Garmin’s next level multi-sport watch: Three models to expect
A regulatory filing has popped up a couple of days ago for a new Garmin sports watch. It comes in three different variants. All of these will come with WiFi, Bluetooth and ANT+ functionality.
The devices appeared on the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) website. This is a statutory board in Singapore that regulates and promotes the infocomm media sector.
Here’s a screen-shot of the filing. The entry was added on December 30th.
Interestingly, we could not spot a similar filing on the FCC website. No doubt it will land in the days ahead.
This is not Vivomove Trend
This is not Vivomove Trend which is widely expected to launch any day now. That one was registered on the Singapore regulatory body website a few months ago. It also received the stamp of approval from the FCC.
Vivomove Trend is a hybrid that will only have Bluetooth, ANT+ and NFC functionality. So no WiFi tech on-board.
The fact that this is registered as a “Multisport GPS Smartwatch” indicates that it is something in the Forerunner range or something that sits in Garmin’s outdoor range. The three variants probably refer to different sizes of the same device. So something akin to the base, S and X variants of the Garmin Fenix.
Could it be the mythical Garmin Austin?
Our best guess is that we might finally see the mythical Garmin Austin – a device classified as an outdoors watch. That name leaked with a slew of other devices in early 2022. We actually found it on a website from one of the authorised Garmin distributors in a local market. At the time a number of other yet-to-be released devices were also mentioned. They have all seen the light of day since then. Garmin Austin is the one exception.
The naming convention might not be the same. For example, the local distributor refered at the time to Garmin Instinct Analog as Garmin Instinct Crossover. Same device – the first hybrid in the Instinct range – but a slightly different name. The same might happen with Garmin Austin. If this is, indeed, that device.
Having said that, apart from that one leak there have been no other mentions of a device called Garmin Austin. The only thing that is clear at the moment from the regulatory filing is that we will get a multi-sport watch from Garmin in the immediate future. And that it will have three variants. Everything else is speculation.
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CES 2023 starts on January 5th. A number of companies are, however, holding launch events two days earlier. Interestingly, the 3rd of January is a Tuesday. And Garmin typically schedules new product announcements on that day. So don’t be surpised if we get news about a new Garmin sportswatch in a couple of days time.
Another option could be the second half of January. To remind, last year Garmin only launched the Venu 2 Plus in Las Vegas. However, it made a big splash a couple of weeks later with the official unveil of Fenix 7 and Epix 2.
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