- Garmin released its first quarter public beta
- It includes software upgrades for the Forerunner, Venu and other popular Garmins.
- Strength training workouts are now included in existing coaching plans, and there is also a Body Battery upgrade.
Garmin just rolled out its Q1 public beta for the best Garmin watches on the market, giving registered users a host of new software upgrades to start the year.
Garmin’s Public Beta Program provides registered users with automatic software updates containing features not yet publicly available for testing and feedback.
The first quarter release is no different and is an exciting preview of the free software upgrades other Garmin users can expect later this year. While not all upgrades are available for every model, there is at least one upgrade for every major device, including the high-end Fenix and Epix models, the Forerunner line, and models of all days like the Garmin Venu 3 and Garmin Lily 2.
The first quarter headline is an upgrade to strength workouts, which are now included in existing running and cycling programs, rather than as standalone plans. This means runners and cyclists training for a specific goal can incorporate strength and conditioning into their training, with options for full gym access or bodyweight-only workouts. Here’s the full breakdown.
Garmin Beta Upgrade for Q1
There are five main upgrades in Garmin’s Q1 beta cycle. As mentioned, the strength workouts built into Garmin Coach running and cycling plans are Coach’s biggest enhancement. These will be available on the Garmin Fenix 8, Garmin Enduro 3, Forerunners 255/265/955/965 and Edge 540/840/1040/1050/Explore 2 bike computer lines.
The Q1 beta also adds workout run score improvements to the Garmin Fenix 8, Enduro 3, Fenix 7, Pro, Epix, Enduro 3, Tactix 7, and Quatix 7.
Fenix 8 and Enduro 3 users also get a new update keyboard that promises easier and more efficient typing, including alphabet and QWERTY symbol layout, autocorrect, predictive taps and switching between different keyboard layouts.
Finally, Garmin’s Body Battery now supports TrueUp, meaning your Garmin Body Battery score will draw on data collected from multiple activity trackers. Metrics taken into account now include calories, floors, intensity minutes, steps and distance traveled.
This is great news for dedicated Garmin owners with more than one watch, perhaps a dedicated running watch as well as an all-purpose watch. This feature is available on all Garmin smartwatches available to sign up for the beta: all of the aforementioned models, plus the Venu 3, Garmin Vivoactive 5, and Garmin Forerunner 165. You can see the breakdown below.
You can sign up for Garmin’s public beta on the company’s website. Enrolled devices should automatically receive the Q1 public beta as a software update.
