Español Garmin today introduced a new fleet of cycling products, the Garmin Edge 520 Plus, which, as its name suggests, is an evolution of the best-selling Edge 520 introduced almost three years ago.
Garmin is having a hard time keeping up with product developments, especially in the cycling unit segment where they have no real competition. Yes, there's Polar, Wahoo, Lezyne, Sigma... but let's face it, Garmin has a big advantage not only in terms of the number of products but also in terms of wide distribution.
Their real competition is themselves and every time they launch a new product they must be careful not to step on the high-end product or future additions to the market. This new Edge 520 Plus must therefore bring some novelty with respect to the Edge 520 (which it does not replace but complements), but at the same time it must not endanger or place itself above the Edge 820 and not to mention the Edge 1030, devices that are much more expensive and which must continue to offer some representative difference.
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What's New in Garmin Edge 520 Plus
Let's get right to the meat. What does the "Plus" designation bring over the Edge 520?
- Adds a complete map for navigation, similar to what its big brothers offer
- With a complete map, it also adds the possibility of navigation with an early warning turn
- Advanced navigation also allows you to highlight the route at any time, or return to the start before the end of the route
- Added cross-device messaging functionality first introduced with Edge 1030
- It also receives the GroupTrack feature that premiered the Edge 820
- New remote display mode to show the information of the Fenix 5 and Forerunner 935 on the screen
As you can see, it's not a lot of things. In short, it adds practically the same navigation possibilities as the Edge 1030 with some small differences that you'll see later on.
So, what are Edge 820 and Edge 1030 still superior at? Well, I'll tell you that too.
- Navigation, while advanced, does not have the same possibilities - it cannot take you to a specific address, it does not have a database of points of interest (although there is a new Connect IQ application) and it does not have the most popular route feature (which the Edge 1030 does)
- Lacks WiFi connectivity, Edge 820 and Edge 1030 do
- Can't connect with Bluetooth sensors (Edge 820 can't either), Edge 1030 can
- It does not have a touch screen (depending on who you ask, this can be a good thing)
- Does not have the new performance metrics that were released with the FR935 and Fenix 5.
As you can see, there is a certain balance on the part of Garmin to make a renovation of the Edge 520 and not to step beyond what is necessary. Such renovation is only to move the same product in the market and refresh it a little (as Polar did with the M460).
Garmin Edge 520 Plus, Availability and Pricing
The new Edge 520 Plus is "for now". As for the price I only have the official price in the US which will be $279, which in principle will translate into 299€. That will be the price of just the device, additionally there will be other packs that include other accessories, being something like this:
- Garmin Edge 520 Plus, device only: $279/299
- Garmin Edge 520 Plus with silicone case and MTB holder: $329/349
- Garmin Edge 520 Plus with speed, cadence and pulse sensor: $379/399
My opinion of the Garmin Edge 520 Plus
Garmin has included in the Edge 520 Plus the only feature that I miss in the Edge 520 from three years ago. The navigation it incorporated, while sufficient, was quite basic and above all the device was quite lacking in memory.
It is a good upgrade because for a small amount of money we get a more complete device. But we are talking about PVP that, unlike in the United States, in Spain is not "locked" by the manufacturer. This means that when the Edge 520 Plus is launched to the market at its recommended price (which never drops in the first months), it will do so for the same amount or being a little more expensive than some of the other devices. existing offers for the Edge 820This is where Garmin has the problem due to the number of devices it releases. Proof of the limited novelty is that most of the Garmin press release covers details on Connect IQ applications that are not unique to the model, but will be present across the entire Edge 520/820/1000/1030 range.
In addition to navigation, there is another interesting feature on the Edge 520 Plus that Garmin has not yet talked much about, namely the remote display function. This is something that was already planned in the ANT+ profile developed for Varia Vision Thanks to this mode we can have a main device recording the activity and use the Edge exclusively to show it. When can this be interesting? For example in a triathlon competition, being able to see the details on a larger screen and comfortable to read, but without having to start and record an activity independently.
And with that... thanks for reading!
Few new features, the one I like the most may be the screen sharing, I have long thought that this should do the Epix and Fenix 5X but on the mobile through the BT to poder see the maps that we carry in the GPS, it is not exactly that but it is approaching, (would it be very difficult?). Do you know how much free memory will be left for "our" maps?
What you indicate would not be possible, keep in mind that displaying the screen on another device is an ANT+ profile, something that is already created and simply needs to be implemented. The other thing is to make an action from scratch.
As far as memory goes, the truth is I've had no way of knowing the detail. And look how I've looked and examined...
Small renovation... still interesting, I am also one of those who prefer the buttons to the touch screen (they give more "feedback").
Well, I have it in my hands. It has 15 gb of memory again, so it takes up 5 gb of free space.
Thank you for confirming this detail!
The header screen, which I understand to be a segment of Strava, the height profile graph, is available on the garmin 520 normal or only on the 520 plus. I'm hesitating between the two. With the 100 megs that the 520 normal has, I'd be able to put in a map of my area.
No, that's the new screen that was released with the Edge 1030 and it's only on this one and the 520 Plus at the moment. The one on the regular Edge 520 is much simpler.
Hi, Eduardo,
Does this 520 plus improve navigation in terms of speed? I go out routing with a buddy who has the 520, and many times it's hard to follow the track because it gets "a little crazy".
No, I'm afraid they both share a processor, and that's the Achilles' heel of the Edge 520 in terms of navigation. It lacks power and when it comes to route changes, it takes too long.
So the next question is easy, which one would you recommend for MTB navigation? Because the EXPLORE doesn't have GLONASS... Any POLAR or another brand?
Thank you very much.
I think the best option would be the Edge Explore, even if it doesn't have GLONASS. I don't think that in cycling the absence of this option is important.
Good one,
At the same price as you would recommend, 520 plus or 820?.
Thank you and a greeting.
Neither. The Edge 530Next week you have the test.
Hi Eduardo. I was tinkering around here with the edge 520 plus, and some time ago that for entertainment I was thinking of taking it sometime to run, to see what data come out ( I have a vantage v ). The thing is that in connect iq I see some dedicated app, and some data fields, but when I search for users who have tried the same thing the thing goes back to 2016. Have you heard of anyone using it regularly? With some of these apps data such as cadence seems that you can give you, and the funny thing is that the Stryd app is compatible with the 520 plus, there is some "wrist strap" out there for sale......
Well, thank you very much and a greeting.
Well, nothing would stop you from using the handlebar holder with a watch strap. You're not the only one who has thought of that, you can take a look at this Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ-4JyOZSLI
Mind you, the 520 is a lot heavier, I don't know how comfortable it will be to wear it on your wrist like that... You'll tell us!
Good morning, it can be used with the wikiloc application, and podria also be used to follow routes of this type. It can also be practical for hiking, or for the motorcycle. Thanks
You can load routes from Wikiloc manually (downloading and uploading). No problem to use it for hiking, but to put it on a motorcycle I think the screen is too small.