When you’re hiking through sand dunes or climbing up a mountain side, maybe you don’t want to make those demanding treks with a glossy Apple Watch or FitBit strapped to your wrist. Though each can provide you with valuable information about how your health is supporting the journey, they simply weren’t designed to endure the elements as purely as they may be in the Appalachians, which is why Garmin recently unveiled the Instinct, a watch specially created to tolerate extreme conditions.
According to Dan Bartel, Garmin VP of global consumer sales, the Instinct is, “perfect for those who spend their time outdoors and demand a device built tough to stand up in the elements.” This smart adventure watch was built to meet military standards which include high levels of thermal, shock, and water resistance. Additionally, the display is scratch-proof and super simple to read, even in direct sunlight.
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So, the watch can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it, but what are the benefits that such a watch can bring specifically to a great outdoors enthusiast? A three-axis compass, a barometric altimeter, and the ultimate navigation system with multiple GNSS satellite networks, “to help track a user’s location in more challenging environments than with just GPS alone.” Plus it provides everything you would expect from a typical fitness-related watch like heartrate, daily activity, and sleep, to name a few, that can all display conveniently on your smartphone, as well.
If you want to use other Garmin devices like inReach Mini to stay connected while you’re off-the-grid, VIRB action cameras for taking HD videos, or even dog-tracking devices for knowing where your pup is at all times, the watch is compatible with each and you’ll receive update and alerts about them right on your wrist.
As for the battery life, in GPS mode, the watch will sustain for 16 hours and 40 hours in UltraTrac battery saver mode; however, in the basic smartwatch mode, you can use the watch for two whole weeks without a charge.
(Related: IFA 2018: Which of the latest fitness trackers would best suit your needs?)