new Garmin Features – Q2 Firmware Updates Drop for Fenix
Officially at least, this quarter’s new tranche of Garmin features is thin on the ground. I’ve listed and linked to them below and you can hope that the relevant ones will trickle down to non-Fenix/Epix models in the days and weeks ahead. Although it looks like perhaps these only go to the FR965/265/255
The addition of the Recovery Advisor to Morning Report is one that I might use but less so the rest.
Turning to the more interesting stuff. These features were announced a while ago but the MESSENGER APP is worth highlighting and I had a chat with @MarcinM at the time about it (other comments here). That app and its leveraging of the new CIQ7 features from Q4.2023 probably mean that LTE will again be seen on a new Garmin this year. Indeed LTE would be an example of one of the headline features that a new Fenix 8 would need to get the ‘8’ designation. However, Garmin might want to first try out such a feature on a ‘lesser’ model which perhaps explains what they did with 945LTE a few years ago or maybe the 945LTE justified all that Garmin needed to know.
A Forerunner 755LTE would be a smaller 955/965 likely with Elevate 5 and perhaps with some minor cutback to triathlon software features like the recent auto-transition.
I’d be surprised to see LTE added to Instinct 3 before Fenix 8.
This brings us back to whatever DC Rainmaker was testing in Madeira a few days ago. A guess based on reading my tea leaves would be for the Fenix 8 LTE on Tuesday 11 June.
- Added ability to find a lost phone during an activity with GPS (navigate to its last known position)
- Added Applied Ballistics Wind Mode (Tactix only).
- Added Indoor Walk activity.
- Added Messenger App (Messenger is linked to 2-way comms using inReach))
- Added Recovery Advisor as an option in Morning Report and glances.
- Added self-evaluation to more activity types.
Source: Garmin
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.. You mean 945LTE rather than 745LTE, right?
yep ty
FR945LTE was not update to latest FRx55/65 version, maybe or not with the next one … then will it ever receive Messenger App ?
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F7/E2 receive this update through 17.xx Beta, very hard to obtain Garmin feedback on how it works as a Beta user.
https://forums.garmin.com/beta-program/fenix-7-series/f/community-discussion/364062/beta-phase—beta-manual-by-quarter—or-specific-topic-for-new-features
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FYI this new Beta include another enhancement 😉
https://forums.garmin.com/beta-program/fenix-7-series/public-beta-reports/i/public-beta-17-xx/audio-prompts-for-course-points-using-smartphone—only-male-english-no-other-choice
Interesting Beta for the 955 released today. Jet Lag advisor finally, but I’m most intrigued by
Adds heart rate dynamic source switching to select the best heart rate data source (watch or chest HRM) to improve accuracy during running activities.
Adds the Jet Lag Adviser glance.
Adds support for the Garmin Messenger app with a glance and app.
During an activity, use GPS to navigate to the point where a phone lost connection.
Adds heart rate dynamic source switching to select the best heart rate data source (watch or chest HRM) to improve accuracy during running activities.
Fixes “Lock On Road” setting not being honored.
Fixes intermittent crash in music control.
Fixes persistent notification vibration for incoming calls.
Fixes inconsistent activity profile ordering between Connect and device.
Various UI improvements and fixes.
yeah this one: https://the5krunner.com/2024/03/11/new-undocumented-garmin-heart-rate-feature-now-silently-live-at-least-in-beta/
quite a few of us could have sworn it already worked like this but you’ve just shown we are all wrong!!
Garmin has released the 265 beta as well and I have to admit that was super quick. Typically the update lags the Fenix series by at least a week if not two. Reading tea leaves I would live to see that mysterious HRM you mentioned earlier be an optical HRM Pro and have it utilize this new **heart rate dynamic source switching**. I think using an optical HRM would be a far better reason to have switching vs a traditional chest strap which has always been touted as the gold standard.
Change Log:
Adds the Jet Lag Adviser glance.
Adds support for the Garmin Messenger app with a glance and app.
During an activity, use GPS to navigate to the point where a phone lost connection.
*** Adds heart rate dynamic source switching to select the best heart rate data source (watch or chest HRM) to improve accuracy during running activities. ***
Fixes intermittent crash in music control.
Fixes persistent notification vibration for incoming calls.
Fixes inconsistent activity profile ordering between Connect and device.
Various UI improvements.
maybe
see this: https://the5krunner.com/2024/03/11/new-undocumented-garmin-heart-rate-feature-now-silently-live-at-least-in-beta/
I didn’t recall this post but after reading it I now remember it and there go my hopes for an all day wearable oHRM from Garmin. I find the chest straps uncomfortable for me and optical off wrist during a strength workouts is just terrible. Bicep optical is far more accurate
yes,
do you know that there is little point in recording HR during strength workouts? HR doesn’t capture the muscular strain from weights.
ie HR fro mrunning/cycling etc can sensibly feed into the various LOAD algorithms but HR in weights doesn’t measure the same load.
I don’t know. At this point you seem to be stabbing in the dark. What happened to this week’s release? As much intel as us nobodies on the internet, it seems.
that was some miss info from a reliable source. the date was for something else.
I agree the info is MUCH harder to find this year than in previous years
Oh well. At least you keep us entertained by going out on a limb!
😉
i liked to keep you entertained and be right.
That’s looking a bit harder this year.
That screenshot was probably for some UI (the Connect app?) supporting some feature in this firmware release that had support already present in wherever the screenshot was from, but gated. That actually makes more sense than a hardware release, because I’d take it as a given that much less effort is spent on secrecy of upcoming updates (isn’t most even in public betas these days?) than on secrecy of upcoming products.
something else…
When you say Recovery ADVISOR, is it then still the regular “Recovery” glance in Morning Report? It has been there for a long time. On FR955 and beta, and has had it for longer than the latest beta release.
Or am I missing something? Don’t have other Morning Report glances to select from.
Thank you 🙂
Any news from forerunner line lately?
it will be in this post when known: https://the5krunner.com/2024/02/05/new-garmin-watches-2024/