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 Instinct 3 AMOLED / Instinct 3 Solar / Instinct Crossover AMOLED / Instinct E — v15.14 Beta — 24 July 2026
the5krunner insight: It is a modest beta, and only the obstacle race summary will matter to most endurance athletes.
The Instinct 3 AMOLED, Instinct 3 Solar and Instinct Crossover AMOLED now show a full obstacle list in the post-activity summary after an obstacle race. The Instinct E receives the same beta without that summary. Gear suggestions for hike activities are improved, and Tactical models add Xero range sensor data in the Applied Ballistics app.
- Full obstacle list shown in the post-activity summary after an obstacle race (Instinct 3 AMOLED, Instinct 3 Solar, Instinct Crossover AMOLED)
- Improved gear suggestions for hike activities
- Xero range sensor data added to the Applied Ballistics app (Tactical only)
Full release notes: Instinct 3 series
Garmin Fenix 8 / Enduro 3 / Quatix 8 / Fenix E / Tactix 8 — v23.15 Beta — 21 July 2026
the5krunner insight: It is a small release that only matters if you use the flashlight.
The flashlight shortcut on the Fenix 8, Enduro 3, Quatix 8, Fenix E and Tactix 8 now cycles through on, off and strobe modes. The remaining changes in 23.15 are bug fixes, covering music playback resets, the phone shortcut and activity volume.
- Flashlight shortcut now cycles through on, off and strobe modes
Full release notes: Fenix 8 series
No updates this week
Checked and nothing to report for the week ending 25 July 2026: Amazfit, COROS, Suunto, Polar, Wahoo, Hammerhead, Samsung and Huawei either had no release in the window or released stability and bug fix updates only.
Previous edition: #7 Deep Dive Feature Files: Week Ending 18 July 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is new in the latest Garmin Instinct 3 firmware update?
The beta adds a full obstacle list to the post-activity summary after an obstacle race, improves gear suggestions for hike activities, and adds Xero range sensor data to the Applied Ballistics app on Tactical models. Everything else in the release is bug fixes.
Does the Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED show a full obstacle list after an obstacle race?
Yes. The obstacle list now appears in the post-activity summary on the Instinct 3 AMOLED, Instinct 3 Solar and Instinct Crossover AMOLED.
Does the Garmin Instinct E get the obstacle race summary?
No. The Instinct E receives the same beta, but the full obstacle list applies to the Instinct 3 AMOLED, Instinct 3 Solar and Instinct Crossover AMOLED only.
What is new in the latest Garmin Fenix 8 firmware update?
The only user-facing change is that the flashlight shortcut now cycles through on, off and strobe modes. Everything else in the beta is bug fixes.
Does the Garmin Fenix 8 flashlight have a strobe mode?
Yes. The flashlight shortcut cycles through on, off and strobe modes.
Last Updated on 26 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
