‘I won’t settle for an AMOLED’: New poll suggests Garmin users want MIP screens to stay, as 34% say they’d switch brands if MIP died out

• A poll on Reddit shows significant support for Garmin’s MIP display tech
• 34% of users said they’d switch to a different brand if Garmin ditched MIP
• A total of 51% indicated a preference for MIP over AMOLED screens

These days, the best Garmin watches are slowly abandoning memory-in-pixel (MIP) tech for their displays, with the company preferring AMOLED screens for their increased brightness and contrast. MIP screens are pretty much just relegated to Solar watches. But not everyone is happy about the move, and a recent user poll suggests plenty of Garmin fans would be sad to see MIP go — and now we want to know if you feel the same way.

Over on Reddit, user Imthenewbee created a poll titled “MIP lovers: what would you do when Garmin quits making MIP screen watches?” With over 1,100, the results might surprise you.

That’s because they show a significant number of respondents want to keep using an MIP smartwatch, whether that’s from Garmin or a different brand. Out of the 1,100 votes cast at the time of writing, 186 said they would buy a used MIP Garmin watch if the company discontinued its MIP devices, while 377 — or 34% — answered that they’d switch to a different MIP smartwatch. Put together, those 563 votes represent 51% of the total votes cast, marking a sizeable coterie of Garmin users who want to stick with MIP screens.

How do you feel about the situation? TechRadar’s own Matt Evans has written about how he’d miss MIP displays if they finally went the way of the dodo, but not everyone prefers the duller-but-more-battery-efficient results you get with MIP. Let us know what you’d like to see in our poll below.

Users say they ‘won’t be loyal’

For several Reddit users, the long battery life granted by MIP screens is the reason for their preference. One user said “MIP and sick battery life is the reason I went to Garmin. I won’t settle for an AMOLED with a 12-day battery life.” Another, meanwhile, explained that they “went Garmin because of MIP and battery time. Won’t be loyal if the advantage with Garmin disappears.”

It might be worth taking the Reddit poll results with a grain of salt. After all, the title of the poll specifically asked “MIP lovers” to respond, so the results might be skewed in favor of users who prefer this technology. You never know, our poll above might be more balanced!

Still, it’s interesting that so many users indicated a penchant for MIP. While this type of display is nowhere near as bright as what you get with AMOLED — meaning it’s not as useful in bright outdoor conditions — it’s much more efficient on your battery, helping you eke more juice out of your smartwatch in the long run.

And because MIP is less advanced than AMOLED, the cost of wearables with this tech tends to be lower than AMOLED equivalents. That makes it a great option for some of the best budget smartwatches that give you wearable tech without breaking the bank.

We wouldn’t be surprised to see Garmin phase out its MIP watches eventually as AMOLED displays get more efficient and easier on your battery. But as the Reddit poll suggests, that could leave plenty of people lamenting Garmin’s decision.

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