Garmin is releasing an update that would see the training readiness score of the new Garmin Forerunner 955 come to Garmin Fenix 7 and Garmin Epix 2 watches. Other features of Forerunner 955 and Garmin Edge 1040 bike computers are also included as part of the update, bringing the best Garmin watches in line with its latest technology.
The update, still on Garmin’s Public Alpha software distribution program, began rolling out this week, as reported by DC Rainmaker.
The training readiness score was one of the 955’s most exciting features. It looks at a number of different factors, including sleep quality, last workout, and heart rate variability – a metric that examines heart rate discrepancies while inactive – and packages into a single score.
A high score indicates that you are ready for a serious sweat session, while a low score is an indicator that you will not perform at your best and should keep it light. Other fitness ecosystems have done similar things before, like the Fitbit’s daily readiness score, but Garmin’s stellar track record in heart rate monitoring means this is a feature that’s being developed, and the development team took a while to get it right.
Previously, the feature was exclusive to the Garmin Forerunner 955, but now Fenix 7 and Epix 2 owners will be able to access the feature once their watch’s firmware is updated.
Other features of Fenix and Epix watches include the edge 1040 the new cycling ability feature of the bike computer, which can analyze your performance on different types of rides and let you know your strengths and weaknesses. The Fenix 7 and Epix 2 are also getting new Race Day features, a stock widget (for all three who want to check their mid-race stakes), Virtual Caddy support for golfers, and fixes for a series of existing problems.
O full list can be found on the Garmin website (opens in new tab), but a new “what’s new” screen can also guide you through changes to your watch. The update, still in beta, started rolling out this week, as reported by DC Rainmaker (opens in new tab).
How do I get the update?
Unlike most updates, you won’t get this automatically when syncing with your phone, as it’s still in Public Alpha: for now, you’ll have to go through the trouble of loading the latest update manually.
The Garmin website has four links to download the software in zip format, each corresponding to a different watch: the Epix (Gen 2), the Fenix 7, 7X and 7S (opens in new tab). After downloading, you will be able to connect your watch to your computer, open the downloaded zip file and move the software to your watch as you do when storing music files.
Garmin’s Public Alpha software is buggy and relies on users to test these features and report any bugs they find. O guide to reporting a bug can be found here (opens in new tab). You don’t need to sign up for the beta program on Garmin Connect to do this – you can check out our guide to how to use Garmin Connect here – but if you’d rather wait for the software, you can do that and the feature will (eventually) make its way to your watch on its own.