Garmin watches we expect to see later in 2022

Garmin has had a busy first half of 2022 and this is set to continue. In this article we list a bunch of watches that are likely to drop in the months ahead.

Much of this information is based on leaked information we came across earlier this year from warranty information of an authorised local distributor of Garmin products. The only other detail about the source that we will reveal is that they are located in one of the smaller regional markets. Final caveat – all we have to go by are the names of the upcoming devices – so the specs are anyone’s guess at this stage.

A busy few months

The fun started in January when Venu 2 Plus, Fenix 7 and Epix 2 dropped. February was only slightly less busy with the release of Instinct 2 and Descent G1. Further wearable drops came in the form of the D2 Mach 1 in March and Tactix 7 in early April.

Then Vivosmart 5 landed. It received a mixed reception. Although the wearable packs a bigger display than its predecessor, there are few other improvements. Not even built-in GPS.

Which leads to the conclusion that Garmin may be shifting its focus away from fitness bands to the more lucrative sports watch space and wellness watch space. That shouldn’t really come as too much of a surprise. Smartwatches and sports watches are higher growth categories than fitness bands. Competition is going to come from all sides and Garmin will continue to set its sights high.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

The most recent sports watch additions came in the form of the Forerunner 255 and 955. Both devices were much anticipated. The first is an update of Garmin’s popular running watch. The second is a multi-use device.

The headline grabbing upgrades were mostly to do with recovery metrics. Garmin introduced a bunch of them including HRV Status and Training Readiness. Also, there is the addition of support of native running power. Not quite the solution most were hoping for as it requires you to have the Dynamics pod or one of the company’s heart rate chest straps. But progress, nevertheless. Now these features are making their way over to Fenix 7 and Epix 2.

We expect the second half of 2022 to be just as busy as the start. This is very much unlike 2021 when we only saw a handful of releases. But that year was not typical due to the Coronavirus effects, energy crisis in some Asian countries and chip shortages.

Garmin watches to come later in 2022

We list below Garmin watches that have a good chance of landing in the coming months. The launch window is between now and early November. After that it doesn’t make sense to release any new watches as holiday sales will already have begun. A great opportunity is IFA in Berlin. Europe’s largest tech gathering, which occurs in the first week of September, has served as a springboard for Garmin launches in prior years.

Garmin Vivomove Trend

We’ve got Vivomove 3, vivomove sport, vivomove Luxe and a few other iterations in this series. According to the local authorised dealer listing, the next one to drop will be called vivomove Trend.

An interesting choice of name. This sounds like it will be a device with some new design enhancements. Garmin has Lily Classic and Sport as devices solely designed for women. Could this be a vivomove designed especially for women?

Garmin Venu Sq 2 (but no Vivoactive 5)

Something that might come as a disappointment to a number of you – Vivoactive 5 is not on the list. We did a separate piece on why this might be the case.

Garmin seems to be pushing the Venu range of late. This is essentially the same device as Vivoactive but with a fancy AMOLED display. The device belongs in the all-purpose smartwatch category. If you’re competing against Apple, something with a high-res AMOLED display is always going to be the way to go.

Venu Sq is the lower spec square brother of Venu – a general fitness device that does a bit of everything. Well, it appears that the watch will get a successor in the coming months. It will be called Venu Sq 2. A barometric altimeter for floor count and longer battery life would be a nice start as far as improvements.

We suspect we have already spotted this timepiece in a recent FCC listing. What leads us to this conclusion is label information which is square in shape. Garmin does not have very many square shaped watches. There is a model without WiFi that is listed. That one would be the base version. The model with WiFi would be the Music version.

Garmin Instinct Analog

Instinct Analog is another watch we are expecting in the second half of 2022. That sounds like a hybrid watch – and Garmin already has experience in this area. But a hybrid Instinct would have an audience. It certainly sounds intriguing. Watch this space if you’re a fan of outdoor, rugged watches.

Garmin Austin

Now this one is a complete mystery. On the warranty information it is listed right between the Garmin Fenix range and Tactix range. A new outdoors watch? A new take on the Epix 2? An outdoors watch specifically designed for women?

MARQ II series

Garmin’s collection of luxury sports watches – the MARQ series – is also due for an upgrade in 2022. The devices that are listed in the MARQ II series include Aviator, Captain, Golfer, Adventurer and Athlete. The only omission from the first generation is Driver. Perhaps that one will also drop but at a later stage.

Garmin Descent S1

Rounding off this list is Garmin Descent S1. We already saw one divers watch this year that came in the form of the Descent G1. Arriving in a solar option, Descent G1 has useful functions both in and out of water. Compared with the previous generation, Descent G1 is nearly half the price.

Garmin has achieved some of the saving by opting for a Fiber-reinforced polymer bezel instead of a steel one, along with a Monochrome MIP display. Perhaps the Descent S1 will be the fancier (and pricer) version of the same?

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