Garmin Edge 830 vs 1040 (& Solar) Bike Computers Compared: Complete List [Guide 2023]

We compared Garmin Edge 830 vs 1040 (& Solar) and would like to share the key differences between them. Indeed, they look similar, however, considering the size, screen resolution, battery-life and built-in sensors, there are some differences between them. Frankly, there are a few things that come with the Edge 1040 but not with the Edge 830, and these add up to the price of the Edge 1040.

If you need a long story short answer, here is the table we have put together to help you better understand the Garmin Edge 830 vs 1040 (Solar) comparison:

Key differences between Garmin Edge 830 and 1040 (& Solar)

Here is the list of main differences between Garmin Edge 830 and 1040 (& Solar):

• The first difference you will notice when you pick up both devices is the screen size.
• The Edge 1040 comes with higher resolution and size which measure 282 x 470 pixels and 3.5″ diagonal size. On the other hand, the Edge 830 has 246 x 322 pixels and 2.6″ Diagonal size.
• Based on Garmin 1040 Edge spec, the device can have external memory storage in addition to the 32-GB internal memory for Edge 1040 and 64-GB internal memory of 1040 Solar. On the other hand, the Edge 830 includes only internal memory storage.
• Comparing the battery life of Edge 830 vs 1040: the Edge 830 can last up to 20-hours. However, the Edge 1040 can last up to 35-hours. In addition, the solar option of Edge 1040 can last up to 45-hours. But you will need to pay $150 more to get the Edge 1040 Solar.
• When we compare the sensors, the Edge 1040 (& Solar) has additional multi-band GNSS sensor which provides improved tracking and accuracy when calculation the position and speed. This sensor lacks in the Edge 830 which has only standard GPS, GLONASS and Galileo sensors.
• Also, the Garmin Edge 1040 has Gyroscope which is being used to determine the rate of change in incline and decline. However, there are some comments we found in the online sources that states it is still slow to change.
• Considering the features that comes with only the Edge 1040; there is on-device location search and Power Guide in the Edge 1040 which is very useful. These two features lack in the Edge 830.
• In addition, you can conduct Course Demand Analysis and Cycling Ability Analysis with the Edge 1040, but not with the Edge 830.

The rest of the functionality and features is the same for both Garmin Edge 830 and the Edge 1040.

The Similarities between the 830 and 1040

Both Edge 830 and Edge 1040 are very similar considering their design, functionality, features and sensors. Here is the list of key points that are in common between the Edge 830 and the Edge 1040:

• Both devices have bike alarm that alerts, if your bike or the device move. Also, if you have Garmin Connect in your smartphone, it also shows a notification.
• Both devices have touch screen as well as three buttons.
• They have the same sensors such as: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, Barometric Altimeter, Magnetometer, Accelerometer and Ambient light sensors.
• You can add maps to both devices, and you can change your course with the help of on-device course creator feature in both Edge 830 and Edge 1040.
• For only Android devices, you can text response/reject phone call with text. But, both of them are compatible with iPhone and Android smartphones.
• These two bike computers have LiveTrack and Incident detection features which are also included in the Garmin watches such as Forerunner 955 and Fenix 7 (you can check out our “Garmin Outdoor watch Fenix is compared with the running watch Forerunner”). If you have your phone with you and connected to the Edge 830 or the Edge 1040, your family members can follow your workout in real time via LiveTrack. Also, with the help of Incident Detection feature in the Edge 830 and Edge 1040, if there is an anormal activity in your health status, it can send a message to your emergency contacts via your smartphone (must be connected to watch).

Bottom-line for Garmin Edge 830 vs 1040 (& Solar) comparison

Our verdict for Garmin Edge 830 vs 1040 comparison:

Both Edge 830 and Edge 1040 are premium GPS bike computer which work very accurate and we found them very functional. However, the Edge 1040 is more expensive than the Edge 830. When we consider the Edge 1040 Solar edition, it adds up to the price a lot in comparison to the Edge 830.

So, which one is worth it, the Edge 830 or the Edge 1040? Here is our selection guide in this comparison:

• The Edge 1040 offers more battery-life (with solar edition even more), wider screen with more pixels, improved position and speed data and more memory. It has also some additional features such as on-device location search, Course Demand and Cycling Ability Analysis. If you think that you desperately need one of these things and have enough budged, you can pick the Edge 1040 or the 1040 Solar.
• However, our personal choice is to go with the Garmin Edge 830, since it has met all our needs so far.

If you are looking for a more budged GPS bike computer, you can also consider the Edge 530. Don’t worry, you can check out the following link to learn more about it: Garmin Edge 530 vs Edge 830 Compared

References:

Garmin Edge 830 support and how to use video:

Introduction to Garmin Edge 830 and its user manual: https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/edge830/EN-US/Edge_830_OM_EN-US.pdf

Garmin Edge 1040 & Solar support and how to use video:

Introduction to Garmin Edge 1040 & Solar and its user manual: https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-0083D0A0-EA6E-41F0-8207-3F1498875E61/EN-US/Edge_1040_OM_shared_EN-US.pdf

Also, Garmin and Coros produces great smartwatches that can be used instead of cycling computers. You can check out following articles to learn more about them:

• Coros Pace 2 vs Garmin Forerunner 255
• Coros Vertix 2 vs Garmin Fenix 7
• Coros Pace 2 vs Garmin Forerunner 55