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Has Garmin lost the plot?

I'm pleased with my Forerunner 45 (though see below), and with my pattern of use I haven't had any problems since the 3.10 firmware. But looking at the list of problems on this forum – including the post saying that GPS isn't working properly on a slew of devices – I'm honestly wondering whether Garmin has lost the plot. I've never seen so many complaints about a product, and it's no longer even a new product. Even given that some people here will simply have failed to RTFM – I've done that myself – there do seem to be a lot of problems.

The coaching facility on the Forerunner 45 is welcome and for me probably worth the upgrade.Apart from that I don't find it an improvement over the Forerunner 35. I only bought the 45 because the strap attachment lugs on the 35 broke after a couple of years. I don't think they were up to the job, and I hope the 45 lasts longer.

Top Replies

4221014 over 5 years ago +1

I totally agree. The device was released in April 2019, and it's still full of bugs. I believe that they simply don't care much because they're leaders in this market. The exact same thing happens to Strava…

All Replies

0 4221014 over 5 years ago

I totally agree. The device was released in April 2019, and it's still full of bugs. I believe that they simply don't care much because they're leaders in this market. The exact same thing happens to Strava. :(

0 Former Member over 5 years ago

I bought the 45 as an upgrade from my 35. Basically, I just wanted a quicker GPS lock. In that respect I am very happy with the 45. I couldn’t ask for a better GPS watch.

My experience with the HRM hasn’t been as good. Mine worked fine in the beginning, but has been a disappointment since the 3.1 update. I no longer use it for cardio training or daily activity monitoring. I just grew weary of messing with it and Garmin Connect.

0 Chazzo over 5 years ago in reply to Former Member

Such a shame you're having heart rate problems. Mine has been perfect in that respect. I have no quibbles with GPS either, but I don't think either lock time or accuracy are better than my 35.

4221014 said:
The device was released in April 2019, and it's still full of bugs.

I try to avoid saying "So-and-so is rubbish" because technical debates are rarely one-sided. But really 2364750's comment says it all. I wonder what the 1.0 software was like?

0 4221014 over 5 years ago in reply to Chazzo

I'm not sure if this version got ever released to the public. But what I do know is that the version that comes in the watch 2.90, if I remember well) is barely usable. Tons of bugs, including freezes.

I've been tracking some bugs for each firmware version:
3.20 -> https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-45-series/211157/bug-list-for-firmware-3-20
3.10 -> forums.garmin.com/.../bug-list-for-firmware-3-10

0 Chazzo over 5 years ago in reply to 4221014

4221014 said:
I've been tracking some bugs for each firmware version:
3.20 -> https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-45-series/211157/bug-list-for-firmware-3-20
3.10 -> forums.garmin.com/.../bug-list-for-firmware-3-10

Those lists are very much appreciated! As is the notification of when we should be looking out for new firmware, since I didn't get an automatic update last time round. Keep up the great work.

PS the 3.20 bug list is actually rather short now. A pity that there seem to be so many more problems that are less easy to reproduce, but still a big pain to those that experience them.

0 Remy over 5 years ago in reply to Chazzo

I had huge problem with acquiring satellite signal. It used to take up to 5 minutes. My watch went through a couple of firmware updates and I figured it out that resetting the watch to factory defaults solved the problem. Now it's 5-10 seconds and it's on.

0 Chazzo over 5 years ago in reply to Remy

Good point. Resetting to factory default is a nuisance if you've taken time to set up the watch to your liking, but on many devices it's a good troubleshooting step. I've not needed to do this with my 45; perhaps other people could comment if it's been useful for them.

0 Johant123 over 5 years ago

I think Garmin makes great hardware, but lousy software (some vendors do it the other way around). I hope they'll balance their R&D sometime in the future.