Buying guide: GPS function - bike computer vs smartphone - Who's better: Garmin Edge 1000 vs iPhone 5

If you search cycling forums on the subject of which GPS device is best suited, you will often find the question: Garmin Edge or smartphone? This suggests that Garmin's Edge series is very popular among road cyclists - and that the battle for space on the handlebars is not so much against the GPS bike computers of other manufacturers, but against the smartphone with training app, which many road cyclists praise as a more flexible and, above all, more cost-effective option. The discussions are mostly rational and revolve around technical aspects. It only gets emotional when it comes to the question of whether such a huge smartphone should be mounted on the handlebars at all for visual reasons - or whether it should be hidden away in the jersey pocket.

Whether Garmin Edge or smartphone plus app, the demands on the technology are more or less the same: it's all about battery performance, robustness and - most importantly - exact data for location and altitude, display readability, operation and menu navigation.

The practical experience and accessories can be found in the article as a PDF download below.

SHORT & SHORT

In the duel between Garmin and smartphone plus training app, the Garmin quickly takes the lead in terms of battery life and robustness, as well as altitude measurement. In terms of operation and display, the specialised bike computer has improved compared to earlier models and is on a par with the smartphone. The smartphone is ahead in terms of price and flexibility.

Downloads:
download