New Competition: Garmin Cirqa Challenges Fitbit Air for Early Victory

The competition among screenless fitness trackers is intensifying, but a new rumor suggests that the upcoming Garmin Cirqa band may be lacking a crucial feature needed to compete effectively.

An unnamed Garmin device listing has appeared on Singapore’s IMDA Integrated Regulatory Information System, hinting at a potential launch. While it could be the Cirqa, the listing only mentions Bluetooth compatibility under the ‘Equipment Description’ tab.

Notably, there is no reference to built-in GPS tracking in the details, which is consistent with the absence of this feature in the Fitbit Air and the Whoop Strap 5.0. However, the surprising omission is the lack of ANT+ support, a feature that enables Garmin devices to connect with various fitness equipment.

While ANT+ is absent in competitors’ devices, Garmin could have gained a significant advantage in this area, especially given the competitive landscape and focus on AI capabilities.

Not having these features could be a missed opportunity, particularly as the Cirqa is rumored to be priced significantly higher than Google’s counterpart.

Garmin’s Approach

Whoop Coach, powered by AI, has been on the market for years and continuously improved, while Fitbit Air leverages Google’s AI through Google Health Coach. Garmin also offers AI insights through Garmin Connect+, although it is relatively new compared to competitors.

As per available information, the Garmin Cirqa can function independently to monitor health, heart rate, and recovery data but is optimized to work seamlessly with existing Garmin watches, similar to Fitbit Air’s compatibility with Pixel Watch.

A recent Reddit post (now removed) hinted that the Cirqa is expected to enhance automatic workout tracking, eliminating the need for manual input, a feature lacking in current Garmin watches.

Despite the remaining uncertainties about the Garmin Cirqa, the IMDA certification suggests an official unveiling from Garmin could be imminent.