Garmin has a range of GPS devices for sports and a new addition is the Edge 130 for cycling. The GPS is a new mid-range device that has a 1.8″ monochrome display that has much better contrast than a lot of previous devices from the firm and the company has said that it has 303 x 230 resolution and is based on a ‘memory in pixel’ display. Battery life is said to be 15 hours.
Analyst Comment
The use of this technology means that the display comes from Sharp. I’m on around my fourth Garmin for cycling and have previously asked the company why it didn’t use E Ink as its previous products did not have very good displays. The answer was basically related to the cost of the displays, which, of course, need active matrix substrates. However, the photos from Garmin look very good. If the reality matches the images, the use of MIP will be a big step forward.
Unlike a smartphone, a cycling GPS needs the display permanently on so low power consumption is critical. (BR)
