Garmin Venu 3 gets skin temperature tracking in Q4 Beta update

Update to article below: Garmin has posted this on its forum – “Skin Temp feature was inadvertently included in the change log and is not yet available to public beta.”

The Q4 Beta has started rolling out just now for Garmin Venu 3 and it brings with it a much anticipated feature – skin temperature tracking.

The firmware update goes by the number 8.23 and its full change log is as follows:

• Adds new activities for team sports, racket sports, and more.
• Adds the Nap glance.
• Adds wrist based Run Power support.
• Adds wrist based Running Dynamics visible in Garmin Connect.
• Adds the Red Shift control, which changes the display color to red, green, or orange to preserve night vision in low light.
• Adds a Workouts app to the Activities list.
• Adds skin temperature data to sleep tracking in the Garmin Connect app.

You can view the notice on Garmin’s website.

For those keen to access this update, you can find it by selecting the ‘Check For Updates’ feature on your watch. Gone are the days of laboriously transferring files manually; this update is available for download over Wifi. To get there, just go through the following path on your watch: Menu > System > Software Update > Check For Updates.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

It’s important to mention that only devices enrolled in the Public Beta program are eligible for these Beta updates. As the Public Beta phase advances, updates will be pushed automatically through GCM/Wifi, and notifications will signal their Over The Air availability.

Garmin Venu 3 and its elusive skin temperature feature

In August, leaked images showed a skin temperature widget on the Garmin Venu 3 watch before it was officially launched. Interestingly, the timepiece debuted without this capability, suggesting it required further refinement before the current public rollout.

Similar somewhat to what can be found on devices of other brands, the skin temperature monitoring function is engineered for use exclusively during sleep. That’s due the challenges of obtaining precise skin temperature measurements during physical exertion or routine daily activities.

We are now expecting the functionality to roll out to other devices with the ELEVATE 5 heart rate sensor. This includes the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix 2 Pro. No doubt Garmin will use this opportunity to test the feature thoroughly on Venu 3 devices before making it available on other watches.

Interestingly, update 8.23 also brings Red Shift Control to Venu 3. This offers more than a mere black and red watch face; it transforms the entire watch interface into varying hues of red. This design choice aims to maintain your night vision by filtering out colors that cause pupil constriction. Additionally, it has the potential to minimize disruptions to your sleep cycle.

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