Here’s a quick post to note down the main differences that you should care about between the Garmin
To be clear, I don’t own either of these devices (yet!). This post is intended to act as a reference point when I get around to buying one*.
(* Or, who knows, both, if this blog ever turns into a magic money tree…)
I’m publishing on the blog just in case YOU are also looking for this info and you’d like it delivered in a handy summary, all in one place.
I’ll keep my scribblings to the main differences rather than go into detail about what a bike GPS device is, etc. You can check out my other posts for that guff (like this one comparing the 1030 (non-plus) with the Edge 830).
Righty ho? Onward dear lycra-clad warriors!
Want To Watch My Edge 1030 Plus Video Instead?
Good news. Here it is:
Edge 1030 Plus: Which is The New One?
The Edge 1030 Plus is newer than the
The
Case in point, when Garmin launched the newer
🦍 Top end bike GPS device
🔍 Large colour touchscreen
📌 Sophisticated navigation features
High spec bike GPS with large colour touchscreen and super fast processor. Similar features to the 830 (i.e. lots of sophisticated ones) - the larger screen makes them easier to use.
Key Difference: The Colour (Color…)
Let’s start with the important things Mont.
The case on the
The
The 1030 Plus is just sleeker and smarter. This alone makes me choose it over the 1030.
Battery Life On The Edge 1030 Plus vs Edge 1030
The 1030 Plus purports to last longer than the 1030 (actually it’s Garmin that purports it).
They claim 24 hours battery life with GPS, connected features and paired sensors (48 hours with a less intensive GPS setup).
I remember the last time I did a 24 hour event on the bike, whilst being tracked by family all gathered around the coal-powered laptop. It was … never.
But nice to know I could record a 24 hour ride if I wanted to…
Garmin Charge power pack fans – you know who you are – will be pleased to hear that it is compatible with both the 1030 and the ‘Plus’.
Which means that a fully-tracked, fully-sensored 48 hour ride is back on the table. See you when you get back. I’ll put the kettle on.
The 1030 Plus Has Increased Onboard Data Storage
1030 has 16Gb. 1030 Plus has 32Gb.
Whatever. I just bought a new desktop PC with a terrabyte hard drive. Gonna attach it to my handlebars on Saturday….
Wait, I’m back in the room.
With the onboard storage increased (nay, doubled!), Garmin has eschewed (I say, eschewed!) the microSD port.
That said, according to the Garmin website, both devices can save 200 routes, 100 courses and up to 200 hours of history.
So it’s not like you can store more on the Plus in total, you just don’t need to fiddle with microSDs and whatnot.
The 1030 Plus Has More Software Features (Though You Won’t Need Them All)
There are not enough words available in the known universe to describe all the features on the existing 1030. A raft of them came via a big software update in 2019. If you line all the features up end to end, they will reach to Uranus.
(Ahem)
The 1030 Plus was launched with a bunch of new features. Some, like the new streamlined setup process fandango, came to the
Others … will not (who knows, maybe they will at some point).
Many of these software features have names like Trailforks and ForkSight, which are mountain-bikery.
Others are relevant for road cyclists (and veloists of all persuasions, to be fair), including suggested daily workouts linked to how much training you’ve been subjecting yourself to.
More Processing Grunt
Which is a technical term. With the launch of the Edge 530 and 830 in 2019, Garmin introduced a new more powerful chipset to its GPS device range. The 1030 Plus has this more powerful processor. The basic ‘non-Plus’
The
Edge 1030 Plus vs 1030: Key Things That Remain The Same
Screen. One word. Three and a half inches. Still touchscreen.
Probably the main thing pushing you towards buying a 1030 (Plus) over, say, the
Pretty much everything not mentioned above. 99% of the functionality required by any normal road cycling enthusiast
Same size (58mm width x 114mm height x 19mm depth for the stat fans).
I was going to (jokingly) make a big deal about the increase in weight. The Garmin website shows the 1030 Plus at 124g. The older 1030 at 123g.
Then I remembered that the joke about road cyclists being weight weenies is a bit old casquette.
So, to all intents and purposes (like being a bike computer), the
Price
Huh, I wrote this whole post without looking at the price difference.
I assumed, I don’t know, at least $50/£50/$100/£100 (choose your favourite currency).
Nowhere near that. On the Garmin website here in the UK, the difference is £20.
Let’s see if I can get the Garmin site to play nice and show me the USD difference. Answer: I can. And it shows both devices at THE SAME PRICE.
That said, just looking at the likes of Amazon and Wiggle, the original 1030 is available for less than the list price. In fact, for ~$100 less.
So, more or less, the effective price difference is about £90/$100.
For all that, if I’m in the market for spending this sort of money ($600 / £500) on a bike computer, I think I’d be buying the newer 1030 Plus.
Because I prefer the colour.
You’ve Made Your Mind Up – You Want To Buy One?
You’re ahead of me then, but go for it.
Here are some places you can buy a brand spanking new bike computer:
🦍 Top end bike GPS device
🔍 Large colour touchscreen
📌 Sophisticated navigation features
High spec bike GPS with large colour touchscreen and super fast processor. Similar features to the 830 (i.e. lots of sophisticated ones) - the larger screen makes them easier to use.
Note: These are affiliate links. If you click and buy something, I get a commission. You pay the same price.
Too Simplistical? Want More Info?
If you are looking for more detail than supplied in this little bike tech amuse bouche, here’s a link to the DC Rainmaker in-depth review of the 1030 Plus (which has plenty of references back to the
My understanding is that the main difference between the 1030 and the 1030 Plus is that the
Plus has less lag, particularly on the touch screen. The older model is slower than the more recently introduced 530 and 830 models so it was difficult to justify the premium price for the 1030.
I read this whole article to figure out you have no clue on what the differences really are…
Well the most important is the link to the buying isn’t it?
Welcome to the Internet Jeroen.
It’s definitely true I don’t own either device. That’s why I wrote it at the top. Hopefully if enough people click my links, I’ll be able to afford to buy them for a hands on test (I bought the ELEMNT Bolt and Edge 520 with funds from the blog).
I certainly do need to update the post to reflect the fact that the Plus has a more powerful CPU and is therefore quicker and easier to use.
I will take as a compliment that it was so well written that you read the whole article.
Take care,
Monty
Well you cant please everyone! I however found the quick video very helpful and as a result the 1030 plus is the one for me. All Garmin’s are challenging, having four devices myself over the years.
I will now retire my old 810, its been a great companion, which, if you use them on all your rides (only road use) far too much fun on the mountain bike to be had to worry about stats ! will give you accurate data I have found, but that’s my personal take on computers.
Thank you for taking the time and effort to put this information together, it is appreciated.