestly, while AMOLED is prettier in the dark (and prettier almost anytime, because AMOLED displays tend to be higher resolution and have more vivid colors), both screens are equally readable. The same gesture that wakes the AMOLED screen can wake the MIP screen’s backlight. (Please note that both watches are much sharper than the photo in real life. The blur you're seeing is just me failing to hold the camera perfectly steady in a dark room.)
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 watch lasts eight days longer. If battery life is your priority, in this situation you’d want the AMOLED.
This will vary by model, of course. Look up the battery life specs for the specific watches you’re interested in. Maybe the MIP model will last longer, but maybe the AMOLED will. Don’t make assumptions about the battery based on the look of the screen.
How to make a decision
You've seen my photos and heard my opinions, but ultimately you need to make a decision for yourself. And of the two display types, I'll be honest: neither is unusable or terrible or has some horrific misfeature that should be a dealbreaker. I do think that most people will prefer the AMOLED style. But if you end up with a MIP display, it will be fine. So let me run through a few things to keep in mind:
If always-on display is important to you, consider MIP. You get this feature for free (in terms of battery life) as long as you're OK with angling it toward the light when needed.
If bright colors and high resolution are important to you, AMOLED looks sharper and prettier, and is probably what you'll be happiest with.
If you currently have a MIP watch but are afraid that you wouldn’t like an AMOLED watch, don’t let that stop you from shopping AMOLED models. The downsides of AMOLED (as the internet tells them) are wildly exaggerated.
If your dream watch needs to be an older MIP watch to fit in your budget, go ahead and get it. It will be fine.
If you have seen both watches in person, in a wide variety of lighting conditions, and have a strong opinion, just go with your preference.
If you’re new to all of this and feeling confused right now, you’ll probably like AMOLED better. All the new watches are AMOLED anyway.
Often you can get an older generation of a feature-rich watch for the same price as the newest generation of a more barebones model. That’s the case right now for a lot of Garmin models, where pretty much everything released in the last year or so has an AMOLED screen, and everything before it is MIP. Personally I think the Forerunner 255 is the best value for money of any Garmin watch, since it's nearly identical to my beloved 265—the only major difference is the screen type, and you can usually find it at least $100 cheaper.
