I don’t know about the lesser Garmin models but I have a Fenix 6 Pro Solar and there isn’t enough panel surface area on it to indefinitely power the watch. Garmin only state that it “extends” the battery life by a few days. I haven’t tested it to see of you power the thing off completely if it will refill the battery from dead by any meaningful amount but I suspect not.
Not all of them have the solar option. In fact, very few of their lineup do.
Also: Garmin recently enshittified by simultaneously adding an AI slop component that works by taking all of your recorded fitness and location data and doing gods know what with it, as well as a paid subscription tier to their obligatory smartphone app – the latter after explicitly promising for many years that they wouldn’t. So not only is their hardware expensive (and their owners are now rightly pissed), they’re also liars. I would not give them any money until they shape up, if I were you. Assuming they ever do…
jws_shadotak@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Gadgetbridge works with most Garmin models. I have the Instinct 2 Solar and have never created a Garmin account or downloader the app.
dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 3 weeks ago
It does not work with either my Fenix 6 Pro Solar (specifically that one, other Fenix 6 variants are listed as working) nor the Forerunner 230 that somebody just gave me. Both of which are a drag, and I can’t be arsed with learning how to add my own support right now at this minute.
Honestly, I’ve just been using my Fenix unconnected and it’s really surprising all it can still do. The only function I don’t have that I cared about was receiving notifications. The sensors and topo map and all still work fine and you can even still track rides and hikes, but you have to offload thr GPX tracks via USB and figure out what to so with them yourself.
It’s almost like the dumbass limitations of the app are all just artificial, to the surprise of absolutely no one.
jws_shadotak@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Yeah it’s a shame the path Garmin is going :(