Image source: Garmin

Garmin Epix Gen 2 users reporting glitchy gesture activation

Some Garmin Gen Epix 2 owners have been reporting a problem with activation of the screen in gesture mode. At times, it simply will not work.

Basically, the Epix activates the display for a split second and then switches it off. This often occurs several times in a row. The touch functionality stops working when this is happening.  The only way to get a response from the watch is to use the buttons. After that it works fine, like nothing has happened – for a while.

Here’s how one person on the Garmin forums describes the problem.

“When I turn my wrist to activate the watch, it will only activate extremely briefly- a flicker really. Even pressing buttons or tapping the screen has the same effect. It can be difficult to activate the watch when this happens- usually takes a number of attempts before the screen comes on and stays on. At other times it works as I would expect.

And that Epix 2 user is not alone. A few others who purchased the 2 month old watch have also reported on the issue. They’ve tried updating the firmware, restarting and even resetting the watch to factory settings. But nothing gets rid of the glitch for good. Having said that, sometimes it will go away temporarily by holding down a button or restarting the watch.

A few have said that the problem only occurs when the touch display is activated. Once touch is turned off, the watch works as expected and the screen comes on with the wrist gesture. But it does not appear to be watch-face related as those with the standard face have also reported the glitch. Some suspect that it might have something to do with battery. When it drops below a certain level (below 60%), they’ve noticed the problem.

Garmin has replied on the forums and said “We are looking into this issue further.” But that was about a month ago. The bug fix is not available at the time of writing of this article.

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It is a strange glitch with no apparent trigger that is repeatable or understandable – and no obvious pattern. You might not see the problem for days or even weeks. Or it might happen several times in a row.

But all indications are that this does appear to be a software issue. So a future firmware update should hopefully resolve it. Users have paid a lot of money for the Epix so the frustration is understandable. This is the most high-spec Garmin watch you can buy.

About a week ago Garmin has posted the following.

We continue to gather customer reports on the behavior. Our engineering team is working on the issue and has not given an official response at this time. I will be updating this thread as soon as there is an update.

For everyone that reaches out to me directly through PM to be added to the tracking case, you will be emailed when the issue is resolved.

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Marko Maslakovic

Marko founded Gadgets & Wearables in 2014, having worked for more than 15 years in the City of London’s financial district. Since then, he has led the company’s charge to become a leading information source on health and fitness gadgets and wearables.

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