Garmin Fenix 8 launch marred by early adopter glitches

The Garmin Fenix 8 has recently hit the market, but its launch has been accompanied by a series of reported software glitches from early adopters.

It’s worth noting that these issues are not entirely unexpected when a new Garmin device hits the light of day. The company has faced similar challenges in the past, such as with the introduction of the Epix 2 smartwatch. It does seem, though, that this time around the problems are numerous.

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In most cases, these early software problems are addressed through firmware updates. Garmin will roll these out in the coming weeks and months.

Lots of problems…

There are lots of issues that have been reported on the official Garmin forums. In this article we are only covering some of them.

A common complaint about Garmin watches is that sometimes they miss out on a nap. But one of the recurring problems is the Fenix 8’s tendency to log “naps” that span hundreds of thousands of hours!

Additionally, users have reported instances of the notification system crashing the device, requiring a reboot to clear the last notification. That can be very annoying, to say the least.

Battery drain has been another point of frustration for some early adopters, with reports of the Fenix 8 losing approximately 30% of its charge per day, even with limited GPS usage. However, this issue appears to be isolated, as some users have reported significantly lower battery drain after a few days of use.

The software’s user interface has also drawn criticism, with complaints about the limited customization options for watch faces compared to previous Fenix models. Users have expressed a desire to see the return of some of the more comprehensive watch face options available in earlier iterations of the Fenix line.

Further concerns have emerged regarding the watch’s dive tracking capabilities. Some users have noted discrepancies between the data displayed on the Fenix 8’s screen and the information recorded on the Garmin Connect platform. The automatic dive detection feature has also been cited as problematic, as it does not always properly turn off the depth gauge when a dive mode is not actively engaged. The tide prediction feature has been another area of concern..

A device that has been rushed out?

It’s a bit puzzling that there are so many issues. Perhaps Garmin has rushed the device out to coincide with IFA in Berlin. In any case, this is not something that you want from a $1,000+ watch. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that the device’s core functionality and capabilities remain intact. And that most of these issues will be resolved soon..

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