Garmin expands solar charging technology to popular adventure smartwatches

New Instinct and fēnix series move toward power autonomy with unprecedented battery life and specialised activities

Singapore, 17 July 2020 – Garmin Singapore today announced the expansion of its solar charging technology to its Instinct, fēnix 6 and 6S adventure smartwatches. Building on the success of Garmin’s first solar charging adventure watch, the fēnix 6X - Pro Solar, these new solar editions allow customers to “Do What They Love Longer” through significantly increased battery life and new purpose-built functionality including surf, mountain biking and climbing activities.1

“Garmin’s multisport GPS watches are the choice for athletes and adventurers willing to push themselves through the next mile or over the next mountain. Using our solar capabilities, the new Instinct, fēnix 6 and 6S solar watches provide extraordinary battery life and give customers the ability to follow their passion to the sunset and further,” said Mr. Scoppen Lin, Director, Garmin Asia. “In addition to the solar charging capabilities, these editions are full of updated and unique features. From new camouflage design patterns to new activity profiles, there is something for everyone with the new members of Garmin’s solar family.”

Instinct Solar

Instinct Solar Learn More

Since launching in 2018, the Instinct GPS adventure watch series has proven itself as a reliable tool built to endure the most challenging environments, from the city to the mountains and all places between. Instinct Solar takes its rugged reputation to new heights with astonishing battery life, updated bold designs and new activity profiles, including a new activity-specific Instinct edition, Instinct Solar – Tactical Edition.

Representing a milestone for Garmin, Instinct Solar can provide unlimited battery life with sufficient solar exposure in Battery Saver mode. Using Expedition Mode with sufficient solar exposure, Instinct Solar provides increased GPS functionality while still delivering over two months of battery life. The Instinct Solar series also boasts up to 24 days in smartwatch mode indoors and more than 50 days with sufficient solar exposure. Users can make these battery-extending changes on the fly through Instinct Solar’s incorporation of Power Manager.

Instinct Solar – Surf Edition is purpose-built with specialized surf features such as tide data and a dedicated surfing activity to help customers make the most of every wave. Water rated to 100 meters, the Instinct Solar - Surf Edition is also a multisport water-recreation watch. Instinct Solar – Tactical Edition, popular with military personnel, is equipped with tactical-specific features such as night-vision goggle compatibility and Stealth mode.

In addition to Instinct’s already robust outdoor activity and health tracking, Instinct Solar now also includes Pulse Ox2 to gauge how well an individual’s body is absorbing oxygen and Body Battery to optimize body energy reserves through health monitoring metrics.

fēnix 6 Series - Solar Editions

fēnix 6/6S Solar Learn More

The fēnix 6S Pro Solar and fēnix 6 Pro Solar are the newest members of the Garmin flagship outdoor GPS smartwatch line. Featuring Garmin Power Glass solar charging lens and a customizable Power Manager mode, fēnix 6 Series – Solar Editions harness the power of the sun to stay on and remain performance-ready for weeks, so users will have more on-wrist time to enjoy their activities, training features, onboard mapping, music streaming and much more. Expanding the robust activity profiles included in the fēnix series, the fēnix 6 and 6S Solar editions come surf, mountain bike and indoor climb-ready. The smaller-sized fēnix 6S Pro Solar adventure watch also features an exclusive Women of Adventure design option.

• Surf: Using a Surf Activity profile, also found on Instinct Solar – Surf Edition, fēnix surfers can track total waves, surf time, total time, max speed and their longest wave. When surfing in front of a Surfline camera, users wearing fēnix or Instinct surf-compatible watches can upload their surf data to their Surfline account and later view video of that surfing activity through Surfline Sessions .  
• Mountain Bike: Track the details of every ride with mountain biking metrics plus specialized grit and flow measurements that rate trail difficulty and how smoothly a user descends, giving a score to beat next time. 
• Indoor Climb:The indoor climb activity profile allows climbers to track their sessions at indoor facilities. Metrics include the number of routes, vertical distance climbed, climbing time, difficultly of each route and more.

The fēnix 6S Pro Solar battery performance in smartwatch mode is up to nine days indoors and up to 10.5 days with sufficient solar exposure, while battery performance for the fēnix 6 Pro Solar in smartwatch mode is up to 14 days indoors and up to 16 days with sufficient solar exposure.

The fēnix 6 Series – Solar Editions also includes Advanced Sleep Monitoring, which provides a detailed breakdown of a user’s light, deep and REM sleep stages as well as Pulse Ox and respiration data. This can be viewed on a dedicated widget that includes your stress score and sleep insights. Out of the box, the fēnix 6 series includes topographic maps for outdoor adventures, ski maps for over 2,000 ski resorts worldwide and over 41,000 golf courses. The fēnix 6 series features on-device music storage of up to 2,000 songs, allowing users to sync playlists from several of the most popular music services (subscription may be required), no phone required.

The fēnix 6 Pro Solar Edition is available in Black with Slate Gray Band and Cobalt Blue with Whitestone Band and the fēnix 6S Pro Solar Edition is available in Light Gold with Shale Gray Band and Purple with Shale Band.

Pricing and Availability

Instinct Solar is available from today in Graphite, Tidal Blue, Orchid, Sunburst and Flame Red and the Instinct Solar – Tactical Edition is available in Black, Moss, Graphite Camo and Lichen Camo. The Instinct Solar – Surf Edition will be available in Pipeline and Cloudbreak and will be in stores from 18 September 2020.

The Instinct Solar and fēnix 6 Pro Solar Editions represent the continued innovation of Garmin solar technology initiative and are available now at Lazada, Shopee, KrisShop.com, Garmin Brand Store and all authorised retailers. The fēnix 6S Pro Solar Edition will be exclusive available from 17 July to 16 August 2020 on KrisShop.com. The complete line of Garmin solar charging smartwatches also includes the fēnix 6X - Pro Solar. Suggested retail prices start at SGD 629 for Instinct Solar Editions and SGD 1,299 for fēnix 6S and 6 – Solar Editions. For more information, visit Garmin.com.my.

Engineered on the inside for life on the outside, Garmin products have revolutionised life for adventurers, athletes, and outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. Committed to developing products that enhance experiences and enrich lives, Garmin believes every day is an opportunity to innovate and a chance to beat yesterday. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at Garmin.com.my/news/pressroom/ or follow us at facebook.com/GarminMalaysia, instagram.com/GarminMalaysia and Youtube.

¹ All battery life numbers assume 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions
² This is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition; see Garmin.com.my/ataccuracy. Pulse Ox not available in all countries.