If you follow sports tech, your inbox fills up fast. Most of what lands is minor patches dressed up as news. This cuts through all that with one weekly post covering every feature addition across the major brands, nothing else. Trivial bug fixes are excluded. Subscribe via RSS at the5krunner.com.
Garmin Edge 540 / 550 / 840 / 850 / 1040 / 1050 / MTB — v32.10 Beta — 8 July 2026
the5krunner insight: This is a modest beta whose one worthwhile change is a faster GPS lock, so it is worth installing if your Edge is slow to acquire satellites.
The public beta 32.10 reached the Edge lineup on 8 July. Faster satellite acquisition is the change most riders will notice at the start of a ride. The Edge 1050, Edge 850 and 550 and Edge 1040 all receive it, along with the 540, 840 and Edge MTB.
- Improved satellite acquisition for a faster GPS lock before a ride
- Refinements to how ClimbPro detects and displays climbs
Find your model’s release notes: Edge 550/850/1050 · Edge MTB
Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED / Solar / Crossover AMOLED / Instinct E — v15.12 Beta — 8 July 2026
the5krunner insight: This is a small release that is only relevant if you use the hiking gear suggestions or track a dog.
Beta 15.12 arrived for the Instinct 3 range on 8 July. The hiking app now offers better gear suggestions, and the DogTrack glance has been reworked on the Solar and Instinct E models.
- Improved gear suggestions in the hiking app
- Reworked DogTrack glance (Instinct 3 Solar, Instinct E)
Full release notes: Instinct 3 series
Amazfit Active 3 Premium — v3.24.0.1 — 5 July 2026
the5krunner insight: This is a decent update for HYROX athletes and for anyone running more than one Amazfit device.
Firmware 3.24.0.1 reached the Active 3 Premium on 5 July with a HYROX pacing tool, Stryd support and multi-device data syncing. HYROX Virtual Pace builds a segmented pacing plan from a target finish time, which addresses one of the hardest parts of the event to judge on the day.
- HYROX Virtual Pace generates segmented pacing from a target finish time
- Stryd pace data appears inside HYROX workouts once a footpod is paired
- Data Fusion and write-back sync activity data across multiple devices
- A swimming heart rate mode records through the Amazfit Helio Strap
Full release notes: Amazfit product updates
Amazfit Balance 2 — v3.54.4.2 — 9 July 2026
the5krunner insight: This is a small clean-up release after the larger June update, worth installing before your next session.
Version 3.54.4.2 reached the Balance 2 on 9 July. Zepp Health recalibrates VO2 max and improves altitude stability, and Zepp Flow gains broader voice control. The VO2 max change beds in over several workouts rather than all at once.
- VO2 max recalibration that settles over subsequent workouts
- Steadier altitude data with fewer abnormal ascent and descent spikes
- Zepp Flow voice control reaches more workout modes, system apps and HybridCharge data
- A navigation entry added to the map track menu during a workout
- Revised golf reminders and hole-switching logic (golf only)
Full release notes: Amazfit product updates
COROS PACE 3 / PACE 4 / PACE Pro / APEX 2 / APEX 2 Pro / APEX 4 / VERTIX 2 / VERTIX 2S — System Update — 8 July 2026
the5krunner insight: This is a decent cross-device update whose standout is a new heart rate recovery metric, with voice control arriving in beta.
COROS pushed a system update across its current lineup on 8 July. The new heart rate recovery metric tracks how quickly your heart rate falls during rest intervals and in the two minutes after an activity. Voice control arrives as a beta on the PACE 4 and its siblings, letting you hold the Action button to start a run, set an alarm or check the weather in English only. The release notes state that expanded language and timer support are coming soon, so this one is worth watching.
- Heart rate recovery metric for rest intervals and the two minutes after an activity
- Voice control in beta to start activities, set alarms and check the weather (English only)
- Activities sync during pauses so full statistics appear before you finish
- Airplane mode to disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
- Activity sync optimisations
Find your model’s release notes: PACE Pro · APEX 4 · VERTIX 2S
Hammerhead Karoo — v1.640.2470 — 10 July 2026
the5krunner insight: This is a decent update whose trail maps and account-based metric sync are the reasons to install it.
Karoo software 1.640.2470 landed on 10 July with trail maps, account metric syncing and a new workout data field. Trail maps use OpenStreetMap data to colour-code trail difficulty and add turn-by-turn cues where available. The Karoo can now sync FTP, power and heart rate zones and weight to your account.
- Trail maps with colour-coded difficulty and turn-by-turn cues from OpenStreetMap data
- Automatic sync of FTP, power and heart rate zones and weight to your account
- A Next Primary Target data field that shows the target of your next interval
Full release notes: Hammerhead Karoo
No updates this week
Checked and nothing to report for the week ending 11 July 2026: Suunto, Polar, Wahoo, Samsung and Huawei either had no release in the window or released stability and bug fix updates only.
Previous edition: #5 Deep Dive Feature Files: Week Ending 4 July 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Amazfit Active 3 Premium now support HYROX pacing?
Yes. The update adds HYROX Virtual Pace, which builds a segmented pacing plan from your target finish time so you can plan each running and functional station in advance.
Can the Amazfit Active 3 Premium use a Stryd footpod?
Yes. Once a Stryd footpod is paired, its pace data appears directly inside HYROX workouts on the watch.
What is new in the latest COROS firmware update?
The standout addition is a heart rate recovery metric that measures how quickly your heart rate drops during rest intervals and in the two minutes after an activity. The update also adds voice control in beta, airplane mode, and mid-session syncing during pauses.
Does the COROS voice control work in languages other than English?
Not yet. Voice control launches in English only, and COROS says expanded language and timer support are coming soon.
What do the Hammerhead Karoo trail maps do?
They use OpenStreetMap data to colour-code trail difficulty and add turn-by-turn cues where those cues are available.
What is new in the latest Garmin Edge firmware update?
The 32.10 beta improves satellite acquisition so the device locks onto GPS faster before a ride, and it refines how ClimbPro detects and displays climbs.
Does the Amazfit Balance 2 update change VO2 max?
Yes. It recalibrates the VO2 max algorithm for better accuracy, though the new figure settles over several workouts rather than changing immediately.
Last Updated on 11 July 2026 by the5krunner
My favourite kit and nutrition
- Injinji – Runners protect your toes. Avoid discomfort and minor injury. Run more. Run faster. I use them.
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — The small adapter that keeps your charging cables tidy. Essential for race day. I use one.
- Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session. I use one.
- Ravemen FR300 — Front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters. I use one.
- Body Glide – The blue anti-chafe stick that all swimmers and many runners use. I use it.
- Maurten — The race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mixes engineered to be easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin Varia RTL515 — A radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Garmin watch. I use this model.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — The power-meter pedals most serious cyclists choose. Accurate, easy to move between bikes. I use this model.
- Garmin Forerunner 970 — A serious choice for a pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Polar H10 — My daily driver for accurate, waking HRV readings.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3 — The bike computer that has the feature Garmin lacks: usability. I use mine on most rides.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
