Garmin Enduro 4 possibly spotted in FCC filing A05216

A new Garmin device has cleared FCC testing, as spotted by Garmin News. It’s likely to be Enduro 4, and we’ve dug a little deeper to add some details and comparisons.

The filing (18 June 2026) lists model number A05216 under FCC ID IPH-05216, classified as a “Mobile GNSS navigator.” The wireless capabilities and charging specs are consistent with a high-end Garmin wearable. Of the obvious candidates (Enduro, MARQ, or Fenix) the Enduro 4 is the most plausible fit. Here’s why.

What the FCC filing confirms

• Device type: Mobile GNSS navigator
• Bluetooth 5.0 LE, BR/EDR, 1M and 2M
• Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz: 802.11b/g/n HT20
• Wi-Fi 5 GHz: 802.11a/n20/n40/ac80
• ANT+ (channel 57 at 2457 MHz explicitly reserved in the frequency table)
• Antenna: permanently attached inverted-F type, single element
• Power: charges via proprietary connector and cradle
• Operating temperature: -20°C to 50°C
• Firmware version at test: 1.24. Hardware version: A05216. FVIN: 2.14
• Initial testing: 25 March to 28 April 2026. Report revised 10 June 2026
• 180-day confidentiality request covering external photos and the user manual

Garmin frequently launches products before the FCC confidentiality expires. Combined with the Enduro’s historical release timing, an August or September 2026 launch appears plausible.

Why this is likely a watch

ANT+ suggests this sits in Garmin’s fitness and outdoor ecosystem rather than the navigation product range, though it does not prove wrist-worn on its own as some handhelds support ANT+. The permanently attached inverted-F antenna and the cradle/dock charging setup both point in the same direction. None of this is conclusive but the combination is consistent with a watch.

A reader raised four good challenges i.e no NFC in the listing, no SAR body-worn testing, an e-label path inconsistent with current Garmin watches, and the 10-24V power rating. Three of the four don’t stand up

1. SAR files separately from the DTS report in Garmin FCC submissions. Its absence here does not indicate a non-body-worn device.
2. The 10-24V figure refers to the external supply input range used during lab testing, not the device charging voltage.
3. NFC always files under a separate equipment class and cannot be confirmed absent from the device based on this report alone.
4. The e-label path (Settings → Device → Regulatory) does not match current Garmin watch conventions, which use Settings → System → About. We cannot fully explain this anomaly, but note that no current Garmin device of any category carries 5 GHz Wi-Fi — A05216 is new hardware territory, and existing menu conventions may not apply.

Comparison with the Fenix 8 FCC filing

The Fenix 8 is filed under IPH-04853 (A04853, August 2024). Comparing the two is useful.

A04853 (Fenix 8 Solar/MIP):

• Described as: “GPS receiver, graphical display and navigation unit, hand-held, vehicle-mounted or portable”
• PIFA antennas: 2.4 GHz (4.4 dBi), 5.1 GHz (6.0 dBi), 5.7 GHz (6.5 dBi) — multi-element design
• Filed as one of a pair (IPH-04853 and IPH-04854), covering solar and non-solar
• Equipment class: Digital Transmission System Transceiver

A05216 (unknown device, possibly Enduro 4):

• Described as: “Mobile GNSS navigator”
• Single “inverted-F” antenna
• Filed alone as a single model number
• Equipment class: Digital Transmission System (DTS)
• Fenix 8 (and 8 Pro) only has single-band WiFi; this device has dual-band

Previous Fenix generations have often involved multiple related filings covering Solar and AMOLED variants, so the single-model nature of A05216 fits the Enduro pattern better than a Fenix family launch would.

We have also noted here new Garmin antenna patents for increased GPS accuracy. Our reading is that the “inverted-F antenna” is different to those patents as they describe the watch case itself as the radiating structure, whereas A05216 uses a separate, conventional component.

Also of interest here is the inclusion of dual-band Wi-Fi, or at least testing against those standards. No current Garmin device of any category — watch, cycling computer, or handheld — carries 5 GHz Wi-Fi, making this a hardware first for Garmin regardless of form factor. Dual-band Wi-Fi would offer better speed and reliability over existing Wi-Fi capabilities, but not any new features I can think of, per se. If this information is correct, the more interesting conclusion is that there is an entirely new comms chip inside (which would power Bluetooth, ANT+, etc). A new chip would likely be smaller and more power-efficient, which could improve Bluetooth music playback power consumption. If there is a new comms chip, it will likely add Wi-Fi 6 or 7 support.

The Enduro 4 case: other evidence

As covered in this site’s earlier Enduro 4 article, a teardown of the Garmin Connect app revealed the explicit string Enduro_4 and the internal device ID 5179 in the app code, along with mentions of a Garmin Connect+ subscription tier and revised incident detection. The FCC filing referenced here was made the next day. A strong coincidence.

Garmin has refreshed the Enduro line on an approximately two-year cadence, with Enduro 2 arriving in 2022 and Enduro 3 in 2024. August 2026 fits that pattern, albeit with limited history.

The Enduro’s history of platform differentiation

The Enduro 3 was not a straight Fenix copy. As the earlier Enduro 4 article noted, it essentially ran Fenix 7X Pro hardware under Fenix 8 software, i.e. a generation ahead on the software side. The Enduro line has consistently pushed battery life and solar harder than the Fenix family. If that pattern holds, the Enduro 4 may arrive with something of its own rather than simply inheriting whatever the Fenix 8 Pro already has. The single FCC filing, covering a single model rather than a variant family, is consistent with a device that launches in a single configuration.

A caution to earlier feature predictions

The earlier piece on this site flagged LTE-M and satellite messaging as the likely headline additions, given that the Fenix 8 Pro carries both and that the features perfectly align with the Enduro’s intended customer demographic. This filing does not support either, listing no Skylo Ku-band frequencies or LTE-M cellular bands.

Garmin and other manufacturers sometimes certify radio modules separately, so this filing alone does not close the door. Further, Garmin has moved to supporting the Skylo satellite network and on that basis, Iridium support would not be needed.

No associated satellite or LTE-M filing for A05216 has been identified at the time of writing.

Pros (evidence for Enduro 4 identification):

• ANT+ present — consistent with Garmin’s fitness and outdoor wearable lineup
• Single inverted-F antenna — consistent with watch architecture
• Cradle/dock charging — consistent with Garmin watch clip
• Single filing, not a paired family — arguably fits the Enduro’s one-variant launch pattern better than a Fenix
• Mobile GNSS navigator classification — different from Fenix 8’s transceiver description
• APK teardown independently named Enduro 4 with internal ID 5179, one day before the FCC grant date
• August 2026 window fits the approximately two-year Enduro cadence
• 5 GHz Wi-Fi confirms new comms chip generation — no current Garmin device of any category carries this

Cons (reasons for caution):

• No product name in the filing — identification remains circumstantial
• No satellite or LTE-M radio in this filing — contradicts earlier Enduro 4 feature predictions on this site
• A Fenix 9 or MARQ Gen 3 cannot be excluded on current evidence
• FCC classification language is not consistent across Garmin filings and may not be decisive
• External and internal photos remain confidential
• ANT+ alone does not confirm a watch
• E-label path (Settings → Device → Regulatory) does not match current Garmin watch conventions — unexplained

Take Out

I would bet this is the Enduro 4 filing. The key evidence against that is the apparent lack of satellite/LTE-M hardware to support Garmin’s inReach features that are obviously well suited to Enduro 4. Separate evidence for that may emerge.

Update: a second outdoor device appears

A second unannounced Garmin device, model number A05146, appeared simultaneously in the Indonesian e-Sertifikasi database and South Korea’s National Radio Research Agency at the start of July 2026. The Indonesian filing, registered by PT Garmin Indonesia Distribution under certificate number 123673/DJID/2026, explicitly classifies the device as an “Outdoor Product.” The South Korean filing describes it as a “Specific low-power wireless device (Wireless data communication system).”

A05146 and A05216 are distinct model numbers, which means two separate unreleased Garmin outdoor products are currently in the regulatory pipeline. The simultaneous multi-country registration suggests both are close to launch. No FCC filing for A05146 has appeared at the time of writing, and no APK teardown has named it. The Garmin Connect 5.26 teardown that identified Enduro_4 contained no Fenix 9 string. Speculation associating A05146 with the Fenix 9 is not supported by any independent technical evidence.

For the latest on confirmed and expected Garmin launches, see the Release Radar.

Source and original research by: the5krunner and Garmin News.

Last Updated on 11 September 2026 by the5krunner