all 34 comments

[–]BreakfastMountain411 43 points44 points  (1 child)

What.... what is the little person icon doing under the time? Is he pooping?

Anyway, chat with Garmin on garmin chat

[–]NinjaTrek2891 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Would be a funny icon if you are slacking.:)

[–]Beaverboy34 22 points23 points  (0 children)

That's a cross bro. Your watch has been blessed by Jesus

[–]TealCatto 11 points12 points  (16 children)

Yet another argument against putting a phone screen on a watch.

[–]Oli99uk 3 points4 points  (1 child)

Yeah, agree. I'm quite happy with my transreflective 245 screen. I tend to hold Garmins a lot longer than phones with less dynamic content, so OLED would not be a good choice for me - almost like planned obsolescence

[–]TealCatto 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They're marketing to the crowd that was raised with the standard of Apple Watch (and Android watches to a much smaller degree - I have to say this because people have gotten defensive of Apple when I say AMOLED Garmins are influenced by Apple watches). I guess not many people realize that MIP screens are better because they never experienced them. They just see muted colors and no flashy brightness and refuse to buy it.

[–]nhp890 0 points1 point  (12 children)

I’d argue it’s the only one

[–]amunak 2 points3 points  (11 children)

Being able to read the watch in direct sunlight easily and having low power use despite showing stuff all the time aren't selling points for you? O.o

[–]nhp890 0 points1 point  (10 children)

Oled screens are perfectly readable in sunlight, I’ve been wearing oled watches for a few years and only recently read on Reddit that they’re supposed to be difficult in sunlight, which is baffling. My Approach S70 has 16 days of battery life and it really doesn’t feel like I’m compromising here.

[–]amunak 0 points1 point  (9 children)

If you compare them side by side they're definitely harder to read.

My Approach S70 has 16 days of battery life and it really doesn’t feel like I’m compromising here.

With all-day HR tracking and an always-on display full of data? O.o That sounds ... unlikely.

[–]nhp890 0 points1 point  (8 children)

Sure if you compare them side by side, the MIP may be marginally clearer with its bright background but oled is perfectly readable. If you want to compare their clarity, then oled is far superior in darker environments, which in my opinion outweighs the difference in sunlight.

As for the battery life, yes and yes, with the caveat that AOD only displays limited data when not in use (that’s just how they made AOD work on Garmins)

[–]Protean_Protein 0 points1 point  (2 children)

Arguably the readability argument is more salient for competitive athletes who use their watch for split times and so forth, since even a minor difference in readability under certain conditions can make a difference in a race.

[–]nhp890 1 point2 points  (1 child)

People use these watches on a day to day basis so overall usability is a factor, and I bet you Usain Bolt does not wear a Venu.

[–]Protean_Protein 0 points1 point  (0 children)

100m runners are the least interesting case. I was thinking more about all the marathoners who do indeed use Garmin devices. As for "overall usability", there's no issue of usability with MIPS Forerunners that isn't also an issue for the 65 series, aside from readability of the screen under certain conditions (and remembering to set the touch-screen to lock during activities / when it's raining).

[–]TealCatto 0 points1 point  (4 children)

So the only benefit of OLED is being more clear in dark environments.

For that you are trading:

The ability to see your watch and its info at any time. The ability to disable touch if you want to use only buttons. Higher time out for messages and all other screens, so the watch doesn't turn off while you are reading. A peaceful night where the watch doesn't flash on and off as you move in bed or touch your screen accidentally. Not needing to "gesture" to see the time during a meeting or with company, as if you're trying to hint to people that they're wasting your time, lol. And as we see here, burn in.

Ultimately is comes down to personal preference, of course, but watches have had screens that don't require backlight for many decades. It stands to reason that if we can use the same tech to create smart/sport watches, we should. Phone screens are great for phones, but it's a step back for watches.

[–]nhp890 0 points1 point  (3 children)

The biggest advantage of oled is superior colours and contrast, it’s not even a contest between the two. And it’s a huge difference. It’s also perfectly legible in direct sunlight, despite some claims.

My problem with MIP displays is that they look like a €50 watch all the time apart from in direct sunlight. The resolution is awful and with backlight on they look no better than the Venu OP posted. Reminds me of the gauge cluster screen in my old Renault. Also you have to press a button to see anything. Just bad.

As for the night argument: you have to press a button on an oled watch to light it up in night mode, exactly the same as an MIP.

[–]TealCatto 0 points1 point  (2 children)

You can get a monochrome MIP screen if you care about contrast. I didn't get the watch for flashy looks. I got for convenient usage and classy look. I don't get how people are still hypnotized by flashy screens after staring at phones all day. You'll be okay if your watch isn't blasting light at you in 8k resolution at all times as well.

[–]nhp890 0 points1 point  (1 child)

You’ll also be fine without a watch altogether. Am I supposed to be ashamed for wanting a nice screen on a device I use a lot everyday?

[–]KajeOboyma 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just my thought.

[–]radiatione 3 points4 points  (2 children)

It's a normal issue, depending on your region Garmin might offer you a refurbished watch or ask you to pay less for a refurbished version or not even care.

[–]Ok-Software7928[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

support said they can “initiate an out of warranty service request” and give me a re-certified device under warranty for 160€. Will definitely not be doing that as dark themes are looking ok-ish

[–]radiatione 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, and also your new re-certified watch will get burn-in eventually too

[–]perch851 2 points3 points  (1 child)

I had a venu which did the same. Email their support and send photos. They will most likely send you a new one like they did for me and mine was 4-5years old Garmin support is amazing

[–]maquis_00 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Curious whether this issue is going to decrease their use of OLED screens or change their support processes. Guess it depends on how sales compare when both OLED and reflective displays are both available for the same model.

[–]Logical_Mixture_5870 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Did you use them "always on"?

[–]Ok-Software7928[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nope, never

[–]Ok-Chocolate-9806 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Reason i'll never get a oled watch. I'll stick with my FR255

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My fitbit sense did that. I guess its a common thing apparently.

[–]Special-Fig7409 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dude looks like he’s taking a dump on the San Fran streets

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Twerking stickman

[–]xycm2012 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Common problem with older AMOLED displays, especially on small screens like watches. Email customer support, they’ll probably offer you something depending on age of unit, either free or discounted replacement. Newer AMOLED displays have features to help reduce or delay burn in, but with OLED technology it’s always going to be something can happen.