Fēnix 5X – 3.44 Beta Release

Hello Fenix 5X users,

We have new beta software ready for your upcoming adventures! This is a public release candidate. Please let us know of any major issues ASAP!

Please read the 'notes' and 'installation instructions' in the 'Updates and Downloads' page found in the link below. There is also a 2.22 Display update available as well. We look forward to your feedback.

Fenix 5X:http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=11665

Please send all bug reports to [email][email protected][/email], and indicate which model of the fēnix 5 series you have in the subject line.

Note: Please allow for the updates to propagate across all servers. There is no need to post that the link does not work. It will after a bit of patience. :)

3.44 Change Log Notes:
  • Misc. bug fixes and improvements.
  • Fixed an issue where certain types of navigation would not work as expected on device.

Send all bug reports to [email][email protected][/email]
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 8 years ago
    Is it me or the background light setting doesn't work at all, I tried gesture and no timeout but they don't work and light closes at the default 4 sec, welp!
  • Is it me or the background light setting doesn't work at all, I tried gesture and no timeout but they don't work and light closes at the default 4 sec, welp!


    "no timeout" in watch mode is intended, at least for Garmin, that light has to closes after 4 seconds, i don't know why... i have just reported to beta team but the told me that "no timeout" is intended to works so... Maybe if someone else report this thing, they will be encouraged to change the way it works...
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 8 years ago
    The way that HR can be displayed by watchfaces is it will never be real time. A watch face can only access the "Heart Rate History", where a sample is saved every 1-2 minutes. When you look at the HR widget, it's the same info as shown on the bar graph, and the watchface will only update the HR for each new bar.

    The F5x is just like the other watches with CIQ watch faces that display HR.


    Jim you keep saying this but how do explain the fact that watch faces on models other than the 5X DO update the HR much quicker?

    I even posted videos showing the HR updating close to each second.

    https://youtu.be/eeR82EGoTF0
  • Jim you keep saying this but how do explain the fact that watch faces on models other than the 5X DO update the HR much quicker?

    I even posted videos showing the HR updating each second.


    Because they really don't (unless there is an odd one out there). If a watch face has dropped out of CIQ low power mode, you may see the HR change other than top of the minute, but that's because the screen get's updated once a second for 10 seconds, so you'll see it sooner.

    Today, CIQ watchfaces update every minute most of the time, and drop into the every second mode for 10 seconds.

    There may be some that update the history in less than 90 seconds, but still not real time, and nothing you're really see with the current 1m or 1 sec screen updating.

    The va-hr, f5 and f5x work the same way today. So I don't see a bug here.

    Where's the video? which device? I'd like to see it. Is it only with one watchface or any that display HR? Current FW and current parts like the Sensor Hub?
  • "no timeout" in watch mode is intended, at least for Garmin, that light has to closes after 4 seconds, i don't know why... i have just reported to beta team but the told me that "no timeout" is intended to works so... Maybe if someone else report this thing, they will be encouraged to change the way it works...
    I reported it and they said the same thing to me. But upon reflection, this makes sense. Do you really want to roll over in bed, have the light turn on and then because you have set no timeout, find the watch dead in the morning? You could argue that you want this because otherwise you would not set no timeout, but I think this is the reason behind the behaviour. The watch mode no-timeout does not work on watch faces, but does work on widgets. Anyway, this is clearly by design so I doubt it would be changed.
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 8 years ago
    Because they really don't (unless there is an odd one out there). If a watch face has dropped out of CIQ low power mode, you may see the HR change other than top of the minute, but that's because the screen get's updated once a second for 10 seconds, so you'll see it sooner.

    Today, CIQ watchfaces update every minute most of the time, and drop into the every second mode for 10 seconds.

    There may be some that update the history in less than 90 seconds, but still not real time, and nothing you're really see with the current 1m or 1 sec screen updating.

    The va-hr, f5 and f5x work the same way today. So I don't see a bug here.

    Where's the video? which device? I'd like to see it. Is it only with one watchface or any that display HR? Current FW and current parts like the Sensor Hub?




    Right there in the post above.

    You keep saying the watch it's self only saves the HR history every 1 to 2 minutes yet the watch face on the Forerunner 935 is updating the HR value constantly and it's always very close to where the widget is. The 5X on the other hand just sits there and never changes.

    My point is and always has been (every time you've replied to one of my posts claiming it's not possible) that what you are saying and what I am witnessing on the actual watches don't match up.
  • Missnig change history

    Shouldn't the 3.44 change history include the fixes from the 3.42 which was pulled?

    If you look at the full change history it lists changes from 3.30 to 3.41 and 3.42 to 3.44, so we are missing a list of changes from 3.41 to 3.42 because 3.42 was pulled. Should these changes not be listed in the 3.44 change log given 3.42 was pulled? Or is this included in the "Misc. bug fixes and improvements." :confused:
  • I'm having issues with BT and smart notifcations. I've tried rebooting the phone and watch. Even disconnecting the watch and re-pairing it. No luck. It syncs but nothing more than that. Can't load new widgets or data fields, etc.

    EDIT: Power cycle wasn't enough. A hard reboot via the power button was required and triggered a re-pairing. Now things are working again.
  • Right there in the post above.

    You keep saying the watch it's self only saves the HR history every 1 to 2 minutes yet the watch face on the Forerunner 935 is updating the HR value constantly and it's always very close to where the widget is. The 5X on the other hand just sits there and never changes.

    My point is and always has been (every time you've replied to one of my posts claiming it's not possible) that what you are saying and what I am witnessing on the actual watches don't match up.


    It does look odd on the 935. (the fenix looks like I'd expect) Again, have you tried another watchface on the 935? If the underlying data is changing, that to me looks like a bug on the 935. Are the leds on the back flickering or on steady? Is the FW current? One of the forerunners (maybe it was the 235) had an issue where the OHRM would stay on solid. You seeing the battery drain fast?
  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 8 years ago
    It does look odd on the 935. (the fenix looks like I'd expect) Again, have you tried another watchface on the 935? If the underlying data is changing, that to me looks like a bug on the 935. Are the leds on the back flickering or on steady? Is the FW current? One of the forerunners (maybe it was the 235) had an issue where the OHRM would stay on solid. You seeing the battery drain fast?


    The video was in an older firmware but I have updated the firmware with each release (beta included) and never seen any real improvement in the Heart Rate issue on the 5X (other problems such as watch faces crashing has improved).

    I have tried other watch faces; I have a video up too using NoFrills and MyWatch that were recorded at the same time showing again how the 5X behaves totally differently to the 935 in respect to how well it updates the HR (and I mean the 935 works or works better than the 5X which either didn't show a HR at all or showed a number that was out of date and didn't update).

    The 935 has worked flawlessly; battery lasts much longer than the 5X, it has had no real firmware issues like the 5X has suffered, no watch faces crashing, no issue with Sunrise/Sunset, considerably better GPS accuracy, the OHR seems more consistent (could be due to the better fit, lighter weight, more stretchy band etc) and as you can see in the video, clearly it can pull HR data that is more up-to-date than the 5X.

    I've explained this before but with regards to GearMin (which is the watch face I was using at the time) I could do something that changed my HR such as walking up a hill or strairs, do a little run or what ever, and I could watch the HR changing to match the effort in near real-time in GearMin on my 935 and it is my understanding that both the Fenix 5 and 5s also work like the 935.

    It's only the 5X that is operating differently as far as i can see from everything I've read.

    On a side note; I don't know why this is the case, perhaps you can shed some light on it Jim. But if you go into the Watch Face Selection menu and highlight any third party watch face that supports displaying of a heart rate, you will see the Heart Rate updating absolutely in real time. And not just animating some random number, the number is accurate as far as I can tell. If you then select the watch face so it becomes active, the HR stops updating.