Garmin Fenix 9 Pro GPS dropouts frustrate third-party app developers
Developers say Garmin's Fenix 9 Pro loses GPS signal after about 14 seconds in roughly half of sessions, hurting third-party navigation and workout apps.
The developers are accusing Garmin of giving priority to issues that affect its own first-party software, Android Authority reported. They say the company's response to reported problems involving third-party apps has been sluggish. One developer blamed Garmin's slow response time for the fact that their app has far more negative reviews on Garmin's Connect IQ store than on other platforms.
That complaint points to a split between how Garmin handles bugs in its own software and how it handles bugs that appear only in third-party apps. Android Authority noted that Garmin is not the fastest company to roll out resolutions, but it is not the slowest either, at least when the software is its own. For third-party apps, the article said, the situation may be different.
The GPS issue is the latest example developers are raising. According to Android Authority, which cited Notebookcheck, one developer explained on Garmin's community forum that the GPS module cuts out after about 14 seconds on roughly half of all sessions started. As a result, users cannot obtain accurate GPS data when they use non-Garmin navigation and workout apps.
The Fenix 9 Pro launched recently, and the reported problem affects apps that rely on the watch's GPS module. The developers' complaints remain focused on the pace of fixes and on whether third-party apps receive the same attention as Garmin's own software. The Android Authority report did not include a comment from Garmin.