Garmin Forerunner 955 LTE might land soon, first leak reveals price

A mention of Forerunner 955 LTE was found on the Garmin Australia and New Zealand websites. The device was listed for sale revealing the price but not much else. The entry was up for about a day before it was removed a couple of hours ago.

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The Fenix 7 is one of Garmin’s most popular sports watches but the Forerunnner 945 is not far behind it. Think of it as a cheaper version of the Fenix – pretty much the same functionality but encased in something less premium, so less pricey.

We just saw the latest iteration of the Fenix. It came earlier this month and brought with it some nice upgrades such as a touch display, longer battery life, some design tweaks and a few new performance metrics. There was also a more fancy version of the same called Epix 2 – that one comes with an AMOLED display.

Many were expecting LTE to come as an option but that did not pan out. It is entirely possible that a cellular version of the Fenix might come out later this year. That is the route Garmin took with the Forerunner 945. The non-cellular variant was released in April 2019 and the 945 LTE in June 2021. Which makes the original ripe for an update – it will be near three years now that it has not seen a true successor.

Forerunner 955 LTE – listing appears on Garmin’s website

The first actual hint we might be seeing the watch soon comes from none other than Garmin. For nearly a day, there was a listing on its Australia and New Zealand websites of a Fenix 955 LTE variant. There was even a purchase link next to it which allowed you to add it to your basket – with a delivery date of “5-8 weeks”. We’re not aware if anyone actually tried to go through with a purchase. They would not have been successful as Garmin has now pulled the listing.

But what does this tell us? It tells us that the device is in the works and that there will be an LTE version. And that the launch date is not too far off.

Two variants were listed, a white and a black. The price quoted on the Australian website was $1,049 AUD which equates to around $750. This sounds about right for a cellular version.

In case you are interested in seeing the listing, it is not there any more. That says something. But someone on Reddit has posted a screenshot. Another one can be seen on Garmin’s forum although we suspect that screenshot might be removed soon.

It seems the sports watch giant is making preparations to launch the 955. When will it land? That’s anyone’s guess. It could be as soon as next week, it could be a few months down the line. Our money is on a Spring launch as it would not make sense to release the Forerunner 955 so soon after the Fenix 7. Plus we are expecting Instinct 2 and 2s to get an official reveal, probably on February 1st.

What to expect as far as Forerunner 955 LTE features

It is difficult to say with much confidence what the new watch might bring. Most likely it will take across all the same features from the Fenix 7. Releasing headline grabbing new functionality on the 955 so soon after the Fenix 7 launch would not go down well with those who have just bought the new watch.

But Garmin could make more of the cellular functionality. This works on the 945 LTE more as a subscription-based emergency communication tool that something that you can use to make calls or send and receive text messages without the phone. Something akin to the Apple Watch cellular would be nice. Also, there is potential to link LTE to Venu 2 Plus smart assistant functionality.

Beyond that one could reasonably expect some design upgrades. A thinner body, longer battery life, solar charging and perhaps a touchscreen. The screen could be increased by slimming the bezel. Finally, the current iteration is only offered in one size. There’s always the possibility Garmin might introduce a smaller variant for those with slender wrists.

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