There's One Critical Reason Why I Choose This Garmin Smartwatch Over Competing Models

Garmin Instinct Crossover AMOLED

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Garmin Instinct Crossover AMOLED is disposable successful 2 colors for $649.
• The two-week artillery life, integrated flashlight, rugged build, and move AMOLED show make this a awesome smartwatch for outdoor adventures.
• The watch is simply a spot heavy astatine 15.1mm, location is nary touchscreen display, and afloat maps are not available.

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Back successful 2022, Garmin released "hybrid" smartwatch style look pinch analog hands and a monochrome display, quickly becoming 1 of my favourite smartwatch designs yet. Now, Garmin's caller Instinct Crossover continues nan analog creation inclination pinch a awesome AMOLED display, LED flashlight, and more.

Also: The champion Garmin watches you tin buy: Expert tested

The erstwhile Garmin smartwatch I reviewed, nan Instinct 3 has some an AMOLED and monochrome MIP show option, but nan caller Instinct Crossover only comes pinch nan AMOLED. You person different options, though, betwixt Charcoal, Black, and Bronze/Sunburst colorways. I chose nan Charcoal exemplary pinch a default watch look successful teal and white, and it looks fantastic.

In my reappraisal of nan erstwhile type of the Instinct Crossover, I mentioned that nan cleanable summation to this smartwatch would beryllium a flashlight. Well, I'm thrilled to spot that Garmin took this to bosom and added it to nan updated Crossover AMOLED. 

It's good, too: nan flashlight gets very bright, pinch 4 levels of achromatic ray and 1 level for nan evening reddish light. The analog hands proceed to show you nan clip pinch nan LED flashlight turned connected and nan remainder of nan show successful slumber mode.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

Speaking of nan analog hands, location are immoderate added dynamics pinch nan AMOLED compared to nan original Crossover. When you entree widgets and different functions, nan hands still move to nan level position. 

With prime watch faces, nan dials connected nan watch look will dynamically move astir truthful that nan watch look complications are not covered by nan analog hands. This allows for a cleaner interface while providing a unsocial viewing acquisition pinch your watch look changing passim nan day.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The analog hands besides service arsenic nan compass indicator, pinch nan infinitesimal manus lighting up successful reddish to constituent North. You tin further customize by illuminating nan show down nan hands, and choosing your preferred item color. 

In summation to nan show highlights, nan hands person Super LumiNova coating to supply visibility successful debased ray conditions. Red displacement is besides an action for nan AMOLED show truthful your nighttime imagination isn't impacted by nan colors of your watch face, widgets, and different information shown connected nan display.

Also: The Garmin Instinct Crossover grew connected me. I conscionable wish it had this 1 slayer feature

The Instinct Crossover AMOLED is intelligibly focused connected those who for illustration analog watch hands, since nan Instinct 3 AMOLED offers nan aforesaid package acquisition for $150 to $200 less. Personally, I enjoyed my clip pinch nan analog hands and if glancing down to cheque nan clip without lifting your wrist is really you roll, past this is 1 of nan champion watches for you. 

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

There is besides a flimsy simplification successful artillery life (on nan bid of 4 days successful smartwatch mode, and 3 hours for GPS search mode) betwixt nan Instinct 3 AMOLED and Crossover AMOLED. Because of this trade-off, you person to really beryllium a instrumentality of nan analog hands to see this watch. 

Also, fixed nan important value quality betwixt these 2 AMOLED Instinct watches, a Crossover Solar pinch an LED flashlight for $50 much than nan original would person been each I needed to see. The AMOLED show pinch analog hands is cool to spot successful person, but it's an costly proposition for a fewer slick animations and move highlighting.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The Garmin Instinct Crossover AMOLED has a sapphire crystal lens, MIL-STD-810 thermal and daze resistance, dual-layered metallic bezel, and 10 ATM h2o resistance, truthful it's built to withstand conscionable astir everything you propulsion astatine it. All of nan fantabulous Garmin ecosystem features are present, including nan caller manner logging characteristic that supports postulation of actions you return successful your life that whitethorn impact your sleep, stress, and HRV.

ZDNET's buying advice

Garmin has a big of awesome watches disposable successful 2025, but nan Instinct Crossover AMOLED stands retired because of its analog design, which is fundamentally nan only logic to take this exemplary complete others successful nan catalog. That said, it does look premium, and is packed pinch adjuvant features (and now, a useful flashlight).

If you for illustration nan analog aliases hybrid creation (but want to walk a spot less), I urge checking retired the Pininfarina hybrid watch.