When it comes to the niche category of smartwatches, there is no brand that even comes close to Garmin. Be it functionality, design, or innovation, they do it all and for specific users. This time, it is for the pilots.
In a significant milestone for Garmin, the company has marked a decade of its esteemed D2 series by introducing the D2 Mach 1 Pro, the ultimate aviator smartwatch. It comes with a ton of cool and useful features for professionals in the aviation industry, so let’s explore it.
LED Flashlight
First up, Garmin has added an LED flashlight to the smartwatch. While this may not seem a big deal, it can be a useful tool for pilots to find or check their stuff in a dark cockpit. Pilots can seamlessly change the intensities of the flashlight as per their needs. Then, there is a strobe function and a red light for flight deck operations.
Excellent Battery Life
Pilots will definitely appreciate the impressive battery life of up to 25 days in smartwatch mode and up to 46 hours in the Fly activity. So they can use it as a flying special watch during the flight and then go on with their lives with a regular smartwatch. The 46-hour time in the Fly mode is quite impressive as it can be a game changer for long flights.
Innovative Flight Features
As the smartwatch is targeted at aviation professionals, it has many useful features for pilots. For instance, there is the Red Light feature, and this innovative feature changes the entire watch interface to shades of red to help preserve night vision. It makes sure that pilots get clear visibility during demanding night flying conditions.
Even the design and build of the watch is very functional. Designed to be worn 24/7, the D2 Mach 1 Pro combines premium materials like sapphire and titanium with a durable, sunlight-readable 1.4-inch AMOLED display. Its carbon gray finish, diamond-like carbon (DLC) titanium bezel, and stainless steel 5-button design ensure it can withstand the rigors of aviation.
Now, let’s talk about the niche aviation tools that are actually vital for pilots. The D2 Mach 1 Pro includes a wide array of aviation tools, such as a worldwide aeronautical database, HSI, Direct-to, and moving map. The best thing is that using these tools doesn’t require a phone connection. The watch also gives pilots access to NEXRAD, METARs, TAFs, MOS weather reports, and custom weather alerts, providing critical information for flight planning and navigation.
For convenient flight logging, the D2 Mach 1 Pro automatically starts tracking flights upon takeoff and transfers the relevant flight details to the user’s flyGarmin.com logbook. This simplifies record-keeping for pilots.
Fitness Features
Since this is a smartwatch, users also get the everyday essential fitness features on this one. Pilots can use this watch to understand their fitness levels better and track their performance with over 30 built-in sports modes/apps and advanced training features.
Features like hill score and endurance score provide insights for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, the watch also has a built-in ECG app, which can detect or check signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib). These recordings can be seamlessly accessed via the Garmin Connect app on the smartphone.
Seamless Connectivity
If we talk about connectivity features, this smartwatch is packed with smart features for connectivity, including the ability to receive smart notifications, download songs from popular music platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, etc., check calendars, make contactless payments via Garmin Pay, and more. The watch can work seamlessly with both Android and Apple smartphones.
Pricing and Availability
The D2 Mach 1 Pro is available for purchase, and it comes with a vented titanium bracelet with carbon gray DLC coating, as well as a black silicone band. It is priced at USD 1399.99 which might sound a bit high but this is a highly useful watch for pilots.