Garmin makes it clear which existing watches new forerunners 970 functions are received

Last week the Garmin Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 were released, with it a series of 'New to Garmin' features. The majority of these new functions only appeared on the Forerunner 970, but a handful (e.g. the new evening report) also appeared in the Forerunner 570.

After some poking, I finally clarified which existing watches these new functions receive and which are not. To clarify, you will find the specific list of functions we are talking about here:

– Functional tolerance function
– impact load factor
– “Autolap with Timing Gates” feature
– proposed finish line function
– Projected racing time – predictor function
-feature -feate -feature function (requires HRM 600)
– Running business function (requires HRM 600)
– Garmin triathlon coach feature
– MultiSport -structured workouts (from Garmin Connect to Watch)
– Improved predictions of the ovulation cycle using skim temperatures

There is a handful of other things in the existing Watch firmware -update -hopper, such as the breathing variations function, which can be seen on the latest betas of Garmin Fenix ​​8 (and today live) and other current beta functions such as the Rucking activity profile (since February or so). For example, the breathing variations will apply to an absolute bin of devices, including all Fenix ​​7 & Epic series (Pro & Non-Pro-Pro series), Vivoactive's, Venu's and more. I do not enter those list because they are already reduced on watches in a rather predictable pattern. Instead, everything revolves around the parts mentioned above, which are completely new for Garmin.

If you look at this list, the variants Fenix ​​8, Enduro 3 and Tactix 8 are these functions at a certain time in the future when it comes to this list, the long and the short film. With “want to get” more a gentle promise than a hard and quick guarantee. Special:

“The current plan is to announce the software functions” New to Garmin “announced with Forerunner 570 and 970 in the Fenix ​​8 series, Enduro 3 and Tactix 8 in future software releases. We cannot comment on the exact timing or the guarantee that all functions get into these updates into these updates. “

In other words (and confirms), there are no plans for one of these newly listed functions that can penetrate the series 265, 965, Fenix ​​7 Pro or Epix Pro series. Also clearly noticed, as with all software development, things can change. In general, when Garmin says that a feature comes to other watches, 95% of the cases in which it becomes true. There are certainly the opposite examples in the past decade, but frankly they are only a few.

This is relatively similar to what we have seen in the past, at least in terms of timing. Since the Garmin Quarterly Firmware publication has started in the past few days, this usually means that the next cycle of the Betas of the Public Fenix ​​8 is usually 2-4 weeks away (which would someday culminate in August in August in August with a production release, or if it is necessary for a variety of reasons). As usual, the initial public beta may not contain all functions that may later end in the final production version (and vice versa could disappear).

In this case, the forerunner 970 is clearly distributed most of the same new user interface base as the Fenix ​​8, and will make this process much faster than it could have been.

Nevertheless, this will undoubtedly annoy Fenix ​​7/Epix Pro user or even forerunner 965 users. From 2020 to 2023 Garmin was really good to update existing devices (especially on the clock side, of course, of course, Venu aside). The Edge team continues to do very well in porting functions. But with the release of the Fenix ​​8, it is clear that things have changed. Not just updating older watches in terms of pricing, but Garmin's considerations. Apparently they have returned to the old Garmin in 2010, which forced the new watches when they wanted new functions.

On the one hand, they have companies such as Apple Offer -Uhren -Updates many years ago, but not everyone is either. Polar, for example, limits things to current clocks quite a bit. Suunto & Coros divided the difference a little, with Suunto updating everything in the current device family, while Coros tend to ward off a generation, depending on hardware restrictions. Google (with a rather limited story you look at) is mostly updated by older devices. And Samsung divides the difference and updates some older watches with new Wearos functions, but not necessarily new Samsung functions.

In any case, Garmin is definitely the strictest of the larger companies in relation to this software functional updates. At the same time, add * far * more functions in your updates than all companies that I have just noticed (Heck, probably more software update functions than all companies). For example, Apple makes a big update every year in September. Coros used to be updated more frequently than most, but in the past 1-2 years the update frequency of steps and depths have been dramatically decreased compared to the period of 2022. This is common when companies mature.

However, the reason why all of this is important is the current Fenix ​​8 turnover that lowers the price of the Fenix ​​8 to $ 799, compared to the $ 749 of the Forerunner 970. This scenario assumes that form/style/size is not a factor.

Of the functions you used on the Forerunner 970, I would say that the two most useful realistic use is the function for tolerance/impact load function (somehow a combo joke) and the evening report function. Some of the others are still interesting, especially the dynamic triathlon plans for triathletes. But in addition, I think that most people are either a bit too Geeky or a little too complicated to set up/use them.

However, I hope this helps people find out whether they pick up one of the Fenix ​​8 units for sale or the Forerunner 970. Or, just give up and still use your Forerunner 305, who now works well 19 years later.

With that – thanks for reading!