It seems Garmin is preparing to launch a new heart rate monitor. The new device is currently going through the long process of being tested and approved by various international regulatory bodies, and has just received the green light from SIRIM, the the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia, for sale in the country.
The SIRIM listing was spotted by Ivan Jovin of Gadgets and Wearables. There are few details, but we do have a model ID (C03699) and a name: HRM-Fit.
So what might the new device bring to the table? The Garmin HRM-Pro Plus only launched last year, and it seems quite soon for the company to be releasing a whole new chest strap. It might have developed a new electrical heart rate sensor (after all, the HRM-Pro Plus was only a very minor iteration on the HRM-Pro), or it could be something quite different.
Location, location, location
Earlier this summer, Garmin released the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix Pro (Gen 2), both the which feature a new optical heart rate sensor with more LEDs and receptors spread out over a larger area. It's too early to say for certain, but it's possible that Garmin might be planning to implement this sensor in a device that can be worn strapped around different parts of your arm, similar to the Polar Verity Sense.
This type of sensor has some key advantages over one built into a GPS watch. First of all, the signal it receives won't be affected by gripping motions in the same way as a wrist-based heart rate sensor, which will make it a better choice for activities like lifting and pull-ups (and might tie in with the HRM-Fit name).
An optical heart rate sensor higher up your arm will also move less as your arm swings during runs, resulting in less 'noise'.
Of course these are only my (somewhat) educated guesses at this point. We might get a little more information when the HRM-Fit is approved by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which publishes reports on the devices it tests, or we may just have to sit tight and wait until release day.
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