A new listing on the website of the Singaporean telecoms agency suggests that yet another Garmin watch may be on the way very soon. The news comes just days after the launch of the Garmin Venu Sq 2, and hot on the heels of the new Garmin Enduro 2.
All devices capable of wireless communications (including GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi) must be tested and approved by telecoms authorities in each country where they're to be sold. In the US, for example, that's the Federal Communications Commission.
Most of these authorities keep the details of newly approved devices under wraps, but the Singaporean Telecoms Licensing Agency publishes a few details of new products, which can give us a tantalizing glimpse into what's coming soon.
The TLA used to publish the names of Garmin devices, but in recent months we've seen it switch to reference codes instead, which makes it trickier to work out exactly what's on the way, but we can sometimes make some extrapolations. For example, we got an early hint about the Venu Sq 2 and Venu Sq 2 Music when a pair of very similar reference numbers appeared on the TLS site simultaneously.
Now, Advnture has spotted something new: a multisports GPS watch with the reference A04348. There's not much other information available at present, but we can see that it will have ANT+ and Bluetooth, and no Wi-Fi.
What's coming?
So what might it be? Well, earlier this year, a retailer accidentally leaked a list of warranty information for this year's Garmin devices, including several that had yet to be released. Most of those listed have now made their debut, including the Venu Sq 2, Forerunner 955, Forerunner 255, and Vivosmart 5. It seems likely that the 'Garmin Austin' in the list was a codename for the Enduro 2, as it was listed as an adventure watch, which leaves just two watches unaccounted for: the Vivomove Trend, and Garmin Instinct Analog.
Excitingly, the fact that this is a GPS watch leads me to believe that we're looking at the Instinct Analog. Watches in the Vivomove Series track your whereabouts using connected GPS, which essentially means that rather than having their own GPS module, they piggyback on your phone via Bluetooth. The TLS therefore doesn't list them as GPS devices in their own right. The Instinct 2 lacks Wi-Fi, so that fits the theory as well.
It's tricky to say what we can expect from the Instinct Analog at the moment, but it seems plausible that it might have a Vivomove-style hybrid face, with physical hands that move aside when you want to see your workout stats. It's likely to have a much more rugged build though, in keeping with the rest of the Instinct line, and might more closely resemble a field watch.
This is just speculation, however, and we might be completely wrong. We'll keep our ears to the ground for more hints and news, and keep you updated as soon as we have any further information.
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