Earlier this month (July 6) Garmin released a range of new Garmin Instinct Solar watches with variants called Surf, Tactical and Camo.
What’s New?
Garmin introduced its Solar Glass tech on the Fenix 6x Pro Solar last year. This increases the battery longevity for a considerable amount of time, by drawing energy from direct sunlight. This technology advancement has also been shared with the new range of Garmin Instinct Solar watches:
Garmin Instinct
The weather conditions are influential on how much of a boost you get. It will get a little charge if left indoors, but the most beneficial environment is direct sunlight. The tech itself is a new addition to the Instinct which explains why the cost has gone up marginally. Specifically, it’s meant the incorporation of photovoltaic cells. Two, to be precise. One lives in a strip surrounding the watch face and the second covers the watch face from underneath the glass. This physical modification is not without cost.
To make this technology work, there isn’t any kind of advanced battery life management needed. It’s possible to use a pre-set battery mode which turns certain battery-draining features off, like GPS. You can tailor your own battery profile to suit what you need.
Garmin have also introduced a new screen that enables battery management by way of giving you data on how the charging of the battery has been working in the background.
Shared specification
The overall size of the three variants are the same: 45 x 45 x 15.3 mm and all weigh 53g.
They offer 100m water-resistance.
The battery life is unparalleled thanks to solar power. This military-standard sportswatch is the toughest watch on the market. It has built-in sports apps and smartwatch capabilities to deliver your notifications on your wrist for up to 54 days in this mode.
This watch has been specifically designed for endurance. It has a reinforced polymer case which has been through chemical strengthening. It’s also highly scratch-resistant thanks to the use of Gorilla Glass on the face.
The design offers a highly contrasted display with a subtle colour case. It’s made to differ from classic smartwatches and the boldness really comes through.
Levels of sun exposure impact just how much of a boost you’ll get out of the battery life. The variety of settings and sensors will have an impact too. You can tailor how you use the watch to get the most out of it.
You can make the most of pre-loaded sports modes for activities like running, hiking, swimming, biking, rowing, weight lifting and more.
Sensors
It’ll monitor your heart rate and provide notifications if your heart rates rises too high or drops too low at any point. It’ll monitor how hard its working during a session, even when underwater.
For accurate sleep and altitude acclimation monitoring, the Instinct Solar(s) have a Pulse OX2 sensor that uses light beamed directly at your wrist to get an idea of how effectively your body absorbs oxygen.
It uses your heart rate to cleverly work out a stress level score. You’ll know if your physiology matches your mood; calm, stressed or anything in between.
If you’re constantly tired, this watch is going to be your new best friend. It’ll optimise the energy level in your body by calculating your stress levels, sleep and heart rate variability throughout the day. It’ll crunch this data to tell you if you’re at a prime time for being active or if you need a rest. Of course this doesn’t replace listening to your own body, but it’s a really helpful tool.
GPS
You can have unadulterated access to global navigation systems – GLONASS, Galileo and good old-fashioned GPS.
Combine your pin-point accurate location capabilities with navigation using the ABC sensors. These include an altimeter to tell you elevation information, a three-axis compass and a barometer to let you know if there are any storms ahead.
Essentially, the Instinct is a powerful friend who takes the guesswork away. You can make a smooth return journey using the navigation features and land right back where you started.
You can get your notifications delivered along the way too. Text, emails and various social media alerts. You will need your phone in your pocket for this, though.
If you’re really heading into the wilderness, with the addition of an InReach device, you can get weather alerts, send messages and, should the worst happen, send an SOS message to a dedicated emergency team available 24/7.
Garmin Instinct Solar Tactical
This version is built for those on a mission of endurance. It’ll be a faithful companion as you go, regardless of how far you go.
You can go between nighttime and daytime mode using its special screen which can be read using night vision goggles.
Flip the watch into stealth mode means the watch will quit broadcasting your GPS location as well as disabling the wireless connection and therefore communication.
If, however, you want people to know your location you can share it with others. This is done via use of a UTM (Universal transverse Mercator) plus an MGRS (military grid reference system). You’ll always be able to find your way back to a given location, which you can mark before you start a trip.
Garmin Instinct Solar Surf
If, in particular, your chosen adventures are in the ocean, you’ll love the Surf version of the Instinct Solar. This variant offers you specific tide data and in addition to the surf sports mode, offers dedicated surf-specific activities.
You can focus on the tide knowing your Instinct battery is going to last and last.
Garmin Instinct Solar Camo
The Camo has all the awesome features of this military-grade watch but comes in specific camouflage colours available only in this variant line.
Conclusion
There’s a lot going on under the Power Glass hood of the Instinct Solar. It has Garmin’s impeccable sports tracking capabilities as well as being able to customise your own modes to follow on your wrist. It has a superb breadcrumb navigation feature meaning you can focus on enjoying your surroundings knowing you’ll be lead right back to where you started. The Garmin Instinct Solar watches are the perfect companion for any outdoor lover, on land or sea.
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