Instinct 2X Satisfaction Check

Fair enough.

You can't hear the truth in this forum.

You can see my forum activity. There to many bugs, But none FIX.

https://imgur.com/a/YyZXW5m

"Unlimited battery" is a gimmick. Especially if you record activities.

Since I own both i2 and i2X - both tactical - here's my feedback on i2X:

- since instinct line doesn't have built in maps the quality of positioning data is not as good compared to devices which have maps and can verify/correct elevation data. This is particularly annoying when cycling since you can't rely on elevation data from instinct (compared to e.g. Garmin's cycling computer).

- everyone claims that i2X has a better screen, that's not 100% true. It's true that Garmin fixed the backlight polarisation issue that plagued i2, but at the same time they reduced the general legibility (contrast) of the screen without backlight. It could be that it's a product of using stronger solar layer but it might as well be that the polarisation "fix" introduced a knock on effect on general non-backlit legibility. Don't get me wrong, it's not that you can't read i2x without backlight, but I certainly can see the subtle difference and prefer i2 over i2x.

- i2x strap is stiff and uncomfortable in the long run, compared to i2 which uses a softer kind of rubber and can be worn for days on end without digging into the skin and leaving marks (regardless of how tight or loose you wear it). You might be tempted to say, ok try a different strap - that's fine but a) alternatives won't look as good since they don't come with integrated end links, b) lack of integrated end links means that the spring bars can rotate slightly which trips the compass - and Garmin don't see this as an issue. 

- i2x has a plastic surround on the optical sensor which digs into the skin. Don't get why they thought that's a good idea.

- i2 and i2x are slow to respond to most button presses, presumably that's how they achieve the low energy consumption - including the mythical "unlimited battery" claim. 

Funnily enough, I'm waiting for Garmin to release FR975 - or whatever they will call the next gen FR955 - since I feel like that would hit the sweet spot  in terms of price/functionality/looks. Hopefully they won't drop the MIP screen completely from the FR 9xx model range.

again about instinct and maps. Instinct uses DEM when connected to a phone. it does not need maps to get correct altitude! DEM is much more accurate than just using GPS for altitude. Watches that have maps will use DEM from device maps not DEM!

I'm very happy with it. I wish they would better integrate non-running sports (e.g. rowing VO2Max), but that is not specific to the instinct. I haven't been fully happy with sleep tracking, but it's OK. Would be nice to have some of the heart health (EKG) type features. I have also found that it lacked enough memory to store HRV data during meditation (IQ store app). But overall it exceeds expectations and is improving my life!

This is my first time hearing about this — my altitude charts were looking a little wonky in my last run with this watch, so I'm interested.

It sounds like if "Auto Cal." is enabled and your phone is connected, then it will pull the altitude from DEM. Is that right? The only time it'll use GPS for altitude is if your phone is not connected?

5016816 said:

i2x strap is stiff and uncomfortable in the long run, compared to i2 which uses a softer kind of rubber and can be worn for days on end without digging into the skin and leaving marks

Agreed, here. I picked up the instinct as I'm still in the return window for the 955S. And the band is markedly more comfortable on the 955, which sounds similar to the i2. Weird choice from Garmin.

5016816 said:

- i2 and i2x are slow to respond to most button presses, presumably that's how they achieve the low energy consumption - including the mythical "unlimited battery" claim. 

I've noticed this — not so much on button press, but things like starting/saving activities or loading up certain glances are definitely less snappy than on the 955.

5016816 said:

"Unlimited battery" is a gimmick. Especially if you record activities.

I'm still waiting to draw my own conclusions here. The decision to use GPS vs All Systems vs Dual Band situation seems to have a major impact, so I'm going to be doing some battery draw tests over the next 2ish weeks. Mostly have to see how easy it is to get the 50,000 lux for 3 hrs (I need to figure out what that is in lux hours to compare it to the solar intensity widget jk. It's 50,000 * 3 = 150,000 luxhours. And I only managed to get 39k yesterday).

If you start activity and phone is connected it will choose DEM. You can manually choose GPS or DEM i altimeter settings