Garmin releases new update to high-end smartwatches with a dozen improvements and new features

Garmin is racing ahead with new development for its older Fenix smartwatches. For context, the company has only just started its first Fenix 9 series beta development cycle. By contrast, it has now released four beta updates to the Fenix 8 family in about three weeks.

This time, Garmin has packaged a dozen changes into an update being distributed as Beta Version 24.16. Incidentally, the new update arrives only a few days after its predecessor debuted for the same smartwatches. Reportedly, Beta Version 24.16 should have already been offered to all Beta Program participants.

If that is not the case, then Beta Version 24.16 can be requested manually as an over-the-air (OTA) download. In a forum post, Garmin adds that Dive and ECG features remain disabled across all models, including the Fenix 8 Pro (curr. $1,029 on Amazon). Moreover, the company reports that Beta Version 24.16 introduces additional currency symbols for certain fonts, while also addressing numerous outstanding bugs. The full changelog between Beta Versions 24.15 and 24.16 is as follows:

• Adds more currency symbol support for fonts. 
• Fixes an issue for certain Garmin Connect courses with long names not appearing on the device after syncing. 
• Fixes an issue that could cause device reboots while navigating when the system language is German. 
• Fixes an issue where pack weight metrics are missing after some activities that use pack weight. 
• Fixes Chinese translation display issues. 
• Fixes Golf Performance widget missing. 
• Fixes golf radial hole picker not working. 
• Fixes storm alerts using phone notification style instead of tone and vibration style. 
• Fixes swim wrist displaying as Unknown after wrist selection. 
• Fixes text overlap in messenger call toast notification. 
• Fixes unsupported turn-guidance alerts appearing in navigation settings. 
• Fixes various translation issues.