Garmin might already be cooking up a fancier version of its Cirqa smart band, and we know this because of the oldest trick in the tech leak playbook: somebody poked around in the software code and found something Garmin didn't mean to show us yet. According to a report from A Mile A Minute, references buried in Garmin's code suggest a "Pro" Cirqa variant that could gain two buttons, plus the possibility of audio output.

Code leaks like this take me right back. I remember sitting at my desk in the late nineties, scrolling through firmware strings some forum digger had posted, reading about unreleased products before executives ever walked on stage, and half the tech press didn't believe what they were reading. Developers and code archaeologists have been finding unreleased products hiding in plain sight for decades. It's the digital equivalent of finding a gift your spouse hid in the closet in November. You weren't supposed to see it, but there it is.

So what would a Pro Cirqa actually get you? Extra physical buttons would be the headline change. The current Cirqa leans on its touchscreen, which is fine when you're strolling down the sidewalk but genuinely annoying when you're mid-run with sweaty fingers or wearing gloves in January. Additional buttons give you a reliable way to lap your splits, pause a workout, or navigate menus without stabbing at glass. Runners and cyclists have been asking for this kind of thing forever, and Garmin knows that audience better than almost anyone.

The audio output bit is more interesting, and murkier. The report frames it as a possibility rather than a certainty, so I'd keep expectations in check. If it means onboard audio for workouts without carrying a phone, that's a real feature. If it's just beeps and chirps for alerts... well, my old Timex did that in 1994. We'll have to wait and see what Garmin actually ships.

The honest caveat with any code leak is that plans change. I've watched products appear in firmware strings and never materialize, sometimes because companies test ideas and abandon them quietly. My colleague Marcus could explain exactly how these strings get pulled from the code, and if he writes it up I'll point you to it. The short version: this is a strong hint, not an announcement.

Should you hold off buying a Cirqa if you were about to pull the trigger? If those buttons matter to you, maybe. I'd guess, and this is pure speculation on my part, that a Pro version would come at a premium price if it arrives, with the standard Cirqa staying put at a friendlier number. But that's just my expectation, not anything Garmin has said. My rule, as always: buy the gadget that solves your actual problem today, not the one that might show up in six months. Technology should work for you on your schedule, not the other way around.

I'll keep an eye on this one and let you know the moment Garmin makes it official. In the meantime, if you see a runner jabbing at their wristband with a gloved finger this winter, that's somebody who understands exactly why extra buttons matter.