Garmin will bring most of the Edge 1060‘s new software to the Edge 1050, 850, 550, and Edge MTB, plus a handful of features to the Edge 1040, 840, and 540, according to a Garmin briefing reported by DC Rainmaker. Several features are already in public beta, two more arrive through Garmin Connect on 3 November, and the rest follow in the first quarter of 2027.
Voice control and voice messaging stay on Edge 1060 because older Edges have no microphone. Garmin is also keeping several new mapping and navigation features for the new model.
Edge 1050, 850 and 550
The x50 series gets almost everything that doesn’t need a microphone or the new mapping tools. The beta features arrived in public beta 33.13, as covered when Edge 1050 and 1040 gained Edge 1060 features last week.
| Feature | When |
|---|---|
| Alternate data fields | Public beta now |
| GroupRide code sharing | Public beta now |
| Garmin Messenger and Garmin Locate | Public beta now |
| Google Maps sharing on Android | 3 November 2026 |
| Garmin Cycling Coach Challenger plans | 3 November 2026 |
| Strava Live Segments on any route, new segment page | Q1 2027 |
| New structured workout page | Q1 2027 |
| Road closure reports | Q1 2027 |
| Garmin Link | Q1 2027 |
Edge MTB
Edge MTB gets the same software as the x50 series, because Garmin treats it as an x50 Edge in a smaller case.
| Feature | When |
|---|---|
| Alternate data fields | Public beta now |
| GroupRide code sharing | Public beta now |
| Garmin Messenger and Garmin Locate | Public beta now |
| Google Maps sharing on Android | 3 November 2026 |
| Garmin Cycling Coach Challenger plans | 3 November 2026 |
| Strava Live Segments on any route, new segment page | Q1 2027 |
| New structured workout page | Q1 2027 |
| Road closure reports | Q1 2027 |
| Garmin Link | Q1 2027 |
Edge 1040, 840 and 540
The x40 series, including Edge 1040 Solar, gets GroupRide sharing, road closures and the two Garmin Connect features. Its GroupRide update is in public beta 31.67. It still lacks the redesigned Strava and workout pages, alternate data fields, Garmin Messenger, and Garmin Link.
| Feature | When |
|---|---|
| GroupRide code sharing | Public beta now |
| Google Maps sharing on Android | 3 November 2026 |
| Garmin Cycling Coach Challenger plans | 3 November 2026 |
| Road closure reports | Q1 2027 |
Edge 1060 and Edge Explore 3
Edge 1060 is still waiting for two features of its own. Garmin Link launches first on Edge Explore 3, which also already shows carbon savings, and both reach Edge 1060 in the first quarter of 2027.
| Feature | Edge 1060 | Edge Explore 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Google Maps sharing on Android | 3 November 2026 | 3 November 2026 |
| Garmin Link | Q1 2027 | Within days |
| Carbon savings | Q1 2027 | Now |
What the new features do
- Strava Live Segments now work on any loaded course, including a commute route from another platform; until now, they ran only on routes created in Strava. The segment page gains a map and elevation area that expands or collapses, with the KOM and other leaders shown on both.
- The structured workout page gets the same expandable layout, so riders can show or hide workout notes and see completed and upcoming laps.
- Alternate data fields swap in a backup, such as heart rate or calories, when a sensor like a power meter is missing, and navigation fields do the same when no course is loaded.
- GroupRide code sharing lets riders standing together at the start create one GroupRide code and share it straight to the other Edges over Bluetooth, instead of entering it by hand.
- Road closures can now be reported and seen alongside the existing hazard reports.
- Garmin Messenger sends and receives messages on the Edge without a phone, and Edge 850 and 1050 play voice messages through their speakers. The Edge also joins Garmin Locate, Garmin’s device-finding service.
- Garmin Link starts heart rate broadcasting from a paired Garmin watch automatically at the start of a ride and stops it afterwards, so riders no longer have to set it up each time.
- Android riders can send a pin from Google Maps through Garmin Connect to their Edge for navigation, which iPhone riders could already do from Apple Maps.
- Challenger plans in Garmin Cycling Coach, first seen on Forerunner 70 and 170, train by heart rate, so riders no longer need a power meter to follow a Garmin cycling plan.
What stays on Edge 1060
- Loaded courses show expected hazards and road closures on the course page before the ride.
- Route options show an elevation profile, estimated time, total ascent, and distance when you create is route on the Edge.
- Up Ahead shows the nearest points of interest in two chosen categories, such as cafes or toilets, on a dedicated page, with or without a route.
- FreeFlow routing favours roads with fewer traffic lights and less stop-start riding.
- A QWERTY keyboard with predictive text speeds up typing an address.
- A ride readiness checklist confirms sensors are connected before setting off.
Garmin has made a similar move with Fenix 9, whose features are going back to Fenix 8 and Fenix 8 Pro, where it said the new mapping engine needed a faster processor and more memory. An Edge 1050 owner who stays put now misses little beyond voice control and the new routing tools, as the Edge 1060 vs 1050 comparison sets out, while the Edge upgrade guide covers whether an Edge 1040 owner should move up.
Quick answers
Does Edge 1040 get Strava Live Segments on any route?
No. Garmin lists any-route Strava Live Segments and the new segment page for Edge 1050, 850, 550 and Edge MTB only.
Does Edge MTB get the Edge 1060 features?
Yes. Edge MTB gets the same features as the Edge 1050, 850, and 550, including Garmin Messenger, alternate data fields, the new Strava Live Segments page, and Garmin Link.
Will Edge 1050 get voice control?
No. Voice control and voice messaging need a microphone, which the Edge 1060 has, and older Edges lack.
Source and original research by: the5krunner and DC Rainmaker
Last Updated on 30 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
