Garmin signs deal with Vuzix for MicroLED Screen Tech – Will appear in Next Gen Varia Vision or similar HUD

More: Vuzix.com

Updated: 7 May 2026

Garmin signed a multi-phase development contract with Vuzix in May 2024 for a next-generation nano-imprinted waveguide-based display system. At the time, the open question was whether the deal underpinned the rumoured Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED watch or a near-eye HUD product. That question is now settled. The Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED launched in September 2025 with a 1.4-inch, 326 PPI panel from AU Optronics, which publicly confirmed the supply relationship. The Vuzix contract, by elimination, points to a head-mounted display rather than a wrist device.

Recently, Garmin removed its Varia Vision product from its main website and could quite easily be developing a near-eye display replacement with an improved version of products like FORM Goggles (Swimming) and Engo 2 (Running, Cycling).

Vuzix is the integrator, not the panel maker.

Vuzix designs nano-imprinted waveguides and assembles the projection engine around a third-party microLED light source. The actual emitter chips come from a separate supplier. At CES 2026, Vuzix named its current microLED display engine partners as Avegant, Himax, Hongshi, JBD, and Saphlux. JBD is the obvious candidate for a Garmin near-eye product, given its dominance in microLED microdisplays for waveguide AR across Meta, Snap, and the broader smart-glasses market. Saphlux signed a separate co-development agreement with Vuzix in September 2025.

The Fraunhofer IPMS backplane

In May 2025, Vuzix and Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems announced the first functional samples of a custom microLED CMOS backplane at 1080p-plus resolution, supporting both monochrome and full-colour pixel arrays. Vuzix said the work was primarily funded by third-party customers and aimed at high-end enterprise and defence markets. The framing covers Garmin without naming it. A bespoke backplane of this kind is exactly the deliverable a multi-phase OEM development contract would need.

Nineteen months of silence on Garmin

Vuzix has not named Garmin in any press release, 8-K filing, or shareholder letter since its October 2024 shareholder letter. Over the same window, the company has openly disclosed deals with Quanta Computer (a $20m staged investment, fully drawn down by September 2025), Collins Aerospace (low-rate initial production approved December 2025, deliveries from Q1 2026), multiple US defence primes, Saphlux, Avegant, Augmex, Xander, and a leading global online retailer. The Garmin silence stretches to 19 months. The most plausible explanation is a customer non-disclosure agreement. Garmin rarely confirms supplier relationships ahead of a product launch, and Vuzix appears to be respecting that.

Likely target product

The probable target remains a successor to Varia Vision. Garmin pulled the original Varia Vision from its main site some time ago. Cycling forums have been requesting a replacement for years. The form factor of a nano-imprinted waveguide maps far better onto cycling sunglasses than onto any watch. Competitor products such as Engo 2 and ActiveLook-based eyewear have established a small but real market for cycling and running HUDs that Garmin can address with a Vuzix-built waveguide stack.

Original contract terms

Under the terms of the contract, Vuzix will develop and deliver, in succession, waveguide-based optical systems with fully custom projection engines, and ultimately, production units. Vuzix’s capabilities in the design and development of custom waveguide optics, along with volume-production nano-imprinting for vision-based optical systems, will enable Garmin solutions that offer high cost, form-factor, and space savings compared to currently deployed technologies.

Timeline implication

Standard development cadence for waveguide AR programs runs two to three years from signing through to first production units. On that timeline, the earliest reasonable launch window opens in late 2026 or 2027 (Q2 is generally when outdoor tech launches)

Garmin is a technological leader and an ideal collaborator for implementing our advanced waveguide-based solutions in numerous markets. This development agreement further demonstrates how effectively Vuzix, with our OEM partners, can leverage the industry-leading optical technologies and manufacturing capabilities that we have created to support the burgeoning near-eye display industry. [Travers, CEO, Vuzix]

More

Garmin has been actively exploring MicroLED for over a year.

“The first MicroLED-Connect virtual event was in November 2023, with the following participants: Apple, Google, Samsung, Huawei, Innolux, LG Display, Sony, Infineon, Visteon Electronics, Phoenix Venture Partners, Avery Dennison, Garmin, Snap, Applied Materials, Shoei, Solvay, DNP, Aixtron, Schott, JC Decaux, Swatch, Coherent, Thales, Motherson, Kyocera, Kulicke & Soffa, Dispelix, imec, TNO, Toray, and many others.” Source: microled-info

---

FAQ

Which microLED panel manufacturer is Garmin working with through Vuzix?

Treat the answer as informed speculation rather than a confirmed fact. Vuzix integrates microLED panels from third-party suppliers and has publicly named Avegant, Himax, Hongshi, JBD, and Saphlux as its display engine partners at CES 2026. JBD is the strongest candidate. JBD supplies microLED microdisplays to most major waveguide AR products on the market and remains the dominant emitter source for near-eye applications.

Why is the Vuzix deal not for the Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED watch?

AU Optronics confirmed in September 2025 that it supplies the 1.4-inch, 326 PPI microLED panel for the Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED. Vuzix has no role in the watch. The Vuzix contract sits separately and points to a near-eye HUD product instead.

What is a nano-imprinted waveguide?

A nano-imprinted waveguide is a transparent glass or plastic substrate stamped with nanoscale gratings that channel light from a tiny projection engine into the wearer’s eye. The wearer sees the projected image overlaid on the real world. Nano-imprinting allows the waveguide to be manufactured at higher volumes and lower cost than the photolithographic process used in earlier AR optics.

What product is Garmin most likely building?

The most likely target is a successor to Varia Vision, the cycling HUD Garmin sold from 2016 and quietly retired. Cycling sunglasses are a natural fit for a slim waveguide. Running HUDs and a refreshed swim- or multisport-eyewear product are also plausible second-generation extensions.

When could a Garmin near-eye HUD launch?

Plan for late 2026 or 2027 at the earliest. Waveguide AR development programs typically run two to three years from contract signing to production units. The Vuzix contract was signed in May 2024 and is structured in three phases: optical systems, custom projection engines, and production units. Each phase carries its own engineering cycle.

Has Garmin confirmed the Vuzix partnership?

No. The only public confirmation came from Vuzix’s May 2024 press release and its October 2024 shareholder letter. Garmin has issued no public statement on the relationship. That aligns with Garmin’s standard practice of remaining silent about suppliers until a product launches.

Why has Vuzix gone quiet on Garmin since October 2024?

Assume a customer non-disclosure agreement. Vuzix has freely named Quanta, Collins Aerospace, Saphlux, Avegant, several defence primes, and a leading global online retailer in the same period. The selective silence on Garmin is the most telling indicator. Garmin asked Vuzix to stop talking, and Vuzix complied.

What does the Fraunhofer IPMS backplane have to do with Garmin?

The connection is circumstantial. Vuzix and Fraunhofer IPMS announced the first samples of a custom 1080p-plus microLED CMOS backplane in May 2025. Vuzix said third-party customers primarily funded the work for high-end enterprise and defence applications. Garmin fits the high-end enterprise framing. A bespoke backplane is exactly the kind of deliverable a multi-phase OEM contract requires. Read it as a plausible component of the Garmin program rather than confirmed.

Why is JBD the most likely panel supplier?

JBD ships the highest volumes of microLED microdisplays into commercial AR products, including Even Realities G1, several Meta and Snap prototypes, and several enterprise smart glasses. The company has the brightness, pixel pitch, and supply maturity that a near-eye HUD needs. Vuzix already integrates JBD light engines into reference designs. The combination is the lowest-risk path for a Garmin product.

How does this compare to Engo 2 and ActiveLook-based eyewear?

Engo and ActiveLook eyewear use simpler reflective or projected display technology, not waveguide optics. They deliver basic data fields to the lens at low cost and low brightness. A Vuzix waveguide solution offers higher brightness, full-colour graphics, a larger virtual image, and tighter integration into the lens. Expect a Garmin product to launch at a substantially higher price point than the $300 to $400 range occupied by current ActiveLook eyewear.

Will a Garmin HUD work with existing Edge and Forerunner devices?

Expect ANT+ and Bluetooth pairing to be standard, in line with every other Garmin accessory in the past decade. The original Varia Vision paired over ANT+ with Edge cycling computers and select Forerunner watches. A successor would extend the same model. Treat any feature beyond data fields, navigation prompts, and Varia radar alerts as speculation until launch.

Is Vuzix a financially stable supplier?

Vuzix maintains a small balance sheet and continues to post operating losses, partly offset by the $20m Quanta Computer investment, which was fully drawn down by September 2025. The Collins Aerospace defence program reaches low-rate initial production in 2026 and offers the first credible path to recurring revenue at scale. Garmin’s commercial volumes, if a product launches, would materially strengthen the company’s position. Treat any near-term financial wobble at Vuzix as a project risk worth watching, not yet a project killer.

What does “multi-phase contract” mean in practice?

The Vuzix announcement names three phases. Phase one delivers waveguide-based optical systems in accordance with Garmin’s specifications. Phase two adds a fully custom projection engine matched to the optics. Phase three produces volume manufacturing units. Each phase ends in a delivery and review gate. Garmin can pause or pivot the program at any gate without committing to the next.

Last Updated on 7 May 2026 by the5krunner