But what are the benefits of owning a MicroLED smartwatch\u2014why does it matter? <\/p>\n
Here, we dive into the day-to-day realities of wearing a smartwatch with this display tech, how it compares to AMOLED, and more.<\/p>\n
What is a MicroLED display?<\/p>\n
![\"smartwatch](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Konka_Microled_smartwatch-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Before delving into the specifics of what a MicroLED display can do for smartwatches, let\u2019s clarify exactly what we mean by one.<\/p>\n
\n Advertisement <\/p>\n
MicroLED screens aren\u2019t a new display innovation, but they\u2019re certainly still in their infancy. You can hear it uttered in corners of the TV industry where you can now put a MicroLED TV in your living room. It\u2019s also being adopted by makers of some smart glasses<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n LED is a term most people are likely familiar with, standing for \u2018light-emitting diodes\u2019. These diodes emit light when an electrical current passes through them. Add \u201cmicro\u201d to LED, and you essentially get microscopic-sized LEDs that are capable of emitting light. These lights form the pixels that, in turn, help to make up what you see on a display.<\/p>\n How is MicroLED different from AMOLED?<\/p>\n An AMOLED (or Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) display consists of organic light-emitting diodes that form the pixels in the display. These pixels are made up of sub-pixels (red, green, and blue). Behind each pixel are thin-film transistors (TFTs) that help speed up the process of turning the pixels on across the display. <\/p>\n What this essentially leads to is the ability to increase the speed of refreshing an image to provide a smoother picture, making it more suitable for scenarios like gaming or watching a movie. When we talk about AMOLED screens offering deep blacks, that\u2019s when those sub-pixels are turned off and are not consuming current.<\/p>\n With MicroLEDs, they can produce the red, green, and blue colors that those sub-pixels can, but from individual LEDs. This allows for greater control over each LED in a display, which can help improve brightness, vibrancy, and the ability to deliver deep, rich blacks similar to those seen on a standout AMOLED smartwatch screen.<\/p>\n \n Advertisement <\/p>\n The expert insight:<\/p>\n \u201cOLED displays can struggle in bright ambient conditions; this is where MicroLED-based displays could offer better luminance per watt,\u201d explains John Kehrli, Senior Director of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies.<\/p>\n \u201cSimilar to OLED, black pixels in MicroLED displays consume no power, but the bright pixels can deliver more luminance at the same power level, enhancing outdoor usability.\u201d<\/p>\n Another key point is that MicroLED doesn\u2019t contain an organic element, unlike AMOLED. This means it shouldn\u2019t be as prone to the same kind of degradation or burn-in issues seen with AMOLED screens. <\/p>\n Such degradation is linked to the organic component, and what happens when the screen needs to be bright or is on constantly. Exposure to moisture and air can also influence this degradation.\u00a0<\/p>\n What will MicroLED bring to smartwatches?<\/p>\n As mentioned, AMOLED smartwatch displays are already quite impressive. They provide excellent colors, brightness, and sharpness. When you switch from AMOLED to MicroLED, those same qualities will remain, but there may be some additional advantages.<\/p>\n \n Advertisement <\/p>\n 1. Improved brightness<\/p>\n The most immediate touted benefit is that, due to how MicroLED displays work, they can achieve higher brightness levels without the risk of degradation that AMOLED screens can experience over time. This brightness advantage has been demonstrated when comparing OLED to MicroLED TV screens. <\/p>\n This would be especially helpful when using your smartwatch outdoors in difficult lighting conditions, where viewing angles can also be limited, and it\u2019s something we\u2019ve sometimes criticized in not-so-high-quality AMOLED screens. It will also be useful when you wear your watch for long periods in low-light environments.<\/p>\n 2. Better efficiency (battery life and longevity boost)<\/p>\n Another factor to consider is power consumption. We know that while some AMOLED smartwatches can last for weeks on a single charge, most only last a few days\u2014especially if the display is kept on constantly. <\/p>\n \u201cMicroLED offers several advantages,\u201d says Kehrli. \u201cThey are more power-efficient, allowing for longer battery life and extended use days, and have a longer lifespan, which could improve device longevity.\u201d<\/p>\n Xiaoxi He, an analyst at IDTechEx, also believes there are multiple reasons to be excited by the prospect: \u201cMicroLED displays can have a great impact on performance, offering better color, longer duration, and high luminance.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n Advertisement <\/p>\n Unlike other display technologies, MicroLEDs don\u2019t need backlights and use specific coatings and materials that have been shown to consume less power than other display options. <\/p>\n That will undeniably be a big deal for smartwatches that still last a few days or those with always-on display modes, which can hopefully benefit from lower power consumption.<\/p>\n 3. MicroLED enables a new world of design possibilities for wearables<\/p>\n As Xiaoxi He told us, MicroLED will also lead to \u201cimprovements in transparency, connectivity, flexibility, and the potential for new sensor integration.\u201d<\/p>\n One area where there could be a huge knock-on effect from MicroLED displays, then, is the smartwatch form factor. <\/p>\n LG Display notably debuted a stretchable, 12-inch MicroLED panel prototype at Seoul Fashion Week 2025 SS, demonstrating the capabilities of the display technology to be stretched or bent without damage. <\/p>\n It\u2019s just a showcase of the technology, of course, but also a good sign of what might be coming in the future. We\u2019ve seen smartwatch brands experiment with how their watches sit on your wrist before, and MicroLED could speed up making that a reality.<\/p>\n \n Advertisement <\/p>\n The challenges of MicroLED wearables\u2014and the future<\/p>\n \u201cThere are a few challenges to MicroLED displays, including cost challenges. This will make it harder to integrate into wearable devices, which typically sell for less than $650,\u201d Kehrli tells us. <\/p>\n There are manufacturing challenges, too, which could make it more difficult to bring it to market.<\/p>\n These same obstacles are echoed by Ron Mertens, founder of MicroLED-info.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are still challenges with mass production of MicroLED displays, from growing the tiny LEDs to the transfer process that\u2019s used to assemble the final displays. This means that production capacity is still very low, and in addition, prices are very high,\u201d says Mertens.<\/p>\n We only need to look at the TV industry to understand what Kehrli, Mertens, and He mean when they express concerns about cost. Samsung has a modular MicroLED Wall TV that costs over $150,000. <\/p>\n \n Advertisement <\/p>\n Garmin sets the early benchmark for MicroLED prices<\/p>\n We are, of course, referring to smaller-scale MicroLED here, which should significantly reduce the price. However, like many first-generation technologies, it is likely to come with a cost, and working with a smaller form factor could also add complexity. <\/p>\n In watches, the aforementioned Garmin Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED is available from $2,000\/\u00a31,729. That\u2019s an incredible amount for a sports watch\u2014and the price of being an early adopter is clear, since the non-MicroLED, AMOLED equivalent of the Fenix 8 Pro costs $1,200\/\u00a31,119.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just flagship sports watches that feature early MicroLED technology. Vuzix Shield smartglasses (pictured above) include the technology and are priced at $2,499. The TCL RayNeo X2 AI AR glasses also incorporate MicroLED and cost $899.<\/p>\n Looking forward<\/p>\n According to Mertens, it\u2019s no surprise to see that the early wearables featuring MicroLED are ones from brands accustomed to operating at the premium end of the market\u2014and that we may have to wait a while for the technology to trickle down.<\/p>\n \u201c[The first devices] will be low-volume devices, high-end smartwatches. For real mass market adoption, though, we\u2019ll probably have to wait a few years more,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n \n Advertisement <\/p>\n Ultimately, MicroLED displays should improve on the great features we\u2019ve enjoyed with AMOLED for a long time, while making our screens brighter, more power-efficient, and possibly enabling new form factors. <\/p>\n These are enough reasons to be excited about its arrival, even if it might take a while before it appears on smartwatches ranging from budget to luxury models.<\/p>\n A version of this feature first appeared in our long-form platform, PULSE by Wareable, in October 2024. For in-depth insights and analysis of the wearables industry\u2019s key trends, along with a free weekly newsletter, subscribe here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As Garmin unveils the industry’s first MicroLED watch, we analyze the benefits and future of the display tech…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":117946,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[64,63,213,105],"class_list":["post-117945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-gadgets","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-gadgets","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117945"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117945\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Samsung](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/samsung-galaxy-watch-ultra-21-1024x576.jpg\")
(Image credit: Wareable)<\/p>\n![\"Garmin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Garmin_Fenix_8_review_1222-1024x576.jpg\")
(Image credit: Wareable)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/LG_stretchable_micro_LED_concept-1024x573.jpg\")
LG Display showcases stretchable MicroLED panel prototype at Seoul Fashion Week 2025 SS | Credit: LG<\/p>\n![\"smart](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Vuzishield-1024x576.jpg\")
Credit: Vuzix<\/p>\n![\"garmin-fenix-8-pro-microled\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/garmin-fenix-8-pro-microled-820x461.jpg\")
Credit: Garmin<\/p>\n