Garmin Instinct 2 Crossover is one of the best hybrid smartwatches around. It is a solid, rugged watch with extended battery life. The instinct 2 standard edition watch remains one of the most sought-after rugged smartwatches.
Garmin Instinct 2 Crossover was released in November 2022 and Garmin Instinct 2 was released in February 2022.
We look at the features, capabilities, and main points of distinction between the Instinct 2 Crossover and Instinct 2.
Main differences
- Instinct 2 Crossover comes at a list price of $399.99 while the Instinct 2 standard edition has a cost price of $349.99.
- Instinct 2 Crossover has analog hands on the watch.
- Instinct 2 Crossover has higher device storage than Instinct 2. (64 MB against 32 MB of Instinct 2)
- Instinct 2 Crossover supports contactless payments through Garmin Pay. NFC or contactless payments are not supported on Instinct 2 standard edition.
- Instinct 2 Crossover does support the Stocks app. You will need to get it from the Connect IQ store.
- Instinct 2 Crossover also has the safety feature of Live Event Sharing. This is in addition to the LiveTrack feature and Incident detection alerts.
Display specifications
There is hardly a difference between the Instinct 2 Crossover and Instinct 2 in terms of the display specifications. Both do remind you of the Casio watches when it comes to the display.
We look at the display specifications of Instinct 2 Crossover and Instinct 2 below.
| Display specifications | Instinct 2 Crossover | Instinct 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Display lens | Chemically strengthened glass | Chemically strengthened glass |
| Display size | Custom, with a center hole: 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) | Custom, two-window design; 0.9” x 0.9” (23 x 23 mm) |
| Display type | Monochrome MIP (Memory in Pixel) | Monochrome MIP (Memory in Pixel) |
| Display resolution | 176 x 176 pixels | 176 x 176 pixels |
| Pixel density | 124 ppi | 124 ppi |
| Color display | No | No |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
| LED Flashlight | No | No |
Now, Instinct 2 Crossover does have a hole in the center of the screen. In comparison, Instinct 2 offers a custom double window in the display.
Instinct 2 Crossover and Instinct 2 have identical display specifications.
Physical specifications
The biggest differentiator in the hardware specifications of Instinct 2 Crossover and Instinct 2 is the presence of analog hands on the Instinct 2 Crossover.
There are device storage constraints on both watches. We look at the hardware capabilities of both watches below.
| Specifications | Instinct 2 Crossover | Instinct 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Watch size | 45 x 45 x 16.2 mm | 45 x 45 x 14.5 mm |
| Thickness | 16.2 mm | 14.5 mm |
| Watch weight | 65 g | 52 g |
| Watch body | Fiber-enforced polymer | Fiber-enforced polymer |
| Bezel | Stainless steel | Fiber-enforced polymer |
| Band size | 22 mm | 22 mm |
| Band material | Silicone | Silicone |
| Recommended wrist circumference | 135-230 mm | 135-230 mm |
| Device storage | 64 MB | 32 MB |
| Water rating | 10 ATM (100 Meters) | 10 ATM (100 Meters) |
| Swimming profile | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
| GPS | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo | GPS, GLONASS, Galileo |
| Multi-band GPS | No | No |
| SatIQ | No | No |
| Wireless Connectivity | ANT+, Bluetooth | ANT+, Bluetooth |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate Heart Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Garmin Pay | Yes | No |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Pulse Ox SpO2 monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | Yes |
| Thermometer | Yes | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | No | No |
| iOS compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Android compatible | Yes | Yes |
You may want to note that the Instinct 2 Crossover and Instinct 2 do not support Wi-FI connectivity. Both watches can use Bluetooth or ANT+ wireless connectivity.
Instinct 2 Crossover supports NFC payments through Garmin Pay. Also, Instinct 2 Crossover is relatively thicker.
Music
Instinct 2 Crossover and Instinct 2 watches have very limited device storage. So, we cannot store any music or audio content on the watch.
This implies that both watches have limited music functionality.
Instinct 2 Crossover and Instinct 2 can control music on the paired smartphone. These watches are not meant for offline music listening because we cannot store any tracks on the device storage.
Battery
Instinct 2 Crossover offers marginally higher battery backup than the Instinct 2 smartwatch. The backup offered by each watch in different watch modes is shared hereunder.
| Watch mode | Instinct 2 Crossover | Instinct 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwatch mode | Up to 28 days | Up to 28 days |
| GPS mode | Up to 25 hours | Up to 30 hours |
| Max Battery GPS Mode | Up to 111 hours | Up to 70 hours |
| Expedition GPS Activity | Up to 40 days | Up to 32 days |
| Battery Saver Watch Mode | Up to 71 days | Up to 65 days |
Final verdict
For the additional $50 spent on the Instinct 2 Crossover hybrid smartwatch, I am getting:
- Analog hands
- Thicker watch
- Steel bezel
- Almost 20 percent longer battery backup
- Garmin Pay for contactless payments
Needless to say, my choice between the Instinct 2 Crossover and Instinct 2 standard edition would be the Instinct 2 Crossover edition smartwatch.