July 2024 Feature Update
Another month, yet another raft of Coros features. This broad range of relatively advanced features helps coros catch up with Garmin and pull ahead of the competition.
I don’t find many of these features super interesting per se; nevertheless, they are important to certain Coros users and will be welcomed by owners of Pace 3, Apex 2/2 PRo, and Vertix 2/2S.
Today, you get safety alerts, group tracking, navigation enhancements, FTP/Zones, and several smaller tweaks. If that sounds interesting, read on for all the details.
Safety Alert
With your phone connected to the internet and your Coros watch, head out for outdoor activities, knowing that emergency contacts will be sent to your location if needed in an emergency. An email alert is sent when you start, and a text alert is sent if needed. The text alert contains a live tracking link and your GPS location.
With Safety Alerts set up and activated, your emergency contacts will automatically receive an email when you begin an outdoor activity. If you need help, you can send a Safety Alert text message containing your GPS coordinates and a live tracking link.
Precisely how the feature works can be personalised, but, in essence, you press and hold a chosen button to send the Safety Alert.
This is a similar feature to Garmin. The drawback is that you must be in cellular/mobile range for it to work. If that’s impossible, the more recent iPhone has more advanced capabilities and can send an iMessage by satellite at no additional cost. At the same time, Garmin offers a paid-for satellite service with its InReach products.
Group Tracking
More: Coros Dura Review
Group Tracking is more intended for cyclists using Coros’ first DURA bike computer (due July 2024).
These features can be seen on a severity level below Safety Alerts. It’s more about the helpfulness of everyone sharing locations during a ride. That said, Coros has also introduced a feature similar to one of Garmin’s latest ie a Group ‘Emergency’ Alert; most likely, this is a ‘Stop I’ve got a puncture, come and help me’ alert.
Coros faces a more serious version of a problem it shares with Garmin. These Group features require everyone to have a Coros Dura and to be connected to the internet via a charged smartphone with a mobile/cellular data plan. That is a LOT of prerequisites. While there is a chance that some groups will all have a Garmin, there is close to zero chance that many groups with all-Dura bike computers will exist for quite some time. That said, this is a great tick box for Coros, and certainly, as the company’s bike presence grows, this feature will start to be used.
You can send an emergency alert to your entire group, letting them know if you need assistance or create a team from the Group Tracking menu in the COROS app, upload a route, and you can view each other’s location data once you begin your group activity.
Cycling Power Zones and FTP
The new FTP test initially only works on PACE 3, APEX 2, APEX 2 Pro, VERTIX 2, and VERTIX 2S. It’s intended to be used on an indoor trainer with a power meter, but Coros also tweaks FTP during rides.
FTP and the zones that follow from it are fundamental building blocks for every brand’s training algorithms and training plans. It’s important to get it at least approximately correct. A properly executed formal FTP test is probably the best way to get the most accurate result.
Navigation Control Updates
The watch’s map can now be zoomed and panned with your finger on the touchscreen. TBT alerts can also be easily dismissed.
This addition is a nice one that frees up the digital crown to scroll to other pages. When wearing gloves, try using the touchscreen on a wet and cold day.
Additional Updates
Route Building Enhancements
When creating a route, new insights show the elevation gain/loss you’ve created.
New Toolbox Widget – Activity Mode Control Center
This new widget within the toolbox lets you change activity alerts, satellite modes, touchscreen settings, and more – quicker than ever. Hold the back button during any activity to enter the toolbox, and find this menu to make adjustments that are relevant to your workout easily.
Running/Cycling Performance Renamed to Efficiency
The sub-title says it all. “Running Performance” will be reclassified as “Efficiency”, and include cycling activities.
It compares heart rate with performance, performance being either pace or power.
These metrics can be useful, but remember that caffeine and fatigue impact heart rate and will sometimes change the results of this metric.
Treadmill Workout Optimizations
When performing a treadmill workout without a POD 2, you can ensure the most accurate pace measurements by directly setting the speed and grade you will be running beforehand, or easily adjust it during the workout on the pause screen. [Coros]
Navigation Widget Activity Selection
choose to navigate a route from the toolbox’s Navigation widget and get prompted for the activity type you would like to use to navigate.
EvoLab Chart UI Improvements
Optimized EvoLab charts have aesthetic changes made to improve readability.
Structured Workout Optimizations
When performing a time based workout with Auto-Start “off”, you will now be able to see the amount of time you have exceeded the planned workout phase by. When designing a rock climbing workout, the workout builder defaults to number of Routes instead of Time when adding new workout stages. [Coros]
A Thought
I like how Coros introduced group tracking here. It’s not my favourite kind of feature from any brand, but Coros are stating with this feature that, they expect to see ever more riders using their products and features like this.
Garmin introduced a slightly more advanced GroupRide feature with the Edge 1050, where the group members’ performance stats are shared in real-time and included various leaderboards for things like ‘Fastest up Hill X’. I think that’s one of the areas where the features we use in outdoor cycling are heading. IE is moving toward taking elements of Zwift outdoors, which includes more elements of sociability, competitiveness, and gamification. For that to happen, standards need to emerge that enable riders with differently branded bike computers to share live stats – maybe that move comes from Strava, Zwift or a 3rd part hardware add-on maker; I don’t know. Message to anyone listening: go forth and innovate
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What is release date pls?
I think it’s like ‘now’.
This is (or I hope it is) published at the embargo date/time.
I’m not at a place where I can check the date for sure.
re: Running/Cycling Performance Renamed to Efficiency
I read in the Coros Support page that running efficiency is mainly linked to heart rate and pace. And that running up a hill would reduce efficiency. (maybe the same is of cycling efficiency too – IDK)
This seems odd to me, as it should be linked to power, not pace.
IDK
you could be powerful but mechanically inefficient. so the flat pace to hr relationship must go some way towards being vVO2max.
running (or cycling) up a hill changes the muscle recruitment. I suppose then if you compare that to flat pace/power you are not strictly comparing apples with apples (as different muscles are used)
just musing
Maybe they’ll provide a means to compare runs on the same route, as Strava does.
Though they’ll want to show temperature on those days too.
maybe, I seem to vaguely remember instead (from a couple of years ago) they looked at performances over certain grade-ranges over multiple workouts.
I’ve read this reply from Coros
“For cycling, the elevation profile doesn’t impact efficiency scores as much as it does for running because power output, which can remain consistent over hilly terrain, is used instead of speed. In running, pace is used, which is greatly affected by terrain, so efficiency scores should be measured on flat terrain to account for pace and heart rate fluctuations. Essentially, cycling efficiency scores rely on steady power output and heart rate, while running efficiency scores require steady pace and heart rate.”