Garmin Fenix 5 watches get Galileo support and abnormal heart rate alerts
A new Fenix 5 firmware update is available. In addition to the usual bug and crash fixes, it brings with it support for the Galileo Satellite Network along with irregular heart rate alerts.
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About a week on from news of the new Garmin Fenix 5 Plus, the previous generation of the smartwatch is inheriting one of its features. Galileo now joins GPS and GLONASS on all three versions of the Fenix 5 watch, for even better navigation.
This is the global navigation satellite system that is being created by the European Union (EU) through the European Space Agency (ESA). One of its aims is to make European nations less reliant on other systems. Over the next few years Galileo will increase the number of satellites from the existing 22 to the full operational capacity of 30 satellites.
The other feature are abnormal heart rate alerts. Once you install the update these can be enabled by opening the Heart Rate widget, choosing Heart Rate options and then the Abnormal HR alert option. Similar to what you will get with the Apple Watch, your device will then alert you if it detects that your heart rate has exceeded the entered threshold for an extended period of time while resting.
The firmware update is currently only available in a beta, but if you are feeling adventurous it can be downloaded via the following links: Fenix 5; Fenix 5x; Fenix 5s. A similar update will hopefully follow for the Forerunner 935 soon.
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