Garmin today launched the new Edge 1050 cycling computer, which the brand claims is “its clearest and smartest cycling computer ever”.
The Garmin Edge 1040 Solar is part of our ultimate bike computer buyer’s guide, and we understand it will still exist as a solar option alongside the Edge 1050, which we hope will get tested alongside the 1040 soon.
The unit will have an SRP of £649.99 / $699.99 / €699.99. This makes the Edge 1050 £200 more than the recently released third generation Hammerhead Karoo and puts the new 1050 at the very top of the bike computer market.
The Edge 1050 has a touchscreen and will deliver a claimed 20 hours of battery life and 60 hours in battery saver mode. That’s highly capable when it comes to normal road and gravel, but falls short of the latest series of ultra-long battery life computers like the Coros Dura, which we calculated could last up to 375 hours of driving.
The Edge 1050 appears to have received some updated design tweaks, interesting new features such as support for contactless payments, and also builds on Garmin’s strong reputation for its computers offering strong fitness and training features and support.
Dan Bartel, Garmin’s Vice President of Global Consumer Sales said;
“We’re excited to introduce the Edge 1050, our most capable and powerful bike computer to date. Providing an exceptional riding experience, superior navigation and community-focused features, our latest bike computer is built to keep cyclists motivated – whether you’re “planning a group ride with friends or a long solo adventure.”
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So what’s new?
The new Garmin 1050 is said to have an updated design, with the new unit now sporting a angled housing and tougher all-metal buttons. There’s also a replaceable quarter-turn mount and a 3.5-inch liquid crystal display.
The Edge 1050 will also support Garmin Pay contactless payments, a technology pioneered in Garmin smartwatches that aims to compete with Apple Pay on the Apple Watch. The technology means owners will be able to pay at the cafe using their cycle computer, leaving their cards at home and their phone in their back pocket.
There’s also a built-in speaker that Garmin says will allow riders to hear training and navigation prompts. The device also has a bicycle bell to alert other road users of your presence.
A new on-device course builder will allow owners to create on-device courses and routes. Both paved and unpaved surfaces will be clearly visible on the screen, according to the brand’s press release.
Wifi connectivity will allow users to use the Map Manager feature to add, replace or update additional maps, and ride-specific routing will take care of mountain, gravel or road riding.
The GroupRide feature has also received improvements by brand, and riders can communicate via messaging while riding. Live location alerts and incident detection can alert and even direct other riders to a cyclist in need of help. Riders will also be able to receive warnings of hazards reported by fellow riders, such as fallen trees or potholes. These notifications will also be available on the Edge 540, Edge 840 and Edge 1040 units soon.
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Training and fitness features
Garmin devices have a reputation for strong features for fitness training, and the Edge 1050 seems to back it up.
The unit includes free Garmin training plans and real-time endurance information. The power guide feature now takes wind data and the rider’s current endurance level into account to adjust the power target in real time.
Training information is provided by Firstbeat Analytics, including training status, temperature and altitude acclimatization and V02 Max. Trendline popularity routing will also help riders find the most used routes by other Garmin cyclists. Users will also be able to send a pin from Apple Maps and navigate to that location, a feature Hammerhead Karoo also offers for Google Maps.
ClimbPro displays climb metrics such as time to departure and grade, while ClimbExplore displays surrounding climbs on the device or in the Garmin Connect app. MTB ride metrics are also covered with specific metrics such as jump count, jump distance, grit and flow.
The Edge 1050 will also include security features such as live monitoring and incident detection for select contacts. It will also be comparable to Varia products, Garmin’s line of smart radars and lights.
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