Feature request: Improve gesture sensitivity and speed for AOD-off (Fenix 8 Amoled)

I see these same issues when using my Fenix 8 51mm AMOLED, with 11.59 firmware:

This all makes for a poor user experience, especially after paying over £1,000 for a new watch:

- scrolling through watchfaces is super glitchy, sometimes it even 'sticks' with half a watch face showing (see screenshot).

- gestures - I cannot get these to work at all.  NO amount of checking and setting left/right hand; AOD off/on, Do Not Distrurb, nothing makes any difference, garmin or third-party watchfaces, Gestures doesn't work at all for me.

- AOD - also doesn't work at all for me, the screen just goes blank, never shows any dim watchface - again no matter watchface I am using.

This sounds more extreme than my case. There could be a device-specific issue for you

In general I agree though that gestures make or break the watch (now it is more on the break side). Especially coming from a MIP screen it super important to have reliable and fast gesture behavior 

Agreed on all the above. I would like to turn off AOD, but I'm keeping it on because simply checking the time with gesture is too slow (and also small wrist movements sometimes don't activate the screen). Backlight via gesture on my Fenix 7 felt almost instant, so the gesture delay on the Fenix 8 just feels off.

That's good news. That means that at least there is hope to get some improvement. I assume they could periodically pre-render the screen data in the background so the watch doesn't need to spend cycles once the gesture comes

I’m guessing the screen delay is a software setting, not necessarily the result of hardware processing. If I tap to wake the screen or use the light button, the screen comes on instantaneously.

Good point. It should be an even easier fix then

Folks....as always with a new Garmin Watch we are in beta state :-D :-D They did everything to hit the market before Apple presents the AWU3...lets wait for the next release, I think it'll fix the most glitches... 

What I can say though.....currently the f8 51 doesn't feel like a watch that costs almost 1200 USD...the UI lags like a 300 USD Galaxy Watch....if I didn't know that Garmin is constantly developing the software and making everything better over time, I would send it back immediately...for the price the watch should easily beat the Awu in terms of UI speed....

Same for me. AOD does not work and the gesture does not work. Just a black screen all the time until I tap it and then it turns on. I wish I had a 1/2 sec delay

Fearomoon said:

for the price the watch should easily beat the Awu in terms of UI speed

Would you sacrifice half your battery life for a faster UI and more frequent raise to wake polling? I wouldn't, but that's what you're asking for. You're actually making a pretty good case for why many of us prefer MIP over AMOLED.

Irrespective of all of Garmin's firmware failings, I feel they've struck a pretty good compromise between UI responsiveness and battery life. Apple on the other hand have gone for responsiveness first and battery life second.

Simple: make gesture sensitivity adjustable in settings...
I would actually sacrifice a part of my battery for a usable wake on gesture.