Garmin Forerunner 970 and 570 Receive Beta Update 15.12 with Bug Fixes
Garmin has released beta update 15.12 for the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 smartwatches, addressing issues with features like the flashlight, voice alerts, and incident detection.
The new beta version, which arrived today, resolves a problem where activity voice alerts played at an incorrect frequency, and fixes an issue causing incident detection alarms to sound through headphones instead of the watch’s speaker. Runners will also benefit from a fix that prevented the watch from locking onto nearby tracks, and general stability improvements address unexpected resets and screen blanking. Specifically for the Forerunner 970, a bug affecting the flashlight strobe effect during activities has been corrected.
Garmin has also removed a previous shortcut to sleep mode, encouraging users to utilize the newer Sleep Focus Mode instead. Updates to the smartwatches’ translations are also included in this release. This update is particularly important as reliable smartwatch functionality is crucial for athletes and those prioritizing safety during outdoor activities.
The beta update 15.12 is currently available to all Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 users enrolled in the beta program; a representative confirmed the release on the Garmin Forum. The timeline for a stable public release of the 15.xx software remains unconfirmed.
Garmin has released a new beta update for the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 smartwatches. Beta version 15.12 follows the mid-October release, beta version 15.09, which added a calculator hotkey and automatic button lock for climbing activities.
The Garmin Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 watches get a range of bug fixes with beta version 15.12. The company has tackled a problem linked to activity voice alerts, which could play at the wrong frequency. An issue where the incident detection alarm played through headphones rather than the on-watch speakers has been resolved. Likewise, a bug for runners, where the watch could lock to a track nearby, has been fixed. Problems which could cause an unexpected device reset or the screen to go blank have also been removed.
Only for the Forerunner 970 is a bug fix linked to the flashlight strobe effect, which was not working as expected during activities. Plus, Garmin has removed an older sleep mode shortcut, with users advised to use the new Sleep Focus Mode instead. On top of this, there are said to be updates for the smartwatches translations, though no further details are provided.
In a post on the Garmin Forum, a representative for the brand confirmed that the beta version 15.12 update is now available for all users of the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 (curr. $749.99 at Amazon) who are signed up to the beta program. When a stable version of the 15.xx software will be shared with all users of these smartwatches remains to be seen.
I’ve been interested in technology for as long as I can remember. From a young age, I have loved gadgets and understanding how things work. Since graduating, I have worked for several technology companies across FinTech, AdTech and Robotics.
