Coros’ latest public beta delivers more of what users have been hoping for, filling gaps that used to hold the watches back. The update expands the feature set while also addressing several long-standing annoyances noted by reviewers. Below is a rewritten overview that preserves all key information while expanding explanations where it helps beginners understand the changes.
Coros’s new beta firmware introduces a major shift: it finally brings full music control from the watch, and it fixes several usability quirks that frustrated many users. Previously, Coros watches could only play music stored directly on the device, which is fine for truly phone-free workouts but inconvenient for most people who rely on their phone to stream or manage media. Competitors like Garmin and Suunto had already offered remote controls for phone playback, and Coros users have been waiting for parity. The new beta adds a dedicated “media control” app alongside the existing “music” app. The media control option shows track information from the phone’s current playback and provides play, pause, skip, and volume controls directly on the watch, making it practical to manage what’s playing without pulling out the phone. This change eliminates the need to juggle media on two devices and brings Coros in line with popular smartwatch expectations.
Another welcomed improvement is in how workouts conclude. In the past, Coros sometimes paused or ended a workout as soon as the predefined steps or segments finished, which meant any additional distance or time logged after the last beep could be lost. This behavior could be frustrating, especially for runners who want to hit a target total distance or time. The beta appears to adopt a more Garmin-like approach: once a workout ends, the activity continues in an open segment until manually stopped. This means you can finish your session on a comfortable cooldown without worrying about losing the last portion of your effort.
A helpful new undo feature has been added for lap tracking. It’s now possible to undo a lap segment if a lap button press happens by accident, a capability that Garmin users have enjoyed for some time. Coros introduces this by adding an undo option after pressing the lower-right lap button. While this is a welcome improvement, the undo function isn’t universal across all lap scenarios. It works for unstructured workouts and certain lap-marking situations, but may not be available when following a built-in workout with predefined lap segments or during strength-focused routines where the lap button toggles between work and rest.
Rest timing in strength workouts also gets smarter. Previously, while using strength training features, the watch would prompt you to enter a body part for each exercise, which could be tedious if performing multiple sets with minimal variation. This friction often discouraged using the rest timer during lifting sessions. The updated beta lets you select a body part at the start of the workout, and that selection stays active throughout your sets unless you choose to change it. An option like “Full body” is available, which is especially convenient for general or mixed routines. During the session, the start/stop controls open a menu to switch body parts if needed. This streamlines strength workouts and makes on-wrist tracking more practical.
Overall, the beta makes Coros watches more capable and user-friendly, particularly for those who rely on music control, accurate workout logging, flexible lap handling, and streamlined strength tracking. The changes are the result of listening to user feedback and prioritizing features that keep workouts seamless and enjoyable.
What do you think about these changes? Do you value phone-based music control the most, or are there other updates you’d like to see in future updates? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.
