Hot on the heels of the announcement of the Fenix 7, Garmin has announced the release of its new Instinct 2 and Instinct 2S smartwatches.
The new multi-sport wearables are claimed to feature unlimited battery life in certain models and subject to certain conditions. They also carry over smart features from the brand’s other models such as integration with the Connect IQ store and a host of wellness and fitness features.
This is the first generation of the Instinct to be offered in two models – the 2 and the 2S. The 2 sports a traditional 45mm bezel, while the 2S has a smaller 40mm bezel, offering a more comfortable fit for individuals with smaller wrists.
Prices for the new Instinct watches start from £299.99 / €349.99 / $349 / AU$549.
Garmin Instinct 2 battery life
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The headline feature of the new Instinct models is their enduring battery life. Garmin claims the Instinct 2 provides up to four weeks of continuous use in smartwatch mode, longer than many of the best cycling watches.
The Instinct 2 Solar offers a claimed unlimited battery life in smartwatch mode, setting a new benchmark for the brand. However, it’s important to note that this metric is based on assuming you are outside for three hours a day in 50,000 lux conditions.
Both 2 and 2S models have a claimed battery life of up to 72 hours in GPS mode.
Garmin Instinct 2 hardware details
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Garmin says the Instinct series is a set of purpose-built smartwatches designed with rugged individuals in mind. Like their predecessor, they are offered in standard and Solar editions, as well as Surf, Tactical and Camo options, which offer additional features for their respective sports. The watches are said to be built to military standard 810 for thermal and shock resistance, and they are rated to 100 metres in water.
Slimmer in profile than its predecessor, the new high-resolution and easy-to-read display’s hardware is claimed to sit behind a chemically strengthened and scratch-resistant glass face.
Garmin Instinct 2 features
The Instinct 2 and 2S smartwatches are compatible with the Garmin Connect IQ store, so you can customise your watch with free downloads of apps or widgets. You can also customise watch faces and data fields.
Health and wellness features such as hydration tracking, and menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking, are also available through the IQ store.
Built-in features outside of the IQ store include ‘Advanced Sleep Monitoring’ and the resulting ‘Sleep Score’. Garmin’s ‘Body Battery’, stress and heart rate features are also included on this model.
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In addition, the Instinct 2 Series now includes VO2 Max estimates, your ‘Fitness Age’, training status/load/effect, recovery time, HIIT workouts, and daily suggested workouts.
Typical Garmin smartwatch features such as receiving text messages and the ability to use Garmin Pay and Incident Detection also feature on these new models.
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For cyclists who own one of the brand’s bike computers, these features would be beneficial for monitoring performance off the bike. The Instinct series could alternatively act as a one-stop solution because it features built-in activity apps to record and analyse rides.
Incident Detection is a particularly useful feature for the adventure angle the smartwatches are designed for, and can send a message to an emergency contact when the watch is paired to Garmin Connect and detects an incident.
Garmin Instinct 2 range options
The smartwatches are offered in a range of colours, from Graphite, Mist Grey and Tidal Blue to brighter options such as Electric Lime, Poppy and Neo-Tropic.
Should you want to customise your own Instinct, Garmin offers the watch via its ‘Your Watch, Your Way’ programme. This offers more than 240 possible design combinations.