Garmin Fenix 6 & Garmin Edge Updates Today
There are a lot of firmware updates today to MARQ and Fenix 6 as some minor beta features are made public for the first time and with Edge 530-1030 we see several minor beta feature additions. There are lots of bug fixes here but also a few new nuggets of interest.
Recommended: Garmin Fenix 7 Review
For all the Fenix 6 and MARQ models you get these
- Improved altimeter auto calibration during activities for MARQ and Fenix 6 Pro devices.
- Improved power meter calibration and settings.
Whereas for Edge 530, 830 and 1030 there is a more extensive beta list of features the most interesting of which seems to be some nice tweaks to map- & route-related features. Take a look…
- Course Routing
Improved course routing speed.
Added automatic course route caching. - Map
Improved map visibility and contrast with new map themes.
Added a popularity layer to highlight roads that Garmin users have ridden the most.
Added directional arrows to routes, courses, and history lines. - Phone
Added smart syncing before an activity.
Added a Sync Now button to the settings widget and the Connected Features > Phone menu. - Updated Firstbeat library for various improvements and bug fixes including a fix for training stats being reset on a multiple-day activity.
- CIQ
Fixed issue with BLE sensors in CIQ data fields after waking the Edge from sleep mode.
Fixed issue where activity controls would not work in a CIQ app. - Improved Garmin dual-mode sensor management.
- Improved power meter calibration and software updates.
- Improved the cycling dynamics page.
- Increased maximum number of workout steps from 50 to 100.
- Combined the indoor trainer Target Power and Resistance data fields into a single new ‘Trainer Mode Value’ data field that will dynamically change the title and value based on the current trainer mode between Target Power, Slope, and Resistance options.
- Added support for including metabolic calories in the total calories reported in the calories data field and recorded in the activity file.
Fenix 6 series
Garmin Edge Series – 530, 630, 1030
1030 Plus got a .19 beta with those changes last week, and a .18 with most of those changes even earlier. Looks like 4.* / 11.* will the major version number where they finally start releasing 5/8/10+ in sync again, after some turmoil related to the plus introduction.
Revistiting the change lists again, they put version similarity between + and other 30ies on a new level. Versions 10/6/3 (for 1030/830,530/1030+) were already close, but the minor counter of the plus was still separate. I think it’s safe to assume now that all features of the 1030+ that didn’t make it to vanilla 1030 in 11.x or to 530/830 in 7.x will stay 1030+ exclusives forever (if there are still any left?).
I hope the altimeter auto calibration fixes stair detection during “Floors” activities. I do some stadium stairs nearby and some days it will be fairly accurate determining floors climbed, other days it “sticks” at e.g. 20 and never moves, and some days it never detects any.