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Battery issues after update 19.20

Shane Carney
over 3 years ago

After updating my Fenix 6X to version 19.20, my battery is draining extremely fast. I took my watch off the charger at 0600 this morning with 100% and by 1400 it was already down to 70% charge. Before the update I would maybe be at 97%. I haven’t even used the device to track any activity, listen to music, and my pulse ox is turned off. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Davide_Mores_Fenix
    Davide_Mores_Fenix said:
    But so if I want to upgrade to version 16.70 from my 19.74 (beta) what can I do? Would the procedure be the same as garmin's to install betas?

    Exactly the same process - take the file from the backdate folder you can find in your beta .zip file and copy it into your /Garmin folder - exactly the same process as with installing a beta etc.

    So from my downgrade to 15.20 I do not have enough evidence yet to see if this has worked -I have used 1 hour of GPS and connected one sensor only. If this has worked, I should end up around 90% charge left by end of today (as I am on Fenix 6, not a 6x)....so still a few hours to go... 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 5135968 
    But do you think I might have problems with the warranty by downgrading? My only fear is this. The problem for me now is finding the betas that came out after the official version 16.70, and before the stable version 19.20 (the one that started my problems). Anyone have these files? Some time ago I tried to look for them on the web but I didn't find any matches. Can anyone help me in finding these files? Thanks for support
  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Davide_Mores_Fenix

    I do not think this would invalidate your warranty as these files are official Garmin files, and Garmin Support has previously officially suggested or even supplied backdated software to other users. For many users, because this device came out in 2019 and it is now 2021 we do not have a warranty anyway.....

    I have most of the firmware but only for my Fenix 6 Pro (sapphire), my files would not be suitable for your 6x as you have a bigger display - I think there is a user here who has copies of all firmware even made by I cannot remember their username. I am sure someone can help if you decide you want to downgrade.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Nikoset1

    hello, i have a collection of old version. send me your mail address and i will send you . my mail is yugi56@yahoo,com

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to pooya 
    I've just sent you an email. If you would be kind enough to send me the files I would be very grateful. I have a Fenix ​​6x pro solar. I think I need the later beta files to go back to version 16.70 (at least I think). Thank you again.
  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 5135968
    Hi
    So as I posted on page 28 I have been getting very severe battery drain since moving to 19.20, often over 20% a day, so typically I am needing to charge around the end of day 5. 
    So I think one thing is worth pointing out - there seem to be 2 types of battery drain 
    Type 1 drain -  This drain seems to occur for some people whenever there is a firmware update. This can often / usually be resolved with a soft reset (long press on light button)
    Type 2 drain - This is drain that cannot be solved with soft resets, deleting garmin_device.xml or other incantations that are often mentioned. Drain remains no matter how many times the device is restarted or files deleted.
    This post is about type 2 drain in my definition.
    So as this problem was unsolvable for me as I have documented, I downgraded to 15.20 firmware from a 15.xx beta file.
    As before I took photographs of the watchface to record data - I like this approach as this avoids installing unreliable CIQ battery trackers, and also provides a timestamp with the battery % visible, so it makes a handy visual and easily understood record of power consumption.
    So the results of the downgrade from 19.20 to 15.20 are looking very good - I will not call this proof of drain in 19.20, but this is certainly evidence that there might be. Subtle difference, but I can only speak to how my own watch performs before and after downgrade. I do think however this refutes the 'your device is faulty' point that people make..again not proof, but evidence this is not a battery fault, but rather a firmware bug, that some users may see, but most do not. We know there have been power drain bugs before that Garmin have fixed, so I suspect why most people do not see these issues is simply a matter of how we use the device as individuals. Just like some Tesla cars will crash, but most do not. Some people just do not see the bugs, but not seeing does not equal not there....

    15.20 downgrade findings

    The above was just a bit of context for the results below, which I think speak for themselves but to summarise and (spoilers!) - I have gone from sometimes over 20% a day battery consumption on 19.20, to 10% battery consumption over a 36 hour period with 15.20. You can see 'before' results on page 28 with photos from 19.20 firmware, and below are the photos are from 15.20
    100% after downgrade to 15.20, after allowing syncing and then full recharge (note the downgraded did not go into sleep mode overnight)
    97% in the morning - 3% overnight
    96% - This is taken after a GPS activity (bike ride) while waiting for my Covid vaccine! Only sensor paired and connected is the Garmin HRM Pro at this stage - by the way if you wear two watches when rolling up your sleeves for the vaccine, you can guarantee strange looks!
    93% - This is taken mid afternoon after about 1 hour of GPS earlier in the day
    93% - Stayed at 93% for over 3 hours
    92% - 24 hours after the downgrade to 15.20 - for this first 24 hour period, there was no overnight power saving.  After taking this photo I enabled sleep power save mode
    91% - After 8 hours overnight with device in power save mode (oHR on only)
    90% - 36 hours after downgrading to 15.20
    I will spend more time with 15.20 as I can see no downsides to it. I am going to follow the old 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it!' mantra and turn off automatically updates.
  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 5135968 
    Hello, and thank you for your invaluable contribution. This is always all I have claimed since the first day I installed the official version 19.20. It was clear that it was a firmware problem because you can not notice a greater consumption of the battery from one day to the next. I don't think a battery degrades that quickly and without warning. I'm glad you're noticing obvious improvements, what I still don't understand is why Garmin doesn't give the option to be able to downgrade, maybe it doesn't want to recognize its firmware bugs ?! I also hope to be able to install my old version 16.70 independently.
  • 0 over 3 years ago 
    These days, after the last recharge made (more than 5 days ago), to preserve my battery life and therefore give less recharge cycles to my f6xprosolar, I am using it disconnected from the phone, in this way I am managing to have a longer duration, until the moment that I will be able to install the 16.70 again. In this mode the "device usage" winget is giving me this information: Software: 19.74, Uptime: 5d: 18: 05: 19, Low power: 5d: 13: 06: 47, OHR scan: 04:00:08, GPS : 02:49:14, Backlight: 00:59:00, GCM: 00:33:15, BLE scan: 00:22:44, ANT scan: 00: 16: 38, WIFI: 00:00:00. After this I use my battery marks 72% with 22 days remaining. The tel. I connected the time it takes to load my activities.
  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 5135968

    I have done exactly that (without reading here) downgraded to 15.20 my 6X Sapphire. Not intending to update for a while.

    After 19.20 update, my battery Fenix 6X Sapphire went from 9 days on smartwatch mode, to 3.5 days, basically under the same conditions. After upgrading to 20.00 beta and couple resets, I was able to get "back" to 9 days on smartwatch mode. After keeping the watch for those 9 days, I decided to test and downgraded to 15.20. Now, with the same setup as before but on 15.20 fw the battery prediction from the face as well as from the "Battery info" says 19 days! And based on the actual consumption of 5.6% in 24h which gives about 18 days, the battery life of my watch has doubled.

    Conclusion: there is NO problem with my watch's hardware, the issue is somewhere else. Do with this info what you wish, but I'm staying on lower firmware (15.20) until battery life with a new gives my watch the same 18-20 days, which is what I would expect from the 6x Pro/Sapphire series in the first place. I mean, my Fenix 5 consumption on smartwatch mode is 5%/day, which gives 20 days, and for my 6X to not be able to do that with the same amount of notifications/actions etc is not acceptable, imo.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to 9247889

    How do I/we get access to the 15.20 downgrade software. Thanks,