Garmin Instinct 2 – FCC filings, specs and models
After releasing the Venu 2 Plus, Fenix 7 and Epix Gen 2 Garmin is expected to launch the Instinct 2 any time soon. Some press renders have been leaked by winfuture. More information can be found here.
In September documents have been filed under IPH-A4095 at the FCC describing a wearable with support for ANT+ and Bluetooth LE. The document provide some hints pointing towards an Instinct 2:
- the 4-pin USB charging cable (320-01069-10)
- the distinctive form of the FCC label
- the description to access the FCC information on the device
In my opinion, all of these three aspects match an Instinct 2 perfectly, with the most obvious match being the FCC label on the device itself. What looks like a screenshot in the filings shows the Instinct display’s typical two-window design.
The description for accessing the FCC information on the device resembles that of the Instinct (1st gen). The 4-pin USB charging cable, which Garmin mainly uses on its higher-priced products, underscores the assumptions.
Garmin Instinct 2 – Different sizes, colors, with and without solar charging
When launched the Garmin Instinct 2 will be available in two sizes – the smaller Instinct 2S and the Instinct 2 that resembles the size of the Instinct (1st gen).
The Instinct 2 will have a 45 mm housing and thus is pretty similar to the Instinct (1st gen), which came out with a one-size-fits-all size of 45 x 45 x 15.3 mm. The smaller Instinct 2S will sport 40 mm.
For both sizes, there will be solar and non-solar models. In addition there will be Instinct 2 models that – for simplification – I sum up under the term “special edition”. By that I mean the following:
- Solar Edition
- Tactical Edition
- Camo Edition
Garmin Instinct 2
The Garmin Instinct 2 is the bigger of the two models, offering a 0.9″ transflective monochrome MIP display. It’s likely that Garmin hasn’t changed much so that the display’s resolution still is 128 x 128 pixels. The display technology used guarantees the best readability in direct sunlight.
| Instinct 2 / 2 SE | Instinct 2 Solar / Solar SE | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 45 mm | 45 mm |
| Weight | 52 g | 52 g |
| Waterproof | 10 ATM | 10 ATM |
| Battery Life (Smartwatch) | max. 28 days | max. ∞ |
| Battery Life (GPS) | max. 30 h | max. 48 h |
| Storage | 32 MB | 32 MB |
| Solar Charging | - | + |
| Price | $349.99 / $399.99 | $449.99 / $499.99 |
If the solar capabilities are utilized to the maximum, the recharge is sufficient for the battery to never run out. Even without the solar recharge the Instinct 2’s battery will last up to 28 days.
The Instinct 2 will be available in the following colors:
| Model | Color name | Bezel | Housing | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instinct 2 | Graphite | Graphite | Black | Graphite |
| Instinct 2 | Electric Lime | Lime | Slate | Lime |
| Instinct 2 Surf | Mavericks | Lime | Slate (bluish) | Slate (bluish) |
| Instinct 2 Camo | Graphite Camo | Camo (grayscale) | Black | Camo (grayscale) |
| Instinct 2 Solar | Graphite | Graphite | Black | Graphite |
| Instinct 2 Solar | Mist Grey | Greyish white | Black | Greyish white |
| Instinct 2 Solar | Tidal Blue | Dark blue | Black | Dark blue |
| Instinct 2 Solar Surf | Bells Beach | Greyish white | Black | Black |
| Instinct 2 Solar Tactical | Black | Black | Black | Black |
| Instinct 2 Solar Tactical | Coyote Tan | Brown | Black | Brown |
Garmin Instinct 2S
The Garmin Instinct 2S is the smaller model having a 40 mm housing. I haven’t found any display specs, but I’ll add them as soon as possible. My guess is that the screen will be smaller but will feature the same resolution.
| Instinct 2S / 2S SE | Instinct 2S Solar / 2S Solar SE | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 40 mm | 40 mm |
| Weight | 42 g | 43 g |
| Waterproof | 10 ATM | 10 ATM |
| Battery Life (Smartwatch mode) | max. 21 days | max. 51 days |
| Battery Life (GPS) | max. 22 h | max. 28 h |
| Storage | 32 MB | 32 MB |
| Solar Charging | - | + |
| Price | $349.99 / $399.99 | $449.99 / $499.99 |
The Instinct 2S will be available in the following colors:
| Model | Color name | Bezel | Housing | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instinct 2S | Deep Orchid | Purple | Black | Purple |
| Instinct 2S | Graphite | Graphite | Black | Graphite |
| Instinct 2S | Poppy | Red | Black | Red |
| Instinct 2S Surf | Waikiki | Teal | Black | Lime |
| Instinct 2S Camo | Mist Camo | Camo (grayscale) | Black | Camo (grayscale) |
| Instinct 2S Solar | Graphite | Graphite | Black | Graphite |
| Instinct 2S Solar | Mist Grey | Greyish white | Black | Greyish white |
| Instinct 2S Solar | Neo Tropic | Green | Black | Green |
| Instinct 2S Solar Surf | Ericeira | Gray | White | White |
New hardware and features
The recently leaked images allow us to draw a few conclusions about watch’s characteristics:
- The Instinct 2’s back reveals the Elevate V4 sensor, which Garmin has been introduced with the Venu 2. Compared to its predecessor, the sensor is not only more accurate and faster but also more power-efficient.
- Compared to the first generation Instinct, the Instinct 2 can measure blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). Fair to say that the Instinct 1st gen solar models already offered this.
- Sleep widget / sleep score on device
Other than that, there is are no information concerning new features. Unfortunately no additional information can be drawn from the leaked images.
As an outdoor adventure watch the incident detection shouldn’t be missed on the new device. Though Garmin has added the feature to its sports watches about 2 years ago, it hasn’t been added to the Instinct via firmware update.
Yet Garmin will have to present some more features to attract new buyers. My guess is that we already have seen most of these features in Garmin’s wearables over the past two years.
This is by no means neither full spec nor a complete feature list. As some online retailers have published first product pages a product launch is imminent. You may drop by from time to time, I’ll try to keep the article up to date.
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