Garmin Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 Get a Dose of Bug Fixes in First Beta Update

Garmin has rolled out its first wave of beta updates for the Fenix 8 and Enduro 3, bringing a slew of fixes to eager early adopters. Released on November 1st, this update focuses primarily on squashing bugs and improving existing features rather than introducing new ones. This comes as welcome news to some users who have been experiencing issues with PacePro, Breathwork, and heart rate monitoring.

While this isn’t the first update these watches have seen (a prior update addressed a cold water crash issue), it’s the first comprehensive update aimed at resolving a wider range of user-reported problems. It’s important to note that this update is currently only available to those enrolled in Garmin’s Public Beta program.

A Deeper Dive into the Fixes

So, what exactly is getting fixed? Here’s a breakdown:

• Brighter Displays: One of the most noticeable changes addresses an issue where watch faces appeared too dim with Always On Display enabled.
• Battery Life Improvements: The update tackles a bug that caused increased battery drain when using a CIQ watch face.
• PacePro Precision: A fix has been implemented for missing PacePro plan names in the Race Calendar app.
• Enhanced Heart Rate Glance: A potential crash issue stemming from the Heart Rate Glance in folders has been resolved.
• Smoother Sleep Tracking: The update addresses a problem where sleep wouldn’t record despite HR and movement being tracked.
• Improved CIQ Watch Face Performance: Several fixes target CIQ watch faces, including issues with stale data, active app indicator performance, and battery consumption.
• Breathwork and Meditation Enhancements: Fixes have been applied to the Breathwork activity’s alert settings and the Meditation activity’s disabled touch setting.

My Experience:

As a Fenix 8 owner and beta program participant, I’ve been testing this update for the past few days. The improved display brightness is a definite plus, and I haven’t experienced any crashes related to the heart rate glance. It seems like Garmin is taking user feedback seriously and working diligently to iron out these wrinkles.

How to Get the Update

If you’re enrolled in the Garmin Public Beta program, you can grab the update by navigating to Main Menu > System > Software Update > Check for Updates on your Fenix 8 or Enduro 3.

Important Note: Remember that this is a beta release, so there might still be some undiscovered bugs. However, based on my experience and feedback from other users on Reddit and the Garmin forums, this update seems to bring significant improvements.

This first round of beta updates demonstrates Garmin’s commitment to refining the user experience on its flagship watches. It’ll be interesting to see what further enhancements and features future updates will bring.