The new Garmin Edge 1050 bike computer: The crown jewel for your bike now with a mobile phone display

UPDATE: After the first visual impressions of the new Garmin Edge 1050, we have now been able to test the bike computer in practice. You can find our impressions in the section linked here.

The bike computers in the Garmin Edge series are the crown jewels. So far there have been Edge 840 and Edge 1040 - now Garmin is launching the Edge 1050 has launched the first high-end bike computer with a 3.5-inch LCD touch display. The shape is already different: the new Edge sat nav has corners!

Garmin Edge 1050 with brighter, clearer display

However, the technical innovations are even more exciting, as the centrepiece is the new LCD display, which is no larger than the 1040, but looks and can be operated much more like a smartphone display.

We have already had the opportunity to take a look at the new Garmin sat nav - but we were unable to test drive it. Firstly, the colours appear clearer, brighter and - without technical evidence - the display seems to react faster. This certainly applies to the touch operation, which at first glance seems to react more sensitively to touch - on a par with a smartphone. How well this works with a bike glove or even with winter gloves will soon have to be shown in an in-depth test. The downside of the new display is that the battery life in GPS mode is up to 20 hours and 60 hours in energy-saving mode. Garmin's predecessors, the Edge 840 (up to 26 / 32 hours according to the manufacturer) and Edge 1040 (up to 35 / 45 hours), performed better in this respect.

New hardware features for the Edge 1050

The main new features on the hardware side are the built-in speaker and the new base of the Edge 1050. The speaker, which is positioned at the lower rear end, can be used to announce route information without headphones: "Turn left in 200 metres" or "Caution: busy road". Another new feature is the integrated electric bike bell, which can be activated via the display.

The base - or the rotating support - of the new Garmin Edge 1050 is no longer made of metal but, like the rest of the housing, is made of plastic. However, this is only worth mentioning because the speaker has caused it to move up a little. Garmin writes: "As a result, it is possible that aero cockpit mounts or handlebar/stem solutions from manufacturers are too short and the Edge 1050 cannot be screwed in as a result. Some bicycle manufacturers and third-party manufacturers will offer compatible mounts for the market launch of the Edge 1050."

Finally, all this has an impact on the weight of the bike computer: according to the manufacturer, the new Garmin Edge 1050 weighs 161 g - the 1040 with solar came in at 133 g, without it at just 126 g. And this much can be said at this point: the price has also risen by 200 euros in comparison. The new sat nav costs 750 euros, while the 1040 model without solar costs 550 euros (RRP) - but is currently available online for 460 euros.

What's new about the Garmin Edge 1050 software

The GroupRide function is not fundamentally new - the previous Edge sat navs already offered this. However, the offer has been expanded for the Edge 1050. You can now share the route and stay in contact with all participants via messages, receive accident notifications and compare yourself in leaderboards - including awards. What is really new in this context is the community function for danger spots such as potholes, flooding or road closures. To make route planning safer, danger spots are now also displayed in the route planner of the Edge 1050. The more people use this function, the safer the journeys will be for everyone. Garmin says: "This is why both the GroupRide feature and the hazard warning will soon be available on the Edge 540, Edge 840 and Edge 1040 series.

Garmin Share is also included on the new bike computer from Garmin. This allows planned routes, workouts and positions to be shared quickly and easily with other Garmin devices. This means you don't have to take the diversions via the Connect app. And finally, Garmin Pay has also found its way onto the 1050. So now you can - ideally - pay at the ice cream parlour without having to dig money or your mobile phone out of your luggage!

The new route planner allows you to plan routes directly on the Edge 1050 - even without a smartphone and internet connection. The map data update is also more independent: You no longer have to use Garmin Express on your PC to update your maps, but can simply update and synchronise them via Wi-Fi using the new map manager.

All the functions you may have come to love, such as Heatmap, ClimbPro and Stamina, are also available on the new bike computer.

The Garmin Edge 1050 bike computer in detail

• Size: 60.2 x 118.5 x 16.3 mm
• Weight: 161 g
• LCD touch display: The 3.5-inch LCD touch display marks the start of a new era on the bike. Thanks to a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels, you can read all your data in razor-sharp detail
• Up to 20 hours of battery life in GPS mode / For longer adventures, the energy-saving mode offers a battery life of up to 60 hours
• GroupRide for sharing routes and staying in touch
• Direct reports on danger spots from the community
• Be alerted if your bike is moved while you are away and the option to recover the last position of your Edge if it is lost in a fall.
• Built-in loudspeaker with integrated bicycle bell function
• Improved route planning with pin drop navigation from iOS Maps and map manager
• Contactless payment with Garmin Pay
• Compatibility with Varia security products
• With the introduction of the new Sram RED AXS, it is now possible to operate data pages and settings of the Edge via the shift levers. This was already possible with Shimano Di2 groupsets
• Price: from €749.99 // €849.99 for bundle with speed and cadence sensor >> e.g. available here
• available immediately

Practical test of the Garmin Edge 1050

In practice, the new LCD display completely lives up to its promise: it reacts very sensitively to finger gestures, with gloves it depends a little on the material. In fact, plastic/fabric gloves such as the Leatt Endurance work very well, while a pair with real leather (OR Freewheel Leather Palm) harmonised less well with the display. The display reacts fluidly and page changes are smooth, just like on smartphones.

The brightness of the display can be set to a fixed level or it can be variably adjusted to the surroundings using an "Auto" function. This is also very sensitive, which is particularly noticeable when travelling in the forest, when sun and shade alternate rapidly. However, this is by no means annoying. On the contrary, it seems to save a lot of battery power.

Garmin LCD display: lots of light - lots of power consumption

Because: If you (consciously as in this test or unconsciously) leave the display on at full power, which is necessary for direct sunlight, the "up to 20 h battery life" is a long way off. You can rather assume 10% battery consumption per hour with GPS running, navigation and a bright display, perhaps more - i.e. around 10 h runtime with active use.

The new option to mark danger spots, barriers or dogs for the community is interesting. What is not yet often seen in mountain biking (potholes are not a "danger spot" for us), is already more frequently highlighted in gravel or racing bike use. However, you can almost become philosophical: At what point is a pothole normal or worth reporting?

Improved menu and clearer data display

In my opinion, the menu navigation has become a little more intuitive: You can now find all the relevant sub-items on the start page under the blue "Navigation" button, such as your own route planning. However, something happened twice on my test device: the route completed on one day could no longer be uploaded, even though the sat nav was connected to the phone via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. The sat nav also restarted immediately after completion. Will this be fixed with the next system update? I have never had such a problem with the predecessor, Garmin Edge 1040.

Update (28.09.24):

After activities were not uploaded, the device could only be brought back to life with a deep reset (press the start button for 1 minute). This was immediately followed by a software update (version 10.19). The activity still cannot be uploaded - according to the Garmin hotline, however, it is possible that it is faulty due to the restart directly after the end of the tour and therefore cannot be uploaded.

The new display for climbs is also very informative. Both the map and the elevation profile as well as various data (depending on the setting) are shown.

The integrated bicycle bell is very practical. If you tap on the display during navigation, a short menu with the "Bell" button appears. Although two "clicks" are required, the bell sounds very audibly from the loudspeaker now installed in the Garmin Edge 1050.

Conclusion on the new Garmin Edge 1050

If you are faced with the choice between the Garmin Edge 1050 or 1040 - possibly with integrated solar cells - there are two arguments. And the price. Starting with that: The new bike sat nav is available at street price for around 630 euros. The older device with solar panels still costs 600 euros - without around 450 euros. In return, the 1050 offers a significantly improved display at the price of a much shorter battery life. So if you take two trips at the weekend or use the sat nav every few days, you can benefit from the crystal-clear display and the new functions.

If you want to use the bike computer on really long tours or don't have the opportunity to charge it in the evening, you should go for the Edge 1040. The new community functions (danger spots, group ride) will probably also be added to the older devices at some point.

For me, the decision here is really just runtime vs. display - and I choose the Solar 1040's runtime, which is probably at least twice as long in practice.