We all know that since the 4.2/2.60 updates, HR monitoring during runs is even worse than it was before. For general activity tracking, they've tried to fool us and I'm pretty certain the 4hour HR graph, that's supposed to look like it's sampling more often since 4.2, is actually just "FAKE RANDOM NOISE". It's not real HR data and sampling rate is not really increased. I'd bet it's still on a 15min - 1hour trigger. In fact, the only thing that could be real HR data is the stupid, clearly wrong, massive spikes that you now get several times a day.
As for HR sensor turning on with movement. Either they've messed this up as well or they're fooling us here too. When the LEDs are off, if I remove my watch and shake it all about at various movement frequencies to simulate anything from a light walk to intense exercise, the LEDs simply don't come on. I remember several updates ago, this feature, whilst not sensitive enough, still did respond to this kind of movement and turn the oHR sensor on.
Garmin are clearly trying to simulate what the watch should actually do with shabby and fake behaviour. It's all fake and misleading and customers have been short-changed with respect to what is resonably expected of the watch and what Garmin has actually delivered (and continues to [not] deliver).
Sometimes, in product development, senior engineers need to challenge project managers with regards to releasing bad software like this. Managers will always ask for it earlier than it is ready and it's a balance between getting it out there ASAP but with minor bugs and releasing!
I work in product development and some things, as an engineer, you're not too happy about releasing ahead of time but they are not fundamental features of the product. With Garmins sports product group something is terribly wrong there and they are making poor decision after poor decision and making the platform worse.
