ZDNET's key takeaways The Garmin Instinct 3 Solar is available in two sizes and four color variations for $399 (45mm) and $499 (50mm).
The unlimited battery life, brilliant integrated flashlight, rugged build, and accurate tracking make this a perfect watch for adventurists.
Unfortunately, the display is still monochrome, mapping remains limited, and the watch can be chunky for some people. $449.99 at Garmin $398.5 at Amazon $449.99 at Crutchfield more buying choices
The Garmin Instinct series has always been focused on the outdoor adventurer who needs a rugged watch that performs no matter what is thrown at it. I bought the Instinct 2X Solar a couple of years ago, and it is still my first choice when it comes to fly fishing and camping because I never have to worry about the battery life, and the watch provides the essentials.
Also: I replaced my Apple Watch Ultra with this flagship Garmin model - and didn't regret it
Garmin released the Instinct 3 series a few months ago and, for the first time, provides customers with the option for a memory-in-pixel (MIP) display or a vibrant AMOLED display. Given that long battery life, advertised as unlimited with adequate solar charging, is a staple of the Instinct brand, I requested to review the MIP display model and check out the improvements over the Instinct 2X Solar.
I understand the appeal of AMOLED displays, but I'm not convinced that Garmin should have added one to the Instinct lineup. I would prefer to have seen only a solar model that bumped up the MIP display from monochrome to color, as we see on the incredible Enduro 3. Garmin has proven that it can still provide incredible battery life with a color MIP display, and that is the upgrade I wanted to see.
The Garmin Instinct 3 Solar (left) and Instinct 2X Solar (right). Matthew Miller/ZDNET
Monochrome MIP displays have been used in Instinct models for years, and I don't mind it in the Instinct 2X, but after testing the Instinct 3 Solar for a few weeks, I think I'm done with a monochrome display from Garmin. Garmin now provides so many interesting health and wellness metrics that even subtle colors prove useful for quick glances and understanding of those metrics.
Moving away from the display discussion, we see that Garmin has improved the Instinct 3 Solar in several ways when compared to the Instinct 2X Solar.
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