Garmin Fenix 6 models develop battery health issues following update

Users of several Garmin Fenix 6 smartwatch models have reported battery life problems following a recent update. Garmin claims that the wearables can last up to 21 days between charges with typical usage,  depending on the model.

A solar-powered variant, such as the Fenix 6 Pro Solar, is supposed to last for four months. However, following a recent update, one customer claimed on the Garmin forum that their Garmin Fenix 6S Pro was consuming ~2% battery each hour.

This resulted in around two days of battery life, but Garmin claims that the Fenix 6S Pro should have a nine-day lifetime. The reported fast reduction in battery life occurred while the watch was in Battery Saver Mode, and energy-draining features such as the pulse oximeter and heart rate monitor were not used.

Other customers with a range of Garmin Fenix 6 models have also backed up this claim, having updated their smartwatches to firmware version 21.00. Garmin has since responded, issuing a beta update, version 21.01, which you can download from the manufacturer's website.

However, this will not resolve the issue. Instead, the new firmware will collect battery drain data and share it with the company. This suggests that Garmin is looking to develop a solution, but perhaps it is unclear what is causing the problem.

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