ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Garmin Enduro 3 is out there now in a single 51mm dimension for $900
- The battery life is gorgeous, knowledge captured by the watch is correct and complete, the LED flashlight is crucial, and the value is $200 lower than its successor
- The MIP show just isn’t as sensible as an AMOLED show, and the 51mm dimension is simply too massive for smaller wrists.
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When Garmin introduced its flagship GPS sports activities watches final 12 months, the Enduro 3 was $300 lower than the comparable Fenix 8 51mm mannequin with a memory-in-pixel (MIP) show and photo voltaic charging, giving it some completely wild battery longevity. Given my obsession with the Enduro 2 and this worth distinction, I ordered my very own Enduro 3 the day that Garmin introduced the brand new watch.
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Quick ahead a 12 months later, and the Enduro 3 continues to be completely a aggressive smartwatch, even in a crowded client market. Its battery life and rugged Garmin design nonetheless look simply as nice, particularly for the $749 sale worth.
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The Enduro 3 is out there with MIP and in a single dimension: 51mm. The common price ticket of $900 is $200 lower than the Enduro 2 was when it launched in 2022, and in comparison with the Enduro 2, the Enduro 3 is lighter by six grams.
However, it has an extended battery life, twice the photo voltaic vitality harvesting functionality, the brand new Garmin Elevate fifth-generation coronary heart fee sensor, new exercise and mapping capabilities, and a redesigned consumer interface. A few of these software-related enhancements may come to the Enduro 2, however the prolonged battery life and improved coronary heart fee sensor are alone definitely worth the improve.
Garmin Enduro 2 (left) and Enduro 3 (proper).
Matthew Miller/ZDNET
The unbelievable LED flashlight stays a staple and I proceed to make use of it day by day. Once you double press the highest left button to activate the flashlight, the Enduro 3’s up to date interface helps you to rapidly entry considered one of 4 white LED ranges by way of the purple mild button that seems on the left aspect of the watch face. All the opposite train flashlight modes stay, and I’m nonetheless stunned that solely Garmin incorporates such a helpful devoted LED flashlight on a watch.
I have been strolling, operating, biking, rowing, mountaineering, fishing, sleeping, and dwelling with the Garmin Enduro 3 for the previous month, and it has earned a everlasting house on considered one of my wrists. I really like the amp-yellow highlights on this watch, so after I positioned my order, I additionally purchased the Amp Yellow UltraFit nylon strap. These straps are snug, versatile, and light-weight, so it was a simple alternative.
Word the distinction within the optical coronary heart fee sensors. The Enduro 3 is on the left.
Matthew Miller/ZDNET
The Enduro 3 is the usual I exploit to measure the GPS on different watches I take a look at. Its reliability and accuracy makes it a watch I belief with out hesitation. The Enduro 3 obtains a GPS sign rapidly, whilst I journey across the nation and train in different places. Coronary heart fee accuracy can also be strong, and there is the power to additionally seize an ECG to verify for atrial fibrillation.
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Regardless of the up to date watch software program, you continue to entry the widgets in the identical means: by urgent the down button or swiping up on the show. You additionally press the up button or swipe as much as see the brand new notifications interface. That mentioned, notifications at the moment are grouped by app. You’ll be able to dismiss notifications by app or dismiss all of them in your telephone by way of the button on the prime of the show. It took a little bit of use to get snug with this new notification interface, however grouping them by app is definitely extra environment friendly.
Garmin Enduro 2 (backside) and Enduro 3 (prime).
Matthew Miller/ZDNET
A single press of the amp yellow top-right choose button reveals you one other new consumer interface component with icons on your three favourite actions and an icon for all of your put in and arranged actions. Beneath these actions are your map, clocks, exercises, and extra. You’ll be able to customise and order the gadgets through the use of the edit button on the backside of the show. Press that button yet one more time to leap into that favourite exercise or view the remainder of your actions.
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As soon as you choose an exercise, you possibly can swipe as much as view one other up to date interface that teams exercise settings by operate. Whereas operating, for instance, the capabilities are base, coaching, navigate, exercise choices, and watch settings, with a closing button to leap to the information screens that you may customise to your coronary heart’s content material. It is powerful to beat the customizability and personalization of a Garmin sports activities watch.
Battery life is marketed as as much as 36 days in smartwatch mode, 90 days with day by day photo voltaic charging, 120 hours with GPS, or 320 hours with photo voltaic. In case you allow all satellite tv for pc programs and multi-band mode for probably the most exact monitoring, the watch can nonetheless present as much as 60 hours of battery life or 90 hours with satisfactory photo voltaic charging. Throw music playback in, and you may nonetheless train for 22 hours.
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With my common of three days per week of train and 24/7 put on, I am seeing three weeks of battery life. I’ve solely charged the watch as soon as to date.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The Garmin Enduro 3 is among the greatest worth flagship sports activities watches out there in the present day. Whereas AMOLED shows present a contemporary look, the always-on visibility and lengthy battery lifetime of the MIP show are highly effective. This watch is marketed as an endurance look ahead to athletes, and it’ll definitely excel in that function.
Even an informal athlete like me appreciates having a watch that solely must be charged as soon as month-to-month and performs constantly and reliably each single time it’s used. I am impressed that Garmin improved my favourite watch whereas lowering the value by $200, particularly given the uncertainty within the economic system.
