Garmin has finally released a long-awaited update for its Fenix 8 series, Fenix E, and Enduro 3. This update brings over 30 bug fixes and improvements, as well as 11 new features designed to simplify the user experience in various situations.
Since the launch of the Fenix 8 (approximately €960 on Amazon), the Fenix E, and the Enduro 3, users have been complaining about numerous issues, ranging from excessively low display brightness to faulty sleep tracking that sometimes records over 700,000 hours of sleep in a single night. It seems that Garmin’s programmers have finally caught up on their sleep, as the software update to version 11.89 is now available in a stable, publicly accessible version, just a few days after the rollout of the beta version 11.87.
The update addresses some of the most annoying bugs in the Fenix 8, Fenix E, and Enduro 3. The smartwatches should no longer crash when saving a workout, and they should no longer register imaginary touchscreen touches during calls. The call back button and the button for transferring a call to a smartphone now work properly after the patch. Garmin has fixed bugs that prevented workouts from being canceled, inReach devices from being paired, and workouts from being displayed correctly in the calendar. The complete list of bug fixes can be found on Garmin’s website and in the changelog at the end of this article.
In addition to bug fixes, Garmin has also introduced a number of improvements with this update. Always-on watch faces are displayed brighter after the patch, the watch face editing screen is displayed more smoothly, power consumption when using a map app is reduced, and the processing time for long routes is shortened. Garmin lists a total of 11 new features that are introduced with the firmware update 11.89.
Change Log:
Added Display Brightness to Voice Commands.
Added ability to toggle third party maps in Map Layers menu.
Added Autolap by Position.
Added data screen for Ski/Snowboard difficulty tracking.
Added option to connect to WiFi in Map Manager.
Added PacePro and Power Guides to the Active Navigation loop.
Added solar percentage on the watch face (Solar models).
Added support for alarm volume settings and fixed an issue where alarms could be muted when Do Not Disturb is enabled.
Added support for Water Ejection feature.
Added the Location Info drawer to the Map page.
Added two of the Solar watch face layouts as options on AMOLED models.
Fixed a potential crash when saving Run, Walk, or Hike activities.
Fixed accidental touches during phone calls.
Fixed an issue where Turn Prompts were not alerting when using Navigation.
Fixed an issue where you could not save or discard Expedition activities after skipping the saving of the last point.
Fixed broken re-dial button after a missed call.
Fixed bug affecting pairing with an InReach Device.
Fixed bug preventing workout cancellation.
Fixed button and touchscreen handling of backlight in Do Not Distub mode.
Fixed button functionality for Transfer Call to Phone feature.
Fixed ClimbPro behavior in Active Navigation loop.
Fixed ClimbPro preview visibility.
Fixed crash in Battery Saver for various languages.
Fixed Golf map rendering (Solar models).
Fixed inability to do Strength Free workouts.
Fixed incorrect active timer count.
Fixed incorrect waypoint elevation in the Saved App.
Fixed map cursor in Pan/Zoom Mode.
Fixed missing weight values on Strength workout page.
Fixed potential crash in HIIT and Indoor Climb activities.
Fixed potential crash when searching for locations in the Weather app.
Fixed potential for Battery Drain after saving Activities.
Fixed Save Location list layout in Hunt Activity.
Fixed Saved App listing items out of order.
Fixed scrolling in very large lists.
Fixed Ski Run descent value truncation.
Fixed some charts not displaying properly when launched from Recents Menu.
Fixed workout scheduling in the Calendar App.
Improved Always-On watch face brightness (AMOLED).
Improved animations and speed when scrolling through the Watch Face Editor.
Improved handling of the touch screen turning on the backlight (Solar models).
Improved Off/Disabled icons for Power Controls menu.
Improved power consumption on the map page.
Improved processing time of large courses.
Improved Saved app performance.
Improved visuals for disabled power controls.
Improved Waypoint draw speed on the map.
Removed Daily Suggested Workouts from Calendar if suggestions are disabled.
Set default Position format to DEG.
How To Update
To update your Garmin watch to the latest firmware version, follow these steps:
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Ensure a Stable Connection: Make sure your watch is connected to a stable Wi-Fi network or paired with your smartphone via Bluetooth.
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Check for Updates:
- On your watch: Open the settings menu and look for a “System” or “About” section. There should be an option to check for updates.
- On your smartphone: If you have the Garmin Connect app, open it and check if there are any available updates for your watch.
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Download and Install: If an update is available, download it and follow the on-screen instructions to install it. The process may take a few minutes.
