Garmin’s Unified Platform Benefits Emerge
We’re beginning to see the advantages of Garmin’s integrated platform with notable improvements. For the first time, all devices on this new platform launched their public beta simultaneously, which previously had varied release dates of days or even weeks apart. Yesterday was a significant milestone in this regard.
The devices listed below received a new public beta, with many featuring similar enhancements. The higher-end Fenix 8 and Forerunner/Venu X1 devices received more robust updates, while the mid-range models contained fewer features according to the release notes.
This synchronization can be attributed to these devices now sharing the same underlying codebase, which reached full integration last summer. Despite this, earlier public beta releases were still staggered.
The latest beta offers a wide array of new features, including an impressive battery management tool. Here’s a summary of what’s new in the Fenix 8 Series, many of which are also available in the Forerunner 970 series:
Introduced ability to display seconds in Always on Display mode.
Accessibility menu included.
Album art background added for Music Controls.
New Battery Manager feature.
Language selection confirmation page added.
Course Planner implemented.
Cycling safety Voice Alerts included.
Display Color Modes added.
Font scaling for Garmin Messenger.
Introduced Garmin Fitness Coach.
Help text integrated into various menus.
Lifestyle Logging glance added.
Notification prompt for missed alerts after activity.
Mixed Session activity type included.
More Alarm sound options added.
New Voice settings menu incorporated.
Optimal Sleep Window feature added.
Option to display floors climbed in Evening Report.
Post-Dive Activity guidance included.
Sleep Alignment feature in Sleep glance.
Smart Notifications now part of Stage Status menu.
Sports Scores functionality added.
Voice Commands support for launching Health Status app.
Translated “Loading” string for language switching.
Weight Tracking glance introduced.
+ Numerous bug fixes as per release notes.
For detailed release notes for each unit series, check the links below. Remember, Garmin may add features later in the public beta cycle, which usually lasts 1-2 months. However, it’s the first time we’ve seen a simultaneous launch across all devices.
Garmin Fenix 8 and related devices
Garmin Forerunner 570
Garmin Forerunner 970
Garmin Venu X1
Garmin Venu 4
Garmin Vivoactive 6
There may be additional features not listed due to different teams compiling release notes. For instance, while the Fenix team acknowledged multiple bug fixes, those details were absent from the Venu/Vivoactive notes, although they are likely included.
Notably, some features for Venu products were already released last fall, slightly narrowing the overall new feature list. Conversely, the Fenix E may become a worthwhile option depending on your preference for flashlight/ECG versus firmware features.
The video linked above reviews these features in detail, particularly the new battery management tool and the sports scores feature, along with other highlights that caught my interest. Thank you for reading!
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