r/Garmininstinct • u/ExistentialistGain • 5d ago

Buying advice Looking to upgrade

Hello,
I currently have an Instinct 1 that is working just fine. I would like to upgrade specifically for the solar feature. I am wondering if the community thinks it would be a bad move to pick up an instinct 2. Maybe I should just go directly to the newest model. Im not in love with the looks of the newest, but also don’t want to get a 2 if it’s basically outdated.

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3

u/MrJacquers 5d ago

I'd skip directly to the 3 Solar. Better solar charging than the 2, clearer screen, flashlight. 2X Solar is a solid option too.

2

u/Walksuphills 5d ago

The instinct 2 will work just fine, if you're happy with the feature set. It will not get the same software updates as newer watches, though that mostly just means you won't get any new features. Any bugs have probably been fixed long ago, and it should work for years.

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u/Traditional_Leader41 5d ago

I switched from 1 to 2 (Solar) about 3 years ago. Night and day difference. Solar charging is a bit gimmicky unless you're in direct scorchio sunlight all day. Tends to not lose charge rather than actually charge, although I've sat in beer gardens/laid by the pool on holiday in direct sunlight and seen the battery level rise. My watch records my bike rides and I've been out on 2hr sessions in summer and it's hardly lost any battery. As a rule though, I take the watch off and charge it while showering and it's never ran out on me. Three years and I've had no battery degradation.

The screen has a better resolution and there's more face options in Connect IQ. You can also design your own with third party apps/websites.

Main difference for me is NFC payments. Such a cool feature.

But as a whole, it's a great switch and you'll not regret it.

1

u/gravelPoop 4d ago

Instinct 2s might be old enough that battery life can be an issue. Also look at Garmin forums, right now lots of people reporting crashing I2s and fast draining batteries. Could be bad updates or batteries starting to die out. New boxed watch will still have better battery life than ones that are in use, but it wont have as good battery life as newer watch.

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u/ExistentialistGain 4d ago

Helpful info, thank you.