Garmin has announced the Instinct 3 – Tactical Edition, its newest lineup of tactical smartwatches, now offered with an AMOLED display or solar-powered display for maximum battery life.
Instinct 3 – Tactical Edition has a metal-reinforced bezel for durability, rucking activity for training, and built-in LED flashlight on both 45mm and 50mm units for low-light conditions. The AMOLED model gets up to 24 days on a single charge in smartwatch mode, while the solar charging models can get unlimited battery life (assuming all-day wear and 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions).
Featuring bolted construction with a metal-reinforced bezel, fibre-reinforced polymer case and scratch-resistant display, Instinct 3 – Tactical Edition is also built to MIL-STD 810 for thermal and shock resistance and is water-rated up to 100 metres. The built-in flashlight provides variable intensities, a green light to help protect natural night vision, and strobe mode to assist with location signaling in difficult terrain. For night operations, Night Vision Goggle (NVG) mode dims the display to levels functional to the primary user (including those wearing night optic devices) but nearly invisible to anyone else.
Regarding rucking activity, the dedicated activity profile allows users to input pack weight to better understand the physical exertion associated with rucking. During various activities like trail running, hiking and walking, users can also add their pack weight.
All Instinct 3 – Tactical Edition units come with Applied Ballistics solver (unlock fee required) and are compatible with the Applied Ballistics Quantum app.
The smartwatches are available in a 45mm or 50mm solar-powered display and a 50mm AMOLED display. They have a multi-band GPS with SatIQ technology and 24/7 health and wellness monitoring. The watches can track steps, heart rate, advanced sleep monitoring, wrist-based Pulse Ox (Pulse Ox is not available in all countries), heart rate variability (HRV) status and more.
They can also receive emails, texts and alerts on the watch when paired with a compatible Apple or Android smartphone.
Users can navigate with a 3-axis compass, barometric altimeter and multi-band GPS with SatIQ technology. Users can also pair their Instinct 3 – Tactical Edition with the Garmin Explore App to review more detailed maps, create waypoints and courses.
In sensitive locations, users can utilize Stealth Mode, which turns off wireless communications but still collects distances travelled and biometric data without recording location data. Leveraging this feature allows the watch to be used – and even upload logged data – while concealing its location, which is typically visible through popular mobile training apps. If security becomes an issue, the watch’s Kill Switch wipes the device of all user memory. Other mission-focused features include a dual-position format, which simultaneously displays two sets of coordinates on a single screen, Jumpmaster, a preloaded tactical activity, and projected waypoints.
While in-field, TracBack routing helps provide a route back to the starting point as well as reference points of known spots relative to that location. In addition to built-in sports apps for outdoor adventures, Instinct 3 – Tactical Edition is loaded with apps for activities like HIIT, cardio, indoor and outdoor track running, basketball and more.
Users can prepare for the next race, train for a milestone, or strive to improve overall fitness with Garmin Coach adaptive and pre-built training plans for running and cycling. View an entire week of daily suggested workouts that adapt after every run or ride or create step-by-step workouts from more than 1,600 exercises in the Garmin Connect app, then send them directly to the watch. And track intensity minutes, VO2 max and recovery time to receive guidance on recommended recovery times to reduce fatigue and burnout.
Safety and tracking features include incident detection (during select outdoor activities) and Assistance, which can send a message with the user’s GPS location (if available) to emergency contacts when paired with a compatible smartphone.
Available to order on Garmin.com on April 30, the Instinct 3 – Tactical Edition AMOLED model has a suggested retail price of $599.99 while the solar charging models start at $499.99.
