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Garmin Approach S12 vs Garmin Instinct Crossover Solar

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

GarminApproach S12GarminInstinct Crossover Solar
Overview
ReleasedMarch 2021November 2022
Display
Case sizes43.7 mm45 mm
PanelMemory-in-pixelMemory-in-pixel
Always-on displayYesYes
Display detailSunlight-visible, transflective monochrome memory-in-pixel display, 23 x 23 mm (0.9 x 0.9 inch), 175 x 175 pixels. Four physical buttons; no touchscreen. Big Numbers mode enlarges green yardages. The grouped March 2021 launch and Swiss datasheet incorrectly describe 23 mm as 1.3 inches; the exact current UK and US specifications give 0.9 inches.Monochrome sunlight-visible transflective memory-in-pixel display, 23 x 23 mm (0.9 x 0.9 inch), 176 x 176 pixels, with a central hole for the analogue hands. Five-button controls; no touchscreen. The hands move aside to show data; RevoDrive detects and recalibrates hand misalignment after an impact.
Screen protectionChemically strengthened glass, according to the exact S12 Swiss technical datasheet.Power Glass solar-charging lens; Super-LumiNova-coated analogue hands and hour markers
Health and fitness
ECGNoNo
Blood oxygenNoYes
Skin temperatureNoNo
Sleep apnoea alertsNoNo
High blood pressure alertsNoNo
Body compositionNoNo
Fall detectionNoNo
Crash detectionNoNo
GPSSingle-bandSingle-band
Water resistance50 m100 m
SensorsBuilt-in GPS receiver. No published multi-band, GLONASS/Galileo, optical heart-rate or Pulse Ox support.Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate; Pulse Ox; barometric altimeter; compass; accelerometer; thermometer
Health featuresGolf-focused device; no wrist heart-rate, sleep or daily activity-tracking features listed in the exact specifications or owner guide.HRV status; Body Battery; advanced sleep monitoring and sleep score; stress and respiration tracking; continuous heart rate and abnormal heart-rate alerts; Health Snapshot; fitness age; menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking through Garmin Connect. Pulse Ox availability varies by country.
Fitness featuresCurrent preloaded coverage exceeds 43,000 worldwide golf courses; the original launch listed 42,000. Front/middle/back green yardages, layup/dogleg/hazard distances, Green View with manual pin positioning, manual shot-distance measurement, digital scorecard, statistics for strokes, putts, greens and fairways, round timer and odometer. Automatic course and hole selection. No AutoShot without club sensors, touch targeting, full colour course maps, PlaysLike distances or virtual caddie. Optional complete set of 14 Approach CT10 sensors enables automatic club tracking; sensors are not included. Current overview specifies the full set rather than the three-sensor starter pack.Training readiness, status, load and effect; recovery time; VO2 max; Garmin Coach and daily suggested running/cycling workouts; wrist running power. Running dynamics require a compatible accessory. Multisport/triathlon, pool and open-water swimming, cycling, hiking, climbing, strength training and golf. Breadcrumb courses, TracBack, reference points, projected waypoints and off-course alerts; no built-in topographic maps. The current web table lists Jumpmaster/Tactical activities, but the exact series owner guide and launch release restrict tactical functions to the separate Tactical Edition; those functions are not attributed to this Solar model.
Safety features–Incident detection during selected activities, assistance and LiveTrack require a paired compatible phone. Screen flashlight; no physical LED flashlight.
Battery and connections
Battery life (maker's claim)Up to 70 daysUp to 28 days
In low-power mode–Up to 71 days
Mobile data optionNoNo
Works withiPhone and AndroidiPhone and Android
Battery life detailBuilt-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Up to 10 weeks in watch-only mode and up to 30 hours playing golf with GPS. The March 2021 Swiss comparison sheet claims 15 weeks watch use, conflicting with the exact English owner guide and current UK/US table; use 10 weeks. Actual life depends on GPS usage and cold temperatures.Smartwatch: up to 28 days, or 70 days with solar; battery saver watch mode: 71 days, or unlimited with solar; GPS: 25 hours, or 31 with solar; max-battery GPS: 111 hours, or 553 with solar; expedition GPS: 40 days, or 327 with solar. Daily-mode solar claims assume all-day wear with 3 hours per day outdoors at 50,000 lux; GPS-mode solar claims assume use in 50,000-lux conditions. Actual endurance depends on settings, activities, sensors and notifications.
ChargingGarmin proprietary four-contact USB charging/data cable. USB mass-storage and Garmin modes are documented. Operating -20 to 60°C; charging 0 to 45°C. Capacity, charging wattage and charging time are not published.Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery; proprietary Garmin charging/data cable connects to a USB charging port. Power Glass provides supplementary solar charging; the watch does not solar-charge while connected to external power or when its battery is full.
ConnectivityBluetooth Smart pairing with iPhone or Android through Garmin Golf for scorecard upload, statistics, leaderboards, live scoring, software updates and automatic updates of frequently played courses. Garmin Express on a computer handles course/software updates over USB. No phone notification display, Wi-Fi, Garmin Pay, standalone cellular or offline music. Owner guide indexes ANT+ sensors, while the Swiss comparison table marks ANT+ absent; CT10 pairing is explicitly supported, without claiming a general ANT+ sensor platform.Bluetooth and ANT+; GPS, GLONASS and Galileo. Garmin Pay; paired-phone music controls and smart notifications; Android text replies. No offline music playback, cellular connectivity or multi-band GNSS.
Storage125 MB memory/history according to the exact current maker table.64 MB; paired-phone music controls rather than offline audio storage
Design
Weight (lightest version)34.1 g65 g
SoftwareGarminGarmin
Case materialsPolymer case and bezel, chemically strengthened glass and silicone quick-release band, per exact S12 Swiss datasheet. White band has black hardware accents.Fibre-reinforced polymer case; fibre-reinforced polymer/stainless steel bezel; silicone band. Maker states MIL-STD-810 thermal and shock testing.
Size43.7 x 43.7 x 11.5 mm; 34.1 g. Fits wrists 125–202 mm. The Swiss launch table rounds dimensions to 44 x 44 x 12 mm.45 x 45 x 16.2 mm; 65 g. Maker does not identify this as a case-only weight.
Water resistance detail5 ATM, equivalent pressure to 50 m; not a dive-depth rating. Do not press the keys under water.–
Reference and release detailAvailable now in Garmin’s US 16 March 2021 release and same-day Swiss launch. Exact first UK shipping day was not specified. No explicit maker predecessor statement found. The current UK security table states updates until at least 16 March 2023; this minimum date is not a claim that support has ended.–
Bands20 mm quick-release bands; compatible replacement bands are sold separately.22 mm silicone band; compatible with QuickFit 22; fits 135–230 mm wrists.
ColoursBlack, Granite Blue and White original finishes; later UK entries include Slate Gray, Tidal Blue and Neo Tropic. At the source read only Black and White were sellable on the UK page; the US page offered Black. Official photos of all six finishes are retained as configurations, not separate models.Current UK Solar finishes: Graphite (010-02730-01) and Tidal Blue (010-02730-02). Non-solar Standard, Solar Tactical and later AMOLED hardware are separate models.
In the boxApproach S12 golf watch, charging/data cable and documentation. CT10 club sensors are sold separately.Instinct Crossover Solar smartwatch; charging/data cable; documentation

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