Garmin Instinct Solar, Rugged Outdoor Smartwatch with Solar Charging Capabilities, Built-in Sports Apps and Health Monitoring, Lichen Camo
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Questions & Answers
Yes, when a GPS activity is selected, this function is available. You can return to the start of your current activity in a straight line or by following the path you took.
The short answer is: Yes, that is correct. The long answer is: Unless you want phone notifications to vibrate on your wrist every time you get a text or something, you don't need to keep your phone connected to the watch in order for it to function. It's designed to be paired with your phone, and it won't work for you unless you can sync it with your Garmin account on a regular basis, which you'll have to do when you first get it: That's how you'll set the time and date for the first time, as well as perform some basic configuration. After that, you'll be able to function without your phone to some extent. You can go days without syncing and still record activities, track gps journeys, and return to your starting point. You'll need to sync to your phone again at some point so that your activities and vitals are synced to your Garmin connect account, which you can access through the app on your phone or a web browser on your computer. Through syncing, you can also send courses to your watch. I hope you find this information useful.
Hold down one of the buttons and the watch face transforms into a compass. It displays the degrees (0-360). 360) as well as the general direction (for instance, SE). You wouldn't plot a course on a map with this watch. For less than $20, you can get a compass that will lay flat on a map, adjust for magnetic correction, have lines, and so on.
Selected User Reviews For Garmin Instinct Solar, Rugged Outdoor Smartwatch with Solar Charging Capabilities, Built-in Sports Apps and Health Monitoring, Lichen Camo
Nothing seemed to fit the bill for what I needed. I enjoy hunting, backpacking, hiking, biking, and running in the great outdoors. An accurate altimeter, barometer, and GPS are all things that I value highly. br>br>The Fenix 3 HR was my first purchase. I thought I'd found the one when I first saw the watch. It turned out that the altimeter was the source of the problem. It wasn't even close to being accurate. I then awaited the arrival of the Fenix 5. Exactly the same problem exists. Altimeter was the worst of the three. When I contacted Garmin, they advised me to soak the watch in warm soapy water for a few minutes. While this appeared to return it to normal for a short time, I still had the same problem. I decided not to put my watch in a warm glass of soapy water every night, as much as I wanted to. When the iPhone 5 Plus was released, it appeared that these issues had been resolved, but then. The Instinct was recently released by Garmin. br>br>This watch has (so far) wowed me. It's incredibly light and easy to wear. The Fenix watches are a bit large and heavy to wear, despite their premium status. This watch is so comfortable to wear that you forget you're wearing it. The functions are fantastic. It contains all of the items I require. I'm not a triathlete, so some of the measurements provided by the Fenix are irrelevant to me. The grainy display has been criticized by some. I completely disagree with you. It reminds me of the E Ink on a Kindle. It's extremely clear and readable, and it's a joy to look at. I like how it's black and white. br>br>The keys and apps are extremely responsive, and the menus are significantly faster than the Fenix. You can quickly navigate the widgets and settings to get to your desired destination. The buttons are excellent, and I have yet to press one by accident while bending my wrist. br>br>I am still testing the accuracy of the GPS tracking and ABC sensors, but so far so good. I can't say enough positive things about this timepiece. On the plus side, it appears to be a great Garmin model that will appeal to a niche hunting/outdoors market. After a month's worth of use, I'll provide an update.
- UPDATE- br>br>I've had this watch for a few weeks now and have worn it on a couple of hunting trips. This watch has left a lasting impression on me. This watch is so comfortable and light that I can't say enough about it. I think I forgot how nice it is to wear a watch that you forget is attached to your wrist after owning and wearing heavier watches over the years, and I used to hate wearing my Fenix watches to bed. The tracker appears to be very accurate, but it is too bulky and would dig into my wrist. When it comes to daily use and tracking an activity, Attitude has proven to be accurate. What I Like About This Watch: br>br>What I Like About This Watch:
- a relaxing environment br>Easy to carrybr>br>br>br Menus that adjust to the size of the screenbr>- Exceptional Screen Visibility - ABC Sensors and Tracking that are Accuratebr>- Accidental Presses Are Avoided With Recessed Buttonsbr>- I Only Have A Couple Of Complaints Or Suggestions To Improve The Watchbr>br>I Only Have A Couple Of Complaints Or Suggestions To Improve The Watchbr>br>I Only Have A Couple Of Complaints Or Suggestions To Improve To unlock the watch after locking the keys (which you don't have to do very often because of the recessed buttons), press any button for a short period of time. I wish Garmin would make the time it takes to hold the button longer. It will take approximately minutes. Currently, it takes 5 seconds to unlock, which is easily done by accident. However, this is only a minor gripe. The screen is made of an unknown material or is Garmin-exclusive. I wish it had a Sapphire display, but I put a screen protector on it and you can't even tell it's there. My final suggestion is that instead of the five bars in a battery indicator, the battery indicator should show a percentage. Again, this is a minor niggle, but it would be nice if they addressed it. br>br>If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I'd be delighted to provide you with a response. Over the years, I've done an alarming amount of research on these watches and believe I've finally found the perfect one for me. All Fenix watches, as well as a Suunto Traverse Alpha, have been used by me. This is my favorite watch. br>br>UPDATE 5/11/2020br>br>Still a fantastic watch. Every day, I wear this watch on my wrist. It's still a fantastic place to be. I've had a couple of problems that I'll try to solve:
- Around July of this year, my "Back" button began to fail me. It is one of the most frequently pressed buttons on the watch. The watch was still covered by the manufacturer's warranty, which was a blessing. Garmin replaced the watch without hesitation and in a timely manner. A+ for customer service; however, if it had failed outside of the warranty period, I would have been out of luck. It's a one-year warranty, as far as I can tell. br>br>Having said that, I do rely heavily on this timepiece. It's on all the time- 365 In the grand scheme of things, it's held up extremely well. I still think it's a great watch for the money at the new price point. br>br>- My other issue, which I mentioned earlier in the review, is the watch's lock feature. The ability to lock the screen is great, but unlocking it is as simple as bending your wrist and pressing a button. It's possible that this is a simple software issue that can be resolved. All they have to do now is extend the time it takes to unlock a door by pressing a button. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it can be very annoying. br>br>This is the last time I'll be updating the watch. It's been a fantastic watch for me, well worth the money, and I'll be purchasing another when this one wears out. I'm hoping Garmin keeps making this watch available and improving it. It fulfills all of my requirements.
When smartwatches first became popular, I thought they were pretty stupid and redundant, and in my mind, a teeny tiny 2" screen will never replace a big screen. br>br>When smartwatches first became popular, I thought they were pretty stupid and redundant, and in my mind, a big screen will never replace a small screen. br>br>When smartwatches first became popular, I thought they were pretty stupid and redundant, and in my mind, a big However, I could see the advantages of a smartwatch in terms of getting the sensors and GPS antenna in a better position, as well as heart rate monitoring. Until this unit, I didn't care for the majority of what was on the market. br>br>What I liked about this watch was that it didn't have all of the bells and whistles or a bloated interface to take the place of interacting with your phone for tasks that a phone excels at. In some ways, the Instinct is a throwback to older technology, but in a good way, as anyone who has used GPS since its inception will appreciate. If you're used to older devices, the interface will be easy to understand. br>br>It does everything you'd want your phone to do, but phones aren't designed to do everything well. I didn't like using my phone to track hikes and rides on my MTN bike because it was either safe in my pocket with a bad view of the sky and out of sight, or it was strapped to my handlebars and could be knocked off. Or I had to carry it in my hands or strap it to my backpack in an uncomfortable position while hiking. Not to mention that using GPS on your phone while keeping the screen on to see stats drains the battery quickly; with this, you can tuck the phone safely away while still seeing the information you need. br>br>This watch had just the right combination of features for outdoor activities and activity tracking to capture my attention and serve as a useful tool rather than a pricey trinket. I had never worn a watch before purchasing the Instinct, and I've been wearing it the majority of the time for the past two years. I've had it for about three weeks now. br>br>While it lacks some of the features of more dedicated fitness devices, I bought it for what it lacked rather than what it did have. The majority of the criticism I read prior to purchasing this watch was clearly directed at those who did not fit the watch's niche. This is primarily for outdoor activities; it's simple, rugged, and doesn't do much because it's designed to perform a specific set of tasks well, and the things it doesn't do allow it to be smaller and use the battery more efficiently as a result. br>br>You can learn more about it's features and functions elsewhere, but there are a few things that I think are particularly noteworthy. Some may bemoan the LCD display's age, but it's high contrast and the way the face captures ambient light so well that it's incredibly easy to read. Actually, I set the backlight to 5%, the lowest setting, because if it's that dark, the backlight will suffice. br>br>I like how small it is, how light it is, and how it doesn't feel huge. As I previously stated, I had never worn a watch before this one, and despite a history of hating things on my wrist, I find it comfortable to wear; yes, I had to get used to it, but it's not like wearing a rock on your arm. br>br>Using the GPS 2-, the battery life has been excellent. I can get over a week on a charge if I charge three times a week for an hour at a time. I haven't let it get to the point where it says it needs to be charged, and I haven't charged it in less than 7 days. br>br>It's definitely a personal preference, but I also like the way it looks. I went with the Graphite color, which is a charcoal grey rather than black. It doesn't look preppy or stylish, which is exactly what I'm going for. It doesn't give off the "oh look at me, I'm athletic, I have a fitbit" vibe, nor does it appear to be particularly snazzy or expensive; instead, if no one examines it closely, it appears to be a standard boring watch. For my mountain bike, I later picked up Garmin's cadence and speed sensors, and they paired up effortlessly with the Instinct. GPS will cheat you distance on a bike especially, and that is just the nature of the tech, but I was getting some big discrepancies between the Instinct's recorded track and my wheel sensor bike computer. With heavy tree cover and tightly winding trails, the trails I ride on frequently are already difficult for GPS to navigate. The difference is much smaller with the speed sensor, which I recommend if you're going to use this on a bike. br>br>So far, I've been very pleased with the purchase and impressed with the device, prompting me to write this lengthy review, which I don't do often. (I relied heavily on reviews when making a purchase decision, so this is to assist others in my situation. ) ) I recommend it if you fall into the target demographic for this watch.
The Garmin Instinct is a fantastic device, but it isn't quite as "fancy" as some may desire. First and foremost, I already own the Garmin Fenix 5 plus as a point of reference. I have the "fancy" Instinct, but I like it because of its ruggedness and the fact that it looks exactly like the screen on the old Fitbit Surge! Consider it for a moment. Take, for example, the Fitbit Surge's super-abundance of features. readable (always a plus) on) a rectangular face and encircle it with a round, rugged bezel Add the Garmin Fenix functionality to the mix. What's not to like about that?! LOL. And, according to online reviews, it reminds reviewers of a Casio g-series watch. Keep an eye on the time. They are absolutely correct. Another reason I enjoy it is because of this. Drop the Instinct, slam it against a wall, and carry it around with you in any situation. while still getting accurate GPS, heart rate, stress, and sleep tracking from Garmin? very good.
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