Garmin Instinct 3 goes AMOLED, solar, and seriously rugged
Taking a page from its Fenix playbook, Garmin reimagines the Instinct Series for 2025
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Garmin has just unveiled the Instinct 3 Series, a bold and rugged smartwatch lineup tailored for adventurers and fitness enthusiasts alike.
Taking cues from the flagship Fenix models, the third iteration of Garmin's more affordable outdoor watch is full of surprises.
For the first time, the Instinct Series features vibrant AMOLED displays alongside solar-powered options (like the Garmin Fenix 8), ensuring exceptional visibility and battery performance for outdoor escapades.
Built to handle extreme environments, the Instinct 3 Series boasts a metal-reinforced bezel, fibre-reinforced polymer case, and scratch-resistant displays.
Certified to MIL-STD 810 for thermal and shock resistance and water-rated to 100 meters, these watches are built for any challenge.
Another feature borrowed from the Fenix line is the built-in LED flashlight, perfect for spelunking, camping, or late-night adventures.
Available in two sizes – 45mm and 50mm – the watches come in sleek options like Black/Charcoal, as well as vibrant colours from the limited-edition Tropical Pulse Collection, including Neotropic and Neotropic/Twilight.
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
As you'd expect, the battery life is a standout feature. The AMOLED models deliver up to 24 days in smartwatch mode, while solar-powered models offer unlimited battery life with sufficient sunlight.
Garmin’s enhanced solar lens efficiency significantly boosts performance over previous models, making it a reliable companion for extended trips.
The Instinct 3 Series includes Garmin’s signature suite of fitness and wellness tools, such as heart rate monitoring, advanced sleep tracking, HRV status, and women’s health tracking.
Outdoor adventurers can rely on the multi-band GPS with SatIQ, TracBack routing, and built-in altimeter, barometer, and compass.
For athletes, there’s an expansive range of sports apps, from hiking and skiing to basketball and HIIT.
Garmin Coach and daily suggested workouts provide personalized fitness guidance, while the Garmin Connect app offers over 1,600 exercises for custom training plans.
The Instinct 3 is also quite smart. Connected features include smart notifications, Garmin Pay contactless payments, and safety features like incident detection and LiveTrack.
Plus, you get access to the Garmin Messenger app, and the watch even supports two-way text messaging directly from the watch.
The Garmin Instinct 3 Series will be available to order on 10 January at Garmin UK, Garmin US and Garmin AU, with AMOLED models starting at £389.99/ $499.99 and solar-powered models from £349.99/ $449.99 (AU prices TBC).
Want to see the wearable sooner? You can take a look at the Instinct 3 now at Garmin's booth at CES 2025 (#3540) in the LVCC West Hall.
Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator for T3.com and T3 Magazine, where he works as Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, action cameras, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019.
His work has also appeared on TechRadar and Fit&Well, and he has collaborated with creators such as Garage Gym Reviews. Matt has served as a judge for multiple industry awards, including the ESSNAwards. When he isn’t running, cycling or testing new kit, he’s usually roaming the countryside with a camera or experimenting with new audio and video gear.