Garmin has released Beta Version 17.16, which includes additional bug fixes for the Fenix 7 and Fenix 7 Pro. A new feature that could enhance the usability of a Fenix 7, Epix 2, Enduro 2, Quatix 7, or MARQ Gen 2 series smartwatch with an external heart rate monitor is also included in the same update.
A number of updates with 17.1x build numbers have been released in recent weeks for the Fenix 7 (currently $519.99 on Amazon - renewed). After Beta Version 16.22 was released, the company first released Beta Version 17.10. This was followed by the rapid release of Beta Versions 17.12, 17.14, and 17.15. It was unusual that many of the changes included in previous beta updates seemed absent from some more recent ones.
Sadly, Beta Version 17.16 carries on in the same manner, listing just four changes from Beta Version 16.22. But dozens of bug fixes, new features, and improvements were reportedly included in earlier builds. It is thus unclear if these have been silently rolled back or if they still exist.
That being said, the enhancements listed in Garmin's changelog for Beta Version 17.16 are brand-new and weren't included in any of the previous 17.1x beta updates. When Garmin mentioned Beta Version 16.22 in its forum post, it could have been referring to Beta Version 17.15. Regarding Fenix 7 smartwatches and their counterparts, Beta Version 17.16 is reported to bring about the following enhancements:
When paired with HRM, there is now an option to disable dynamic source switching in the wrist heart rate menu.
Resolved DSW issue where it was only displaying the DSW for today.
Resolved a possible problem that might arise while removing a Connect IQ watch face.
Possibly problematic downloads of large music playlists have been fixed.