Garmin introduce new solar-powered multisports GPS smartwatches.

Building on the success of the debut of its patented solar charging technology in fēnix 6X Pro Solar, Garmin announced the extension of this technology into two of its flagship outdoor smartwatch series – Instinct and fēnix series, introducing the Instinct, fēnix 6 and 6S Solar.

Unlike other solar-powered watches that converts the solar energy into electrical energy for single functions such as time, Garmin’s solar charging technology is the only watch the converted electrical energy to support various sports activity modes and health monitoring features such as heart rate, GPS, various sensors and data calculation.

This solar charging technology not only brings about an overall improved power performance, it also reduces carbon emissions by up to 59% compared to other smartwatches due to the reduced power charging frequency. With the enhanced battery life, added sports activities and comprehensive health data monitoring,

Garmin hopes to motivate and inspire users to continue their outdoor adventures and explore infinite possibilities together.

“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, catering to the needs of outdoor adventurers and athletes, accompanying them to truly do what they love, longer,” - Mr. Scoppen Lin, Director, Garmin Asia.

Revolutionizing solar charging technology for increased battery optimization One-of-a-kind Power Glass™ solar charging panel engineered by Garmin Garmin has designed an ultrathin layer of tiny conductive elements on top of a glass panel, creating a multilayer structure that measures a mere 0.5mm thick. This sophisticated structure is able to efficiently convert light source into electrical energy while maintaining high permeability so that when it is paired with a Memory-in-Pixel (MIP) display, it retains clear and full color visibility under bright sunlight.

With over 30 patents filed for revolutionary solar charging technology. The breakthrough solar charging technology is achieved by using the best conductive materials to generate a peak power output (Pmax) of the solar cell is rated five times higher than the standard in the industry. With this technology incorporated in the design of Instinct Solar, it is able to achieve unlimited battery life when set to the Battery Saver mode.

Unlike with the traditional solar watches which only supports time mode or a single function, Garmin solar charging technology leads with a solar conversion rate up to 5x higher than the industry standard, making Garmin the first in the world to launch solar-powered multisport GPS smartwatches.

When any part of a traditional solar panel no longer exposed to light, solar charging will instantly be deactivated.

In the event of limited sun exposure where the watch is partially shaded, Garmin’s innovative solar panel technology has rearranged the panel’s conducting cells in a new design so that even when part of the screen is covered by clothing or covered in mud during mountain biking, the smartwatch continues uninterrupted solar charging. This groundbreaking design allows users to enjoy their outdoor activities for longer periods of time, without having to worry that their activity will not be recorded when battery runs out.

The Power Manager feature allows the user to easily toggle the watch functions according to their usage needs for the day, deactivating unused or lesser used functions on low activity level days. This feature allows the user to adapt the device to their lifestyle needs and getting the most out of each power charge.

Garmin has incorporated the solar lens technology into its Instinct range of GPS smartwatches to cater to the urban sport enthusiast. With the Power Manager feature, users can toggle to the Battery Saver mode to enjoy unlimited battery life on the Instinct Solar and Instinct Solar – Camo Edition, up to 24 days in smartwatch mode indoors and over 54 days with sufficient solar exposure.

In addition to Instinct’s list of outdoor activity and health tracking features, Instinct Solar series now also includes the Body Battery feature which analyzes heart rate variability, stress level, sleep quality and activity data to determine overall energy levels. Another newly added feature is the Pulse Ox (SpO2) , a technology which measures blood oxygen saturation – a useful health indicator to monitor during this time of pandemic as the COVID-19 virus can lead to pneumonia infection in which the lung's air sacs are filled with fluid, leading to a drop in blood oxygen level. A sudden drop in SpO2 levels can indicate an early onset of symptoms.

The fēnix 6 Pro Solar and fēnix 6S 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 Solar Series 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 Series come surf, mountain bike and indoor climb-ready.

Surf: Using a Surf Activity profile, 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 6 Solar Series 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 9 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.

Garmin fēnix 6S Pro Battery Life: