Garmin launches new, old solar-powered smartwatches

3comments
Garmin launches new, old solar-powered smartwatches
Garmin's smartwatches are surely not for everyone due to their high price. Although one can argue that they're the sturdiest on the market, you have to be able to afford one first. Still, there will always be a market for good products, no matter the price.

Long story short, Garmin has decided to refresh its lineup of premium smartwatches with new ones, which are old models with an extra feature: solar technology. Garmin added solar technology to four of its iconic smartwatches: Instinct, Fenix 6 and 6s, as well as Tactix Delta.

These are not the first solar-powered smartwatches released by Garmin and probably won't be the last. Building on the success of the Fenix 6X Pro Solar, these new solar editions promise increased battery life and new features for surf, mountain biking, and climbing activities.

Specs-wise, none of these smartwatches have been changed except for the solar panels. For example, the Fenix 6S with solar panel now offers an extra day and a half battery life with sufficient solar exposure, while the 6 Pro Solar got an extra two days of battery life with the addition of the new technology.

Next, we have Garmin's Instinct lineup that consists of three new solar models: Instinct Solar, Instinct Solar Surf Edition, and Instinct Solar Tactical Edition. All three promise up to 50 days of battery life in smartwatch mode with sufficient solar exposure, but they should last almost indefinitely if the user activates the Battery Saver mode.


Last but not least, the new Tactix Delta is a military-grade smartwatch that uses solar charging to extend battery life and Power Manager mode to offer up to 21 days indoors and up to 24 days with sufficient solar exposure. The smartwatch comes with a so-called stealth mode that disables location sharing and wireless connectivity, as well as a kill switch to wipe out user memory.

Recommended Stories
As far as the prices go, these are quite expensive. Although suggested retail prices start at $400 for Instinct Solar, they can go up to $850 for Fenix 6 Series Solar Editions and $1,100 for the Tactix Delta Solar Edition.

Recommended Stories

Loading Comments...
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless