Garmin sets industry pace with new solar-powered smartwatches

Patented solar-powered technology bolsters Garmin’s position as the leading brand for smartwatches

859
Stylized photo of the Garmin Instinct Solar in Graphite
Product shot of the Garmin Instinct Solar courtesy of Garmin Philippines

Driving from the momentum brought by the successful debut of their solar charging technology in the fēnix 6X Pro Solar, Garmin announced on Thursday, August 6 the expansion of the tech into their flagship outdoor smartwatch series.

“In 2019, Garmin pioneered a breakthrough in solar charging technology, introducing the Power Glass™ to launch the world’s first solar-powered multisport GPS smartwatch, fēnix 6X Pro Solar. This year, we extend this proprietary technology into our well-loved Instinct and the complete fēnix 6 series,” said Garmin Asia’s Director Scoppen Lin.

According to the smartwatch company, the integration hopes to give a power boost to its line of outdoor smartwatches, by using the solar tech to do more than just extending battery life. 

Pace-setting technology

Garmin reports that the production of the proprietary tech involved the filing of over 30 patents all to serve the purpose of ‘catering to the needs of outdoor adventurers and athletes’ to enable them to ‘truly do what they love, longer’.

SPhoto of the Garmin fēnix 6X Solar courtesy of Garmin PhilippinesBut what truly sets apart the Garmin’s new tech isn’t just the extended battery life and a longer list of activities it tracks. In the first place, those added benefits wouldn’t be possible without the solar tech’s one-of-a-kind solar conversion rate.

Advertisement

Garmin reports that unlike other solar watches that only support time functionalities, their solar charging technology leads the market with a solar conversion rate of about 5 times higher than the industry standard. This makes the company the first in the world to launch solar-powered multisport GPS smartwatches.

Specifically, the solar tech was developed to power multiple functions such as time, health monitoring, GPS tracking, and other sensors used for data calculation.

Photo of National Athlete for Triathlon Nikko Huelgas, wearing his Garmin smartwatch during training
FOR OUTDOOR TRAINING. SEA Games gold medalist in triathlon Nikko Huelgas, wearing his Garmin during a bike training session. Photo courtesy of Garmin Philippines

Powered for every athlete and adventurer

Garmin, in the same announcement, officially introduced the Instinct Solar, fēnix 6 Solar, and the fēnix 6S Solar as the new solar-powered iterations of their famous outdoor line. With these, they hope to provide various options for any and every kind of athlete and adventurer.

Read the specifications for each solar-powered Garmin outdoor smartwatch below:

Garmin Solar Series Battery Life Chart

Lifestyle shot of the Garmin Instinct Solar – Camo Edition
Lifestyle shot of the Garmin Instinct Solar – Camo Edition courtesy of Garmin Philippines

fēnix 6 Solar Series  – Duration of battery life

Active modes
6S Pro Solar
6 Pro Solar
Smartwatch Up to 9 days plus 1.5 days* Up to 14 days plus 2 days*
GPS Up to 25 hours plus 

3 hours**

Up to 36 hours plus 

4 hours**

GPS and Music Up to 6 hours Up to 10 hours
Max Battery GPS Mode 50 hours plus 14 hours** 72 hours plus 21 hours**
Expedition GPS Activity 20 days plus 6 days* 28 days plus 8 days*
Battery Saver Watch Mode 34 days plus 25 days* 48 days plus 32 days*

 

Instinct Solar and Instinct Solar – Camo Edition

Active modes
Duration of battery life
Smartwatch Up to 24 days + 30 days *
GPS Up to 30 hours + 8 hours **
Max Battery GPS Mode 70 hours + 75 hours**
Expedition GPS Activity 28 days + 40 days*
Battery Saver Watch Mode 56 days + unlimited*

 

*Solar charging, assuming all-day wear with 3 hours per day outside in 50,000 lux conditions
**Solar charging, assuming use in 50,000 lux conditions

Pricing and Availability

 

Watch

Price

Colorway

Instinct Solar PHP 24,995 Flame Red

Graphite

Instinct Solar – Camo Edition PHP 27,995 Graphite Camo
fēnix 6S Pro Solar PHP 52,995 Light Gold + Shale Gray band

Amethyst Steel + Shale Gray band

fēnix 6 Pro Solar Black + Slate Gray band

Mineral Blue + Whitestone band

 

Sold online at the following websites:

Garmin retail stores are located at the following malls:

  • Glorietta 5
  • SM Megamall
  • SM Mall of Asia
  • Uptown Bonifacio
  • Alabang Town Center
  • SM Aura
  • SM North EDSA
  • The Podium
  • Ayala Malls Vertis North
  • SM City Pampanga
  • Shangri-La Plaza
  • SM City Baguio
  • SM City Cebu
  • SM Lanang Premiere
  • Festive Walk
  • SM Bacolod

Visit Garmin’s pressroom to learn more about their new line of solar-charged smartwatches. For updates on products, promos, and events, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here