Fenix 8 Amoled 51mm UNUSABLE in low light!

Exacly, they should not setup default brightness dimming to Every watch, bexuase the users has different eyesight some has perfect, some has bad and they cannot be treated with same brightness in dark. This must be adjustable. 

So Apple, who arguably knows more about usability than any other company in the world addressed this issue with their watches using a minimum brightness setting - I believe fairly recently (approximately March 2024) after many complaints on this same topic.  Users receive a notification saying that using this setting "... may affect battery life and long-term display performance", which I take to mean that pixel burn is a possible side effect.

Here is a link to some discussion

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255223373?sortBy=rank

I know this might be hard to hear, but this sounds like a limitation of amoled displays in general and not specifically a garmin issue.  I have a MIP watch and with that, one can keep the backlight on any brightness with no timeout, no dimming - only subject to the constraint of battery life.  So if one really wants to see the watch all the time without doing anything (no gestures, no pushing buttons, no touching the screen), then maybe amoled is not the right choice for you.

I have a similar issue using the Portal face, Red Shift, and the Molten accent color. The minutes are too dim to read. If I use a different color, Orange Peel, the issue goes away. 

Hi Laurie, automated dimming is fine, this functionality is needed to save battery, however it just dimm too dark for some of the users and readability hardly depends also on the watchface used. Product is highly customizable and could satisfy more users if automated dimming feature has minimum brightness level setting. We all have different eyesight, some of us is old, some of us young, some of us like dark, some not. Comprehensive product, that can be tailored and personalized has chances to sell better, as it will match more population of users.

I can distinguish 5 types of backilghting now in the AMOLED watch:

1. Maximum backlight, after the gesture (that is configurable already in  Display & Brightness menu)

2. Minimum backlight, after the gesture (that is not configurable and depends only on hardcoded value that is linked with the light sensor) This one would require minimum value setup.

3. Minimum baklight, that is used for AOD, when the watchface is in inactve state. I wasn't able to see any setting for it. Not sure what is it dependent from.

4. Backight used for sleeping mode, that is activated by sleep schedule. It has several. It has 4 different levels including utra low and configurable in Focus Modes menu.I suppose this setting is valid for active inactive, irrespective of the conditions.

5. Backlight used for activity mode, that is activated by turning on sport activity. It has 3 different levels and configurable in Focus Modes menu. I suppose, this is only for maximum brightnes, when enabled by gesture, but after 4,8 seconds or whatever other selected inactivity period, it will dimm to some default value, which is not configurable.

There are also brightness settings in Power Management profiles, where user can select in Power Profile whether Brightness won't chnage or it will reduce. I believe this reduce is connected with minimal brightness in point 5, but there is no any levels to be selected, so it will just reduce to some hardcoded. No idea, what this "Reduce" is doing and how much it will reduce and in what moment.

I would personaly add addtional feature under Display & Brightness menu with additional option just under the "Brightness" selection, that would be "Minimal active brightness". Light sensor cloud dimm backlight only to the level, that is setup in this menu, when watchface is active, but environment is maximally dark. You can also keep current hardcoded setting in there , under Automatic selection.

buongiorno anche io riscontro lo stesso problema molto molto fastidioso. avevo un fenix 7 che non dava questo problema e conosco tante altre persone con il fenix 8 che hanno difficoltà a leggere anche l'orario se c'è poca luce. molti stanno valutando il passaggio/ritorno ad apple e anche io ci sto pensando visto che non considerate il fatto come un problema da risolvere

This is a very strange situation, I have an F8 51mm Amoled, and I don't have this problem at all. I'm afraid it's not a SW problem. It's a sensor or display problem. I think anyone who has this problem should send the watch back and ask for a new one.

Getting a replacement watch won't fix the issue. To Garmin, there isn't anything broken with the watch and it's performing as intended.  The "problem" is a "you and your poor eyesight because (maybe) you're old" problem.  I think those that consider it too dim are in the minority.  If a new feature/option for us to control this were to be added, it would of been already.  The watch has been out for 6+ months now and I have zero expectation garmin will throw us a bone on this one. 

I'd love to be able to have this feature.  For the record, I also sent exhaustive pics, descriptions, videos of the issue over the course of two separate tickets.  Then I obsessively follow the beta cycles to see if there is any mention of a feature like this.  No dice.

Nessuno può mettere una foto di come si presenta il display in condizioni di scarsa luminosità?