Garmin's Mystery FCC Filing (A04968): Could This Be The Forerunner 975? And What's Up With Garmin Pay?

Okay, let's put on our virtual swim cap, bike shoes, and running flats and dive into the latest Garmin rumor mill. Remember, grab your grain of salt shaker – we're dealing with speculation here, albeit speculation sparked by the ever-revealing (and sometimes confusing) FCC filings.

Garmin's Mystery FCC Filing (A04968): Could This Be The Forerunner 975? And What's Up With Garmin Pay?

Alright folks, it's that time again. A new Garmin device, tagged with the model number "A04968," has made its mandatory appearance at the FCC. And as predictable as a post-race craving for pizza, the speculation engine has fired up, with many pointing fingers towards a potential Forerunner 975.

So, what are we looking at? Based on the whispers, scuttlebutt, and educated guesses floating around (and referencing the source material provided), let's break down what this might mean.

What to Expect

If this is the successor to the rather excellent Forerunner 965, certain things feel like safe bets:

1. Form Factor: The 47mm case size seems likely to stick around, potentially keeping that nice titanium bezel introduced on the FR965. No major surprises expected here in terms of overall size.

2. That AMOLED Display: Garmin went bright and beautiful with the FR965's AMOLED screen, and it's hard to imagine them going back. Expect that vibrant display to return. The million-dollar question, however, is whether they might try to incorporate solar charging with the AMOLED, like we've seen in some Fenix/Enduro models. That would be a tricky engineering feat balancing power consumption and generation, but it's on the wishlist for many.

3. Core Athletic Features: This is Garmin's bread and butter, especially in the 900-series. Expect the latest and greatest training metrics. Things like Real-Time Stamina, adaptive training suggestions based on your load and recovery – basically, more tools aimed squarely at serious runners and triathletes. Enhanced navigation, likely building on the already solid multi-band GNSS for better GPS accuracy in tricky spots, also seems probable.

Battery Life

With an AMOLED display and powerful GPS running, battery life is always a key discussion point. While the FR965 was decent, there's always room for improvement. We'd anticipate Garmin aiming to push the endurance further, trying to eke out more hours or days, even with features like always-on display and multi-band GPS enabled. This is a constant battleground for watch manufacturers.

Software

Garmin's been rolling out features across their lineup. It's reasonable to expect this potential FR975 would inherit recent software additions like automatic detection for triathlon transitions (finally!), perhaps expanded running track databases, and the dynamic heart rate source switching (using the chest strap when connected, optical when not, automatically).

Wherefore Art Thou, Garmin Pay?

Now, here's where things get interesting, and where the FCC filing throws a wrench in the works. The documentation for A04968 apparently lacks mention of NFC, which is the underpinning technology for Garmin Pay.

Hold up.

A top-tier Forerunner without Garmin Pay? That seems... odd. It's been a standard feature on the higher-end models (FR945, 955, 965) for years. This omission has definitely raised eyebrows and fueled a few theories:

1. Is A04968 really the Forerunner 975? Maybe this FCC ID belongs to a different device altogether. A variant? A new product category?

2. Cost Reduction? Is Garmin trying to hit a slightly different price point or simplify the hardware by removing NFC? Seems unlikely for the flagship triathlon watch, but not impossible.

3. Ultra-Focused Athlete Watch? Could they be stripping away 'smartwatch' features to double down purely on athletic performance and battery life, targeting athletes who simply don't care about paying with their wrist?

This Garmin Pay question is perhaps the biggest head-scratcher right now.

Timing the Release

Garmin often likes to time its major Forerunner releases around the late Q1 / early Q2 window (think March/April). This aligns nicely with the start of the main Northern Hemisphere triathlon and running season. Based on historical patterns, a launch sometime around now (Spring 2025) would fit the mould, assuming this device is the FR975 and is imminent. However, Garmin's timelines are their own!

Wrapping It Up

So, what we have is an FCC filing for a device (A04968) that could be the Forerunner 975. If it is, expect the usual generational improvements: maintaining the great AMOLED display (maybe with solar?), enhanced training metrics, better GPS, and hopefully, improved battery life.

The big question mark hangs over Garmin Pay. Its apparent absence in the filing is peculiar for a device presumed to be the next top-tier Forerunner. It forces us to ask if A04968 is indeed the FR975, or if Garmin is shifting its strategy for this line.

As always with pre-release buzz, especially based solely on regulatory filings, things can change. Details might be misinterpreted, or the device could be something else entirely. But, if you're a data-hungry athlete eyeing Garmin's next move in the high-end Forerunner space, device A04968 is definitely the one to watch. We'll have to wait for the official announcement (if and when it comes) to get the real answers.

Stay tuned!