Garmin Instinct 3 OLED
Garmin has announced the Instinct 3, which brings OLED display tech to the company’s adventure watch series.
This is the last of the company’s major, mainstream sport watch lines to get the tech, following the Venu, Fenix and Forerunner families.
The character of the Instinct series remains, though. These are chunkier-looking watches with bezels that rise above the screen surface for additional protection.
Not every Garmin Instinct 3 has an OLED screen — as usual Garmin tries to cater for everyone — but the OLED models have either a 45mm or 50mm diameter.
Garmin Instinct 3 OLED Features
The 50mm edition has a 1.3-inch 416 x 416 pixel OLED screen, the 45mm model a 1.2-inch 390 x 390 pixel display.
Compare that to the Forerunner 965 and you see the effect of the built-up design. It has a 1.4-inch screen, larger than either Instinct 3 OLED watch, but has a diameter of just 47mm.
The battery life of both Instinct 3 OLED variants is great, though. The larger is rated for 24 days’ use, the smaller one 18 days. Those figures drop to nine days and seven days if the “always on” display mode is used.
There are some clear limits to the Instinct 3 series, despite the big shift in tech. These watches aren’t made for music playback — they will only control music played on your phone. And they do not support map downloads.
The Instinct 3 does support courses, though, meaning routes can be planned on the Garmin Connect app and sync’d to the watch for breadcrumb trail navigation.
They have unusually good water resistance for a mid-tier watch too, with a 10ATM rating.
The bezel design has been improved compared to that of the Instinct too. Where before it was a plastic “polymer” build, the Instinct 3 OLED uses a mix of aluminium and “Fiber-reinforced polymer.”
Garmin Instinct 3 Solar And Instinct E
Not bothered about OLED displays? You have two key options within the Instinct family.
The Garmin Instinct 3 Solar is the only one with solar charging, and uses a classic transflective panel with the series’s traditional “two window” style. It’s a 50mm diameter watch with battery rated at 40 days, or “unlimited” given enough sunlight cast on the screen throughout the day.
Garmin Instinct E
Many will be interested in the Instinct E too, which is far cheaper and loses the metal bezel elements. It also lacks the LED flashlight, seen in the other Instinct 3 family members.
Here’s the pricing for the Instinct 3 models:
- Instinct 3 OLED 45mm $449
- Instinct 3 OLED 50mm $499
- Instinct 3 Solar 50mm $449
- Instinct E 40mm $299
All models will be available to order from Garmin on January 10.