Garmin has officially confirmed the arrival of a hefty update to some of its most premium running and outdoor watches - one that includes support for native running power, grade-adjusted pace and its Morning Report feature.
We've seen these features pop up on certain devices and in various betas over the last few months, but, until Garmin's blog post, the full list of devices in line to receive upgrades has been unknown.
Now, the company has indicated it will roll out the new software update for a select group of devices - the Fenix 7 series, the Epix (Gen 2), Enduro 2, Marq (Gen 2) and Tactix 7, as well as the Forerunner 255 and Forerunner 955 running watches.
As ever, the update will be free, and Garmin indicates it'll be popping up automatically on your device or within Garmin Connect from today.
There are plenty of minor upgrades coming, but the key ones include wrist-based running power - meaning you no longer need to pair a third-party accessory - the company's new-ish Morning Report feature and grade-adjusted pace.
The grade-adjusted pace feature is a fairly explanatory one, with devices now able to show you your equivalent flat-ground pace when you're running uphill or downhill. And this should, in theory, make it easier to maintain an even effort during workouts.
Morning Report, however - something that's actually already present in a few of the devices covered in this update - is slightly different. This essentially provides a personalized, easily digestible look at your workout schedule for the coming day, recovery performance (including Training Readiness and HRV Status) and sleep details.
Running power, as well, is another feature we've already seen land natively on some devices. Others, though, like the two latest Forerunner models, launched with support only for tethered running power.
It gives runners a great new way to manage their efforts and receive a real-time look at how much they're actually exerting themselves on a run. It's one we look forward to testing out thoroughly against other devices with the feature.
The update also includes support for NextFork, allowing users to see the distance to their next trail intersection, Auto-Rest for ultra workouts and, for the first time, a disc golf activity profile.
We're yet to see the update on our in-house Forerunner 955, but we'll update this piece with our full impressions of the new features when it lands.
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Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.
Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides.
He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror.