Battery Drain Issue with Garmin Instinct Solar

Sadjad 1 month ago

Hi,

I recently purchased a Garmin Instinct Solar Standard Version, impressed by its reputed long battery life, which was a major factor in my decision to switch from an Apple Watch. However, I've encountered an issue with the battery performance.

Upon opening the box, I found that the watch had no charge and had to fully charge it before use. After charging, the battery dropped by about 40% in the following day with a 45-minute activity. I recharged it fully before going to bed, but the next morning, the battery had lost 33% overnight despite no activity or connection to my phone.

I'm using a 5V Apple Watch charging adapter and the software is up-to-date. Is this battery drain typical for the initial charge cycle, or should I consider returning the watch for a replacement?

Thank you for your assistance.

0 trux 1 month ago

Sadjad said:
Is this battery drain typical for the initial charge cycle

My Instinct came charged, so if your was discharged, it is possible it stayed 5-6 years in the shelves (assuming it is really Instinct Solar 1st gen). If it is really that case, and the battery was discharged since a long time, its capacity may be irreversibly reduced. However, it can be also just a software problem - the battery gauge may need some calibration, and/or the watch is trying to download firmware updates, drawing a lot of power.

Have a look at the Troubleshooting guide for high battery drain - there are instructions for reestablishing the battery gauge calibration, and do not skip the steps of connecting the watch to a computer with Garmin Express, and installing the latest firmware update with it.

If it does not help, I'd recommend returning the watch to the vendor. I am not sure whether buying a 6 years old model is worth of the risk. Personally I would rather pay a few bucks more, and have a recent device with up-to-date hardware.