Garmin has rolled out a substantial new software update for several of its older flagship smartwatches, giving loyal users a fresh batch of refinements long after many expected the update stream to slow down.
The new System Software version 23.48 is now landing on devices in the Garmin Fenix 7 family and a handful of related high-end models, with Garmin pushing it out in phases starting this week.
Early adopters will notice the update focuses heavily on stability. Garmin has fixed a series of unexpected shutdown issues that could occur when launching activities, selecting watch faces or attempting to update software.
Messaging reliability has also been tightened, with improved handling of notifications to reduce the chance of missed or misrouted messages.
There are improvements to how the outdoor watches manage paired sensors, along with corrections for satellite signal alerts and tide data accuracy. Even Garmin’s IR remote function gets its own quiet set of tweaks.
A feather in the firmware
The twist is that the update doesn’t land on every watch you might expect.
Curiously, Garmin has excluded the Fenix 7 Pro and its spin-offs from the update, at least for now.
The brand hasn’t offered any public explanation, which leaves owners of the newer Pro variants waiting on the sidelines while their non-Pro counterparts receive the improvements.
Meanwhile, the Epix 2 Pro and Tactix 7 Pro are fully cleared for the upgrade, underscoring an oddly inconsistent rollout.
Garmin is distributing version 23.48 gradually, so only around half of the eligible users will see the prompt immediately.
As always, the update can be triggered through Garmin Express if you prefer a manual nudge.
If you’re still using a Fenix 7-series watch or a sibling Garmin watch, this update should make day-to-day use feel a touch smoother and more predictable.
It may not be the flashiest package Garmin has ever shipped, but it’s a reassuring sign that the company continues to invest in its older high-end hardware, even if the Pro family is conspicuously missing from the invitation list this time.
