Why you need to download the latest beta update to your Garmin watch right now
The update covers the Fenix 7 and 7 Pro series (including the 7S and 7X variants), Epix and Epix Pro in all case sizes, Enduro 2, Quatix 7, and MARQ Gen 2. It's not coming to the Tactix 7 or MARQ Aviator Gen 2, so owners of those models will have to sit this one out.
Currently, the beta is at a 50-percent rollout, delivered over the air via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. If you're in the Public Beta program and within that rollout group, your watch should see the update in the next 24–48 hours.
Can't wait? You can skip the queue by heading to Menu > System > Software Update > Check for Updates. Even those outside the rollout percentage can pull it manually.
Garmin says the release will improve stability and refine watch performance. As usual with its beta programme, it's asking users to report any bugs via the Beta Bug Reports forum, and the Beta Wiki has guides on troubleshooting crashes or freezes.
One key caveat: ECG functionality is temporarily disabled on the Fenix 7 series while running beta software. If that's a dealbreaker, you'll want to stick to the current live release. You can restore ECG access by backdating to live software, but you'll need to re-set it up afterwards. Garmin plans to re-enable ECG later in the beta cycle, once the build approaches final release.
The update is also available via Garmin Express on your computer, but only for those inside the active rollout group. Others will need to trigger the update directly from their watch.
Once installed, your watch will run Software Version 23.08 alongside updated GPS, wireless, and sensor hub firmware. You can verify your version under Menu > System > About.
For regular users, joining the Public Beta programme is the fastest way to get new Garmin features before they're officially released, though you'll need to accept the occasional bug or missing feature. This update's wider availability later in the beta cycle means you'll eventually get it automatically, but if you like being ahead of the curve, now's the time to update.
Liked this? Panerai just launched the ultimate stealthy adventure watch
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Stuff.tv
2 days ago
- Stuff.tv
Stuff Meets… Lewis Allison, the CEO behind the modular and repairable UNA GPS watch on being crap at golf, taking $1 deposits and finding time for fitness
Setting up as a serious competitor to Garmin in the GPS sports watch sphere is no easy feat but Lewis Allison, the CEO behind UNA Watch, the world's first fully modular and repairable GPS sports watch has both the grit and experience to make it happen. In this interview he talks sustainability, sport and sucking at golf… I started out in golf watches. Prior to founding UNA I was the CTO at a company called Shot Scope, who build golf watches. I really like building consumer products that you can see someone use. The problem was, I was absolutely terrible at golf! All my mates who are golfers were using our products – it was good fun, but I really wanted to get into something different… As an electronics engineer with 15 years' experience, I had no chance of fixing my wife's Apple Watch. At around about the same time, when I was thinking of doing my own thing, my wife got a new Apple Watch and she scratched the screen, literally on day two of wearing it. I had all the equipment, and she said: 'Lewis, can you fix this for me?' I said: 'Look, when it comes to Apple and Garmin products you just can't fix them – they're not designed to be fixed, they're designed to be sent back to the manufacturer.' We're focused on running. Running is going through a massive boom phase, so we wanted to create our first product as a sports/running watch, as opposed to a general smartwatch. Apple has such a stronghold on thatmarket, but we think we can offer a serious competitor to Garmin as a GPS sports watch – offering a watch that has 10-day battery life. I'm not saying that's better than Garmin; the difference is, ours is modular and repairable. Our watch is sustainable. It has long battery life, highly accurate GPS, continuous heart-rate monitoring and SpO2 monitoring, but the key thing is that all of these components are both replaceable and upgradable…and it's very easy to do got a daylight-readable MiP display – again that's a replaceable part. The battery is replaceable, and that means it's not soldered down, it's not glued in – users can handle it. If you imagine the old Nokia phones with batteries you could slide in, it's like that. The other key thing that shouldn't be unique, but is to us, is that it's got a standard USB-C charging cable. I've always been quite sporty as well as techy. It's not a unique combination, but often you're either a complete nerd or you're quite sporty – and I'm a little bit of both. I've got a memory of when I was 15 in school: I won a really geeky competition to visit NASA at Houston, as part of Scottish Space School. Twenty pupils from the whole of Scotland got to go to NASA and spend a week there. At the same time I was playing football, and I remember walking into the changing room the Saturday after the trip and the local newspaper had printed a big spread saying 'Lewis wants to be an astronaut'. You can imagine the reception I got… I've always combined sports with tech, so doing this now as a combination of both, I'm really enjoying it. The only problem was, the exact day we launched, Trump announced the Liberation Day tariffs. We were really happy with our day-one results and the pre-campaign marketing, but were a little disappointed just due to the US buyer confidence going down a little bit. The tariffs haven'tactually affected us in the end, though that changes on a daily basis. I'm a techy CEO. I'm a technical founder – that's the thing that's interesting for me and challenging – I just want to get into the technical stuff all the time. But now I'm a CEO as well, I've also got to get into the commercial side. We want this to be the most developer-friendly watch possible. When we first launched our Kickstarter, we offered a £30 tool that allows developers to get extra debug information out of the watch to create applications for it. We thought maybe a handful of people would buy it, but 20% of the backers did, which suggests we've got a really strong developer community. I've got two kids and another on the way. I used to be into mountain biking, but the honest truth is I don't have time to go and do a 4hr expedition any more. But I do like to get out for an hour or two, so I'm more into gravel biking now. We have the Pentland Hills right behind us, so I get out there. I like my running too – I've done a half marathon and a 10k this year. I also coach my six-year-old's football team. For more info on UNA Watch visit
Stuff.tv
3 days ago
- Stuff.tv
Why you need to download the latest beta update to your Garmin watch right now
Garmin has started rolling out its latest public beta software (version 23.08) for a range of its high-end multisport and adventure watches, bringing fresh fixes, features, and performance tweaks to early adopters. The update covers the Fenix 7 and 7 Pro series (including the 7S and 7X variants), Epix and Epix Pro in all case sizes, Enduro 2, Quatix 7, and MARQ Gen 2. It's not coming to the Tactix 7 or MARQ Aviator Gen 2, so owners of those models will have to sit this one out. Currently, the beta is at a 50-percent rollout, delivered over the air via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. If you're in the Public Beta program and within that rollout group, your watch should see the update in the next 24–48 hours. Can't wait? You can skip the queue by heading to Menu > System > Software Update > Check for Updates. Even those outside the rollout percentage can pull it manually. Garmin says the release will improve stability and refine watch performance. As usual with its beta programme, it's asking users to report any bugs via the Beta Bug Reports forum, and the Beta Wiki has guides on troubleshooting crashes or freezes. One key caveat: ECG functionality is temporarily disabled on the Fenix 7 series while running beta software. If that's a dealbreaker, you'll want to stick to the current live release. You can restore ECG access by backdating to live software, but you'll need to re-set it up afterwards. Garmin plans to re-enable ECG later in the beta cycle, once the build approaches final release. The update is also available via Garmin Express on your computer, but only for those inside the active rollout group. Others will need to trigger the update directly from their watch. Once installed, your watch will run Software Version 23.08 alongside updated GPS, wireless, and sensor hub firmware. You can verify your version under Menu > System > About. For regular users, joining the Public Beta programme is the fastest way to get new Garmin features before they're officially released, though you'll need to accept the occasional bug or missing feature. This update's wider availability later in the beta cycle means you'll eventually get it automatically, but if you like being ahead of the curve, now's the time to update. Liked this? Panerai just launched the ultimate stealthy adventure watch
Stuff.tv
7 days ago
- Stuff.tv
Panerai just launched the ultimate stealthy adventure watch
Panerai has just dropped two new heavy-duty timepieces, and they're every bit as tough and tactical as the elite naval aviators they honour. The Submersible Marina Militare PAM01697 and PAM01698 are the latest symbols of the Italian brand's century-long partnership with the Marina Militare (the Italian Navy) and they're built for action both above and below the waves. Inspired by the Aviazione Navale, the Navy's aviation arm, these watches bring together rugged military design and cutting-edge materials. Both feature a green-grained matt dial with a black gradient, modelled after flight gear and helmets, plus a nod to the Aviazione Navale insignia. Grey Super-LumiNova and a radar-style small seconds counter dial up the stealth factor while keeping things legible even in pitch black. PAM01697 is housed in a classic 44mm stainless steel case with a matt green ceramic bezel, while PAM01698 takes things further with a full 'Carbotech' body – a carbon fibre composite that's lighter than titanium but tough enough for a life at sea. Each case back is engraved with the Aviazione Navale wings, a first for Panerai, and both are rated for 300m water resistance. Powering both models is the P.900 calibre – a slimline automatic movement with a three-day power reserve and stop-second function for precision time-setting. Despite its rugged looks, it's no brute inside: the calibre is just 4.2mm thick with a balance beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour. In true tool-watch fashion, the pair come on green canvas straps with military-style T/T stitching, plus a spare black rubber strap for getting properly stuck in. The applied indexes are 20-percent wider, with 45-percent more luminous surface area than before, making these watches easier to read in demanding environments. 'These timepieces honour our legacy of engineering precision instruments for survival and adventure,' says Panerai's Chief Marketing and Product Officer, Alessandro Ficarelli. 'They reflect Panerai's military heritage while inspiring extraordinary journeys in the toughest conditions.' The Submersible Marina Militare collection is available to buy now, with the PAM01697 priced at US$12,500 / £10,300 and the PAM01698 priced at US$19,500 / £16,800. Liked this? Seiko 5 Sports gets a Pepsi bezel, literally
