Garmin Rolls Out Instinct 17.11 Beta to Fix Solar Charging Bug on 6 Watch Models

6 articles · Updated · Notebookcheck.net · May 19

Version 17.11 is now available as a beta manual update for six Garmin Instinct variants, targeting a bug that could stop solar charging from working.
The release covers Instinct 2, Instinct 2 Solar, Instinct 2S, Instinct 2S Solar, Instinct 2X and Instinct Crossover, with a separate file for each device.
Garmin still is not delivering this beta over the air, so users must connect the watch to a computer as a mass-storage device and copy over a ZIP file.
That single fix matters because solar charging is a core selling point of the solar Instinct line, helping enable near-unlimited battery life under lighter use.

When a key feature like solar charging repeatedly fails, has Garmin's hardware innovation outpaced its software reliability?

Is Garmin's reliance on manual beta updates for critical flaws a sign of a deeper problem in its software development process?