Garmin Instinct 3: Efficient solar display brings "infinite" battery life
Garmin's outdoor smartwatch is getting bigger and is available with an AMOLED display. However, the second version with a solar display has an "infinite" battery life.
The Instinct 3 is available in four different versions: Garmin offers both the AMOLED version and the solar version with a diameter of 45 or 50 millimetres. For comparison: the previous model had 40 or 45 millimetres. While one display stands for crisp colours, the other has a positive impact on battery life.
Battery life: from 24 hours to "infinity"
Only for the 50 mm model with the solar charging lens does Garmin promise "infinite" battery life in smartwatch mode. For this to work, the watch needs three hours of daylight outdoors at 50,000 lux. The promise of "infinite" battery life does not apply in GPS mode. Here, the watch is supposed to last five times longer than its predecessor. That would be around 240 hours - no conventional smartwatch can keep up with that when the sun is shining.
Source: Garmin
The AMOLED version of the Instinct 3 is supposed to last 24 days in smartwatch mode. Even if it's only half that, other smartwatches are welcome to take a leaf out of its book.
Outdoor, health and fitness
The other features and characteristics of the Instinct 3 are independent of the display size and type. The smartwatch has a metal-reinforced bezel and an integrated LED torch. This offers variable light levels, red light and a strobe mode. The outdoor wearable is said to be heat and shock resistant in accordance with the MIL-STD 810 standard. However, Garmin only provides exact figures for water resistance: the Instinct 3 can dive to a depth of up to 100 metres.
As an outdoor smartwatch, the Instinct 3 has a barometric altimeter, a gyroscope and a 3-axis compass. It can be connected to the Garmin Explore app for detailed maps. The TrackBack function is designed to help you find your way back to your starting point in the great outdoors. Accident notifications including location are also designed to ensure safety.
Source: Garmin
As befits a wearable from Garmin, the Instinct 3 offers 24/7 health monitoring and can track countless sports. It measures heart rate and blood oxygen, monitors sleep and uses the Body Battery to show how much power your body has left. Payments can be made via Garmin Pay and the Garmin Messenger app can be used to chat with other Garmin devices or smartphones connected to them. The new Garmin Share function is designed to make it easier to share routes, workouts and positions that you have created yourself.
Price and availability
The Garmin Instinct 3 should be available soon - also in Germany. As mentioned, it is available in two larger and several, partly limited, colour variants. The solar model starts at 389.90 francs or 399.99 euros. The AMOLED version is available from 439.90 francs or 449.99 euros.
As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.