Garmin’s flagship watches just got smarter – here’s what's new in the latest beta update

Garmin has been busy behind the scenes with its latest round of software updates, and has quietly pushed out a new beta for its flagship wearables.

So, If you’re rocking one of Garmin's best watches - the Fenix 8, Enduro 3 or Fenix E - on your wrist, you can expect a decent upgrade any day now, rolling out via its Beta Program.

While it’s not a headline-grabbing overhaul, the update is packed with tweaks and fixes that should make your watch feel sharper, smarter and more reliable across the board.

Labelled Beta Version 15.18, this is the latest drop in Garmin’s ongoing v15.xx firmware cycle, which kicked off with a massive update (15.16) that replaced the previous stable version and brought over 60 changes.

15.18 builds on that with a more refined set of updates, fine-tuning features that affect day-to-day usability. And if you’ve ever had a weird Maps glitch or felt your notifications weren’t quite right, this release is likely to sort it.

That’s exactly where the most noticeable changes come with this update - within the firm's Maps app. Garmin’s fixed a bunch of issues here – everything from missing data fields during navigation to duplicate saved locations and unresponsive layouts when switching sport modes mid-activity. It’s not flashy stuff, but for anyone who relies on navigation mid-run or out on the trails, these quality-of-life improvements should make a real difference.

Elsewhere, Garmin has added a small but welcome option to adjust notification vibration patterns - ideal if you’re someone who prefers a gentler nudge or something more pronounced depending on the activity. Daily Suggestions also get a polish with clearer row highlighting, and time syncing now happens instantly when paired with your phone and set to auto – no more laggy clocks.

There’s also a long list of smaller fixes under the bonnet – including improvements to Pulse Ox display, stability in meditation mode, and glitches with workout step details and sailing timer labels.

As always with Garmin’s beta releases, You’ll need to be enrolled in Garmin’s Beta Program to get access to the update, and features like ECG, Dive and Aviation are temporarily disabled while it’s in testing. But if you’re happy to live on the beta edge, this is one of those updates that genuinely makes things better - not just on paper, but in day-to-day use.

The news comes just days after Garmin introduced Garmin Connect+, a new AI-powered premium plan within the Garmin Connect app designed to take your health and fitness tracking to the next level.

It might catch some people off guard, but for anyone who follows the wearables space as closely as I do, this move has been a long time coming. In fact, the only real surprise is that it took Garmin this long to jump in.

While it might have taken its sweet time to arrive, the release allows Garmin to offer more personalised insights and justify a premium charge for users who want to squeeze even more value out of their data.