Following the latest fenix 7 released a few years ago, Jiaming has updated another outdoor-oriented watch, the Instinct 2/2S. Introduce the Instinct series, and the differences in software and hardware (total 2198 words, 24 pictures) -
When we first got the first Instinct in 2018, several of our reviewers spent a lot of time wondering why Jiaming came up with this retro-looking outdoor smart watch. Finally, two labels were given to it, "Garmin's smarter G-SHOCK" and "fenix's baby model" – of course, these two labels may not be so accurate.
Jiaming recently upgraded the Instinct 2, in addition to a smaller screen 2S. In this way, the Instinct series has Insert (released in late 2018), Instinct Solar (released in mid-2020) and Instinct 2/2S (released in early 2022), as well as tidal and tactical versions for specific scenarios.
The difference between the two generations of the Instinct series in terms of hardware and software
Let's start with the hardware.
From left to right, in order, Insert (tide), Solar, Instinct 2, and Instinct 2S
In terms of appearance, there is almost no difference between the Instinct released at the end of 2018 and the Instinct Solar released in mid-2020, there will be the word "Solar" below the Solar Instinct to indicate support for solar charging, and the tilt angle of the power glass charging panel of the watch screen will be metallic;
The latest two versions of the Instinct, the 2 is the 45mm dial (the same as the previous two) and the 2S is the 40mm dial, which is more suitable for small wrist/female users. There are many details differences in the case design, one of which is that although the surface of the button is a diamond pattern, 2/2S is more grainy than the previous generation;
The bezel has a stronger granular friction, leaving scraps of paper behind when wiped. From left to right, the figures are Instinct Solar and Instinct 2.
Another difference, Instinct 2 (14.2mm) is 5% less thick than Instinct Solar (15.3mm). Keep an eye out for the Connection 2 strap, which is also thinner than the previous Insert/Instinct Solar.
In terms of weight, the Instinct 2 is 52g, the smaller 2S 42g;
In terms of resolution, the Instinct 2 176x176 pixels, higher than the previous generation 128; the smaller screen 2S also reached 156x156. Without careful comparison, you can see that the 2/2S is significantly smoother in terms of digital display.
Instinct Solar and Instinct 2. The latter edges are more rounded
——So in terms of appearance, in addition to the two large and small screen versions, the wearing sense of Instinct 2 is not much different. Looking closely at the screen display will be much clearer, and there is an updated VI interface (there is no difference in operation).
In terms of hardware configuration, instinct 2/2S is divided into solar version and sports version (no solar charging), and the watch screen uses Corning Gorilla Glass;
The wrist-mounted heart rate sensor on the back was upgraded from gen 3 to Gen 4 (as with the latest fenix 7). In fact, in recent years, the accuracy of wrist heart rate has been able to meet the daily/sports use of the vast majority of people, Gen 4 mainly improves the accuracy of heart rate under faster heart rate feedback time + strenuous exercise, that is, to solve the congenital lag of photoelectric heart rate (PPG) compared to the heart rate band (electrocardiogram, ECG) (if you are a fairly serious exerciser, the heart rate band is still a mandatory equipment that we highly recommend);
Also, Instinct 2/2S enables all-day monitoring of SpO2 pulse oximetry (previously only single time/sleep);
The Instinct 2 continues the configuration of the built-in triaxial compass, barometric altimeter, and Samsung positioning (GPS, GLONASS, and Gallileo), but the side/back barometer holes are differently positioned, which may be less likely to be blocked by sweat/dirt on the side.
The charging port was changed to the bottom.
An important reason why many people choose Instinct is that it is similar to Casio G-shock, which is very suitable for daily casual wear. Several generations of Instinct are also designed exactly according to the MIL-STD-810G military standard (heat-resistant, impact-resistant, 10ATM waterproof) - subjectively, it is the most suitable "rough treatment" and less delicate watch in Jiaming and even all smart watches. If you often come and go in the wind and rain, and you often bump and bump, Instinct is very suitable for casual construction.
And then there's the software.
Instinct has not been a color screen, and there are not many things that can be played on the screen. Instinct 2/2S started supporting Connect IQ, and it was finally time to change the dial;
The latest Gen 4 photoelectric heart rate and firstbeat algorithm, Instinct 2/2S in addition to all-day blood oxygen, but also support VO₂ Max (voxi max monitoring), the monitoring and presentation of sleep data are more detailed (with independent sleep widget display).
These make the Instinct 2 more suitable than its predecessor for use as a sports watch and monitoring watches for daily health data.
How to choose the various versions of Instinct 2 and Instinct 2S
In addition to the dial size, the 2S is also thinner than the 2. The difference in volume directly leads to the difference in battery capacity between the Instinct 2 and 2S.
Taking the GPS performance mode as an example, under solar-free charging, 2 endurance is 30 hours, 2S is 22 hours; the smart mode worn daily, 2 endurance is 28 days, and 2S is 21 days.
If it is used as a high-frequency outdoor sports, this needs to be considered.
The Instinct 2/2S has a Sport and a Solar Sport, with the latter adding solar charging and NFC transit cards.
Like the fenix 7 series, the instinct 2's solar charging has also been upgraded to version 2.0, which will be more efficient than the Instinct Solar. However, two points need to be made clear:
1. The solar charging function can only extend the battery life, and cannot directly charge the product (that is, no matter how exposed, it cannot achieve power increase);
2. Solar charging has higher requirements for light conditions, and wearing a watch for a long time will have the effect of improving endurance when wearing a watch in a sunny light environment.
Therefore, whether solar charging is required must be judged by combining its own endurance requirements and the actual daily use environment.
The NFC transit card function is supported after the subsequent software update, and can be used by the subway/bus in the vast majority of domestic cities (300+).
In addition to these, the solar version continues the Wave Version and the Tactical Version – which is naturally aimed at specific scenarios, such as surfing/kitesurfing (and also more tidal display), such as night vision/hidden/skydiving mode.
The solar tactical version of the dark night is closer to matte pure black than other versions of graphite ash.
Brief summary:
- Instinct 2 and Instinct 2S dials differ in size/thickness, with straps of 22mm and 20mm respectively;
- The same version of the 2 and 2S functions the same, the difference in volume, as well as the battery capacity caused by the difference in battery life;
- Instinct 2/2S performance is divided into sports version and solar sports version, of which the solar sports version also has a wave version and a tactical version;
- There are two differences between the sports version and the solar version, solar charging and NFC transportation card.
Instinct 2/2S is positioned/better suited to its users
The basic upgrades of each series of Garmin watches in recent years include an increase in battery life and richer sports/health features, and So is Instinct. Daily wear + 2-3 exercises (about 1 hour), close to a weekly charge, there is no battery anxiety;
Instinct has obviously been able to meet the sports needs of most people, and can be used as a sports function watch (even if you just use it as a running watch). After all, the weight is not big);
Compared with Jiaming's other watches, Instinct may be the one with similar functions, which is more cost-effective;
It is the most suitable watch of all Garmin watches for "throwing away", in outdoor rain and more harsh environments. It is both anti-fall and does not worry about scratching. Instinct is completely devoid of the petulence of most smartwatches.
In addition to outdoor and sports functions, the retro-fan Instinct also comes with a sense of matching. This is a trait that forerunner and others do not have - but such retro design also makes Instinct's screen ratio low, including that not everyone will accept single-screen display, how to choose depends on personal preference.