At this point, smartwatches are outselling regular watches. You even see some of your friends that are not big fans of wearing watches now wearing a form of smartwatch or fitness tracker. There is a very good reason to that.
A smartwatch or fitness tracker does not just tell time. They are more functional than regular watches because they now track your steps, your heart rate, your exercises, and much more. Smartwatches, because they are connected to your smartphone most of the time, are effectively your pagers now (pagers are like little SMS machines that predates even your mobile phones, if you do not know what that is). It also changes time zones with you without your input. It redefines what a toolwatch is.
If you ask us which smartwatch you should buy, and if budget is no object, we will always tell you to go out and get yourself a Garmin smartwatch or fitness tracker. Why? They are simply the best at this, currently. It is okay if you cannot fork out MYR 4,000 to buy a Garmin Fenix though. You can get this, the Instinct 2 at a fraction of the price and still have the best of Garmin.
It is still a Garmin fitness tracker cum smartwatch, so it does everything that a smartwatch and a fitness tracker does. Instead of being a one-stop-shop for everything that is fitness and adventure though, the Instinct 2 is a little more focused on different purposes. Still, if you need something completely general and unassuming – there is still the regular Instinct 2 for you to work with. If you are on a tight budget, you can still opt for one without the solar charging capability.
Yes, you did read that right, the Garmin Instinct 2 charges via solar now. Whichever Instinct 2 you pick as well, they are built to military standard 810 to ensure that the watch works in whatever condition you can throw it to, even in 100m of water depths. 45mm too big? There is The Instinct 2S too with 40mm bezels with all the bells and whistles from the larger Instinct 2.
As mentioned, the Instinct 2 series is more function focused than ever. There are three purpose-built editions to the Instinct 2 series now. You have the Surf Edition that allows you to keep track of data that you would need in any water sports category. It keeps you updated on wind speeds, tide conditions and more. You can even track your activities on the water and review them later.
There is also a Tactical Edition, a military type of edition made for the military person. You get Stealth Mode with this one too, we assume that is to dim down the screen so that it does not emit any lights. The screen is even usable with Night Vision Goggles for some reason. Of course, it is also a GPS tool to ensure that your location is always updated. Since it could be an essential military gear, Garmin added the Jumpmaster activity mode for when you go parachuting. This is a little overkill for a regular person though.
For regular adventurers, maybe the Camo Editions are good enough. It is a regular Instict 2 with everything that Garmin can offer in a fitness and adventure tracker, but in camo colour options. All of the Garmin Instinct 2 editions works Garmin’s Connect IQ app with access to the store for further personalisation of your Instinct 2.
The Instinct 2 and Instinct 2S is now available from Garmin official stores on Lazada and Shopee. You can also purchase an Instinct 2 watch from Garmin’s official distributor for Malaysia via AECO e-store and other authorised retailers. The Instinct 2 and Instinct 2S will set you back MYR 1,630 onward. For more information on the Garmin Instinct 2 series, you can head over to Garmin’s website.