The Garmin Instinct 3, a tough and more reasonably priced version of the well-liked Fenix 8, is the latest in Garmin’s series of sports smartwatches to use AMOLED panels. In addition to the AMOLED screen, Garmin is using this chance to upgrade the new Instinct with its most recent multi-band GPS technology, increasing storage and strengthening the smartwatch’s capabilities.
Instinct enthusiasts now have an outdoor watch that seems more like a smartwatch thanks to the addition of a color display to the Instinct 2, which was a good performer.
Garmin Instinct 3
Good Stuff
- nice design
- multi-band GPS support
- good battery life
- flashlight
Bad Stuff
- loses sub-display from solar model
- no touch screen
- no maps
Design
Similar to Garmin’s Fenix line, the Instinct 3 has a display that can be charged using solar power or an AMOLED. It is the more costly of the two, but you do get the benefit of this year’s major improvement if you get it with an AMOLED screen.
Also, the watch is available in a few different case sizes. There are two sizes for the Instinct 3 AMOLED and solar models: 45mm and 50mm. To make things even more confusing, there is also an Instinct E, which is the smallest and least expensive variant of Instinct that is available for purchase.
The 45mm AMOLED Instinct 3 in its limited edition Neotropic colorway was strapped to my wrist, demonstrating Garmin’s willingness to experiment a little more with color schemes for its less expensive outdoor wristwatch. In keeping with that more whimsical motif, the linked 22mm strap makes use of one of Garmin’s more difficult-to-use mechanisms in the event that you wish to switch out your strap.
The polymer and aluminum bezel that encircles its sizable 1.2-inch AMOLED screen with 390 x 390 resolution takes center stage.
Even while it is not the biggest or most pixel-dense AMOLED panel on a Garmin watch, it is nevertheless bright, colorful, and sharp enough to look at. Instead of the more durable Gorilla or Sapphire glass used on more costly Garmin watches, that display is shielded by chemically toughened glass. Garmin has abandoned the sub-display from earlier generations in favor of a new display technology, while the solar version of the Instinct 3 still uses it. Rather, the redesigned user interface that evokes the familiarity of previous Instinct models preserves the sub-display.
Surprisingly, the colorful display lacks touchscreen technology, thus there are five physical buttons scattered throughout the case to control the watch software. Even after a week of continuous use, the buttons are still a tad stiff.
An LED flashlight that is both brilliant and embedded in the case’s top. Toggle it on or off by double-tapping the physical button on the top left or by activating it from the quick settings.
When Garmin initially started adding features to its watches, I felt they were a bit of a gimmick, but today they are really helpful. When I am out at night and do not want to grab for my smartphone torch, it is perfect for navigating my room without turning on the lights.
With a 10 ATM rating, it has the same underwater durability as the Instinct 2. This implies that you will receive a watch that is capable of surviving in water up to 100 meters deep. It is more than capable of handling pool and open water swimming, but you will not want to take it diving.
Software and features
Although the display may be different, Garmin has not significantly altered the Instinct 3’s smartwatch functionality.
With Android users being able to view images in some notifications, this watch still makes it simple to receive notifications from an iPhone or Android phone.
Garmin’s Glances allows you to prioritize the data you want to see on a regular basis, and the Morning Reports once again provide easily readable summaries of important statistics like sleep and training status.
Garmin Pay is available for contactless payments, but you are sadly out of luck if you want a music player. Instead, you install apps, data fields, and watch faces from the Connect IQ Store using the 32GB of storage that is now available straight from the watch itself.
In addition, Garmin decided not to incorporate its most recent voice-centric capabilities, such as a voice recorder and Bluetooth calling. Most people should be content with what the software section has to offer, therefore I do not think this will be a deal killer for them.
Nevertheless, the software experience differs from that of the Fenix 8 AMOLED. It seems a little strange to me that Garmin kept the sub-display layout in the user interface even after discontinuing it with the AMOLED Instinct 3. In this form, it truly does not seem to bring any value.
The Instinct 3 is easy to use and, at the very least, very Garmin. Even casual users can easily start a workout, receive a notice, check the weather, or view training insights, but power users can delve deeper to find optional settings and modes.
Touchscreen functionality makes much more sense now that the sub-display is no longer an option, however this may be related to compatibility with the Instinct 3 solar model, which still makes use of the sub-display. In any case, using it on an AMOLED panel is a little strange.
Battery
Garmin claims that the Instinct 3 has a weeks-long battery life. Whether you decide to use the most precise GPS mode, keep the screen on always, or utilize all of the continuous wellbeing monitoring capabilities will determine how many weeks you can spend without it.
According to Garmin, the 45mm Instinct 3 model may last up to 18 days in smartwatch mode—basically, without the need for any sophisticated tracking features. That decreases to seven days if the AMOLED screen is used continuously. Additionally, you might enjoy twenty-three hours to sixteen days if you are using that new multi-band GPS technology.
The latter occurs during the use of its Expedition GPS mode, which sacrifices overall accuracy in order to guarantee that it can track expeditions lasting several days or even a week. I have been use it in a combination of always-on and raise-to-wake screen modes.
It can readily survive a week between charges, even with the inclusion of an AMOLED screen, according to my experience mostly utilizing the most precise multiband GPS mode. That decreases dramatically when using the always-on display mode, and with consistent GPS and exercise tracking, it was closer to five days than the seven days that were promised.
Fitness tracking features
Garmin adheres to the outdoor-focused origins of the Instinct. Running, cycling, swimming (in pools and open water), and golf are its main sports modes. The watch has glanceable widgets that show more adventure-focused statistics, such as tides and sun and moon activity, for individuals who enjoy the great outdoors.
Regarding headline changes, Garmin has strengthened its indoor training and sleep tracking features and introduced its newest multi-band GPS technology. Multi-band compatibility is a plus, and like other Garmin watches I have used, it provides a pleasant improvement in GPS accuracy.
Heart rate monitoring is handled by Garmin’s older Gen 4 Elevate sensor, but you will not be able to use the ECG feature that is available with Garmin’s Gen 5 sensor arrangement.
Overall, the heart rate sensor did a good job of tracking heart rate during the day and night and during exercise. Unsurprisingly, accuracy decreases with increasing effort, thus if you want to get the most precise exercise HR data, I would consider pairing an external heart rate monitor.
The absence of complete maps is a disheartening omission, particularly considering that this is an outdoor watch with an AMOLED screen. Garmin continues to provide the same, more straightforward breadcrumb navigation, allowing users to import and upload routes to the watch through the Garmin Connect app.
You can find your way back home or in the correct direction with the help of that easier navigation. However, you can not help but ask if Garmin ought to have included full maps on the more expensive Instinct 3 when you take into account that less expensive outdoor watches, such as the Amazfit T-Rex 3, do.
The enhanced support for workouts is the first. In essence, you will see animated cues to assist you in performing exercises correctly when you download routines from the accompanying Connect app. By enabling you to view muscle maps in the Connect app, Garmin further enhanced strength training by providing a visual indicator of whether or not you have ignored your leg days.
To better suit it for triathlons, a multisport mode has been added, which is another noteworthy new feature. For individuals who take their speed training more seriously, it also features Garmin’s more sophisticated interval training mode.
Once more, it is a feature-rich outdoor watch with a strong core experience, but I can not help but feel that Garmin could have added one or two things that are only available on their more costly models.
Thoughts
With the addition of an AMOLED screen and multiband GPS, the Garmin Instinct 3, is now a superior smartwatch and outdoor watch. However, it is strange that capabilities like full map support and touchscreen compatibility are missing. As a result, it is not quite a Fenix Lite and lacks many outdoor capabilities that other smartwatches provide at lower prices.
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Luiza Mosneagu is Reviews Editor at Droid Tools. A psychologist by training and tech writer by passion, she has tested over 60 Android devices since 2020 - always for a minimum of two weeks before writing a word. Her focus is camera quality, everyday usability, and cutting through marketing claims to tell you what a device is actually like to live with.
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