Garmin International has unveiled its Instinct 2 Series, a collection of smartwatches that will run indefinitely without being plugged into the mains thanks to advances in solar charging technology.
The watches straddle two markets: they have the rugged construction and battery life of a G-SHOCK and the health and wellness tracking of an Apple Watch, all with a price tag of £300.
They also have a strong fashion story with a suite of colours and styles described as Electric Lime, Poppy and Neo-Tropic.
“Instinct 2 Series is built to be bold, stand out from the crowd, and help you make the most of every day,” says Dan Bartel, Garmin vice president of global consumer sales.
“But there is more than meets the eye with the Instinct 2 Series. It combines adventurous colours with Garmin’s industry-leading wrist-based technology to become more than just a smartwatch – Instinct 2 becomes a trusted tool to help you live life on your terms,” he adds.
Designed to have cross-gender appeal, the Instinct 2 Series is slimmer than previous models, and available in 40mm and 45mm sizes.
They have a new high-resolution display (not touchscreen) and are built to military standards for thermal and shock resistance. Plus they are water resistant to 100 metres.
There is a choice of solar and non-solar models (the non-solar watches last up to four weeks between charges), and have snappy names like Surf, Tactical and Camo to define the sort of active individuals likely to go for them.
They can also be customised with a variety of bezels and straps adding up to 240 different design options.
They are compatible with the Garmin Connect IQ, which provides access to free downloads of apps, widgets, watch faces, data fields, and more.
Health and wellness monitors record key health metrics, such as Body Battery, stress, heart rate, VO2 Max, Fitness Age, Training Status/Load/Effect, Recovery Time, HIIT Workouts, and Daily Suggested Workout. There is also Hydration Tracking, Connect Leaderboard, Menstrual Cycle and Pregnancy Tracking.
On the lifstyle front, the watches include Gamin’s contactless payment system.
Purpose-Built Editions
For individuals with specific needs, the Instinct 2 Series provides three purpose-built editions with dedicated features:
- Surf Editions: Dedicated water sports activities such as surf, windsurfing and kitesurfing, as well as a tides widget, keep users up to date on ocean conditions. Users can keep track of their activities and review them later through Surfline Sessions™ compatibility. Named after famous surf breaks, Surf editions are available in Instinct 2 and Instinct 2S with or without solar.
- Tactical Editions: Popular with military personnel, the Instinct 2 Solar – Tactical Edition adds dedicated tactical features such as a Kill Switch, Stealth Mode, Night Vision Goggle Compatibility, Dual Format Position Coordinates, and Jumpmaster Activity mode. Available in Coyote Tan or Black.
- Camo Editions: Graphite and Mist Camo patterns let individuals blend in or stand out depending on their location, be it the concrete jungle or actual jungle.
