Garmin has released another beta update for its Fenix 7 series and related smartwatches, extending the 23.xx development cycle despite earlier expectations that it would conclude. The company’s ongoing beta program, which began several months ago, has introduced numerous fixes and minor improvements to its older flagship devices.
The latest release, Beta Version 23.28, follows a sequence of prior builds including versions 23.22 and 23.24. While Garmin had previously indicated that System Software 23.18 would mark the transition to stable software, subsequent bugs prompted the company to resume beta testing. “Reality has not played out quite like Garmin had hoped,” the company said in its update notes.
According to Garmin’s changelog, version 23.28 resolves an issue where infrared (IR) messages to multiple contacts failed to send. However, key features such as Dive and ECG functionality remain inactive, suggesting continued internal testing before a public rollout.
Earlier, System Software 23.18 introduced several improvements, including enhanced sensor pairing over ANT and BLE+. That update also delivered more than a dozen bug fixes aimed at improving performance across supported models, including the Fenix 7.
Garmin has not provided a timeline for when the 23.xx series will move out of beta. Based on the company’s current release cadence, additional beta builds are expected before a stable version becomes available.
Source: Garmin