Could a new Garmin Edge 1040 bike computer be on its way? What we want to see from new flagship GPS

New screen, please. The one on 1030+ is just a joke.

roadcc wrote:

Could a new Garmin Edge 1040 bike computer be on its way? What we want to see from new flagship GPS

Something that doesn't randomly freeze requiring a hard reset every few days, like my Edge 520 (fool me once) and Vectors (fool me twice).

There's an issue with the article around "GNSS." GNSS, Global Navigation Satellite System, is a term that covers all active constellations today: Navistar/GPS from the US, Glonass from Russia, Galileo from the EU, and Beidou from China.

First error: many Garmin devices today already support GPS+Galileo+Glonass.

Second error: it's a misnomer to say that it will support GNSS in addition to GPS+Glonass. That's like someone will eat food, in addition to pizzas and burgers. Instead, it will offer multi-band GNSS support. What does this mean? Three of the active GNSS constellations (GPS, Galileo, and Beidou) have satellites that can send the same signal via multiple frequencies simultaneously. When a multi-band GPS device can read those signals from multiple frequencies, they can determine what miniscule time differences there were between the same signal on the two frequencies, and with that, correct for variations in the atmosphere (typically ionosphere). This makes it much more accurate.

Because this GPS chipset is likely the same as that in the new Forerunner 955, it's more accurate to say that it now supports all the major GNSS Constellations (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, and the regional QZSS) as well as multi-band signals from the constellations that offer it.

DC Rainmaker gives a decent overview on his new Forerunner 955 in-depth review, by the way:

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/05/garmin-forerunner-955-solar-review.html

Cheers!

I'd just like to see Garmin get the basics right.  i.e. a more usable UX when riding.

1.  Make the UX easy to work with one hand.

2.  Don't block the map with a modal telling me I'm off course.  In fact making all alerts less disruptive for when I can't operate the device would be useful.  E.g. if I'm on the road and I forget to switch profile, I don't want  half the display blocked with "Nice Jump!" alerts every time I hit an undulation.

3.  Never show me a map with no details on it.  If I'm following a track and I zoom out I don't want all details removed and to be presented with a completely blank screen.  Ever.

4.  Make things like creating routes on phone easier.  If I import routes from Strava, make them match up, don't reroute the parts I forgot to put waymarkers on.

5.  Give me tactile controls AND a touchscreen in the same device.  See point 1.

It might be raining but I still need to operate the device.  Don't lock the screen up. Some physical buttons would be helpful.  If I have a unit with buttons, like a 530, it would be much easier to scroll a touchscreen like an 830.

6.  Show me climb details on the fly without a preprogrammed course.

This is stuff I personally would find useful, I can see that updating the charging port is a good idea but if I'm being honest, I don't care that much about what they use.

Bored with Garmin's glacial design and tech updates, cumbersome software, high prices, and poor battery life - I'm a leisure cyclist, but let's face it, enough of what they do can be done well enough by smartphones.  As such, I don't really see sufficient additionality to justify the cost.  

I've had several Garmins, but when my 520 and Fenix 3HR die they will not be replaced.  I also tried a HH Karoo One, which whilst better, had both hardware and software glitches. Why bother?  The only time my iPhone has let me down was when I accidentally/negligently put it in the washing machine!

I have been using Garmin Edge and tri products for years and....if these are all "new" features...1040 innovations are missing then... 
Just quick toughts....

How about camera? from safety perspective, and no need for 4K. 

Sometimes it would be great share activity real time. Maybe even with camera on some day. Next genaration will eventually do this, Next gen is using live sharing a lot,  TikTok etc

1040 already has integrated speaker, could it be used as "bell/horn" as well - just software add.

For MTB racing: real time gaps to next racer, previous racer would be nice
or if you are cycling with friends - real time heart rate shared with mates. To make sure the pace is great for all and all enjoy. Garmin should invest more on social part.  Zwift understand social part well.
 
Now garmin shows suggested cycling activity when starting the activity. Timing wise it would be better if garmin could share suggested activity on the morning, maybe via pop up on garmin watch or via app.

I hope Garmin will publish 1040 product with real innovations

I've had the 1030 since it emerged, and to be honest I'm not likely to spend £500+ on a replacement unless its capabilities are revolutionary. I think I'd be better off keeping the 1030 for a navigation display (which works absolutely fine) and buying a Forerunner 255 for all the new training metrics. 

I think most of us don't need new features, just existing features to work better, reliably and be organised so you can find them in spite of being an experienced Garmin user!

For example, a mate likes to track his nervous wife and the 1030 has some link you can use (email?). Recently it has just stopped working.

Rerouting back to course in a rational way (time for AI to rear its head in marketing perhaps?).

Screens that give you a clue what to press to go where.

A makeover for Connect after a usability consultation. My Garmin can chat happily by WiFi or phone, but I had to install Express for a map update. Now it insists on defaulting to using Express to update a ride when without Express it just magically happens - forget to unclick it wants you to remember where you put your outdated cable. Unclick and hey bingo, courses updated without a thought.

I reckon they hired a lead coder in 1985 and he still sits there as the guru who all must obey because he holds all the knowledge and nobody else can question his wisdom.

Nice big pretty screen, better battery life and frankly, it actually should be cheaper.

Look at modern smart phones - they're better in every way for the same price or cheaper. The truth is that these Garmins are overpriced for what they are. 

They could add a couple things from the Karoo : heatmaps being actually usable & climbpro kicking in automatically instead of only on courses.

I'm still not convinced by Garmin. They've let me down so many times in the past from routes not syncing, poor battery life and just being an overall faff to use. I'll wait until somebody I know goes out and buys one. 

£520? That's just plain bonkers especially as early adopters will be the ones paying for the dubious privilege being Garmin's beta testing cadre.  

Big, red, "re-route to nearest coffee" button.

A very useful thing (which I don't expect to see, however) would be basic voice control as in "Zoom in", "Zoom out", "Next screen", "Previous screen". Would be great to have without moving hands off the bars (next and previous screen can be had via Di2 or similar, but zoom in/out not so much).