Feature Request: Purchase newer software features for older models

Hi,

this year I've joined to Garmin Watches users (Years before I had only Garmin Edge on my bicycle) with Fenix 7X. The device is perfect, but I still wonder why is there not possibility to get new software functions on older models.

For example, after those 7-8 months with Fenix 7X I just found, that Enduro model would be better for me. I just do not use maps and touchscreen (I've used to when I had Xiaomi watches before, but with Garmin I found buttons are much better). And better battery life of 1st gen Enduro is something I would appreciate more.

When Enduro 2 came out, I was looking to it, but It's more like my 7X than previous gen of Enduro. I also like a look of 1st gen Enduro (Steel). But as I know the Garmin's policy for older models, 1st gen Enduro will never get new features - like Morning Report and maybe some others... Which is really a shame.

I would preffer to have a choice to purchase older model (or stay on older model if I am satisfied with it), and buy software upgrade to get new features. This would be great to have more options, and also a plus for longevity of a device (yet Garmin will still have some money from customers).

I know it's kinda dream. But it would surely be good for sustainability and choices for customer. So maybe less need for new models and more care to older ones to be usable... Just please consider that.

Top Replies

zyziu 9 months ago in reply to - +1

Garmin will not add new features to Enduro v.1 not because of problems with the older platform or testing and fixing new bugs, but because they want you to buy a new model that has these features. This…

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0 - 9 months ago

I bought an Enduro after a F6X just to maximize the smart watch battery life. Although the battery life of Enduro 2 is said to be not so bad, but first it is still just 2/3 (or just 3/4 if Solar kicks in) of that of Enduro, moreover I tend to believe more easily that Enduro is able to work for 50 days than Enduro 2 for 34 days.

Your idea would not work always, because not just the main platform / hardware counts when you consider a new function, but many other things. And as far as I got known Garmin there would be a chaos if you just simply would like to add some functions which is not part of the original device.

Take into consideration how much bugs you could see in early phases of a watch. There are many even if the number of sold units are pretty high. If there were only 50-100 users who bought a watch X and bought both the function Y and Z, in case of a bug Garmin would not spend not even a minute to figure out what has caused the bug.

Btw I bought the grey steel, because it reminds me my earlier F5+, which was resilient to scratches on the bezel.

0 zyziu 9 months ago in reply to -

Garmin will not add new features to Enduro v.1 not because of problems with the older platform or testing and fixing new bugs, but because they want you to buy a new model that has these features. This is what he said, among others man from Garmin on the beta forum for user questions about new features: You want new features - buy a new model! The guy says it to the face of the company's customers on the forum of one of its most expensive models! Coming back to the point, Garmin's problem with poor software is not due to testing new functions, but to flooding the market with a lot of different models for which you need to update the software, which results in huge costs. Because what does it mean that some functions are not part of the original device. Features such as showing an arrow to the next turn on maps or the morning report are not related to the hardware on which the platform is based, but to the company's willingness to bear the cost of including the function in the software. These are functions closely related to software (e.g. a simple summary of data spit out by an algorithm that monitors vital functions). Simply, it is a lack of desire on the part of Garmin and saving on solid software development support. Read the beta forum, Fenix 6 series models that have been on the market for four years still have problems with basic functions, the current software version is 26.00 and Enduro v.1 - a sports watch for long-distance running for over 1000 Euro has problems with catching a GPS fix in a wooded area , with the autopause function on during a training run in the forested mountains, with several short stops after the autopause, the watch cannot find the GPS signal, which makes the 20-kilometre run become, for example, a 12 - 14 kilometer run. This is a link to a discussion about bugs reported by users and not yet fixed - forums.garmin.com/.../list-of-bugs-not -fixed-in-system-26-00-any-roadmap-for-a-fix-in-the-next-release . Take a look and judge for yourself because I have the impression that Garmin is starting to eat its own tail, flooding the market with more and more equipment with increasingly poor quality software for more and more money. These are minor bugs that keep popping up on a four-year-old platform! It's missing that someone from Garmin appeared in the thread and said: You want bug fixes - buy a newer model! I'm afraid that in a moment they will pop up with a new Fenix 8 / Enduro 3 with an OLED display and a working time of 20 days (10 days in Always On Display mode) as in the case of Forerunner 965 (total regression - supposedly 23 days of work but in AOD mode 7 days work in watch mode! - support.garmin.com/.../ plus depriving it of the solar function). Regards.