Garmin Instinct 2 Solar Review: Unlimited Battery Life?

In March earlier this 12 months, Garmin launched its Intuition 2 smartwatch sequence in India. Of the most recent fashions within the Intuition 2 lineup, the corporate launched two variants with photo voltaic charging. Yeah, the Intuition Photo voltaic has photo voltaic charging help, and Garmin touts limitless battery energy, contemplating you are taking the machine open air for at the very least 3 hours day-after-day. Effectively, we used the Intuition 2 Photo voltaic version for 2 weeks and determined to place the corporate’s claims to the take a look at. Right here’s what we take into consideration Garmin’s newest rugged GPS smartwatch. Learn our full evaluate of the Garmin Intuition 2 Photo voltaic to know if it’s definitely worth the cash.

Garmin Intuition 2 Photo voltaic Evaluate (2022)

There are two photo voltaic variants within the Garmin Intuition 2 sequence — Intuition 2 Photo voltaic and Intuition 2S Photo voltaic. 2S Photo voltaic is the watered-down model of the two Photo voltaic. Aside from these, Garmin additionally sells a tactical version of the two Photo voltaic with evening imaginative and prescient compatibility and stealth mode. On this evaluate, I’ve reviewed the Intuition 2 Photo voltaic version, which costs Rs. 46,990 in India.

Garmin Intuition 2 Photo voltaic vs 2S Photo voltaic: Specs

Earlier than stepping into the evaluate, right here’s a fast take a look at the specs of the Intuition 2 Photo voltaic and the way it compares to the Intuition 2S Photo voltaic:

Design and Show

By way of design, Garmin has gone for the basic Casio G-Shock-esque aesthetic on the Intuition 2. Not like different smartwatches within the value section, you don’t get a touchscreen with a vivid show right here. As an alternative, what you’re getting is a monochrome show with bodily buttons on each edges. One can find three buttons on the left for gentle and up/ down actions. On the best, you get two buttons for making a variety and going again.

The monochrome show on the Intuition 2 Photo voltaic is sufficiently vivid open air, and you may simply learn even with publicity to direct daylight. Nevertheless, the viewing angles are subpar indoors and you’ll usually end up urgent the sunshine button to examine the time in low to darkish lighting situations. The photovoltaic module for photo voltaic charging is positioned proper across the show to provide the watch sufficient publicity to recharge.

By way of customization, the choices are restricted because of the monochrome show. That stated, you possibly can nonetheless change your watch face and the default set of widgets from the menu. This manner, you possibly can select the see the info factors and controls you worth essentially the most on the house display.

Construct High quality

One of many highlights of the Intuition 2 Photo voltaic is its construct high quality. The smartwatch is unapologetically rugged and is assured to be sturdy. Garmin says that the Intuition 2 is examined in opposition to the US Navy Commonplace 810 for high-altitude operation, shock resistance, and extra. You additionally get 10ATM (100 meters) water resistance, making it perfect for swimming and different water-related actions. Nevertheless, the outer cowl is liable to scratches, as is the case after I acquired this evaluate unit.

Akshay from our crew carried out an excessive sturdiness take a look at of the Intuition 2 Photo voltaic and the smartwatch managed to outlive even after getting run over by a automobile. You may take a look at the sturdiness take a look at video beneath:

Well being and Health Options

The Intuition 2 packs over 30 sports activities modes throughout a number of actions, together with working, {golfing}, snowboarding, swimming, biking, energy coaching, and extra. You may take a look at this page for all of the supported modes you’re getting right here. In the course of the course of this evaluate, I examined the working and biking capabilities of the smartwatch. As anticipated, Intuition 2 managed to satisfy the expectations and was dependable throughout these periods.

The GPS accuracy was distinctive, with minimal time to lock within the place. Getting began with an exercise felt seamless on the Garmin smartwatch, and the step monitoring and coronary heart charge accuracy had been fairly good in my expertise.

After your exercise periods, you possibly can view detailed insights throughout numerous knowledge factors within the app. You additionally get graphical representations for tempo, coronary heart charge, efficiency situation, coaching impact, cadence, elevation, temperature, and time in coronary heart charge zones. To sum up, in case you are a knowledge nerd, you’ll love the eye to element Garmin has put in right here.

Notably, the Intuition 2 sequence now helps VO2 Max (most oxygen absorption). It’s an estimate of the quantity of oxygen your physique makes use of throughout an train. You additionally get all the opposite normal well being monitoring options like 24/7 coronary heart charge monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, menstrual cycle monitoring, being pregnant monitoring, and sleep monitoring. That stated, I tried sleeping whereas carrying the watch and located it a bit uncomfortable with the rugged really feel on my wrist. The monitoring knowledge, nonetheless, was fairly spot on, which is to be anticipated from a model like Garmin.

Software program and Companion App

The corporate provides a companion app it calls Garmin Hook up with pair your smartwatch and examine all of your knowledge and settings. On the app’s residence display, you will note a dashboard highlighting your coaching standing, coronary heart charge, body battery, stress step rely, and extra. There are additionally devoted sections for challenges, a calendar view, and a feed that includes your exercises in reverse chronological order.

From the app’s residence web page, you possibly can entry a bit devoted to your smartwatch and tweak the settings. For example, you possibly can examine the photo voltaic depth part to know the photo voltaic publicity if you had been exterior. The smartwatch additionally helps Garmin Pay for contactless funds, however because the support site notes, it’s not out there right here in India.

One software-specific enchancment within the new Intuition 2 sequence is the help for Join IQ retailer. This manner, you possibly can simply obtain and use third-party apps, watch faces, and extra from the Join IQ assortment. That stated, understand that you possibly can’t hearken to music offline with this smartwatch. You’ll have to use your smartphone individually to play music.

Whereas I respect the intensive insights that Garmin is providing by way of your well being knowledge, some elements of the app look straight out of the Android Jelly bean period. Nevertheless, because of Garmin’s strategic partnerships with main exercise apps, you gained’t have hassle connecting your Garmin account with common apps to seamlessly sync knowledge. For example, for those who’re not an enormous fan of the Garmin Join app’s UI, you possibly can all the time link your Garmin Connect account to Strava and use Strava to examine all of your exercise knowledge as an alternative.

Battery Life

The facet the place the Intuition 2 Photo voltaic really shines is the battery division. Garmin states you rise up to twenty-eight days of battery life on a single cost and limitless battery life with photo voltaic charging. Taking a better look, the claimed limitless battery life estimate is projected assuming at the very least 3 hours per day open air with 50,000 lux photo voltaic depth.

Whereas I don’t usually spend hours open air on the each day, I had a pleasing expertise with the battery lifetime of this smartwatch. Not like different smartwatches the place it’s important to continually be sure that it’s charged, Garmin’s providing ensured a stress-free utilization expertise. At any time when I went out grocery procuring or for an early morning run, I made positive to have the Intuition 2 strapped to my wrist for a free pure cost. Within the 2 weeks that I spent with this smartwatch, it didn’t run out of juice as soon as, regardless that I used it frequently for exercise monitoring and sleep monitoring.

Moreover, Garmin says that you could possibly anticipate as much as 30 hours of GPS utilization on battery and 48 hours with photo voltaic. Expedition GPS exercise is rated at as much as 32 days in battery and limitless on photo voltaic. When you’re on max battery GPS mode, Garmin says you could possibly rise up to 70 hours on battery and 370 hours with photo voltaic.

So long as the watch is getting publicity to ample daylight, you gained’t have any battery-related issues right here. Those that don’t like charging their smartwatches each different day are prone to respect the presence of photo voltaic charging on Intuition 2. For the reason that smartwatch doesn’t have battery-intensive options like music playback and a colourful AMOLED show, the smartwatch’s battery holds up properly even if you find yourself performing GPS-focused actions and exercises.

Garmin Intuition 2 Photo voltaic: Professionals and Cons

PROS:

• Lengthy battery life
• Photo voltaic charging
• Sturdy rugged design
• Superior health monitoring options

CONS:

• Costly
• Lacks music help
• No contact controls
• Lacks good options present in different smartwatches within the value section

Garmin Intuition 2 Photo voltaic Evaluate: Ought to You Purchase It?

With the Intuition 2 Photo voltaic, Garmin caters to a distinct segment inside a distinct segment. When you’re somebody who likes basic rugged watches with monochrome shows and bodily buttons, don’t thoughts the absence of music playback, and are on the lookout for a smartwatch that gives lengthy battery life and photo voltaic charging, you gained’t go fallacious with the Intuition 2 Photo voltaic. However keep in mind, it isn’t essentially the most worth for cash and have wealthy providing within the smartwatch market.

Even in case you are a hardcore health fanatic who couldn’t care much less in regards to the good options supplied in different main smartwatches like Apple Watch Sequence 7 (starts at Rs 41,900) and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 (starts at Rs 17,499), the shortage of music help means you’ll have to carry your telephone round to get your dose of exercise music.

However, in case you are not totally choosy in regards to the basic look, there are higher choices on the market. Inside Garmin, there’s the Fenix 7/ 7X series with completely no compromises on the excessive finish. You can additionally check out the Venu 2 Plus with comparable pricing, colourful AMOLED show, and offline music storage, nevertheless it misses out on photo voltaic charging.

Try Garmin Intuition 2 Photo voltaic on Amazon: Rs. 46,990