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.
Amazfit — Active 3 Premium — v6.2.204.3 — 6 August 2026
the5krunner insight: This is a decent update, and it is worth installing if you row indoors or swim in a pool.
The firmware adds Bluetooth FTMS support for rowing machines, a manual rest control for pool swimming and a permanent touchscreen lock for use in water. It also moves the Active 3 Premium onto Zepp OS 6, although Zepp Health does not list that change in the release notes and confirms it only in the watch system information after installation.
- FTMS support lets compatible rowing machines, such as the Concept2 RowErg, send power and distance to the watch during a workout.
- Manual rest marking in pool swimming separates swimming from recovery, so swim and rest segments appear separately in the workout data.
- An Always Lock option disables the touchscreen during workouts while the physical buttons keep working, which suits swimming and wet weather.
- Terrain maps gain smoother zooming and interaction.
- The watch moves onto Zepp OS 6, applied silently without appearing in the release notes.
Full release notes: Amazfit Active 3 Premium
COROS — PACE 4 / PACE Pro / APEX 4 / VERTIX 2 / NOMAD — August 2026 update
the5krunner insight: This is a modest update for most owners, because the headline Live Tracking arrived last week, and the additions that matter now are the audio metronome and Sleep Stress.
The COROS August 2026 update, covered last week when it reached the PACE 3, has now rolled out across the wider lineup and carries features that were not detailed then. An audio metronome streams tempo prompts through connected Bluetooth headphones on the NOMAD, PACE 4 and APEX 4, a new Sleep Stress metric estimates the load your body carries overnight, and email two-factor authentication has been added to account security.
- Audio metronome streams tempo prompts through connected Bluetooth headphones (COROS NOMAD, PACE 4, APEX 4).
- Sleep Stress estimates the physical and mental load experienced during the night, which can rise after hard training, alcohol or a late meal.
- Bedtime consistency tracking provides a suggested target bedtime to hold a regular routine.
- Email-based two-factor authentication is available under Account and Security.
- Live Tracking and the rebuilt sleep view now reach the PACE 4, PACE Pro, APEX 2 and 2 Pro, APEX 4, VERTIX 2 and 2S and NOMAD, having reached the PACE 3 last week.
Full release notes: COROS August 2026 Feature Update
No updates this week
Checked and nothing to report for the week ending 8 August 2026: Garmin, Suunto, Polar, Wahoo, Hammerhead, Samsung and Huawei either had no release in the window or released stability and bug fix updates only. Garmin shipped a run of betas, covering the Fenix 8 series (23.22), the Forerunner 965, 955, 265, 255 and 165 (29.04), the Edge 550, 850 and 1050 (32.16) and the Instinct 3 series (15.18), but each was dominated by bug fixes rather than new features. Wahoo’s ELEMNT release fixed a Polish language crash, and Polar’s Flow app update addressed a synchronisation problem. Samsung and Huawei launched new watch hardware in the window rather than pushing feature firmware to existing devices.
Previous edition: #9 Deep Dive Feature Files: Week Ending 1 August 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Amazfit Active 3 Premium support rowing machines?
Yes. The update adds Bluetooth FTMS support, so compatible rowing machines such as the Concept2 RowErg can send metrics including power and distance to the watch during a workout.
What is new in the latest Amazfit Active 3 Premium firmware update?
It adds rowing machine support over Bluetooth FTMS, a manual rest control for pool swimming, an always-on touchscreen lock for workouts and smoother terrain maps, and it moves the watch onto Zepp OS 6.
Can you lock the Amazfit Active 3 Premium touchscreen during a swim?
Yes. A new Always Lock option disables the touchscreen during workouts while the physical buttons still work, which helps in water and in wet weather.
Does the COROS PACE 4 have an audio metronome?
Yes. The August update adds an audio metronome that streams tempo prompts through connected Bluetooth headphones on the PACE 4, alongside the NOMAD and APEX 4.
What is Sleep Stress on COROS watches?
Sleep Stress is a new metric that estimates the physical and mental load your body experiences during the night, which can be raised by hard training, alcohol or eating late before bed.
Which COROS watches received the August 2026 update?
The update reached the PACE 4, PACE Pro, APEX 2 and 2 Pro, APEX 4, VERTIX 2 and 2S and NOMAD, following the PACE 3 the week before.
Last Updated on 8 August 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 — A small keyring adapter you can use anywhere. Essential when away. 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 Wahoo. 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.
Reader-Powered Content
This content is not sponsored. It’s mostly me behind the labour of love, which is this site, and I appreciate everyone who supports it.
Support the site: Follow (free, fewer ads) · Subscribe (paid, ad-free) · Buy Me A Coffee ❤️
All articles are written by real people, fact-checked, and verified for originality. See the Editorial Policy. FTC: Affiliate Disclosure — some links pay commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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
