Garmin recently unveiled the Garmin Instinct, a new smartwatch designed for outdoor activities. Garmin claims that this smartwatch offers the features often required by travelers and outdoor enthusiasts and the durability needed to survive harsh environments. One of the selling points of the device is its support for multiple navigation systems like GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo. This feature allows the smartwatch to more accurately pinpoint the user’s current position compared to using one navigation system. The 3-axis compass and the barometric altimeter complement the navigation systems. The Garmin Instinct is compatible with the Garmin Explore website and app, which people can use to prepare their trips beforehand, and it also offers the TracBack feature, which guides users to their starting point by navigating the same route they already traveled. The smartwatch’s compatibility with Garmin’s online community, the Garmin Connect, permits users to track their workouts and sleep patterns as well as participate in online fitness challenges.
The wearable sports a wrist-based heart rate monitor and it can track the number of steps, distance traveled, and the calories burned by the user. The smartwatch can measure the person’s stress levels by monitoring the changes in the person’s heart rate, and it also offers a number of preloaded activity profiles for outdoor activities like running, biking, and swimming. After people pair their wearables with their smartphones, the Garmin Instinct can push smart notifications for text messages and e-mails.
The Garmin Instinct uses a fiber-reinforced polymer case, a scratch-resistant display, and fully vented silicone bands. Garmin claims that the smartwatch complies with the military standard 810G, which means that the device can withstand heat and shock exposure as well as water submersion up to a depth of 100 meters. The Garmin Instinct offers up to 14 hours of battery life in smartwatch mode and up to 16 hours in GPS mode although the battery life can be extended to 40 hours if users choose the UltraTrac mode, a feature that periodically turns off GPS and uses accelerometers to determine the person’s location. There are three color options for the device, known as Graphite, Tundra, and Flame Red, and the smartwatch ships with a price tag of $299.99.