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.
This edition covers everything released since the last issue on 29 August, so the window runs three weeks rather than one.
Garmin — Fenix 8 / Fenix E / Tactix 8 — v23.31 — 10 September 2026
the5krunner insight: This is the Q3 2026 feature set arriving on Fenix 8, and voice control is the part that changes how you use the watch.
Garmin switched on the “OK Garmin” wake word here, having shipped the capability dormant in earlier firmware. The release also adds an XC Ski Indoor activity and a suggested quick workout for running, and it is the first Fenix 8 build to pass Xero rangefinder data into the Applied Ballistics app. Rollout began at 50% and has widened since.
- Voice command enabled with the “OK Garmin” wake word
- Suggested quick workout added for running
- XC Ski Indoor activity added
- Flashlight shortcut cycles through on, off and strobe modes during an activity
- Volume control now carries context
- Fewer false unlocks when touch lock is in use
- Dive computer settings sharing in the Garmin Share app
- Xero range and sensor data supported in the Applied Ballistics app
Find your model’s release notes: Fenix 8 · Fenix E · Tactix 8
Garmin — Fenix 8 Pro / Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED / Enduro 3 / Quatix 8 — v23.34 beta — 19 September 2026
the5krunner insight: Worth installing if you run beta firmware, because it carries the same Q3 feature set to the models that did not get 23.31.
Enduro 3, Quatix 8 and the Fenix 8 Pro line pick up voice commands, XC Ski Indoor and the rest of the September additions in one beta build. The beta also clears up Spotify playback shutdowns that owners had been reporting on the previous release.
- Voice command enabled with the “OK Garmin” wake word
- Suggested quick workout added for running
- XC Ski Indoor activity added
- Flashlight shortcut cycles through on, off and strobe modes during an activity
- Volume control now carries context
- Fewer false unlocks when touch lock is in use
- Dive computer settings sharing in the Garmin Share app
- Xero range and sensor data supported in the Applied Ballistics app
Full release notes: Fenix 8 series beta
Garmin — Forerunner 970 / Forerunner 570 / Venu X1 / vivoactive 6 / Venu 4 — v18.29 and v18.30 — 8 September 2026
the5krunner insight: A decent update across the running and lifestyle range, with fall detection arriving on Venu 4 alone.
The same Q3 package lands on Forerunner 970 and Forerunner 570, with Venu 4 on 18.30 and everything else on 18.29. Venu X1 and vivoactive 6 are included. Coverage is not identical: the Forerunner 570 changelog omits the flashlight change, and fall detection is a Venu 4 addition only.
- Voice command enabled with the “OK Garmin” wake word
- Suggested quick workout added for running
- XC Ski Indoor activity added
- Volume control now carries context
- Flashlight shortcut cycles through on, off and strobe modes during an activity (Forerunner 970, Venu X1, vivoactive 6, Venu 4)
- A detected fall sends a message and your location to assistance contacts (Venu 4 only)
- Fewer false unlocks when touch lock is in use
Find your model’s release notes: Forerunner 970 · Forerunner 570 · Venu X1 · vivoactive 6 · Venu 4
Garmin — Edge 1050 / Edge 850 / Edge 550 / Edge MTB — v33.05 beta — 16 September 2026
the5krunner insight: The course limit jump is the practical one here, and it removes a real constraint for anyone who loads a full season of routes.
Maximum course storage goes to 200. Five ride types join the list, including two hand-cycling profiles and a track cycling mode that riders have asked for repeatedly. The build also reaches Edge 850 and Edge 550 and the dedicated MTB model on the same platform firmware.
- Maximum course count raised to 200
- Recumbent, Hand Cycling, Indoor Hand Cycling, Track Cycling and BMX added to the Ride Type list
- Strava leaderboard content improved
- Virtual Partner time improved
- Gear selection confirmation improved (Edge 550, Edge MTB)
Full release notes: Edge 550/850/1050 beta
Garmin — Edge 1040 / Edge 840 / Edge 540 — v31.61 beta — 16 September 2026
the5krunner insight: A small release, only relevant if you ride segments or follow ClimbPro closely.
The older Edge platform gets two changes, both presentational rather than functional. Neither the course limit nor the new ride types from the 33.05 build have come across.
- Rider and Virtual Partner marker positioning improved in zoomed elevation profiles on ClimbPro and Segment pages
- Strava leaderboard content improved
Full release notes: Edge 540/840/1040 beta
Garmin — Instinct 3 AMOLED / Instinct 3 Solar / Instinct Crossover AMOLED / Instinct E — v16.04 beta — 18 September 2026
the5krunner insight: Two lines in the changelog, but Recovery Mode is the one that counts.
Recovery Mode lets the watch recover from a boot loop or a software fault on its own, without connecting to a computer. It already shipped on other Garmin platforms earlier in the year, so this is a port rather than a debut. The build jumps the Instinct 3 branch from 15.x to 16.x and is available through Check for Updates only, with no automatic push.
- Recovery Mode added
- Wave detection improved in the Surf activity
Full release notes: Instinct 3 series beta
Garmin — CIRQA — v3.20 — 8 September 2026
the5krunner insight: Worth installing if you broadcast heart rate to Zwift, TrainerRoad or Rouvy, because the Bluetooth pairing behaviour has changed.
CIRQA can now be put into pairing mode while it is broadcasting heart rate, which is the step that was missing for owners who could not establish a Bluetooth connection after the previous firmware. Garmin does not say dropouts are fixed, so reports of connections failing after pairing may or may not be covered. The button also becomes configurable, which matters more on a screenless tracker than it would on a watch. The Garmin CIRQA release carries 19 changes in total.
- CIRQA can enter pairing mode while broadcasting heart rate, allowing a Bluetooth connection to be established
- New broadcast prompt for device control
- Button configurable so either a single press or a press and hold starts an activity
- Treadmill recalibration when you enter a distance manually after covering at least 1.5 km or one mile
- Rep counts editable afterwards in Garmin Connect Mobile
- GPS forced on when Auto Start LiveTrack triggers
- Low battery warning moves to 10%, with the critical warning at 5%
- Rep counting disabled in Upper Arm mode
- Battery Manager moved into the System menu
Full release notes: CIRQA
Amazfit — T-Rex 3 / T-Rex 3 Pro / T-Rex Ultra 2 — v6.3.25.7 — 3 September 2026
the5krunner insight: Worth installing, and the FTMS addition finally makes these watches useful on a smart trainer.
Indoor Cycling can now read power, cadence, speed and distance straight from any trainer or spin bike that supports Bluetooth FTMS. The HYROX work is the larger addition on paper but needs a Helio Strap Pro to do anything, so it applies to a narrow group. The update covers T-Rex 3, T-Rex 3 Pro and T-Rex Ultra 2 together, as Zepp Health has been doing for a while.
- Indoor Cycling connects to trainers and spin bikes over Bluetooth FTMS, showing power, cadence, speed and distance from the equipment
- HYROX race and simulation analysis with Helio Strap Pro, recording movement count, movement frequency and heart rate trends, with per-station pace changes and training suggestions in the Zepp app
- Automatic pairing with a Helio Strap Pro already linked to the same Zepp Health account
- Training Library supports navigation for workout types that allow both
- Athlete Defaults enables Workout Do Not Disturb and disables sports alerts when a session starts
- Route elevation chart readability improved
- Advance Up map view rotates to match your heading while zooming
- Metric and imperial choice added to the distance calibration screen
- Music and playlists manageable from the Zepp app
Full release notes: Amazfit product updates
Amazfit — Active 3 Premium — v6.3.25.5 — 8 September 2026
the5krunner insight: The same release as the T-Rex build, five days later, plus a Cycle Tracking rework.
Active 3 Premium gets the identical HYROX, FTMS and navigation package. The only addition unique to this watch is on the Cycle Tracking side, where the period prediction algorithm has been updated and a Check In function added for logging symptoms, moods and lifestyle data.
- Indoor Cycling connects to trainers and spin bikes over Bluetooth FTMS, showing power, cadence, speed and distance from the equipment
- HYROX race and simulation analysis with Helio Strap Pro, recording movement count, movement frequency and heart rate trends
- Automatic pairing with a Helio Strap Pro already linked to the same Zepp Health account
- Training Library supports navigation
- Athlete Defaults enables Workout Do Not Disturb and disables sports alerts when a session starts
- Route elevation chart readability improved
- Advance Up map view rotates to match your heading while zooming
- Cycle Tracking interface refreshed, period prediction algorithm updated and a Check In function added
- Music and playlists manageable from the Zepp app
Full release notes: Amazfit product updates
COROS — PACE 4 / APEX 4 / PACE 3 / DURA — v3.1908.0 — 31 August 2026
the5krunner insight: The best release of this window outside Garmin, and climb alerts on the bike are the reason.
Cycling modes gain climb alerts that fire at the start and end of each climb and show progress and remaining elevation gain as you ride. DURA riders also get torque and total work in kilojoules. COROS notes that PACE 4 maps, with global street and trail coverage and offline POIs, is available in beta, which is the part of the announcement without a firm release behind it yet. The Adventure Journal Timeline reaches much further down the range, as far back as PACE 2 and VERTIX 1.
- Climb Alerts available in cycling modes, with real-time progress and remaining elevation gain
- Torque and Total Work in kilojoules added for cycling activities (DURA)
- Left and right power balance now passed to third-party platforms
- New voice control commands for activity alerts, navigation and timers (PACE 4, APEX 4, NOMAD)
- Adventure Journal Timeline gives a chronological activity view with a shareable link that does not expire, and photos or video can be added from before or after the activity
- Power usage statistics added to the battery widget
- Elevation accuracy improved on imported routes
- Direct Transfer update allows app navigation during an update
Full release notes: COROS PACE 4
Polar — Loop — v6.2.26 — 9 September 2026
the5krunner insight: A small release with one change that matters, and it is a sensor change rather than a feature.
Polar has reworked the optical heart rate processing to hold accuracy across a wider range of skin characteristics. The rest of the release is crash and factory reset fixes.
- Optical heart rate improved for accuracy across diverse skin characteristics
Full release notes: Polar Loop 6.2.26
Polar — Flow web service — Nightly Recharge — 15 September 2026
the5krunner insight: Only relevant if you review your recovery data on a computer rather than in the app.
Nightly Recharge finally appears on Flow web, where it sits under Reports. You can view it across the last month, six months or twelve months, which is a longer window than the phone app offers.
- Nightly Recharge added to Flow web under Reports, with one-month, six-month and twelve-month views
Full release notes: Polar Flow web update
Hammerhead — Karoo — v1.652.2514 — 3 September 2026
the5krunner insight: Personal heatmaps on the head unit itself, not just on a phone, which is useful when you are deciding where to turn.
Every historical SRAM ride can now be drawn on the Karoo map and on Dashboard. You install the heatmap from Offline Maps and then toggle it from the map layer button. The release also adds an extension for riders running Cycliq cameras. A later build, 1.656.2526 on 17 September, was bug fixes only.
- Personal Heatmaps show every historical SRAM ride on the Karoo map and on Dashboard, installed from Offline Maps and toggled from the map layer button
- CycliqPlus Karoo extension controls Fly12 Sport and Fly6 Pro from the head unit
- Position marker height adjusts automatically so the drawer does not cover it
Full release notes: Karoo 1.652.2514
Samsung — Galaxy Watch 7 / Galaxy Watch Ultra — One UI 9 Watch beta — 4 September 2026
the5krunner insight: Only relevant if you are in the Korean beta programme, because that is the only place this has shipped.
Antioxidant Index and Vascular Load, both previously restricted to newer hardware, come to Galaxy Watch 7 and the original Galaxy Watch Ultra in the One UI 9 Watch beta. The download runs to roughly 1.9 GB and carries the September security patch. Samsung has not said when the stable release reaches other markets. A parallel Galaxy Watch 6 beta went out on 7 September with no confirmed new features.
- Antioxidant Index support added
- Vascular Load support added
- Refreshed interface with new widgets
Full release notes: Galaxy Watch 7 One UI 9 beta
No updates this week
Checked and nothing to report for the week ending 19 September 2026: Suunto, Wahoo, Huawei either had no release in the window or released stability and bug fix updates only. Suunto Vertical 2 did receive 2.56.28 on 31 August, but it carried stability work and a pool swimming display fix and nothing else. Garmin’s Fenix 7, Epix Gen 2, Enduro 2 and MARQ Gen 2 build 27.18, the Forerunner 170 and Forerunner 70 18.29 release, the Fenix 8 23.32 beta and Descent MK3 27.19 were all bug fixes only.
Previous edition: #12 Deep Dive Feature Files: Week Ending 29 August 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Garmin Fenix 8 support voice commands?
Yes. The September firmware enables the voice command feature with the “OK Garmin” wake word. The same change reaches Fenix E, Tactix 8, Forerunner 970, Forerunner 570, Venu X1, vivoactive 6 and Venu 4, and it is in beta for Fenix 8 Pro, Enduro 3 and Quatix 8.
What is new in the latest Garmin Forerunner 970 firmware update?
Voice commands with the “OK Garmin” wake word are the headline addition. The update also adds a suggested quick workout for running, an XC Ski Indoor activity, context on the volume control and a flashlight shortcut that cycles through on, off and strobe during an activity.
How many courses can the Garmin Edge 1050 store?
Up to 200 on the current beta firmware, which raises the previous limit. The same build reaches Edge 850, Edge 550 and Edge MTB.
Can the Garmin CIRQA be paired while it is broadcasting heart rate?
Yes. The latest firmware lets CIRQA enter pairing mode while broadcasting, so a Bluetooth connection can be established with an app such as Zwift or TrainerRoad. Garmin has not said this resolves connections that drop after pairing.
Does the Amazfit T-Rex Ultra 2 work with a smart trainer?
Yes. Indoor Cycling can now connect to trainers and spin bikes using the Bluetooth FTMS standard, and the watch then displays power, cadence, speed and distance from the equipment. The same change applies to T-Rex 3, T-Rex 3 Pro and Active 3 Premium.
What is new in the latest COROS PACE 4 firmware update?
Climb alerts now work in cycling modes, firing at the start and end of each climb with live progress and remaining elevation gain. The update also adds new voice control commands, power usage statistics in the battery widget and improved elevation accuracy on imported routes. COROS says maps for PACE 4 are available in beta.
Can the Hammerhead Karoo show your own ride heatmap?
Yes. Personal Heatmaps draw all of your historical SRAM rides onto the Karoo map and onto Dashboard. You install them from Offline Maps using the heat icon, then switch them on with the map layer button.
Does the Garmin Instinct 3 have a recovery mode?
Yes, on the latest beta firmware. Recovery Mode lets the watch recover from a software fault without needing a computer. The same build also improves wave detection in the Surf activity.
Last Updated on 19 September 2026 by the5krunner
My favourite kit and nutrition
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro — I’ve just bought one.
- 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.
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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
