This past April we learned about Garmin trademarking the names Monterra and VIRB. The Monterra turned out to be real, and now the VIRB and VIRB Elite (pictured above) have cleared the FCC.
From the trademark filing we know this much about the VIRB series…
Cameras incorporating GPS data, altimeter, barometer, accelerometer, GPS tracking device, and transceiver to allow communication with other electronic devices; camera mounts and supports; camera cases.
My first thought on seeing the FCC photos was that perhaps these were driving recorders, but then I did a search for “garmin virb” (in quotes) and a GoPro result turned up on the first page. There was no reference to the VIRB on that page, but maybe Google knows something we don’t. And a GoPro wearable action camera competitor makes perfect sense. What do you think? Is this likely or does Garmin have some other type of camera in the works?
Oh, and while we’re at it, check out the trademark filings on the VIVO, gobi and TACTIX!
Makes sense to me. The key will be their ability to match GoPro video quality. Incorporating GPS data will convert a lot of users over to this Garmin product.