This is not just a clearance bin for aging tech. While some of the best value sits with previous-generation models, seeing current heavy hitters included gives the entire sale a much fresher feel than your typical Amazon promotion.

Some of these deals can also be picked up on Garmin’s website. So it’s not just Amazon.

Fenix 8 is the headline outdoor deal

The Fenix 8 discount is the one that will probably grab the most attention. It is still expensive, but a price cut on Garmin’s current outdoor flagship range carries more weight than the usual deal on a model nearing the end of its cycle.

This is not the watch to buy for casual step counting. Fenix makes sense if you care about mapping, durability, battery life and deeper training tools. It remains the Garmin line for people who want a watch that can handle proper outdoor use without feeling like a dressed-up fitness tracker.

Epix Pro Gen 2 is the value temptation here. It is older, but still gives you a lot of Garmin’s premium outdoor features for less money. That makes it one of the more sensible picks in this sale if you want the high-end Garmin experience without paying Fenix 8 money.

Enduro 3 is more specific again. It is aimed at people who care about long battery life and endurance use above almost everything else. For most buyers, Fenix or Epix will feel more rounded. For ultra-distance use, Enduro still has a clear role.

Fenix 8 – starting at $749.99, down from $999.99 (check price on Amazon).
Fenix 8 Pro – starting at $949.99, down from $1299.99 (check price on Amazon).
Epix Pro (Gen 2) – starting at $499.99, down from $569.99 (check price on Amazon).
Enduro 3 – $749.99, down from $899.99 (check price on Amazon).

Forerunner series: For the dedicated runner

The Forerunner discounts are easily the best part of the sale for runners. Garmin has chopped prices across the entire line, from the budget-friendly Forerunner 55 and 165 up to the mid-tier 265 and 570, and right up to the flagship 955 and 970.

For most people, the sweet spot sits right in the middle. The Forerunner 165 is the perfect modern starting point for newer runners, while the Forerunner 265 is the ideal step-up option for serious training without forcing you to pay top-tier prices.

If you are on a tight budget, the basic Forerunner 55 is a total steal. It lacks a fancy screen, but it gives you all the core running metrics you actually need.

The newer Forerunner 570 also joins the sale, bringing Garmin’s latest mid-to-high end tech. You will want to weigh it carefully against the 265 and the heavily discounted 955, as the older 955 actually undercuts the 570 right now and might offer better value. For anyone wanting the absolute latest flagship features, the top-of-the-line 970 rounds out the deals with a rare price drop.

Forerunner 55 – $149.00, down from $199.99 (check price on Amazon).
Forerunner 165 – $199.99, down from $249.99 (check price on Amazon).
Forerunner 265 – $349.99, down from $449.99 (check price on Amazon).
Forerunner 570 – $449.99, down from $559.99 (check price on Amazon).
Forerunner 955 – $419.95, down from $499.99 (check price on Amazon).
Forerunner 970 – $649.99, down from $749.99 (check price on Amazon).

Instinct keeps the rugged option cheaper

The Instinct deals are easy to understand. These are the watches to look at if you want something rugged, practical and less expensive than a Fenix.

Instinct 3 is the more interesting discount because it is the more capable watch. It gives buyers a tougher Garmin option without moving into premium outdoor-watch pricing. That should appeal to people who want strong battery life, outdoor tracking and a more durable design, but do not need the full Fenix package.

Instinct E keeps the price lower and the formula simpler. That may be enough for people who want outdoor tracking without paying for extras they will rarely use. It is the more stripped-back option, but the price now makes the trade-off easier to accept.

Instinct 3 – $299.99, down from $399.99 (check latest price on Amazon).
Instinct E – $199.99, down from $299.99 (check latest price on Amazon).

How to lock in the best savings

To grab the best discount before someone else does, you just need a quick game plan. First off, remember that Amazon is not your only option here. Garmin loves to price-match these exact deals directly on their own official store. That is a great backup plan if Amazon sells out of the specific case size or band color you are tracking.

You also want to move fast because these listings change quickly. The biggest price drops on heavy hitters like the Fenix 8 or the Forerunner 265 always fly off the shelves, and stock can disappear in a couple of hours. Leaving the watch in your cart or setting a quick notification reminder will save you some serious headache. Just make sure your Prime membership is active or grab a free trial bef

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That worked better than I expected. Garmin remained my main device for runs, GPS, training load and workout analysis, while Fitbit Air became a lighter passive tracker for sleep, silent alarms, heart rate, AFib alerts and a second view of my daily health data.

Garmin remains the training device

I have been wearing a high-end Garmin Forerunner for a few years now. It is my main fitness tracking wearable and it still handles the serious stuff without much drama. I trust it.

Runs, workouts, GPS, training load, recovery data and performance trends all live there. If I want pace on my wrist, route data, heart rate zones, structured workouts or a deeper look at training status, the Forerunner is still the device I use.

Fitbit Air does not offer that kind of live workout experience. It has no screen or proper on-device training interface. You can’t see your pace or distance while running. That makes it a poor substitute for a serious sports watch, especially if you are used to Garmin’s training tools.

But that also misses the point. A second wearable does not need to replace the first one. It needs to give you something different enough to justify wearing it.

That is where Fitbit Air becomes more interesting. It does not beat Garmin at being Garmin. It gives you another stream of passive health data, with a different app, different assumptions and a different view of your body.

The testing showed both sides

For example, I did a wrist-based 5K run. Fitbit Air came surprisingly close to my Garmin on heart rate and distance, with average heart rate matching and distance coming in only around 40 metres short.

However, I did not suddenly see it as a Garmin replacement. But I did start to see it as more credible than a simple background tracker. The problem is, the depth of stats that you get for exercise comes nowhere near Garmin.

I also did an ankle placement test and let the Fitbit pick up on another 5K run automatically. The results here were not as clean. Fitbit Air did pick up the run automatically, but it started too early and finished too late. That dragged the average heart rate down because the session included time before and after the actual run.

The bigger issue was not the sensor. Again, it was the software. Google Health does not currently give you the simple editing tools needed to trim that kind of workout properly, which makes automatic tracking less useful than it should be.

That is the Fitbit Air story in miniature. The hardware idea has promise. The passive data can be useful. But the Google Health experience still needs more control if this is going to appeal to people who already understand wearable data.

With Fitbit Air, almost everything depends on the app. If the app cannot cleanly handle auto-detected workouts, edit sessions or explain differences between wear positions, the whole experience feels more limited.

One thing I do like in Google Health is the side-by-side view of data from different sources. It makes Fitbit Air more useful as a second device, because you can put its numbers next to Garmin’s and see where they match or drift apart. It does not magically join the two ecosystems together, but it does make the data easier to sense-check.

Fitbit Air works better in the background

Once I stopped treating Fitbit Air like a watch, it made more sense. It is at its best when it fades away and lets the app do the interpretation later.

That makes it a very different device from Garmin. With a Forerunner, I interact with the watch constantly. I start workouts, check stats, glance at screens during runs and review structured training data afterwards.

Fitbit Air*

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Fitbit Air is more passive. It is there for sleep, general activity, heart rate, silent alarms and background health features such as AFib notifications. It is not trying to be a mini command centre on the wrist.

That is why it works better as a second device. Garmin can remain the serious training tool, while Fitbit Air fills the quieter parts of the day. It gives you another look at recovery, sleep and everyday health without asking you to wear a second full smartwatch.

The Whoop plus Garmin logic applies here

Some Garmin users also wear Whoop. They do not usually do this because they want Whoop to replace Garmin for running, cycling or structured workouts. They do it because Garmin handles performance while Whoop handles the background recovery layer.

Fitbit Air can sit in a similar category, although it is not the same type of product. Garmin remains the performance tool. Fitbit Air becomes the smaller passive health tracker that runs alongside it.

That comparison helped me understand the device better. I stopped asking whether Fitbit Air could become my main wearable and started asking whether it could add a useful second lens.

That is a much fairer test. It also makes Fitbit Air more relevant to people who already own a Garmin, Apple Watch or Pixel Watch. The use case is not replacement. It is companion tracking.

Who Fitbit Air is really for

After a month, I would not recommend Fitbit Air as someone’s only serious fitness device. If you run, cycle, train with structure or care about live workout data, Garmin is in a different class.

But Fitbit Air still has a role. It makes more sense as a second wearable for people who want another passive layer of health data alongside their main device.

That does not mean taking Garmin off at night. If you rely on sleep, HRV Status, Body Battery or Training Readiness, removing the watch creates gaps in Garmin’s own recovery picture.

Fitbit Air*

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Fitbit Air works better as an additional lens. It can give you a second view of sleep, resting heart rate, alarms, daily activity and background health signals, while Garmin remains the centre of the training setup.

The mistake is judging it as a Garmin rival. It is not one. Fitbit Air makes more sense next to Garmin than instead of it.

*We are a review site that receives a small commission from sales of certain items, but the price is the same for you. Purchasing items by clicking on links in this article allows us to run this website. We are independently owned and all opinions expressed here are our own. See our affiliate disclosure page for more details.

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Enduro 4 is the headline

The biggest find is simple. The string “Enduro_4”  appears in Garmin Connect 5.26, but it does not appear in Garmin Connect 5.25. That makes it a new addition in the latest version of the Android app.

This is not just a loose text string sitting in a forgotten corner of the APK. The teardown shows the name inside a Garmin device registry-style table, with an internal ID and category flags for fitness, outdoor, golf and wellness. That is the same sort of broad category mapping Garmin uses for multi-sport watches.

That does not confirm a launch date. It also does not give us images, pricing, sensor details or battery claims. But it does suggest Garmin Connect is being prepared to recognise a next-generation Enduro watch.

The naming is also worth noting. There has been some speculation about whether Garmin might skip the number 4, as it did years ago with the Fenix line. This app entry points the other way. For now, the internal name is clearly Enduro 4.

What Enduro 4 might bring

The timing makes sense. Enduro 2 arrived in August 2022 and Enduro 3 followed in August 2024. So an August or September 2026 window would fit Garmin’s recent rhythm for the series.

The obvious bet is that Garmin keeps Enduro focused on battery life first. This is the watch for people who want long GPS tracking, solar charging, a light case and fewer battery compromises than the Fenix line. That makes a MIP display more likely than AMOLED, at least if Garmin wants to protect the identity of the range.

AMOLED remains possible, but it would change the product’s logic. Garmin already has plenty of bright-screen premium watches. Enduro works because it feels more ruthless. Less polish, more time away from a charger. If Garmin moves it to AMOLED, it will need a very good reason.

The more interesting possibility is communication. Some speculation around Enduro 4 points to LTE, satellite-style messaging or voice features, especially if Garmin wants the Enduro line to sit closer to the most capable outdoor models. Our teardown does not tie those features to Enduro 4, so this remains speculation.

Call handling gets new plumbing

Garmin Connect 5.26 also adds more serious phone-call infrastructure. The app now includes the Android permission MANAGE_ONGOING_CALLS, along with a new Garmin in-call service called GNCSInCallService.

That lines up with new call-related strings for incoming calls, ongoing calls, call screening, answering, rejecting and disconnecting. The notification database also gains a new callType field, which suggests Garmin is improving how the app classifies phone call events before passing them to a watch.

Safety features get more structure

Safety also receives a visible refresh. Garmin Connect 5.26 contains expanded wording around Assistance Plus, Emergency Calling, Incident Detection, SOS and the Garmin Response team. There is also clearer language around LTE plans and data coverage.

That matters because Garmin’s safety stack has become more complicated. Some features depend on phone connection, some on LTE-capable devices and some on service coverage. The new wording suggests Garmin wants the app to explain those differences more clearly.

More device and subscription clues

The local device database gains a new capability flag called startStopWorkoutCapable. That is an interesting technical addition because it points to devices that can start and stop workouts through app or device interaction. No mention of Cirqa, though.

Garmin Connect 5.26 also adds a direct path for Device Priority settings. That feature already existed, but the new deep link suggests Garmin is making it easier to surface.

There are also fresh signs of Garmin Connect+ gating. New strings refer to coach plans requiring Garmin Connect+, along with plan selection for cycling, fitness, triathlon and other coaching categories. Another new string mentions discount codes for selected Garmin devices and accessories for eligible subscribers.

Our takeaway

There is enough info here to suggestion Garmin is preparing app-side support for Enduro 4. So dont be surprised if the device lands in the next couple of months.

If the company keeps the Enduro formula intact, the next model should focus on longer endurance, lighter materials and better outdoor tools. If Garmin decides to push harder, emergency communication and voice features would fit the series better than smartwatch extras.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

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Garmin Express 7.29.0 fixes the issue

The fix appears to be Garmin Express 7.29.0 for Windows. Users who had been stuck with the problem are now reporting that their watches sync again, map management opens properly and updates can be installed as expected.

The bug was not that Garmin Express failed to detect the watch. That is what made it more annoying. The watch appeared as connected, but the top update panel did not load correctly. Instead of showing software or map options, Garmin Express kept showing a generic prompt to refresh and check for updates.

That effectively blocked the normal desktop route for managing maps. On watches such as the fēnix 8 and tactix 8, that is a fairly big miss because maps are a major part of the pitch. Owners were not dealing with an obscure setting. They were trying to use a core maintenance tool on expensive devices.

The problem seems to have started for many after firmware 21.39. Later firmware versions did not clear it for everyone, and Garmin Express 7.28.1 also failed to solve it for affected users. Garmin Express 7.29.0 now looks like the release that actually fixes the Windows side of the problem.

The bug affected several newer Garmin models

Reports initially centred on the fēnix 8 series, including AMOLED, Sapphire and Pro variants. Other models were later mentioned too, including the Forerunner 970, Enduro 3, tactix 8 and D2 Mach 2 Pro.

A few workarounds did help some people while they waited for a fix. One involved opening Garmin Express first, starting the map update flow, then connecting the watch only when the app asked for it. Others used Map Manager directly on the watch over Wi-Fi.

Some users also tried factory resets and clean setups without restoring settings from another Garmin watch. That worked for a few, but it was never a good solution. Resetting a high-end sports watch just to restore map access is too much hassle, especially for anyone with customised data screens, maps and activity profiles.

Update Garmin Express before trying anything else

Affected users should update Garmin Express for Windows to version 7.29.0 before doing anything drastic. That should be the first step if the app still shows the refresh screen instead of the normal map and software update panel.

Once Garmin Express is updated, reconnect the watch and try map management again. Hopefully, it should finally restore normal map and update access.

The post Garmin finally fixes map update bug affecting newer premium watches appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

FotMob is the easiest all-round pick

FotMob is probably the most practical choice for most football fans. The app has World Cup 2026 support, live scores, match stats, alerts, highlights and Live Activities for Apple Watch.

For those with an iPhone, FotMob says users can follow matches from the Lock Screen, Dynamic Island, as well as the Apple Watch, with Live Activities dressed in country colours. It also has updated widgets for the group stage and knockouts.

There is also an Android version of FotMob on Google Play. The listing says the app offers live scores, detailed stats, breaking news and personalised alerts. So that’s great for users who mainly want reliable football coverage without hunting around for a dedicated tournament-only tool.

The appeal here is simple. FotMob is not just a World Cup app. It is a football app that has been updated for the World Cup, so it should remain useful after the tournament ends.

Apple Watch users have a few other solid routes

Apple Watch users can also use Apple Sports. Apple says the app can show live scores and play updates on Apple Watch through Live Activities, as long as the user has iOS 18 and watchOS 11 or later.

That makes Apple Sports a good low-friction option if you already live inside Apple’s ecosystem. It is not as football-focused as FotMob, but it does the basic live score job cleanly.

OneFootball is another option. Its App Store listing includes Apple Watch support and World Cup 2026 coverage, with live scores, goal alerts and match results.

For iPhone users, the choice probably comes down to how much detail they want. Apple Sports is cleaner and more minimal, FotMob gives you deeper football coverage and OneFootball sits somewhere between live scores, alerts and football news.

Wear OS has apps and watch faces

Wear OS users have two different routes. They can install a football scores app such as the above mentioned FotMob. They could also opt for SofaScore, or go for a World Cup watch face.

SofaScore’s Google Play listing says the app is optimised for Wear OS smartwatches. It covers live sports scores and detailed statistics, so it is worth a look if you prefer a broader sports app rather than a football-only one.

The more interesting Wear OS option is Kick It, a free World Cup watch face from Facer and Citizen. It pulls tournament data onto the watch face, including live scores, standings, team records and match status.

There are limits. Kick It currently works for users in the US, Canada, Japan and the UK on watches running Wear OS 6, with an EU launch planned. So it looks useful, but it will not be available to every Wear OS owner.

If your watch supports it, the benefit is obvious. You do not need to open an app just to see what is happening. The score sits on the face itself.

Garmin users get a dedicated World Cup face

Garmin owners should look at WC2026 Live Pro on Connect IQ. It is a watch face rather than a normal app, but it is built specifically for the 2026 tournament.

The face shows live scores, daily fixtures and group standings directly on the watch. It also adjusts kick-off times to the local time zone, which is handy for a tournament spread across multiple time zones.

There is also a favourite team feature. That lets the watch keep your chosen team more visible, even when it is not playing that day.

This is probably the neatest setup for Garmin users because it uses the watch face itself instead of relying on phone alerts. The trade-off is that it is more specialised than FotMob or SofaScore, so its usefulness will drop sharply once the tournament ends.

The official FIFA app is still worth having

The official FIFA World Cup 2026 app is also worth a look. It covers fixtures, schedules, live scores, stats, line-ups and real-time updates. But be warned – the software is very poorly rated by users with 2.1 stars out of a possible 5.

Or you could opt for Flashscore. Which has live World Cup results, match updates, stats and group standings.

For the watch, though, I would narrow it down. Apple Watch users should start with FotMob or Apple Sports. Wear OS users should look at FotMob, SofaScore or Kick It if their watch supports it. Garmin users have the cleanest tournament-specific option with WC2026 Live Pro.

The post The best smartwatch apps for following the World Cup 2026 appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

That is not how most people test a fitness tracker. It is also exactly why I found the result useful. If a device can produce decent data in a messy real-world setup, that tells us something about how flexible the hardware might be.

This follows my earlier Fitbit Air vs Garmin 5K test, where the screenless tracker came very close when the run was started properly from the phone. For this follow-up, I wanted to make life harder for it. I wore it on my ankle and did not start anything manually.

The distance result was solid

My Garmin Forerunner recorded the run at 5.01 km. Fitbit Air logged 5.16 km, which puts it around 150 metres higher over the run. That is not perfect, but for an automatically detected run from the ankle, I would call it a surprisingly decent result.

The Garmin used GPS. Fitbit Air, on the other hand, had to rely on its own motion data and whatever context it could pull together in the background. The important part is that it did not drift wildly. It recognised the session as a run and landed close enough to be useful for casual tracking.

That makes the result more interesting than a simple wrist-to-wrist test. Ankle wear changes the movement pattern completely. The device has to deal with sharper leg motion, higher impact and a position it probably was not designed around as its main use case.

Google only talks about wearing the tracker on the wrist. In practice, though, it can also be worn on the upper arm or even the ankle. I have worn it like this 24/7 for the past week and the only real difference I have noticed is shorter sleep tracking. My guess is that I move my legs more than my arms during sleep, so the tracker may be reading some of that movement as wake time.

The average heart rate needs context

But what about heart rate during the 5K. Well, at first glance, the heart rate comparison looks weaker. The Garmin reported an average heart rate of 144 bpm, while Fitbit Air showed 132 bpm. Taken alone, that looks like a fairly large gap.

But the chart tells a better story. Fitbit Air appears to have started tracking too early and ended too late. Those low heart rate sections at the beginning and end pulled down the average. During the actual running portion, the heart rate trace looked much closer to the Garmin result.

The max heart rate makes the point even clearer. The Garmin recorded 161 bpm, while Fitbit Air reached 160 bpm. That is only 1 bpm apart, which is a strong result for a tracker worn on the ankle during a run.

This was probably the most interesting part of the test for me. Optical heart rate from the ankle sounds like something that should struggle. In this run, it looked surprisingly stable once the effort started properly.

Auto-tracking is the weak link

The main issue was not that Fitbit Air failed to detect the run. It did detect it. The issue was that it wrapped too much time around the actual workout.

The Garmin recorded 28 minutes and 33 seconds for the 5K. Fitbit Air showed 35 minutes and 48 seconds. That extra time changes the whole summary. It makes the average pace look much slower and it drags down the average heart rate.

Fitbit Air*

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This is where Google Health needs better editing tools. There is currently no option to trim the run afterwards. I could view the activity, but I could not cut off the early and late sections that should not have counted as part of the workout.

That limitation is annoying because the raw tracking looked better than the final numbers imply. Strip away the extra time and Fitbit Air would probably get much closer on average heart rate. The problem is that the app does not let me clean up the session.

A useful result with a clear caveat

This test does not prove that Fitbit Air is a replacement for a running watch. It also does not prove that ankle-based heart rate will hold up in every workout. Intervals, hills and faster changes in effort could expose weaknesses that a steady 5K does not show.

Still, I came away encouraged. Fitbit Air got the distance close, detected the run automatically and matched the Garmin’s peak heart rate almost exactly. For a screenless tracker worn on the ankle and left to work passively, that is a better outcome than I expected.

The lesson for me is that Fitbit Air’s hardware may be more capable than the app summary suggests. The sensor performance looks promising, but the automatic tracking window needs more control. A simple trim option in Google Health would make a big difference here because it would let me remove the dead time and keep the useful part of the workout.

For now, this makes Fitbit Air look like an interesting passive fitness tracker rather than a precision running tool. It can capture the run and the ankle heart rate result looks genuinely useful. But if Google wants this kind of device to be trusted for workouts, post-run editing needs to catch up with the hardware.

The post Fitbit Air on the ankle delivers a surprisingly solid 5K run result appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The lawsuit is listed as Maurer v. Garmin International, Inc. et al, case number 1:26-cv-06389, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. It was filed on May 29, 2026 by Victor Maurer, with Garmin International named among the defendants. The docket lists it as an “Other Fraud” case, with a jury demand and a 56-page complaint.

At this stage, this is still an allegation. Garmin has not yet had its say in court, and a proposed class action is not the same as a finding that the company did anything wrong.

What the lawsuit claims

The complaint focuses on the Garmin Index S2 Smart Scale, so the latest version of its smart scale. The issue is the body composition side.

According to the complaint, Garmin “failed to disclose” key information about the scale’s alleged inability to accurately measure body composition. The plaintiff is seeking monetary damages and a declaration that the Garmin smart scale cannot accurately measure body composition.

The wording used in the lawsuit is pretty direct. It claims that the foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance technology in the scale is “incapable of accurate body composition measurements,” making Garmin’s representations allegedly false, misleading and deceptive to consumers.

That is the heart of the case. The plaintiff is not simply saying smart scale readings vary from day to day. He is arguing that the technology Garmin uses does not support the accuracy message attached to the product.

The problem with foot-to-foot BIA

The Index S2 uses bioelectrical impedance analysis, often shortened to BIA. This works by sending a small electrical signal through the body and measuring resistance. From there, the scale estimates body water, fat mass, muscle mass and other values.

The lawsuit argues that foot-to-foot BIA has a basic limitation. Because the user stands barefoot on the scale, the signal travels through the lower body rather than the whole body. That can make the estimate less representative of total body composition, especially when compared with more advanced methods.

The complaint reportedly cites a 2021 JMIR mHealth and uHealth study that compared three foot-to-foot smart scales with DEXA. According to the filing, those smart scales underestimated both fat mass and muscle mass by as much as around 8kg, or up to 8 percentage points!

Garmin’s accuracy language is the key issue

The legal question will probably come down to marketing language. Smart scales can be useful for trends, especially if someone weighs themselves under similar conditions each time. But there is a big difference between trend tracking and presenting body composition numbers as accurate measurements.

The lawsuit points to Garmin and retailer descriptions. Garmin’s own product page uses the phrase “Accuracy matters when it comes to your goals.” The complaint also references an Amazon listing that tells buyers they can get accurate measurements for weight, weight trend, body fat percentage, BMI, skeletal muscle mass and more.

Garmin may argue that consumer smart scales provide estimates and that users understand these are not clinical-grade measurements. The plaintiff will likely argue that ordinary buyers saw the accuracy language and reasonably expected more precise body composition data than the scale could provide.

Why one person can take this to court

The named plaintiff is Victor Maurer, a private individual consumer. That does not mean he is personally funding a solo legal battle against Garmin. This is a proposed class action, which means the case aims to represent a larger group of buyers who allegedly purchased the product under the same kind of marketing claims.

One person’s potential loss might only be the cost of the scale. But if a court certifies a class, the claim can potentially cover many buyers. That is why consumer class actions often start with one named plaintiff but are driven by law firms looking at the broader market.

The case still faces several hurdles. Garmin could seek dismissal. The plaintiff would also need to clear the class certification stage if the case gets that far. Many consumer class actions settle, narrow or disappear before trial, so this should not be treated as a guaranteed win for the plaintiff.

Still, the filing taps into something many smart scale users already suspect. Weight readings are one thing. Body fat percentage, muscle mass and body water are another. Those numbers look precise on a screen, but the technology behind them often works more like an estimate engine than a measurement tool.

Source: Case details checked against PacerMonitor, Law360 and Singletracks. The complaint was filed on May 29, 2026 in the Northern District of Illinois as Maurer v. Garmin International, Inc. et al, case number 1:26-cv-06389.

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Garmin’s Q2 update favours newer hardware

The May 2026 software update covers a fairly wide mix of features. On watches, Garmin lists additions such as Recovery Mode, Health Status History, Mobility Activity, Approach CT1 tag compatibility, Premium Golf Features and Stocks Tracker, depending on the model.

The cycling side gets a more practical set of tools. Supported Edge computers are listed for on-device gear tracking, Bosch eBike smart system compatibility and Workout Execution Score. That makes this update relevant for both watch owners and cyclists, although not every recent Garmin device appears in the table.

This is where the list becomes interesting. Venu X1, Venu 4, vivoactive 6, Forerunner 570 and 970, the fēnix 8 family, fēnix E and Instinct 3 all appear in the smartwatch section. Edge MTB, Edge 540, 840, 1040, 550, 850 and 1050 are also included on the cycling side.

What stands out is what is missing. There is no mention of older but still widely used devices such as Venu 3, vivoactive 5, Forerunner 265, Forerunner 965 or the fēnix 7 range. That does not mean those watches will stop getting fixes, but it does suggest Garmin is keeping this feature wave focused on newer hardware.

Recovery and health features move forward

For watches, Recovery Mode is an interesting. It appears as a new feature for several current lines, including Venu X1, Venu 4, vivoactive 6, D2 Air X15, Forerunner 570 and 970, fēnix 8 models and fēnix E. As we detailed before, this appears to be a system rescue feature that helps bring a watch back when software problems are detected

Health Status History also arrives across many of the same devices. That should give users a clearer view of longer-term changes instead of just looking at daily snapshots.

Mobility Activity also gets wider support, especially across the Instinct range. That is a smaller feature on paper, but it fits Garmin’s slow move toward recovery, flexibility and general upkeep rather than just workouts and performance stats.

Golf and lifestyle tools get some attention

Golf also gets a push in this update. Approach CT1 tag compatibility appears across several watches, including Venu X1, Venu 4, vivoactive 6, D2 Air X15, Forerunner 570 and 970 and the fēnix 8 family.

Premium Golf Features are listed too, although support varies. Venu 4, vivoactive 6 and D2 Air X15 get access via Golf Membership, while some higher-end models already have support built in.

Stocks Tracker is another addition. It appears as a new feature for Instinct models, while other watches already had it.

Edge computers get practical cycling upgrades

The Edge updates are more straightforward. Garmin is adding on-device gear tracking to supported Edge computers, letting riders assign and edit gear collections directly from the device. That includes tyres, wheels, drivetrains and even cycling shoe cleats.

Bosch eBike smart system compatibility is also included. Compatible Edge units can show eBike battery status, smart range routing, power and cadence data.

The support line is the real story

The update itself is solid, but the support pattern is the bigger takeaway. Garmin’s newer watches are getting the fresh tools, while several previous-generation models appear to be sitting this one out.

That will annoy some owners, and understandably so. Garmin devices are expensive, they last for years and many users do not expect a watch from one or two generations back to feel old.

Still, this is how Garmin seems to be separating its current lineup. Hardware lasts, but the newest software features increasingly land where Garmin wants attention next. For Q2 2026, that attention is clearly on the latest watches and Edge computers.

The post Older Garmin watches miss out on Q2 2026 software features appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Now let’s be clear – that is not confirmed information. Not even close. There are no screenshots, app references or any documents to support it. But the idea is still worth looking at.

The claim goes beyond normal auto-detection

According to this info, CIRQA would work on its own, but its main feature would come when worn with a Garmin watch. The user would be asked to wear the band on the opposite arm, allowing the watch and CIRQA to combine 24/7 heart rate, gyroscope and accelerometer data.

Apparently, this setup would allow Garmin to identify workouts automatically, even when the user has not started an activity. It also says users would be able to edit auto-detected workouts later, with Garmin filling in the details from the background data already collected.

For outdoor activities, the claim goes further. When running, CIRQA and the watch would allegedly detect the run and automatically start an activity on the watch to enable GPS. Users would supposedly be able to choose between automatic start and stop, or a prompt to start the activity manually.

That is a very specific claim for an anonymous post. So it should not be treated as firm information. But as a product idea, it is not too far fetched.

Why the idea fits Garmin

Garmin already has Move IQ, which can recognise some activity patterns in the background. But that is not the same as a proper recorded workout. If you want the full Garmin experience, with GPS, training effect, load, recovery and sport-specific data, you still usually need to press start.

That is where CIRQA could be useful. If Garmin can use a second wearable to improve detection, it could close one of the gaps with Whoop. Whoop is strong because users do not need to think about logging every workout. Garmin is stronger once the workout has started, but it still relies more on manual recording.

A second sensor position could also help in some situations. Wearing CIRQA on the opposite arm might improve heart-rate reliability or movement classification when the watch wrist is compromised. It is easy to see why Garmin might explore this.

But the hard part is reliability

The tricky bit is not detecting a run. The tricky bit is doing this well across real life. Cycling, strength training, racket sports and mixed sessions can all create messy wrist movement. Two arms can also tell different stories, especially if one hand is holding something.

That makes the automatic GPS start claim the part to treat with the most caution. A prompt on the watch sounds believable. Silent auto-start would need to be very reliable, otherwise it could quickly become annoying.

Still, the bigger idea is interesting. CIRQA as a standalone screenless band sounds useful, but not especially different from other passive health trackers. CIRQA as a companion sensor for Garmin watches is a stronger pitch.

For now, this remains an unverified claim. But it raises the right question. If Garmin wants CIRQA to stand out, making it work with existing watches may be a smarter route than simply chasing Whoop on its own terms.

This article originally appeared on Gadgets & Wearables, the first media outlet to report the story.

The post Garmin CIRQA could be more than a Whoop-style band if this leak is right appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The story started with a Reddit post from a Garmin buyer who said they ordered a Fenix 8 Pro from Amazon and received an empty box. Amazon arranged a replacement, but that delivery was delayed, so the buyer placed another same-day order for the same watch.

That is where the story gets stranger. According to the buyer, the second package was opened in front of the delivery driver and the Garmin box was empty again. After that, they ordered directly from Garmin instead.

The post has since been picked up by a local news report, which has pushed the story beyond a normal Reddit complaint. It has also started a wider discussion among Garmin users about whether Amazon is still a safe place to buy expensive wearables.

This does not look like a Garmin issue

The important point here is that the complaint is not really about Garmin. The watch itself is not the problem, and there is nothing to suggest Garmin shipped an empty retail box.

This is about the delivery chain around high-value electronics. A Fenix 8 Pro is expensive, compact and easy to remove from its packaging. That makes it exactly the kind of product where a missing item can turn into a painful dispute between buyer, seller and delivery network.

The original buyer’s account also lines up with the concern many people already have about ordering small premium electronics online. Watches, phones, earbuds, cameras and computer parts are valuable enough to attract problems, but small enough to disappear without much effort.

For Garmin users, the awkward part is that Amazon is often the most convenient route. It may offer fast delivery, easy ordering and good stock availability. But if something goes wrong, the refund process can become far more stressful than the purchase itself.

Other Garmin users report similar experiences

The newer discussion around the news report includes several users sharing similar stories. One person said they ordered a Forerunner 955 Solar from Amazon UK to New Zealand and received an empty box. Another said they bought a high-end Garmin, only to find that the retail box inside the sealed Amazon parcel had already been opened and was empty.

That does not prove a widespread issue. It does, however, show that this is not the kind of story Garmin buyers immediately dismiss as impossible. Enough people have had odd experiences with expensive Amazon deliveries that the thread turned into a broader warning.

Some commenters suggested the problem could involve returns being placed back into stock without proper checks. Others speculated about theft somewhere in the warehouse or delivery process. The honest answer is that nobody really can prove exactly where the watches went missing.

Buying direct may feel safer for expensive watches

The obvious advice is to consider buying directly from Garmin or from a trusted physical retailer when the device costs hundreds or even thousands. That will not eliminate every possible problem, but it may reduce the number of parties involved if something goes wrong.

There is also a simple practical step for buyers. If you are receiving an expensive watch from Amazon, it may be worth recording the unboxing, checking the package weight and opening it as soon as possible. That might feel excessive, but empty-box disputes can become messy very quickly!

An Amazon Spokesperson has reached out to us with the following statement:

“We’ve apologized to Mr. Lapworth and have resolved this directly with him as we continue to look into the matter.”

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