Garmin improves maps in new Fenix 8 beta update

Another update for the Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED, Fenix 8 Solar, Fenix E and Enduro 3 smartwatches has arrived. This beta version 15.17 release was announced a day after version 15.16, the first update in the 15.xx testing cycle. The earlier update brought 66 changes to these wearables, including a new Rucking activity and an update for Morning Report.

The change log for beta version 15.17 notes that the Fenix 8 and related smartwatches now support Breathing Variations. Golf-related notifications now wake the display, which Garmin suggests improves the user experience. The size of directional arrows layered on a map is said to be enhanced. Plus, the layout of the Music Player page, shown when users are remotely controlling content from their smartphone, has been optimized. On top of this, a bug on the Map page that occurred when users were potentially out of memory has been resolved.

As with other beta updates, version 15.17 disables the ECG and Dive features on the Fenix 8 smartwatch (47 mm AMOLED Slate Gray version curr. $940.58 on Amazon). Users can download this update on their watch by going to Menu > System > Software Update > Check for Updates. It remains to be seen when a stable version of this update will become available to all users.