Amazfit Balance vs Garmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical EditionSize, Specs & Wrist Fit Compared
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Amazfit
Balance
Garmin
Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition
Which one fits you
On wrists narrower than about 53mm, the Amazfit Balance is the safer pick — it stays proportionate down to roughly 48mm, where the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition starts to hang over the edge. Above 53mm both sit cleanly, and the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition gives you more presence.
The Garmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition wears larger than the Amazfit Balance (50mm vs 46mm case), giving it more wrist presence — and needing a wider wrist to sit cleanly.
The Amazfit Balance is the slimmer of the two (10.6mm vs 14.4mm), so it slides under a cuff more easily.
On the wrist the Amazfit Balance feels lighter (35g vs 59g, case only).
Among the 211 46mm watches we hold thickness for, the Amazfit Balance is thinner than 98%, so it wears flatter than its width suggests.
Specification Comparison
| Spec | AmazfitBalance | GarminInstinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Case Width | 46mm | 50mm |
| Thickness | 10.6mm | 14.4mm |
| Weight | 35g | 59g |
| Shape | Circular | Circular |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM | — |
| GPS | 26 hours | Yes |
| Display | 1.5 inches | AMOLED (always-on) |
| Always-On Display | Yes | — |
| Charge time | 2 hours | — |
| Battery life | 14 days | — |
| Battery power | 475 mAh | — |
| Has wireless charging | No | — |
| Has a removable battery | No | — |
| Battery life with GPS on | 26 hours | — |
| Has a solar power battery | No | — |
| Has a rechargeable battery | Yes | — |
| Battery life in power save mode | 1200 hours | — |
| Has a battery level indicator | Yes | — |
| Battery life | — | Smartwatch: Up to 24 days (9 days always-on) Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 30 days GPS Only: Up to 40 hours All Satellite Systems: Up to 32 hours All Satellite Systems + Multi-Band: Up to 30 hours* Max Battery GPS: Up to 86 hours Expedition GPS: Up to 20 days *assuming typical use with SatIQ technology |
| Battery type | — | Lithium ion |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | — | Up to 24 days (9 days always-on) |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | — | Yes |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | — | Yes |
| Power Modes - customizable in-activity battery settings | — | Yes |
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
Battery life compared
The two are closest in everyday use and furthest apart in Smartwatch mode, where one lasts 1.7× as long as the other (24 days against 14 days).
Amazfit BalanceGarmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition
Battery Saver
1200 hours30 daysSmartwatch
14 days24 daysExpedition GPS
—20 daysMax Battery GPS
—86 hoursGPS Only
—40 hoursAll Satellite Systems
—32 hoursAll Satellite Systems + Multi-Band
—30 hoursGPS
26 hours—
Full Specification Comparison
379 specs| Spec | Amazfit Balance | Garmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Design | ||
| width | 46 | — |
| height | 46 | — |
| volume | 22.43 cm³ | — |
| weight | 35 g | — |
| thickness | 10.6 | — |
| ATM rating | 5 ATM | — |
| resolution | 480 x 480 px | — |
| screen size | 1.5 inches | — |
| Display type | OLED/AMOLED | — |
| Has a display | Yes | — |
| pixel density | 323 ppi | — |
| width of band | 22 mm | — |
| water resistance | Waterproof | — |
| Always-On Display | Yes | — |
| has a touch screen | Yes | — |
| is designed for kids | No | — |
| waterproof depth rating | 50 m | — |
| Watch band is replaceable | Yes | — |
| Has sapphire glass display | No | — |
| maximum operating temperature | 45 °C | — |
| Ingress Protection (IP) rating | IP68 | — |
| has branded damage-resistant glass | No | — |
| lowest potential operating temperature | 0 °C | — |
| Battery | ||
| charge time | 2 hours | — |
| battery life | 14 days | — |
| battery power | 475 mAh | — |
| has wireless charging | No | — |
| has a removable battery | No | — |
| battery life with GPS on | 26 hours | — |
| Has a solar power battery | No | — |
| has a rechargeable battery | Yes | — |
| battery life in power save mode | 1200 hours | — |
| Sensors | ||
| has GPS | Yes | — |
| has a compass | Yes | — |
| Has a barometer | Yes | — |
| has a gyroscope | Yes | — |
| Has a cadence sensor | Yes | — |
| has an accelerometer | Yes | — |
| Monitors perspiration | No | — |
| Has a heart rate monitor | Yes | — |
| Has a temperature sensor | Yes | — |
| Monitors blood oxygenation levels | Yes | — |
| GPS | — | Yes |
| Compass | — | Yes |
| GLONASS | — | Yes |
| Galileo | — | Yes |
| Gyroscope | — | Yes |
| Thermometer | — | Yes |
| Accelerometer | — | Yes |
| SatIQ™ Technology | — | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | — | Yes |
| Barometric altimeter | — | Yes |
| Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor | — | Yes |
| Garmin Elevate™ wrist heart rate monitor | — | Yes |
| Features | ||
| release date | 2023-09-01 | — |
| Has a stopwatch | Yes | — |
| Has smart alarm | No | — |
| warranty period | 1 years | — |
| Has call control | Yes | — |
| Has silent alarm | Yes | — |
| has HRV tracking | Yes | — |
| internal storage | 2.2GB | — |
| measures VO2 max | Yes | — |
| Has notifications | Yes | — |
| Has ECG technology | No | — |
| Locates your phone | Yes | — |
| has fall detection | No | — |
| has voice commands | Yes | — |
| Acquires GPS faster | Yes | — |
| Has vibrating alerts | Yes | — |
| number of microphones | 1 | — |
| shows readiness level | Yes | — |
| Can be used to answer calls | Yes | — |
| measures resting heart rate | Yes | — |
| has irregular heart rate warnings | Yes | — |
| has fast/slow heart rate notifications | Yes | — |
| Has a built-in camera remote control function | Yes | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| has NFC | Yes | — |
| Wi-Fi version | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) | — |
| supports ANT+ | No | — |
| supports Wi-Fi | Yes | — |
| supports Galileo | Yes | — |
| Bluetooth version | 5 | — |
| has a cellular module | No | — |
| Is compatible with iOS | Yes | — |
| Is compatible with Android | Yes | — |
| Miscellaneous | ||
| Has passcode | Yes | — |
| Has auto pause | Yes | — |
| Is compatible with Windows | No | — |
| Is compatible with Mac OS X | No | — |
| has an external memory slot | No | — |
| Compatible with smart scales | Yes | — |
| has a battery level indicator | Yes | — |
| has a socket for a 3.5 mm audio jack | No | — |
| Compatible with external heart rate monitors | Yes | — |
| App & Software | ||
| Ad-free | Yes | — |
| Free app | Yes | — |
| Tracks BMI | Yes | — |
| Has coaching | Yes | — |
| Includes maps | Yes | — |
| Supports routes | Yes | — |
| Has achievements | Yes | — |
| Has goal setting | Yes | — |
| Has live tracking | Yes | — |
| Has exercise diary | Yes | — |
| Predicts ovulation | Yes | — |
| Can be personalised | Yes | — |
| Has weight tracking | Yes | — |
| Predicts start date | Yes | — |
| Tracks water intake | Yes | — |
| Has inactivity alerts | Yes | — |
| Has period notifications | Yes | — |
| Has temperature tracking | Yes | — |
| Provides activity reports | Yes | — |
| Displays fertile window notifications | Yes | — |
| Counts how many calories you've burned | Yes | — |
| Activity tracking | ||
| Measures pace | Yes | — |
| Tracks distance | Yes | — |
| Tracks elevation | Yes | — |
| Designed for golf | Yes | — |
| Tracks your sleep | Yes | — |
| Tracks steps taken | Yes | — |
| Designed for diving | No | — |
| Has a route tracker | Yes | — |
| Has exercise tagging | Yes | — |
| Has multi-sport mode | Yes | — |
| Tracks calorie intake | Yes | — |
| Provides sleep reports | Yes | — |
| Detects activities automatically | Yes | — |
| Has a stroke counter for swimming | Yes | — |
| Overview | ||
| Family | — | Garmin |
| General | ||
| Battery life | — | Smartwatch: Up to 24 days (9 days always-on) Battery Saver Watch Mode: Up to 30 days GPS Only: Up to 40 hours All Satellite Systems: Up to 32 hours All Satellite Systems + Multi-Band: Up to 30 hours* Max Battery GPS: Up to 86 hours Expedition GPS: Up to 20 days *assuming typical use with SatIQ technology |
| Battery type | — | Lithium ion |
| Display Size | — | 1.3" (33 mm) diameter |
| Case material | — | fiber-reinforced polymer |
| Color display | — | Yes |
| Lens Material | — | Chemically Strengthened Glass |
| Bezel Material | — | fiber-reinforced polymer/aluminum |
| Memory/History | — | 4 GB |
| Strap material | — | silicone |
| Charging method | — | Garmin proprietary plug charger |
| Display resolution | — | 416 x 416 pixels |
| QuickFit® watch band compatible | — | yes (26 mm) |
| Product Info | ||
| Main SKU | — | 010-03020-50 |
| Product ID | — | 1718241 |
| Product Name | — | Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition |
| Release Date | — | 4/26/2025 |
| Product Variation | — | Black with Black Band |
| Clock Features | ||
| Timer | — | Yes |
| Stopwatch | — | Yes |
| Time/date | — | Yes |
| Alarm clock | — | Yes |
| GPS Time Sync | — | Yes |
| Sunrise/sunset times | — | Yes |
| Automatic daylight saving time | — | Yes |
| Gaming Features | ||
| Gaming Activity | — | Yes |
| GameOn™ app compatible | — | Yes |
| Cycling Features | ||
| Courses | — | Yes |
| MTB Grit & Flow | — | Yes |
| Race an activity | — | Yes |
| Power meter compatible | — | Yes |
| Advanced cycling dynamics | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ lights | — | Yes |
| FTP (Functional Threshold Power) | — | Yes |
| Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor) | — | Yes |
| Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor) | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia™ radar (rear-facing radar) | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Vector™ and Rally™ (power meters) | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Varia Vision™ (head-mounted display) | — | Yes |
| Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories) | — | Yes |
| Golfing Features | ||
| Tournament legal | — | Yes |
| Digital scorecard | — | Yes |
| Garmin AutoShot™ | — | Yes |
| Round timer/odometer | — | Yes |
| Auto CourseView updates | — | Yes |
| Yardage to layups/doglegs | — | Yes |
| Hazards and course targets | — | Yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Golf app | — | Yes |
| Green View with manual pin position | — | Yes |
| CT10 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory) | — | Yes |
| Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green) | — | Yes |
| Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit) | — | Yes |
| Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course) | — | manual |
| Running Features | ||
| Run workouts | — | Yes |
| Running power | — | Yes |
| Race predictor | — | Yes |
| Foot pod capable | — | Yes |
| Running dynamics | — | Yes |
| Lactate threshold | — | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Grade-adjusted pace | — | Yes |
| Trail run auto climb | — | Yes |
| Performance condition | — | Yes |
| Run/Walk/Stand detection | — | Yes |
| Stride length (real time) | — | Yes |
| PacePro™ Pacing Strategies | — | Yes |
| Vertical oscillation and ratio | — | Yes |
| Ground contact time and balance | — | yes (GCT balance with accessory) |
| GPS-based distance, time and pace | — | Yes |
| Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute) | — | Yes |
| What You'll Love | ||
| Display type | — | AMOLED (always-on) |
| Water rating | — | 10 ATM |
| Garmin Pay™ | — | Yes |
| LED flashlight | — | Yes |
| Multi-band GPS | — | Yes |
| Training status | — | Yes |
| Training readiness | — | Yes |
| Pulse Ox blood oxygen | — | Yes |
| Sleep score and insights | — | Yes |
| Battery life (smartwatch mode) | — | Up to 24 days (9 days always-on) |
| Activity Profiles | ||
| Gym | — | Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing |
| Swim | — | Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming |
| Cycling | — | Biking, Road Biking, Mountain Biking, Gravel Biking, Bike Commuting, Bike Touring, eBiking, eMountain Biking, Indoor Biking, Cyclocross, BMX |
| Wellness | — | Walking, Indoor Walking, Pilates, Yoga |
| Multisport | — | Triathlon |
| In the ring | — | Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts |
| Team sports | — | Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Football/Soccer, American Football, Lacrosse, Rugby, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Softball, Baseball |
| Motor sports | — | Motorcycling, Overlanding, Motocrossing, ATVing, Snowmobiling |
| On the Water | — | Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Surfing, Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, Fishing, Boating, Water Skiing, Snorkeling, Wakeboarding, Wakesurfing, Tubing, Whitewater |
| Racket sports | — | Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball |
| Snow & winter | — | Skiing, Snowboarding, Backcountry Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, XC Skate Skiing, Backcountry Skiing, Ice Skating, Snowshoeing |
| Indoor running | — | Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Virtual Running |
| Outdoor running | — | Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Obstacle Racing |
| Outdoor recreation | — | Hiking, Rucking, Indoor Climbing, Bouldering, Climbing, Hunting, Horseback Riding, Golfing, Disc Golf, Archery |
| Other activity profiles | — | Jumpmaster, Tactical, Inline Skating |
| Swimming Features | ||
| Pool swim workouts | — | Yes |
| Time and distance alerts | — | Yes |
| Auto rest (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Drill logging (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Countdown start (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Underwater wrist-based heart rate | — | Yes |
| "Repeat on" rest timer (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only) | — | Yes |
| Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | — | Yes |
| Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories) | — | Yes |
| Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim) | — | Yes |
| Tactical Features | ||
| Kill switch | — | Yes |
| Stage timer | — | Yes |
| Stealth Mode | — | Yes |
| Ballistics solver | — | yes (unlock required) |
| Night vision mode | — | Yes |
| Dual grid coordinates | — | Yes |
| Outdoor Recreation | ||
| Tides | — | Yes |
| TracBack® | — | Yes |
| Sight 'N Go | — | Yes |
| Tide glance | — | Yes |
| Back to start | — | Yes |
| UltraTrac mode | — | Yes |
| Vertical speed | — | Yes |
| GPS coordinates | — | Yes |
| Reference point | — | Yes |
| Area calculation | — | Yes |
| Elevation profile | — | Yes |
| Projected waypoint | — | Yes |
| Total ascent/descent | — | Yes |
| Future elevation plot | — | Yes |
| Wind meter compatible | — | Yes |
| Distance to destination | — | Yes |
| Expedition GPS Activity | — | Yes |
| Sun and moon information | — | Yes |
| Point-to-point navigation | — | Yes |
| Bread crumb trail in real time | — | Yes |
| Barometric trend indicator with Storm Alert | — | Yes |
| Daily Smart Features | ||
| Calendar | — | Yes |
| Passcode | — | Yes |
| Connectivity | — | Bluetooth®, ANT+® |
| Garmin Share | — | Yes |
| Find My Phone | — | Yes |
| Find My Watch | — | Yes |
| VIRB® Remote | — | Yes |
| Morning report | — | Yes |
| Red shift mode | — | Yes |
| Weather forecasts | — | Yes |
| Smart Notifications | — | Yes |
| Smart trainer control | — | Yes |
| Smartphone compatibility | — | iPhone®, Android™ |
| Controls smartphone music | — | Yes |
| On-device Connect IQ™ Store | — | Yes |
| Pairs with Garmin Connect™ Mobile | — | Yes |
| Compatible with Garmin Messenger app | — | Yes |
| Battery saver (customizable low power watch) | — | Yes |
| Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect™ mobile | — | Yes |
| View images from notifications on watch (Android™ only) | — | Yes |
| Text response/reject phone call with text (Android™ only) | — | Yes |
| Connect IQ™ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps) | — | Yes |
| Activity Tracking Features | ||
| TrueUp™ | — | Yes |
| Move IQ™ | — | Yes |
| Step counter | — | Yes |
| Floors climbed | — | Yes |
| Calories burned | — | Yes |
| Distance traveled | — | Yes |
| Intensity minutes | — | Yes |
| Automatic rep counting | — | Yes |
| Garmin Connect™ Challenges app | — | yes (optional Connect IQ app) |
| Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity) | — | Yes |
| Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal) | — | Yes |
| Workout and Training Plans | ||
| HIIT workouts | — | Yes |
| Yoga workouts | — | Yes |
| Cardio workouts | — | Yes |
| Pilates workouts | — | Yes |
| Strength workouts | — | Yes |
| Garmin Running Coach Experts | — | Yes |
| On-screen workout animations | — | Yes |
| On-screen workout muscle maps | — | Yes |
| Garmin Coach - Prebuilt Cycling Plans | — | Yes |
| Daily Suggested Workout - Cycling (Pace and Heart Rate Based) | — | Yes |
| Daily Suggested Workout - Running (Pace and Heart Rate Based) | — | Yes |
| Health & Wellness Monitoring | ||
| Sleep | — | yes (advanced) |
| Hydration | — | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) |
| Breathwork | — | Yes |
| Fitness age | — | Yes |
| Sleep coach | — | Yes |
| Nap detection | — | Yes |
| All-day stress | — | Yes |
| Women's health | — | yes (in Garmin Connect™ and optional Connect IQ™ widget) |
| Health snapshot | — | Yes |
| Respiration rate | — | Yes |
| Resting heart rate | — | Yes |
| Breathing variations | — | Yes |
| Relaxation reminders | — | Yes |
| Abnormal heart rate alerts | — | yes (high and low) |
| Relaxation breathing timer | — | Yes |
| Body Battery™ energy monitor | — | Yes |
| Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second) | — | Yes |
| Safety and Tracking Features | ||
| Assistance | — | Yes |
| Live Event Sharing | — | Yes |
| Incident Detection during select activities | — | Yes |
| Incident detection alert on phone for wearables | — | Yes |
| Kid Activity Tracking Features | ||
| Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app | — | yes (optional Connect IQ Toe-to-Toe™ Challenges app) |
| Training, Planning and Analysis Features | ||
| % HRR | — | Yes |
| % HR max | — | Yes |
| HR zones | — | Yes |
| HR alerts | — | Yes |
| Shortcuts | — | Yes |
| HRV status | — | Yes |
| Load ratio | — | Yes |
| Manual lap | — | Yes |
| Rest timer | — | Yes |
| Auto max HR | — | Yes |
| Auto scroll | — | Yes |
| Finish time | — | Yes |
| HR calories | — | Yes |
| Voice alerts | — | Yes |
| Custom alerts | — | Yes |
| Physio TrueUp | — | Yes |
| Recovery time | — | Yes |
| Training load | — | Yes |
| VO2 Max (Run) | — | Yes |
| Course guidance | — | Yes |
| Training effect | — | Yes |
| Virtual Partner | — | Yes |
| Workout benefit | — | Yes |
| Race an Activity | — | Yes |
| Advanced workouts | — | Yes |
| Interval training | — | Yes |
| Race glance/widget | — | Yes |
| Training load focus | — | Yes |
| VO2 Max (Trail Run) | — | Yes |
| GPS speed and distance | — | Yes |
| Improved recovery time | — | Yes |
| Configurable lap alerts | — | Yes |
| Customizable data pages | — | Yes |
| Unified training status | — | Yes |
| Touch and/or button lock | — | Yes |
| Activity history on watch | — | Yes |
| Multisport auto transition | — | Yes |
| Downloadable training plans | — | Yes |
| Training effect (anaerobic) | — | Yes |
| Manual multisport activities | — | Yes |
| HRM running pace and distance | — | Yes |
| Heat and altitude acclimation | — | Yes |
| Customizable activity profiles | — | Yes |
| Auto Pause® automatic timer halt | — | Yes |
| Respiration rate (during exercise) | — | yes (with compatible accessory) |
| Auto Lap® interval tracking feature | — | Yes |
| Primary benefit (Training Effect labels) | — | Yes |
| Power Modes - customizable in-activity battery settings | — | Yes |
| HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+® to paired devices) | — | Yes |
| Improved interval (includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection) | — | Yes |
Wrist Fit
Amazfit Balance
Sits best on wrists ~48–66mm wide (≈ 12.8–17.6cm circumference).
Garmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition
Sits best on wrists ~53–71mm wide (≈ 14.2–19.0cm circumference).
2D Dimension Schematics
Accurate scale drawings based on case dimensions. Drag to pan, Ctrl+scroll to zoom. Works for every watch regardless of photo availability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Amazfit Balance bigger than the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition?
The Garmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition is bigger — 50mm vs 46mm case width.
Which fits a smaller wrist better, the Amazfit Balance or the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition?
The Amazfit Balance suits wrists around 48–66mm wide, and the Garmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition around 53–71mm. The one with the smaller lower bound is the safer pick for a small wrist.
Can I see the Amazfit Balance and Garmin Instinct® 3 – 50 mm, AMOLED, Tactical Edition side by side at true scale?
Yes — the schematics and photos above show both watches at matched scale, and our fit tool overlays each on your wrist width.

