Garmin Edge 530 Plus Release Date, Price, and Tech Specs
Note: We’ll update this article whenever new information becomes available. It was published on February 12, 2021 and updated on May 27, 2022.
Garmin keeps its new product launches close to its chest. There’s often no confirmation that a new product exists until the day it launches, though the company does have form for ‘accidental’ leaks in the run-up to major product launches.
But with a little research, we can extrapolate some answers, even before the inevitable pre-release leaks begin…
When Will the Garmin Edge 530 Plus Be Available to Purchase?
April 2021. That’s our educated guess, based on Garmin’s regular two-year release schedule. Last year’s Garmin Edge 1030+ release came a little later, landing in June, but last year was pretty exceptional.
We fucked that right up, huh? Let’s try 2023. Actually, let’s try never. We’re betting on the Edge 540 now.
How Much Will the Garmin Edge 530 Plus Cost?
$299.99. We’re extremely confident in this prediction: we’ve written extensively about how Garmin is targeting the best feature-set at every price point, and the ~$300ish price point is very much held by the 500 series. Changing the price now would require a shift across Garmin’s entire line of head units – it’s not going to happen.
Can I Upgrade to Garmin Edge 530 Plus from a Different Garmin Unit?
Garmin won’t buy back your old device. While it does occasionally happen—even with Garmin products—official trade-ins, upgrades, and buyback programs are rare in this industry. So… March could be a good time to sling your current Garmin on eBay.
Upgrading is easy though. Sensors from your older Garmin unit will automatically import, as will data screens and ride profiles. Setup is more streamlined than ever, and almost all of your data already lives in the Garmin Connect ecosystem.
How Much Does the Garmin Edge 530 Plus Weigh?
75.8g (2.7 oz). That’s the weight of the Edge 530, and it’s very unlikely change significantly.
Note that the move from Edge 1030 to Edge 1030 Plus added a gram to the device’s weight as Garmin added additional battery power. So if it moves in any direction, it’ll probably be upward, unfortunately… but not by much.
How Big is the Edge 530 Plus?
We’re convinced that, like the 1030 and 1030 Plus, the Edge 530 Plus will share a form factor with its predecessor. That means dimensions of 50 x 82 x 20 mm (1.9″ x 3.2″ x 0.8″).
And really, no size changes are needed. The existing 530 is perhaps right on the cusp of being too large for old-school cyclists, but head units are currently trending on the larger size and its main competitors are much bulkier. It certainly feels about right.
How Big is the Edge 530 Plus’s Screen? What Resolution is the Edge 530 Plus’s Screen?
The Garmin Edge 530 Plus will have a 2.6″ screen. (That’s 66 mm.) As we mentioned, the device’s form factor isn’t something that’s going to change, so the screen will remain the same size as its predecessor.
Resolution is harder. If pressed, we’d put our money on the Edge 530 Plus having a 246 x 322 pixel resolution. That’s the same as the original Edge 530.
Incremental changes are the order of the day when Garmin introduces its Plus models, especially when it comes to device hardware. Nevertheless, this is possibly one area where Garmin might seek out enhancement.
With screen technology so cheap and available, the question is really whether Garmin opts for improvement now or on the future 540. We would guess that they’ll hold off… but note that the 1030 Plus got a new touchscreen.
Will the Edge 530 Plus Have a Touchscreen?
No, the Edge 530 Plus won’t have a touchscreen. Back in April 2019, the main differentiator between the Edge 830 and the Edge 530 was that one had a touchscreen and the other relied on button-based input. That’s not going to change this time.
What Sensors Will the Edge 530 Plus Support?
Everything. Literally. Pick a cycling sensor that uses ANT+ or Bluetooth, and the 530 Plus will support it. Compatibility is Garmin’s cornerstone, they own the ANT+ protocol, and they’ve consistently innovated here.
So, it’ll work with everything you’ve got—possibly excluding your HRM from 1992—and with probably any new innovation for the next couple of years.
How Long Does the Edge 530 Plus Battery Last?
24 hours. The existing Edge 530 currently claims 20 hours battery life. We expect that to increase.
Battery life is one of Garmin’s focuses, and rightly so since it’s valuable to all cyclists. The Edge 1030 to 1030 Plus saw an increase from 20 to 24 hours, and a huge 48 hours in some conditions. Size and weight are more of a consideration in the smaller 500 series, but we’d anticipate a comparable increase of 2-4 hours.
(Note that Garmin has a renewed transparency about how they devise their battery life projections, which has involved some quiet revision of their existing claimed battery lives. This included the 1030 Plus figures above, revised down to 24 hours from 48 hours. Official battery life for the 530 may yet be revised down, but expect a couple of extra hours more than the 530 by whatever measure they ultimately use.)
How Much Storage Does the Edge 530 Plus Have?
The Edge 530 used internal storage only—so no SD cards—and that’s the way Garmin seems to want its devices to go.
The move from 1030 to 1030 Plus saw a increase from 16GB of storage to 32GB, and it’s highly likely that Garmin may seize the opportunity to add more storage to the 530 too.
But the short answer is that we don’t know how much storage the 530 Plus will have. In fact, Garmin wasn’t ever very transparent about the storage in the original 530, using wooly terms like “200 waypoints/locations, 100 routes, and up to 200 hours of history.” So, uh, 400 waypoints/locations, 200 routes, and up to 400 hours of history?
We’ll update when we can get a solid answer.
What Features Does the Edge 530 Plus Have?
All indications suggest this will be the most feature-rich bike computer ever. At the absolute bare minimum it’ll match the feature set of the Edge 1030 Plus, but we expect it to push the envelope further.
Garmin’s focus on features, battery life, and price point have served them well. The Edge 530, 830, and 1030 Plus are the three head units with the most and best features ever seen in the industry. We’ve already reached the point where the worry is more about paying for features you might not use than whether the device meets your needs. Thankfully, competitive pricing more than eases that concern.
Anything we say beyond that is speculation. But note that Garmin acquired Firstbeat Analytics early last year, so expect the introduction of new performance-related features.
What’s the Difference Between Garmin Edge 530 and Edge 530 Plus?
- Visible hardware differences will be negligible/non-existent – size, weight, and screen size will be more or less identical
- The screen may be higher resolution, but it’s very unlikely
- Battery life will increase
- On-board storage will very likely increase
- Potentially color options, or a different color on the main SKU
- Software differences will be the major enhancement… and right now we don’t know what those are (though we do have an idea, which we’ll save until it feels less like speculation)
Will the original Edge 530 Still be Supported?
Yes. Of course.
Another question is whether it’ll get all of the 530 Plus’s features down the line in a software update. That’s unlikely, because while Garmin are good with updates, they’re also not likely to cannibalize their sales of the new device. These software changes are the new model’s key differentiator, after all.
Photographs of the Garmin Edge 530 Plus
Nothing to see here… yet. Wait for those leaks. Or maybe the launch-day press release.