The Fenix 8 product family and derivatives are getting an update. (Image source: Marcus Herbrich)
Garmin is rolling out a new software update for models of the Fenix 8 family. Although this only contains bug fixes, these are nonetheless important fixes for climbers and divers.
The Garmin Fenix 8, which has been subject to a review here at Notebookcheck, remains the manufacturer’s current top-of-the-line smartwatch. It also represents an entire product generation, with other variants of the Fenix 8 available, as well as technically very similar smartwatches with different product names, such as the Enduro 3 and the Fenix E. Regardless of the specific model, Garmin is rolling out a new update, version 17.29, for these wearables. This update is still in beta but can be easily downloaded as an OTA update. However, the update will only be rolled out to participants in the beta program.
Compared to version 17.28, a relatively short changelog has been released that only contains bug fixes. Specifically, InReach devices with the new software version can now be used without issue after losing connection and reconnecting. The altimeter now works without issue at high altitudes, which can be important for safety reasons. Notifications about new messages on a smartphone were apparently not always displayed correctly, but this should no longer occur. A potential shutdown of the watch when adjusting data fields for diving activities has also been fixed.
I have been active as a journalist for over 10 years, most of it in the field of technology. I worked for Tom’s Hardware and ComputerBase, among others, and have been working for Notebookcheck since 2017. My current focus is particularly on mini PCs and single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi – so in other words, compact systems with a lot of potential. In addition, I have a soft spot for all kinds of wearables, especially smartwatches. My main profession is as a laboratory engineer, which is why neither scientific contexts nor the interpretation of complex measurements are foreign to me.
Translator: Jacob Fisher – Translator – 2121 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022
Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.