Vivoactive 4 screen colour is not black and almost grey /white !

The display on the Vivoactive (and most other Garmin watches) is a different technology than AMOLED displays on other watches like Apple.  Not as vibrant.  They do this to improve battery life.  Also, the VA4 is always on, whereas the AMOLED watch faces switch off or to a more basic display (their version of "always on") when not in use.

Bottom line, what you are describing is probably normal, I would have to see to know for sure. The backlight adjustment should increase and decrease the brightness a lot, so I am not sure about that part.  If you want the same features as the VA4 but an AMOLED display, look at the Garmin Venu.

Thank you so much for the reply RunnerM . I think I will return it to the shop I bought it from tomorrow and get the Venu because that faded screen is really disappointing. Just to answer your query about the backlight, it is making the screen appear brighter when I up it, but the black background still looks faded and grey/blue. I think Garmin's marketing team did a good job in fooling people about this product as the pictures on the watch with its strong black background are completely different from the reality ! I've attached a picture of the watch from the Garmin website and a picture of my watch today.

Appreciate the feedback , My watch face below, Outside & Inside , backlight is at 20% 

Website photo below which shows the screen is a way better black colour .

Yes, that looks normal for this watch.

The screen looks this way because of the type of display.  Before you return it, try it in bright sunlight.  (it's a reflective display), so it will look bright can clear with no glare.  Compare it to something like a cell phone at the same time.

A Venu has amoled, which will look better indoors, but not as good out doors.

Thanks guys for the replies , good to know that the watch is working as normal and I didnt get a dud ! I had it in the sunshine today ( a rare occurrence in Ireland this time of year ) and the screen was very clear indeed. I suppose I have to decide whether I want clarity indoors and go for the venu or outdoor's and stay with what I have .

Yes, the only reason I didn\t get the venu was that supposedly the battery time was better on the Vivoactive 4. I have since heard otherwise from users of both that in reality, the battery on the venu is either the same, or perhaps even better, which makes me sad that it is beyond my return time. The venu screen is so much better. I had a Fitbit Versa 2 for a few days and the screen was so much better. I hated going back to the VA4.

If you google venu vs VA4 screen, you will see the difference (which you probably already have done). I want a venu. :

to be honest, this Garmin's always on display is one of the biggest advantages compared to other brands. Yes, it is not so cool and fancy indoor but when it comes to usability in real life, it's hands down unbeatable - always on, super contrast under sunlight, most of the time you don't need background brightness at all (it is a shame that it's not easily switchable by some shortcut)

Considering this is a "sports watch", clarity outside is really nice.  And with a reflective display ("memory in Pixel"), it's much better on battery life than others, while having always on display

Venu vs VA4 is a matter of personal preference. I think the VA4 display can look decent with a colorful background as opposed to a black background, but it will never match the Venu (at least indoors).  I like that the watch face is always on (meaning that it does not switch off or to a time only display to save battery life, like with AMOLED displays). But others don't find this to be a big deal.

I know a lot of people have had trouble with their battery life, but for me it has actually been great (10 days or so per charge with plenty of running mixed in). But that is primarily because I have stuck with a pre-installed watch face and have displayed only static data on it. If you use a third party watch face, you are probably looking at about 5 days of battery life, which is starting to get into Venu territory. 

Same here. I purchased a Garmin Vivoactive 4S only yesterday and, as its been raining, I’ve been indoors ever since and the display is extremely dull. I tried changing the brightness but this doesn’t seem to help. I would like to return the watch to the retailer but I was specifically told that, because it was purchased at a discount, it couldn’t be returned. I’m stuck with the watch and disappointed with my purchase. Hopefully it is fine tomorrow and I can check the display in sunlight.