Garmin has commenced the public beta rollout of Software Update Version 12.12 for a selection of its popular rugged smartwatches. The update targets the Instinct 3 AMOLED, Instinct 3 Solar, Instinct E, and Instinct Crossover AMOLED models, introducing a comprehensive mix of new features, platform optimizations, and essential bug fixes to enhance user experience across the board
Platform-Wide System Enhancements
The new 12.12 beta build brings significant under-the-hood and user-facing improvements common to the entire supported lineup, including the Instinct 3 and Instinct E. These changes focus primarily on ease-of-use and connectivity.
The update now adds support for editing custom and proximity alerts directly within the Garmin Connect Mobile (GCM) application, giving users more control over their notifications from their smartphone. Furthermore, maintaining the watches has been streamlined by adding support for updating sensor software over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), simplifying the update process for internal components. Garmin has also noted an improved user interface for the Area Calc app.
General Stability and Bug Resolution
A number of critical bugs affecting core functionalities have been addressed, ensuring a more reliable experience during activities and daily use.
A few notable fixes include resolving issues with interval alerts for the quick timer and correcting a glitch where the Messenger glance could be added twice. Garmin also fixed instances of incorrect or missing units within Messenger message details. For outdoor enthusiasts, the update tackles a potential issue where the course elevation plot would appear flat during navigation. Finally, a fix ensures that the Optical Heart Rate (OHR) sensor can now be enabled by a power mode even if the system setting was previously off.
Data Display and Watch Face Customization
Specific models are receiving exclusive updates to their data display capabilities, offering more comprehensive metrics at a glance.
Instinct 3 Solar and Instinct E Exclusive Features
For the Solar and Instinct E versions, new data fields have been added, including a dedicated Steps data field and a Recovery Time option for watch faces. Key stability fixes for these models include resolving a problem where a software update would not immediately appear after checking for it, correcting various issues within the Weather app, and fixing potential graphical glitches on the Morning Report watch face. DogTrack distance measurements are now also correctly displayed when using Metric units.
High-End Model Performance Boosts
Both the Instinct 3 Solar and Instinct 3 AMOLED models benefit from a crucial connectivity addition: support for HRM Pace & Distance over BLE. This allows for more precise external heart rate monitoring, pace, and distance tracking during activities.
The premium Instinct 3 AMOLED model also sees enhancements to its watch face options, adding the UTC data field to more faces and the barometer data field to the default watch face. Additionally, the Morning Report and Workout animations have been fixed specifically for the 45mm case size. The Instinct 3 Solar model also sees fixes for a crash when viewing daily suggested workouts and a correction to the load ratio graph indicator.
Dedicated Crossover AMOLED Fixes
The hybrid Instinct Crossover AMOLED receives significant attention in this beta release, particularly addressing hardware-related display issues.
A key improvement is the addition of an additional watch face design, along with various other UI fixes and improvements. Crucially, Garmin has fixed an issue where the watch hands could become stuck after an activity was completed. Tactical users will appreciate the fix for the Kill Switch countdown. Other fixes for the Crossover AMOLED include correcting various sensor menu issues, repairing the golf club sensor info page, and fixing the barometer chart scale.
Accessing the Beta Update
Participants in the Garmin Beta Software Program can install the new version 12.12 immediately. To manually initiate the download on an enrolled device, navigate through the watch menu as follows:
Main menu > Settings > System > Software Update > Check For Updates.
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