Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED 50mm

The Design section of this watch centers on a 50 x 50 mm case that is 14.4 mm thick and weighs 59 g, giving it a substantial yet manageable wrist presence. It features a 1.3″ AMOLED display with a resolution of 416 x 416 px and a pixel density of 452 ppi, and the screen supports an always-on mode for continuous readability. The watch does not include a touchscreen, nor does it use sapphire or branded damage-resistant glass. It carries a 10 ATM water resistance rating, placing it firmly in waterproof territory, and operates across a temperature range of -20 °C to 60 °C. The band is 26 mm wide and can be replaced, while the overall volume of the case sits at 36 cm³.

The watch comes equipped with a broad set of onboard sensors suited to both everyday wear and athletic use. It includes GPS, a heart rate monitor, a pulse oximeter for blood oxygenation tracking, a barometer, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a cadence sensor, and a body temperature sensor. Wind speed measurement and perspiration monitoring are not supported.

Activity tracking on this watch covers a wide range of disciplines and daily metrics. It records distance, pace, steps, elevation, and routes, and includes a trackback mode for retracing a path. Multi-sport mode is supported alongside automatic activity detection, exercise tagging, and a stroke counter for swimming, while golf is also a supported activity. Sleep is tracked with full reports provided, and calorie intake can be logged as well. Diving is not a supported use case.

The watch is compatible with both iOS and Android devices and supports NFC and ANT+ for contactless functionality and connection to external sensors respectively. It does not include a cellular module or Wi-Fi support.

The watch runs on a built-in rechargeable battery that is neither removable nor wireless-charging capable, and there is no solar charging option. In standard use it lasts up to 24 days, dropping to 40 hours when GPS is active and 30 hours in training mode.

On the health monitoring side, the watch tracks HRV, VO2 max, and resting heart rate, and sends fast/slow heart rate notifications while also displaying a readiness and recovery level. Irregular heart rate warnings, however, are not included. Navigation benefits from fast GPS lock and Galileo support, though map uploading is not available. Wrist notifications, a stopwatch, a silent alarm, fall detection, a phone finder, sunrise/sunset times, and thunderstorm risk alerts are all present, while vibrating alerts, a smart alarm, call control, the ability to answer calls, voice commands, and a camera remote shutter are absent. Internal storage stands at 4 GB, and the watch carries a one-year warranty.

The companion app is free and ad-free, and requires an account to use. It covers a wide range of tracking features including calories burned, weight, BMI, water intake, temperature, and activity reports, alongside an exercise diary, goal setting, inactivity alerts, and achievements. Live tracking, route support, maps, calendar sync, voice feedback, music playback, widgets, and app personalisation are all included, as is coaching and video tutorials. On the wellness side, it handles period notifications, fertile window notifications, ovulation prediction, and start date prediction. A barcode scanner is not available within the app.

The watch displays a battery level indicator and supports auto pause during activities. It is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and is available on PC, and it works alongside external heart rate monitors and smart scales. There is no external memory slot and no 3.5 mm audio jack.