Whoops! Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical Edition leaked in full

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Another new Garmin for 2025?

Garmin Instinct 3 tactical leak
(Image credit: Kristian Hansen / @Goodshunter_)
  • The Garmin Instinct 3 is one of Garmin's newest outdoor watches
  • A new Tactical Edition may have just been leaked
  • A now deleted Instagram post from an influencer revealed a new colorway and Tactical branding

Hot off the heels of the new Garmin Instinct 3, and following the unveiling of a brand new Descent G2 and Garmin tactix 8, a new Tactical Version of the Garmin Instinct 3 has just been leaked in full online.

We love the Garmin Instinct 3, and it has immediately taken its place in our best Garmin watch guide as our top outdoor pick. Currently, there are AMOLED and solar options, as well as the Garmin Instinct E. However, keen Redditors have spotted new variant leaked by an Instagram influencer.

The post from Kristian Hansen details an experience with the new Garmin Instinct 3 solar, however, as users on the Garmin Reddit noticed, there's something strange about this one. "Hi guys, I just stumbled this post by someone on Instagram that promoting instinct 3 product on his page," the original poster said. "But surprisingly the color is not the same with the one that already launch. And if you zoom in on the watch there is the tactical logo on the bottom of the dial. Is this the instinct 3?"

The watch in the post clearly features Garmin's Tactical branding. So what could it mean?

Garmin Instinct 3 going Tactical? Here's what we know

Instinct 3 Tactical seen in the wild? from r/Garmininstinct

The surest sign that this indeed a leak of an unreleased Tactical variant of the Garmin Instinct 3 is that Hansen's Instagram post has since been deleted, a sure-fire suggestion this watch was posted ahead of its time.

As to what a Garmin Instinct 3 Tactical could bring, we've got a pretty good idea based on Garmin's previous form. Garmin's Instinct 2 had a Tactical edition that brought all the features of the solar model (like the watch pictured in this leak) in an identical design package. However, it also came with a green flashlight mode, a stealth mode that switches off GPS and communication, dual-position format for syncing your location with others, a ballistics calculator from Applied Ballistics for long-range shooting, a kill switch to wipe the device, a jumpmaster mode for parachute jumps, and a tactical activity profile.

It's a very similar lineup to that of the brand new Garmin tactix 8 unveiled this week, and would be another excellent addition to the Instinct 3 lineup.

There's no confirmation as yet, but we've reached out to Garmin and will report back accordingly.

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Stephen Warwick
Stephen Warwick
Fitness & Wearables writer

Stephen Warwick is TechRadar's Fitness & Wearables writer with nearly a decade of experience covering technology, including five years as the News Editor of iMore. He's a keen fitness enthusiast and is never far from the local gym, Apple Watch at the ready, to record his latest workout. Stephen has experience writing about every facet of technology including products, services, hardware, and software. He's covered breaking news and developing stories regarding supply chains, patents and litigation, competition, politics and lobbying, the environment, and more. He's conducted interviews with industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. Outside of work, he's a massive tech and history buff with a passion for Rome Total War, reading, and music. 

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