Epix Gen 2: no way to have "Wrist Gesture" working during an activity with Always On Display set to OFF

I had the same issue on both my original Epix2 which I sent back to warranty for another issue, and on the replacement they sent out to me, on both Stable and Beta software. 
The wrist gesture does not wake up the screen unless you position the screen almost parallel to you, and even then most of the time it turns off immediately. 
It's really frustrating when you want to check your pace/hr when running and the darn display doesn't turn on unless you contort your arm in a certain way. 

I find that even when you press the button to light up the screen, it turns off almost immediately and you don't have the time to really check the data - unless, again, the screen is almost or completely parallel to you. This "watch reading" position is not natural and I'm wondering if the accelerometers need to be calibrated to a lower wrist position from the factory. 

Also I'm sad to see Garmin - Chris' response that he doesn't believe the issue is as widespread as we think it is. I mean - there are several, real reports here on the thread and I think he should be collecting this information and sending it back to the engineering team to check if the accelerometer settings are in fact too agressive. It may be the case that the majority of the users use AOD and don't have this issue, or they choose not to report it and live with it - and that's why we don't see 100s of reports of this issue yet. 

Adrian S: It seems that most people here use the Epix only for jogging, where the gesture control works quite well, since the arm is bent for most of them and the watch doesn't immediately go back to sleep mode, so the display itself doesn't switch off immediately when you turn your wrist back. But it's completely different when cycling, where your arm is permanently at a fixed angle because your hand is firmly on the handlebar. Then the gesture control doesn't really work anymore. When the sun is shining, the dimmed display brightness, which is therefore permanently set when cycling, is not sufficient to be able to see something well. Even the numbers with a black background can only be recognized with difficulty, since the sapphire glass unfortunately also reflects a lot. Reading the map is no longer possible, at least for me in dimmed mode. That's a shame, because the map display on the Epix is much better than on my Fenix 6S, which I had before. That was actually the main reason why I switched to the Epix. Actually, it shouldn't be a problem for Garmin to offer gesture control here, which e.g. extra can only be set when cycling so that the problem is solved satisfactorily. The fact that the battery is perhaps more stressed because the display is often triggered unintentionally would be absolutely acceptable, at least for me. The various GPS modes also give me a choice in this regard.

I use(d) my Epix for both running and cycling, and the issue is present in both activities. 

While running I don't check the screen that often, maybe once every few minutes when I feel that the pace/hr might be off based on the way my body feels during the run, so it's very possible that the watch enters some kind of "standby" mode while tracking the workout. Admittedly on shorter runs and especially when checking the screen often and from the beginning, the gesture-activated screen is spot-on, but on many occasions after 5-6km on longer runs I was almost unable to check the screen without stopping or contorting my arm and it's extremely frustrating to do this while you're trying to keep a certain pace. 

When cycling I rest my hands on the handlebars and again don't check the watch too often - so maybe it's the same case here. I seldom use the watch for cycling as I have a dedicated Garmin Edge unit on the bike, but the issue is still there.

For me the problem has always been there through 2 watches and several software updates (and betas) so I guess it's the way the product is designed. 

I'm now waiting for my 2nd replacement Epix (as Garmin sent me a "Recertified" dud the first time) to arrive and I will surely report back with the behavior I see after a few runs. It will take a while, though, as shipping has been NOTORIOUSLY slow, I'm in my 3rd week without a running watch and it's frustrating as I'm constantly training and need the data

I am not opposed to adding/changing features so that the Epix is more useful for people.

However, I would note that the Epix is not really intended for handlebar mounting - it is primarily a wrist-worn device. For handlebar mounting, the Edge devices are far superior. I realize this means a duplication of devices and charging and more money. However, having an Edge on the handlebars and an Epix on the wrist is a very, very good setup.

Personally, I have the cheapest Edge (the 130) on my bars and I wear the Epix Pro on my wrist. I am very happy with that setup. It does not provide mapping on the bars, which I don't need, and for that you would need a higher end Edge.

We are discussing wearing the watch on the wrist and the usage of wrist-based gestures without AOD, not handlebar-mounting the watch. 

This set up is useless for bikers needing map.

Yeah, I use the Edge 530 and the EP2 on wrist.  Killer setup for sure.   But, I think what talamera1 was speaking about, is where you wear the watch on your arm as normal and ride a bike (only using the watch).  This is where the issues are with the gesture etc.  (not mounting the watch).

In either and all cases, yeah, the Epix is not a great choice for biking for several reasons:

1. Can't mount it

2. Gesture not great when arm is down on bars

3. Not safe.  Taking your eyes of the road and hand off the bars to look at the watch is not a great idea.

Personally, if biking was the main use case and you still wanted a watch, I would just get any of the MIP screens (Fenix 7).  or.. better yet, have the best of both and get a dedicated bike computer.

Adrian S: I completely agree with you, I have the same behaviour on my Epix 2 when running. Yesterday for the first time I tried a different activity (Hiking) and... surprise surprise ... the wrist gesture was working just fine!

I have a HONOR MagicWatch 2 that i also use for running. It costs 6 times less than the basic version of the Epix 2 and it does not miss a single wrist rotation. Come on Garmin, I can't recommend the Epix 2 to any of my runner friends right now and can only give negative feedback considering it doesn't perform as it should in the most common sport activity of all (running). And please don't tell me I have to run with the screen at shoulder level to finally see it turn on.

I own an Edge 520 but have given up on it completely since owning a Fenix 6S Pro. All metrics are very easy to read on the Fenix, which of course is on my arm. However, the display is less useful for the map display. That's where the real advantage of the Epix lies. Garmin advertises the Epix as a premium sports watch that is not only suitable for runners, but also for numerous other sports such as e.g. cycling, for which it is only partially suitable in sunshine.

Nowadays it is not uncommon for electronic products to only achieve their full performance via updates, which certainly also applies to Garmin products, which mature through numerous firmware updates at the customer's, so to speak. From my point of view, that is also completely okay, since in the best case the customer feedback is included in the firmware. Garmin has launched a beta program for the Epix, where participants can bring in possible software errors or suggestions for improvement. In this respect, it is an advantage if as many participants as possible exchange information about deficiencies or improvements, so that Garmin has a reason to really take action here.

If we look at the situation from this perspective, the warranty of the device should begin when the product 'matures' enough that can perform it's basic functions flawlessly. But we don't live in a perfect world :)