Fēnix 5S/5 – 4.02 Beta Release

May I ask what exactly is the strategy of releasing minor/major versions of firmware for wearables at Garmin? Normally a major release brings new features to the people whereas minor version updates are for improving stability. Based on the given changelog I do not see anything new concerning features in the firmware jumping from 3.x to 4.x...

Based on the given changelog I do not see anything new concerning features in the firmware jumping from 3.x to 4.x...

It's the various fixes to the code!! They have no name!! It actually amazes me that they treat this as a beta release. If you're beta testing something, you have to know what you are testing for right? How can I even remotely send back ANY information to the beta team if I don't know what to look for? Should I be waiting for the catastrophic to happen and then send a message like this:

Hey beta team, just dropping you a line about those various fixes to the code. Apparently my watch has become sentient, grown a cyclopean eye and keeps shouting IT HAS AWOKEN!! THE END DAYS ARE UPON YOU!

Other than that, can you please fix the Bluetooth range?

~end scene

Like last beta release, I don't know why they don't release a proper change log with fixes. What point is there in beta testing if you don't know what you're testing?

As someone who works as a dev full time with a fairly strong emphasis on QA (particularly automated testing frameworks, business language test plans etc), this is pointless. How am I to determine correlation from potential causation if I'm not sure if an improvement or regression was caused by an update, or whether the update was purely coincidental?

Bugs can manifest themselves in weird ways. If you hit an edge case after an update that results in a bug, your natural reaction is to blame the update..,

Agreed, Give us a proper log

Unfortunately the support-team, the beta-team or any devs else seem not really be in an organized contact. I have contacted the support team several times (lasted a bit long till the first response came) and told them about the Fenix 5-Bug that it calculates the total ascent wrong (and that the descent is a miracle anyway) ...and this despite the altitude profile which is recordet by the watch is pretty perfect.

First answer from support was an explanation what total ascent means, and barometer/weather blabla ....but then the have checked the problem and confirmed that there must be something wrong and they will inform the devs (don´t know if this means the beta-team).

Then I installed alle new betas and the problem is still the same. So I also informed (bug-report) the beta team. The first and so far last answer was an explanation what total ascent means (that it is not max. elevation), barometer/weahter, auto-calibrate and always to do manual calibration (what a stupid idea ...they should install automatic calibration again) and so on.

So it seams that the beta-team hasn´t any idea about the problem I have already explained the support team. So the beta team also got some files, details and the link to the thread that I have started.

No response since that ...no confirmation that this is realy a bug and not the normal behavior of an € 700-watch. I have also asked the support team about the status concerning my complaints. They said that the cannot give any information about the status to single bugs.

So Garmin: this is a horrible quality and communication politic.

I have to agree with this. I have sent multiple emails to Garmin regarding beta releases/fixes I would like to see in general. The only email I received stated something like: we only reply when we have something to say.
Beta releases should indeed be testing new stuff before making it available for the wider public- hence, it is a beta. A little more transparency and proactivity in being on top of feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the beta! Installed without a hitch. Will report on any funnies observed.

Unlike on previous occasions this time the update doesn't work. My watch doesn't see. Copied all files twice to be sure.
Any ideas, can I force it?

To be sure I also did a reset of the watch (not funny) but still no go...

Annoyingly my watch reset and erased itself last night for no apparent reason with this beta. So I lost all my performance history (VO2 max, lactate threshold etc) and all my settings and data screens that I took an age to set up. Garmin Connect remembers the performance stuff but the Micky Mouse app (and watch) don't have a backup/ restore feature as far as I can work out. Meh.

May I ask what exactly is the strategy of releasing minor/major versions of firmware for wearables at Garmin? Normally a major release brings new features to the people whereas minor version updates are for improving stability. Based on the given changelog I do not see anything new concerning features in the firmware jumping from 3.x to 4.x...

Hmm, the FR935 has in the Changelog:

• Added support for Connect IQ 2.3.1 SDK. See the Connect IQ 2.3.1 SDK for a list of new features.
  
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