The Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar: A Rugged Timepiece With a Twist
Garmin’s latest release, the Instinct Crossover Solar, is more than just a smartwatch upgrade. This hybrid device blends the familiar ruggedness of its Instinct 2S Solar predecessor with the classic charm of analog timekeeping, creating a unique proposition for both adventurous souls and discerning watch enthusiasts. But with its unconventional approach, does the Instinct Crossover Solar live up to the hype? We delve deeper into its design, features, and performance to find out.
Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar: Price in India
The Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar comes in two variants, both boasting a robust design. The Standard edition is priced at Rs. 55,990, while the Solar variant, equipped with a built-in solar panel for extended battery life, is available for Rs. 61,990. Our review focuses on the Solar variant with its graphite finish, ensuring we explore the full potential of this innovative timekeeper.
Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar: Design and Specifications
The Instinct Crossover Solar shares a similar exterior to its Instinct 2 series counterparts, featuring a robust fibre-reinforced polymer case with a stainless steel bezel insert. However, the display glass sits higher and closer to the bezel, potentially making it more susceptible to scratches. While it did acquire a tiny scratch during my testing, the Power Glass construction has endured its fair share of bumps and bruises, highlighting its resilience.
Despite a slight increase in thickness compared to the Apple Watch Series 8, the Instinct Crossover Solar maintains a rugged aesthetic and a 45mm case size with a 16.2mm thickness. Its 10ATM water resistance rating and MIL-STD-810 certification further solidify its suitability for demanding environments.
The watch is surprisingly comfortable to wear, considering its ruggedness. The 22mm silicone straps, which are available in a range of vibrant colors, accommodate a wide array of wrist sizes and offer a secure fit with a quick release mechanism. The only downside is that accessing the release pins requires a pointed tool due to their positioning.
The Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar employs Revodrive technology to drive its analog hands. This technology ensures time accuracy, even under severe impacts. Beneath the hands lies a 1.28-inch monochrome, transflective MIP display boasting a resolution of 176 x 176 pixels. Located within and around this display are the solar cells, strategically placed to maximize charging efficiency. The rear of the watch houses the standard health sensors and a four-pin port for charging and data transfer. This port also enables manual software updates via Garmin Express.
Five buttons adorn the sides of the watch, providing a tactile and satisfying feedback with each click. This button-operated interface feels intuitive and ideal for a smartwatch designed for outdoor adventures. While the internal storage capacity is 64MB, it is sufficient considering the size of most third-party apps and watch faces.
Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar: Performance
The Instinct Crossover Solar’s monochrome display, despite being smaller than the Amazfit GTR 4, quickly grows on the user. The analog hands, expertly designed to move out of the way of on-screen content, ensure a seamless user experience.
The Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar operates on a custom OS designed for efficiency and responsiveness. Due to the button-based interface and lower display resolution, the watch performs flawlessly without any lag. Although not as feature-rich as the Apple Watch system, the intuitive button layout empowers you to navigate the watch’s functions with ease.
While the Instinct Crossover Solar can stand alone without a smartphone connection, the Garmin Connect mobile app is essential for initial setup, notification relay, and access to additional features. The app seamlessly integrates with both iOS and Android devices.
The Garmin Connect app also facilitates the incident detection feature. This valuable safety tool automatically informs three pre-selected contacts in case of an emergency via SMS or email. The feature requires a notification message to be sent manually via the app to each contact and relies on the smartphone for sending these alerts. Consequently, network connectivity is crucial for proper operation. While this feature may not be helpful in remote areas, it remains a useful safety net within urban spaces.
The Instinct Crossover Solar is brimming with an extensive range of fitness modes, many of which can be downloaded from the Garmin Connect IQ app. From running and swimming to yoga and even specific outdoor pursuits, the watch offers comprehensive tracking for almost any activity. The multi-sport mode is a particular highlight, catering to triathlon enthusiasts by seamlessly tracking multiple disciplines within a single activity.
The watch’s activity tracking capabilities proved highly accurate during testing. The multi-band GPS, coupled with the other sensors built into the watch, yielded precise location data while walking and running, and provided accurate step counts. The floor climbing mode also excelled, precisely tracking elevation gain. Sleep tracking proved to be consistently accurate in most cases, accurately capturing sleep stages, SpO2 readings, and heart rate data. However, there were occasional instances where the data proved wildly inaccurate, especially in the SpO2 readings when compared to a standalone pulse oximeter.
Garmin offers an array of dedicated accessories for serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts seeking ultra-precise data capture. These accessories, ranging from golfing monitors to cycling pedals and chest-strap heart rate monitors, connect directly to the watch, providing detailed insights into your performance.
Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar: Battery Life
The Instinct Crossover Solar‘s headline feature is its solar-powered battery, boasting near-infinite runtime with sufficient sunlight exposure. However, this claim carries a caveat. The solar cells, efficiently placed around the display, charge quickly under direct sunlight but require three hours of 50,000 lux exposure per day for the "infinite" battery life promise to be fully realized.
The analog-only mode, where the watch functions solely as a traditional timepiece with all other features disabled, proves to be a remarkable power-saving option. With less than one percent of battery remaining, this mode can power the watch for weeks.
During realistic use, the watch easily lasted a full week on a single charge. This included regular workouts throughout the day, continuous notifications from my smartphone, and 24/7 heart rate and SpO2 monitoring. The compass, altimeter, and barometer were set to "Auto," activating as needed. The backlight brightness was set to 20 percent and activated only after sunset due to the impressive daytime visibility.
For expedition-related use, Garmin claims a battery life of up to 40 days when used exclusively with the battery and GPS activated. This extended battery life could prove to be a life-saving feature in certain scenarios.
Charging the watch with the proprietary adapter connected to a 30W USB PD charger took approximately 2 hours and 27 minutes. While this charging time is a bit longer compared to some other smartwatches, it is still acceptable given the watch’s intended use.
Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar: Verdict
The Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar is a strong contender for fitness enthusiasts and adventurers seeking a device that blends style with functionality. Whether you’re a triathlete, hiker, or casual fitness buff, the Instinct Crossover Solar delivers accurate data tracking with the added benefit of built-in solar charging. While its unconventional design and button-operated interface might require adjustment, the watch excels in terms of durability, reliability, and battery longevity.
At Rs. 61,990, the Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar might be considered a premium option, especially when compared to other traditional smartwatches. Yet, being a dedicated multi-sport tracker, it stands out in a category of its own. The closest competitor is the Apple Watch Ultra, priced higher at Rs. 89,900. However, the Apple Watch Ultra is limited to a three-day battery life, compatible only with iPhones, and offers LTE functionality and calling capabilities.
In the Indian market, the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar, priced at Rs. 63,990, presents another alternative. However, lacking the analog hands, it prioritizes a larger color display, 32GB of storage, and a claimed longer battery life, adding detailed map views and turn-by-turn navigation.
Ultimately, the Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar’s appeal hinges on its unique blend of analog and digital functions. For those seeking a timepiece that seamlessly blends classic aesthetics with modern technology, the Instinct Crossover Solar excels, providing a durable, feature-rich, and potentially eternally powered experience.
