Although Garmin now offers hybrid smartwatches like the Vivomove, these devices aren’t mainly designed for hiking and other outdoor activities. Now, the brand is bridging that gap with the recently released Instinct Crossover.
There are three different models in this hybrid smartwatch series. The latest Garmin Instinct Crossover model is an analog-based digital wristwatch series that gets recognition from the automotive industry.
The new smartwatches remain loyal to the rugged heritage of Garmin’s Instinct device groups. They got military-authorized standard certification (MIL-STD-810) to operate in harsh conditions, are shock-resistant & are water-marked at 10ATM. That’s more than enough protection for your outdoor sports.
Ruggedness Redefined
The Instinct Crossover has what Garmin refers to as RevoDrive Technology. In essence, it auto-calibrates smartwatches & displays the accurate time during an experience.
The Instinct Crossover models have analog hands overlaid on their digital displays. After all, they are hybrid wearables. When you wish to view precise smartwatch data, the hands immediately move away.
As a hybrid wearable, the Instinct Crossover got various best functions of smartwatches & conventional analog models. Due to the capabilities that hybrid wearables forgo, they frequently have an extended battery duration than usual wearables, including the Apple Watch.
For example, though the Instinct Crossover has a flaw in color display, it offers various notifications & supports Garmin Pay for making payments. The new Crossover was initially created for fitness people, who are looking for rigorous fitness training & tracking equipment, much like Garmin’s existing Instinct watches.
Garmin has used glow-in-the-dark Super-LumiNova for the watch hour markers and hands. Either daylight or the flashlight on your phone will power it up. The Instinct Crossover specs have covered various health-monitoring functions you would expect from a Garmin watch, like reading levels for blood-oxygen, variation in heart rate, sleep monitor with a score & VO2 Max.
The Instinct Crossover will monitor both HRV state and sleep. This past summer, a software update introduced HRV status, putting it closer to the Forerunner 255 series. It needs less energy when not used for workouts, but it still monitors and records data every second.
While in workout scenarios – where there is typically much movement – additional power is added to the sensor to generate more precise data.
Built to Keep a Charge
But the battery life of the Instinct Crossover series seems to be one of its best features. The Solar Edition should run in smartwatch mode for 70 days with solar charging, as Garmin claims. As per Garmin, the solar-based Instinct Crossover got “unlimited” battery duration in charge-saving mode, keeping analog features like the date, time & stopwatch.
However, to achieve that level of battery life, you must adhere to the recommended solar charging guidelines, which according to Garmin are three hours a day in 50,000 lux configurations. In contrast, the base model Instinct Crossover without solar charging guarantees more than 110 hours of GPS use and nearly a month of smartwatch function.
Additionally, the series has a Tactical Edition with special tactical features, including a kill switch, dual-format GPS, stealth mode, compatibility with night vision & more. Instinct Crossover syncs with smartphone devices so users can receive notifications on their wrist and syncs with the Connect IQ store and Garmin Connect app for personalization to stay up with life on the road.
The Instinct Crossover ‘Standard Edition’ comes in Black and Blue Granite hues and starts at $499.99. The other model, the Instinct Crossover Solar edition retails at $549.99 in Graphite and Tidal Blue colors, while the Tactical Edition comes at 599.99 USD, available only in black.