Last week, Garmin offered up Beta 9.15 to the Vivoactive 5 series, an update that introduced several new features and bug fixes to its recent smartwatches. Subsequently, the company has released Beta 9.16, which can be downloaded on a Vivoactive 5 directly rather than sideloaded and then installed. For reference, Garmin advises manually triggering the update in the following way:
To download this update on the Vivoactive 5, go to: Main menu > Settings > System > Software Update
Like Beta 8.25 before it, Beta 9.16 appears to carry over its predecessor’s changelog. Consequently, Garmin’s forum post describes the latter adding a jump rope activity, as well as support for new male audio prompts. Likewise, the Beta 9.16 changelog includes identical bug fixes focusing on battery drain, unwanted music playback and a golf activity-related issue.
Nonetheless, complaints remain in Garmin’s Community Discussion channel of high battery drain remaining, even after updating to Beta 9.16. Presumably, the company’s new beta build contains more changes than Garmin is letting on, with it being unlikely that it would simply repackage Beta 9.15 as Beta 9.16. Please see Garmin’s forum post for more details.
Prior to writing and translating for Notebookcheck, I worked for various companies including Apple and Neowin. I have a BA in International History and Politics from the University of Leeds, which I have since converted to a Law Degree. Happy to chat on Twitter or Notebookchat.
Jessica Irvine is a tech enthusiast specializing in gadgets. From smart home devices to cutting-edge electronics, Jessica explores the world of consumer tech, offering readers comprehensive reviews, hands-on experiences, and expert insights into the coolest and most innovative gadgets on the market.
