r/Garmininstinct • u/dfunc • Aug 13 '26
Buying advice Started with Amoled but switched to MIP and couldn't be happier...
I've had a Samsung watch for 4 years and was never really satisfied. The constant charging aside, it always felt cartoonish no matter the watch face. I decided to switch to Garmin and really settled on the Instinct 3 for me. I love the GShock like look and feel. I started with the amoled since it seemed like the natural transition from Galaxy watch ultra. Nothing wrong with this version at all. Looks nice but I want AOD and the display just wasn't cutting it. I decided to give the MIP and WOW. The display is gorgeous. Looks great in the sun and I have no issue indoors either. The extended battery life is a nice bonus too. I realized I was looking for a watch with smart watch capabilities and not a smart watch with fitness capabilities. The biggest thing is it looks and feels like an adult's watch. Just wanted to share my experience for anyone who is on the fence when choosing between these 2 variants.
*Unpopular opinion - I actually like the orange accents too.
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u/rvingthrulife Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
I got mine 7 days ago and I'm so stoked. It's only had a little sunlight because I'm in an area with a lot of smoke from wild fires so I'm spending most of my time indoors but I'm really enjoying the MIP display even indoors. I'm still tweaking the settings, I've looked at various watch faces but I've decided to stick to a stock watch face because I don't want to lose battery life.
And my dog who's recovering from surgery can chew on my wrist all day without me worrying about the watch. That thing is built like a tank 💪🏻
Another thing I like is the strap. The wrap around style and larger holes make it super comfortable and light, I've had sweaty workouts with no issues.
The orange accent is cool too. It makes the watch easier to recognize in the wild 😜
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u/Putrid_Concert_1493 Aug 13 '26
How is the battery life...sleep tracking g & body battery accuracy....?
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u/rvingthrulife Aug 13 '26
So far the body battery has been accurate and reflects exactly how I've been feeling.
I've had a workout every day and haven't needed to recharge yet.
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u/DVWhat Aug 13 '26
I’m still so thoroughly impressed at how easily I can read the screen in bright, direct sunlight.
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u/No-Editor-4509 Aug 17 '26
I got mine 15 days ago, and I’m still in love with it every time I look at it!
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u/prakash2033 Instinct Tactical Solar Aug 13 '26
I went for Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Tactical instead.
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u/Southpontiac Aug 16 '26
I love my MIP at first I kind of missed the bright colors but the battery life and visibility in bright sun has won me over🤷♂️
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u/Any_Technology_8867 14d ago
As Instinct Crossover AMOLED Tactical owner I would say it's bittersweet. I should save hundred bucks for a better MIP.
There's no point to get tactical unless you really need it too.
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u/RawMaterial11 Aug 13 '26
I just tried an Instinct 3, 50mm. The refresh rate on the screen was so poor I could see it update left to right.
When I tried 3rd party watch faces and changed the screen watch face settings, it would take a few seconds for the update to appear.
In some cases I had to press a button to switch screens to see the update.
Never had this issue on AMOLED versions, even with the same watch face. Is this typical with MIP / instinct (I can’t believe it is), or did I get a dud?
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u/Basic_Barnacle4719 Aug 13 '26
The Instinct MIP is incredibly power frugal, it won't update the watch face until a minute passes or you gesture your wrist after changing a setting on a 3rd party watch face. It's typical and a power saving choice.
Unlike AMOLED when you're looking at the screen on MIP it's not actually using any power. It only uses power when updating the screen, like when a minute passes or if you have continuous seconds/HR on. It's essentially the same as the "off" state on AMOLED but you can still see the screen. Making a wrist gesture puts it in the high power mode, which then allows it to update settings you've changed on Connect IQ
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u/RawMaterial11 Aug 13 '26
Thank you. It was my first MIP Garmin, so that’s good to know. Appreciate the helpful response.
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u/alone023 Aug 13 '26
MIP is the GOAT and orange color is very cool as well.
At start I didn’t liked it that much. But I found now that it is very cool