Who already has the E1050 and what are the impressions?

With the features being added to the 1040 I think the main benefits of the 1050 are the BELL (if you commute) and the crisp screen contrast and resolution.  It will be nice not having to strap a bell onto my bike. 

I held a 1040 and 1050 side by side.  Under the sun, the 1040 still looks fine, with very little power used.  I felt like in the shade or dark, the 1050 looks considerably better.  I never liked the 1030 or 1040 for mountain biking and the contrast wasn't great in the woods.  The 1050 is more like the old Edge 1000 with more vibrant colors.  Also, the text is fine on the 1040, but the 1050 next to it seems like I put on a pair of glasses that got rid of a slight fuzzy vision. The street name text looks a little nicer.

Also, the 1040 colors to me don't look good once my eyes go below the centerline (if you look at the device from below the charging port).  -meaning for most riding positions below the device (if you can see the charge port)  the color separation disappears a bit.  This is not a problem on the 1050, as the color / contrast stays the same from all viewing angles.  The dark levels are a bit nicer too.  

The battery life on the 1050 won't be an issue for me.  If I became super-human and were capable of 24 hour events, I'd just plug a battery and charge it during the ride. I have to charge my heart rate monitor  every 25-30 hours anyway.

When using a power delivery pack, the 1050 seemed to charge quite fast compared to older models. Plugged into my PC it charged slow (to be expected). 

Honestly both devices seems snappy enough, but a little more-so on the 1050.  

As I primarily mountain bike, I made the move for the contrast under dark cover.  The price hurts pretty bad though.  I think the 1040 makes sense for some people, and the 1050 for others.  Hopefully this helps.  

Thanks for the insightful feedback.  Yes, I agree the increased screen brightness, contrast, color vibrancy, and higher resolution is the main reason for me to upgrade from a 1030 Plus.  I have trouble seeing the 1030 Plus when the sun is behind my back and the screen is shaded by my body.  I think the 1050 would be much better in this regard.

Do you use Varia and how loud is the Varia alert tone?  DesFit review video gave me the impression that the bell and voice prompts are decently loud, but the tones are weak.  Why not make the tones as loud as the bell since it's adjustable.  I have a problem of hearing the Varia alert sometimes while descending at a fast speed, and my ears aren't as sensitive as I get older.  Thanks.

Thanks!  Do you use the Varia and did you notice any changes in the tone loudness over the 1040?

Yes I use the Varia. The unit now has different tones. I didn't adjust anything on that end being I just took it out of the box did a quick setup to get all my sensors inline and went and rode. I believe the default volume setting is 3/4 up? Not too sure. I had no issue hearing the tones. But I also have pretty decent hearing. I am sure I will spend more time messing with that setting in the future. 

So far not much - mine arrived today but it looks like its DOA. No power, no screen and leaving it on charge for an hour doesn't seem to have made any difference.

Looks like i'll be on the phone tomorrow for a replacement.

You would think that for the top-end, premium device someone would at least be testing the thing powered on before sending it out of the factory.

Burge_AU I would recommend trying a few different power sources and possibly even cables. I realize you may have already tried that, and if so, I would recommend holding in the power button for up to 30 seconds while connected to power. This should force the device to power up and then can be used normally.

I am very sorry you have had this issue right out of the gate. That's of course not an experience we would expect and hopefully the above suggestions will get you rolling soon. 

Following a track in 1040 is sometimes very difficult because of size and colors of saved track and position triangle. Is the 1050 any better in this respect?

I tried that along with different cables and plugging into my laptop - no difference. No sign of life in the device at all. Is there a light on the device or something to indicate that it is getting a charge or has power?

There is no charging light on Edge units as they power on the display when charging. 

They only other suggestion is to try a reset.

Hold both the lap and start/stop timer button down and then press the power button and release it. keep holding the other two buttons for about 10 seconds and then release them. I'm not hopefully this will work, but is worth a try.

How does the power button feel when you press it?