If you can stomach the colour, pretty good price for an Instinct 2 - $199
JBHifi "Wicked Wednesday" end 7th July - perks 10% code for perks member (check your email) for another 10% off = $179 + $5 delivery
Want a code? Make requests in the Code Request thread
looks like you can get solid color soft protective case for these watch on ebay for >$10, might be worth looking into if you seriously cannot stand this bright fluro yellow color :)
Any link?
No need, my 4 year old flame red instinct looks basically brand new, I genuinely don't under how.
They're remarkably good at not looking scuffed over time in the same way you'd expect a G-shock to.
I think the motivation to hide the colour, not for protection.
Link to buy band?
This is the "Mavericks" colour band from the Surf edition (https://www.ja-gps.com.au/Garmin/instinct-2-22mm-band-maveri…) but the grey colour on the surf edition looks to be a bit different to the grey colour on the electric lime version. The "Mavericks" colour seems to have blue tinge to it. So the graphite colour band (https://www.ja-gps.com.au/Garmin/instinct-2-22mm-band-graphi…) might actually be a better match. It's a bit cheaper at Rebel Sport (https://www.rebelsport.com.au/p/garmin-instinct-2-watch-band…). Also on Ebay (https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/266776208194).
The full list of genuine compatible bands is here: https://www.garmin.com/en-AU/p/775421/pn/010-02626-11#access…
Worth upgrading from a Venu SQ?
No garmin pay is a no for me
I don't use it, so no issue for me. Heaps better battery life looks attractive.
I’m hanging out for Fenix 7 to go on sale again currently running the SQ but over the square shape
@Robbo95: 7s is 650 on Amazon. Shipped from Germany.
Haven't seen anything better last month or two but was hoping for something with eofy.
Ended up buying this
How long is your Venu SQ lasting before needing a charge (asking as I have one too)? I think mine's averaging out about week and a half which is decent. Still not sure if should pull the trigger on this one.
Depends what key features you value.
If you like bright screens, different layouts, garmin pay and the face lighting up when you look at it, then probably not.
If you value long battery life, rugged exterior, and in this particular case, knowing no one will ever want to steal your watch, then it may be worth the change of model.
I switched from the Vivoactive to the Instinct, and whilst I loved all the fancy features of the Vivo, I hated charging it every couple of days, and I haven't regretted swapping over.
Thanks. I've grabbed one..
Hi @wombat81. I’m contemplating between this watch or Garmin Venu Sq from Rebel ($169). Although I prefer black colour watch. How is your experience with the Venu SQ? Thanks
Hi. It depends what you want. The Venu Sq is a "smart watch" but it isn't really. If you want a smart watch, an apple watch or Samsung watch would be a much, much better choice. The Venu is basically a normal Garmin watch but with a colour touch screen which adds some basic extra functionality. The touch screen isn't very responsive nor great to use, but it does the job for a quick reply to an SMS from a pre determined list, for example.
I use it for:
- sleep tracking
- recording mountain bike rides
- recording hikes
- viewing notifications without having to look at my phone
- getting 2FA verification codes without having to get my phone out
The battery life is about 6 days, which is better than other smart watches, but I find it a bit awkward. You don't have to charge often enough to be in routine with it. So I often find that when it goes flat I often don't get around to charging it for a day or two. If it had wireless charging it would be easier to manage, but it doesn't.
That main reason I want to change is that I find the screen is very exposed to damage. Having said that, mine has held up well, but I want to go back to a g-shock style watch with more functionality and the instinct seems to offer that. The longer battery life is also attractive.
But I do like it. I'm going to keep it for now and may keep using it at certain times. I want to try out the golf app a bit more and the instinct doesn't have that.
@wombat81 thank you so much for your comprehensive review. Iam currently using G-Shock and have it for more than 5 years. Thinking to upgrade to a watch that has health monitoring function such as steps, heart rate, sleep monitoring, calories burn, etc. I had looked for Apple Watch but choose not to buy because I probably don’t need all function available from the Watch. My brand options are Garmin and Fitbit but I notice Fitbit required premium membership fee.
@saiya78: Well I think either of these watches would do a decent job but the instinct has some extra data functionality, so if the "smart" functions of the Venu Sq aren't important to you, the instinct is probably the way to go.
I also have the SQ. it's completely fine for the $99 paid. best part of the price was having garmin pay on wrist on their entry model which is awesome thanks garmin.
I agree sometimes the touch doesn't respond but only in certain areas like ending workout and tapping the green tick.
some other users commented it being "slow" but I don't think so the OS and animation is good if you just use it normally. only place I sometimes notice slight stutters was when trying to scroll a lot of text on screen extremely fast (can test this on the watches about "info" page).
I get about 10 to 14 days battery but I guess it depends on how you use it I only use GPS on short walks.
I put a cheap ebay screen protector on mine which is also curved and covers all the glass so never worried about damage, but it probably would have held up just fine without the protector anyway. 💁♀️
If you want a smart watch, an apple watch or Samsung watch would be a much, much better choice.
the SQ is smart enough for me. only thing which says "budget" is the large bezels and LCD display (which I find does the job in terms of brightness under the sun btw).
I think most smart watches don't get much smarter than the garmin unless, they are the watches that match the brand to your phone. so apple watch with iphone, and wearOS with android.
using the same brand watch and phone usually is the only way to get access to these unique and smartest features, such as typing on the watch or dictating replies to messages.
also I think most non matched watches also have a character limit so super long messages end with a … but for example if on a apple watch with iphone you can keep on scrolling and read the entire message. I think sometimes blood oxygen and features like that are locked to only iphone users as well. same with samsung i heard certain advanced features of Galaxy watch only work with samsung phone.
@harshbdmmaster718: I'm not suggesting that the Venu is budget, but compared to Samsung and Apple watches it has far less features.
I'm not saying it's bad. I'm very happy with mine. But in the smart watch stakes, it doesn't offer anywhere near the features of other options. It's really good value at $99 but at $199 you'd have to strongly consider the lower end of the Samsung watches instead.
It's really good value at $99 but at $199 you'd have to strongly consider the lower end of the Samsung watches instead.
yeah tbh probably wouldn't have bought it at $200. but either way it did way more than I was expecting in terms of smarts. the main 2 reasons I got it at $99 was for NFC pay on my wrist, the decently accurate health tracking from garmin and the 2 week battery life.
problem with samsung Galaxy watches (especially the cheap end) is the 1 to 2 day battery life. Galaxy watch pro apparently has a 590mah battery and claimed 80 hours, with another ozb user saying they can get almost 4 days. but yeah the Galaxy pro costs much more.
and yeah by venu SQ being budget I just mean "it's the cheapest watch garmin sells".
@wombat81: sorry I chucked in a bunch of edits last second. my bad. but the same opinions overall as before edit.
is it good for sleep tracking?
not really - watch glows in the dark
Yeh does a good job I use mine every night. And um…it does not glow in the dark like that other guy said
The other guy was making a joke about the colour. Poor guy is just misunderstood, I had a chuckle
people these days are weird 🤷♂️
Thx OP. Got one. Will swap the band out once getting it. No pick up option in Melbourne so paid the $5 delivery :)
Anyone got it and can comment on how good the smart part about it is? Have a galaxy 6 but hate the endless charging
I have the solar variant of this watch. this doesnt have the beautiful all coloured screen like the venu, but in return you get literal weeks if not months of battery life.
that's probably the biggest deciding factor for you. if you want a normal smart watch with beautiful screen, look for the venu 3 instead.
I got it last time it was on sale for $249. No regrets whatsoever. Battery life is amazing - to a point I cannot remember when I charged it last. 3-4 weeks is easy. I think I’m on week 5 now. The smart features are cool but for me, the novelty wears off. Health tracking works but I don’t know how accurate it is. The app works very well. Notifications are instantaneous. For $179 it’s an absolute steal. The colour is worse in real life and it stands out on your wrist but I don’t care about things like that anymore.
Put it this way, I’ve got one on my wrist right now and, at $179, I’m considering getting another one for the other wrist.
Does one wrist have activity tracking requirements that the other wrist doesn't?
Does this show notifications including calls, messages, emails, etc? I am keen to buy at this price but need to know the basic smartwatch functions. Thanks in advance
Yes to all of the above.
You're using it a dumb watch and are impressed with the huge battery life and how ugly it is. Such a bad review you've posted. Why do you need two dumb ugly watches on your wrist?
Geez someone's grumpy. You ok, bud?
Are you acoustic?
good price. bought in mar for $250
I’m interested in this for 180, but no perks email has been sent, I’m a member, what gives…
Check your e-mails again- I thought I didn't receive a perks voucher also but realised it's in the e-mail with "audio tech at 40% off"
Agree, had to search my mailbox.
This or watch 4?
Can this track badminton or tennis?
Very different purposes. Galaxy watch is a traditional smart watch, so you get the full app store with full smart feature.
This watch doesn't have the ability to play music.
In return, 28 days battery life as an idle tracker watch.
It can track tennis but no Badmington. No idea how.
Can this track badminton or tennis?
Track what? Scores?
Yeah how ? Lol
i think he means track the balls to improve game play, i could be wrong though
Can it track heart rate when swimming ?
Surprisingly, yes.
Dunno how accurate that would be though.
It should be noted that this model has no Garmin Pay, which could be a deal breaker for a lot of people. Myself included
How does Garmin pay work? I assume it’s just tap to pay but doesn’t this need to be linked to Bluetooth on your phone or something like that?
It needs a Bluetooth connection to your phone.
It also requires the PIN to be entered, but only for the first transaction in a 24 hour period if the watch is not removed.
It needs a Bluetooth connection to your phone.
my garmin venu SQ doesn't need the bluetooth to phone. tap to pay still works if turn off bluetooth or I leave the phone behind.
you are right about the PIN process though. you can actually do swipe to garmin pay in the morning, enter the PIN then swipe back (like attempt to use) then it can be accessed by swiping and don't have to enter the pin for the rest of the day (24 hours). if it detects leaving you wrist the PIN protects it, but I have never had accidental detection where watch thought it came off my wrist (when it hasn't been removed).
I'm broke so I can't buy this, but damn is this a decent watch for the money. Very flexible, very useful for very niche use cases (Xero app, for example, is their bowsight gears).
if you can stomach the colour, pretty good price for an Instinct 2 - $199
I think the green is dope
Hahah I'm sorry I'm from Melbourne, anything other than black is blasphemous here.
Tm8ate's idea to replace the bands is great.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/15466670/redir
Idk how to make posts but Rebel Sport have up to 50% off select Garmin watches
under "deals" +Submit Deal
34% off was max I saw
Fenix 7x solar looks 50% off unless I’m dumb
"Member price"
Sign up it’s free???
thanks for the info, never have smart watch before and now contemplating between this watch or Garmin Venu Sq from Rebel ($169) https://www.rebelsport.com.au/p/garmin-venu-sq----shadow-gre… . Any suggestion ?
This is more for fitness compared to sq.
As others have said, the Sq has Garmin pay, but the instinct doesn't. Keep that in mind.
Does anyone know if this is the 40mm or the 45mm?
It's the 45mm. The 2S is the 40mm and is not on special :(
How good is it at tracking your path and then allowing you to do the reverse (Tracback® Routing)?
Can you use it for a multi hr (5+) hike ??
I have the solar version and have done several multi day hikes with it. Hiking 5-6 hours generally uses about 20-25% battery.
Haven't used the trackback but the feature exists. The map you get when tracking is very basic. I use the watch for recording and not navigation so have never tried it to see how it would go.
ordered thanks OP. Been looking to upgrade from my miband for a while.
They are on backorder, hopefully it goes through.
Thanks bought.
Upgrading from my Forerunner 55 which is now on 3 day battery life.
Estimates delivery on 1st August sadly.
Cheers op, brought. Apparently arriving from 5th august, are the jb delivery time estimates reliable ? I usually c&c
Wish I could buy, I’m not a watch person can’t handle something being stuck on my wrist 😬🥲
Buy a thick gold chain and wear it around your neck. Don't let anything stop your from your OzBargain destiny.
Haha nice
Bahahhaha
Ugh, my delivery estimate is out to Aug 21st…
while you wait maybe you can keep your eye out for a Instinct 2 Solar deal. that way you can get NFC pay on your wrist as well.
pretty sure if it hasn't shipped you can cancel the order pretty easily (at least on amazon).
based on past prices though nowhere near $199. but one can be patient and hope (garmin might have a Instinct 3 just about to be announced?)
Mine was shipped today so hopefully all of the other orders can be dispatched for you as well
Mine got marked as shipped today, but the delivery estimate is still Aug 21st. Will have to wait and see.
I paid an extra $1 for express and I have an estimated delivery date of 15 July. I hope yours gets updated to a sooner date
mine is at the post office. had a delivery date of august 1st originally.
Yeah I think JBs tracking is just gimped. JB is still saying Aug 21st but AusPost is estimating 18/06. Cool cool.
@wombat81: awesome. It a good watch. had it for day now, enjoying all the stats and long battery life. it says 23 days for me without pox on.
My initial ETA was 2nd August. Now it says arriving on the 15th July. Fingers crossed.
Mine arrived yesterday so very happy to have it so quickly
Is it bright electric lime like the website or a dull yellow? I've read mixed reports of both colours.
The band looks like faded yellow high viz color.
I noticed that too, the band is bright yellow/lime colour, but the watch face casing is a dull yellow so they are two distinct tones.
Does this sound right?
face is yellow, band is faded green. I have bought some grey and black bands to replace anyways.
Watch is really good. Upgraded from a miband 8
Yeah I came here to say the same thing, the colour is worse than advertised. It looks like a 3 year old watch, the moment you get it.
@f23lda: I think that's subjective. I'd say the colour is actually better than how it looks online because it's not as super neon bright. It is slightly annoying that the band is a slightly different colour to the watch. I reckon it'll look good with a graphite band, though.
@wombat81: True, "worse" is definitely subjective but what isn't is that it definitely isn't what was advertised and really, the band being different colour - to me that is the basis of it looking like a watch that has faded for a few years with the fading being more on the rim.
Watch is good though.
I like the idea that there's a hundred or so ozbargainers walking around now, with piss yellow faced watches for us to spot each other.
Change the band and you can mimic the look of the Garmin Instinct 2 Sports Watch (Surf Edition Mavericks)