Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED vs COROS NOMAD
The Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED lists for about $1 more than the COROS NOMAD. On the headline smartwatch-mode figure, 22 days for the COROS NOMAD against 18 days for the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED. For a GPS workout the figures are 50 h and 32 h. Phones differ: the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED is android; iphone with limits, the COROS NOMAD iphone and android. Garmin sells a paid tier (Garmin Connect+) for the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED; COROS sells none for the COROS NOMAD. Only the COROS NOMAD carries full topo maps. Every other published figure for both is in the table, with the rows where they differ tinted.
Garmin
Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED
~$350
Garmin launched Instinct 3 in January 2025 in two display types, AMOLED or solar MIP, sold as separate models.
Best for: A hiker or hunter who wants a tough, bright watch with a flashlight and has no need for maps
COROS
COROS NOMAD
~$349
Built for hikers and anglers rather than racers, NOMAD adds tide, moon-phase and catch logging to the COROS feature set, plus an Adventure Journal that pins voice notes, photos and video to a route.
Best for: Hikers, campers and anglers who want maps and a long battery for less than a titanium watch
| Specification | Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED | COROS NOMAD |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$350 (Instinct 3, 45 mm AMOLED, $349.99 list on garmin.com/en-US/p/1316397; 50 mm AMOLED $399.99) | ~$349 (NOMAD, any color, $349.00 on coros.com) |
| Type | Rugged outdoor | Rugged outdoor |
| Platform | Garmin | COROS |
| Case sizes | 45 mm / 50 mm | 47.8 mm |
| Weight | 45 mm: 53 g · 50 mm: 59 g (Garmin spec: 'Weight: 53 g' (band inclusion not stated)) | 47.8 mm: 61 g (with silicone band (49 g with nylon band)) |
| Battery, smartwatch mode | 18 days (Garmin, 45 mm: 'Smartwatch: Up to 18 days'; 50 mm: 24 days) | 22 days (COROS spec: Daily Use & Sleep Tracking 22 days) |
| Battery, always-on display | 7 days (Garmin, 45 mm: '(7 days always-on)'; 50 mm: 9 days) | Not published by the maker |
| Always-on keeps | 39% of the headline figure | not published |
| Battery, GPS workout | 32 h (Garmin, 45 mm: 'GPS Only: Up to 32 hours'; 'All Satellite Systems: Up to 25 hours') | 50 h (COROS spec: All Systems 50 hours; 15 hours with offline music playing) |
| Battery, dual-band GPS | 23 h | 34 h |
| Battery note | Garmin, 45 mm: 'All Satellite Systems + Multi-Band: Up to 23 hours' (assuming typical use with SatIQ); 'Max Battery GPS: Up to 68 hours'; 'Expedition GPS: Up to 16 days' | MIP display is always on, so there is no separate AOD figure. Endurance All Systems mode: 56 hours. |
| Works with | Android; iPhone with limits | iPhone and Android |
| iPhone | Yes, with limits | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Phone limits | Garmin's spec table marks text replies and reject-call-with-text as Android only; iPhone owners get notifications but cannot reply from the watch | COROS app on iOS and Android; COROS lists Message/Call Alert on both, and its FAQ says the app syncs with Apple Health and Google Fit. |
| Paid tier | Garmin Connect+, $69.99/year | No paid tier sold by the maker |
| What the paid tier gates | No watch feature requires it: Garmin's chart keeps activity details, health stats, performance metrics, Garmin Coach plans, courses and LiveTrack in the free app. Connect+ adds Active Intelligence AI insights, nutrition logging, a desktop performance dashboard, live activity on the phone, 3D maps and offline Garmin Trails downloads | not published |
| Update years | Not published by the maker | Not published by the maker |
| Cleared health features | None the maker cites | None the maker cites |
| Display | AMOLED | MIP |
| Always-on display | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-band GPS | Yes | Yes |
| Maps | Route line only (Garmin lists Courses, Back to start and TracBack; no maps) | Full topo maps on the watch (COROS: free global Landscape and Topo maps with street names and POIs, Back to Start; 32GB) |
| Music on the watch | No | Yes |
| LTE | No LTE version | No LTE version |
| Contactless pay | Yes | No |
| Flashlight | Yes | No |
| Water rating | 10 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Case | fiber-reinforced polymer | fiber-reinforced polymer over aluminum alloy |
| Released | 2025 | 2025 |
Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED: what it gives up
- No maps; the fēnix E and Enduro 4 have them
- No ECG app
- Quick text replies need an Android phone; paired with an iPhone it can show a message but not answer it
COROS NOMAD: what it gives up
- Mineral glass and a polymer bezel scratch more readily than the APEX 4's sapphire and titanium
- No speaker, so no calls or spoken alerts
- 61 g with the silicone band, heavier than the PACE 4 Pro
- Safety Alerts depend on the paired phone having signal
Full pages: Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED · COROS NOMAD