Garmin quietly cleared two new wrist devices through the FCC on October 6, and the paperwork tells us more about what they are not than what they are.
The two models carry consecutive numbers, 05146 and 05147, and both are listed only as a "portable digital transceiver." No product name, no family, no price. What the filings do show is a pair of watches with Wi-Fi and a contactless payment radio, no cellular, and matching internals, which points to a single new Garmin watch line launching in two case sizes.
Here is what the records actually say, and why this is a different device from the flagships Garmin has been shipping this year.
What Cleared the FCC
Both grants landed on October 6, 2026, under Garmin's IPH grantee code. The details line up closely between the two.
- Model 05146 (FCC ID IPH-05146): Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, ANT and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi from 2412 to 2472 MHz. The record also includes an RFID test report, which covers the 13.56 MHz short-range radio Garmin Pay uses. Testing was handled by the outside lab HCT America.
- Model 05147 (FCC ID IPH-05147): the same set of 2.4GHz radios, but tested in Garmin's own compliance laboratory. Its application was filed back on September 14, 2026.
Neither filing includes a cellular radio or 5GHz Wi-Fi. That last point matters, because it separates these watches from the more advanced hardware Garmin has been moving through regulators this year.
The consecutive model numbers are the giveaway on sizing. Garmin files back-to-back numbers when it launches one watch in two case sizes, the same way it handles the Venu and Vivoactive families. Two filings, one product, two options on the wrist.
Both grants request confidentiality on the internal photos and user manual until April 4, 2027. That date is a ceiling, not a schedule. Garmin typically announces well before a confidentiality window closes, so a launch in the coming months is the realistic read rather than a wait until spring.
Why This Is Not the Enduro 4 or the Next Flagship
If the numbers look familiar, that is because A05146 has been on the radar since July, when it surfaced in Indonesia's regulatory database classified as an "Outdoor Product," then reappeared in Korea and Brazil. At the time it looked like a candidate for the Enduro 4, Garmin's ultra-endurance watch.
That question is now settled. The Enduro 4 turned out to be a different device entirely, model A05216, which Garmin launched on October 6 at $899.99. So A05146 is something else, and this week's FCC grant is the clearest look at it so far.
It is also not the satellite flagship. That hardware sits in a separate filing, model A05170, which carries both LTE-M cellular and NB-NTN satellite radios and lines up with a satellite-equipped Fenix 9 Pro. The 05146 and 05147 pair has none of that.
Read together, the pattern is a two-tier strategy. Garmin puts the expensive radios (LTE and satellite) in one premium device and keeps the mainstream watches on Wi-Fi and NFC. That is a cost decision as much as a feature one, and it is how the company has split its lineup all year.
Garmin Cleared Four Models This Week
The FCC pair was not the only regulatory activity. The same week, Garmin's models A05240 and A05242 were reported to have been approved by the United Arab Emirates' telecom regulator, the TDRA, on October 5, with the approvals running to October 2029.
Those UAE entries carry no technical detail and no product name. A05240 had already been reported at Korea's RRA in late September, and A05242 is a brand-new number. Filing at two regulators inside a fortnight is Garmin's normal pre-launch pattern, clearing a device for sale across regions at once.
One honest caveat: the FCC records are the primary source here, and they are clear. The UAE filings are reported rather than something I could verify in a public record, and there is no second independent write-up of this week's grants to cross-check the details against. The numbers in this article come from the FCC filings themselves.
What It Likely Means
A mainstream Garmin watch with Wi-Fi and Garmin Pay but no LTE fits the mid-range part of the lineup, the Venu and Vivoactive family rather than the Fenix. Two case sizes at launch is standard for that tier.
For buyers, the practical takeaway is timing. Garmin devices generally ship one to three months after they clear regulators, so this pair points to a launch window over the next quarter or so. If you are in the market for a mid-range Garmin, it is worth knowing a refresh is in the pipeline before you pay full price on a current model. The Venu 4 and Vivoactive 6 are the watches most likely to be affected.
The Bottom Line
Garmin has two new watches on the way, filed as a matched pair with Wi-Fi and a contactless payment radio and no cellular. The filings do not name them, and anyone telling you they know exactly which watch this is, this early, is guessing.
What is solid is the direction. Garmin is refreshing the mainstream tier of its lineup with connectivity that covers music, payments and Wi-Fi syncing, and it is keeping the costly LTE and satellite radios for the top of the range. Expect more detail from Garmin, not from the regulators, in the weeks ahead.
Sources: FCC Equipment Authorization records for FCC ID IPH-05146 and IPH-05147 (fcc.gov, retrieved via fccid.io); prior WatchesReviewed coverage of the A05146 regulatory trail, the A05216 Enduro 4 launch, and the A05170 LTE/satellite filing; UAE TDRA approval of A05240 and A05242 as reported (secondary regulator, not independently confirmed).
