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Edge 820 Bluetooth not compatible with Apple watch

Former Member over 8 years ago

I have been using Apple watch fitness app since the watch came out. I really like it; I'm addicted to closing the circles.

I retired my Cateye Padrone Smart+ (its not either of those things) and replaced it with the fabulous all-powerful Edge 820 bundled with HR/CDC/SPD and my Stages Powermeter.

The problem is that if the 820 bluetooth is enabled, the Apple watch (series 1) loses connectivity to the iPhone Speed data. so it has no speed or tracking information. Strangely, it has no effect on the walking activity, just the outdoor cycling activity.

It is easy enough to shut off the Bluetooth, but then incident detection won't work, and I'll have no access to Groups or other Connect/phone related resources. If I don't shut off Bluetooth, then my Apple watch doesn't report the details of my workout to the Fitness/Activity app. While the minute/speed and tracks are redundant, the calorie data reported is not. There is no manual method to report it, and Garmin Connect is not registered to write/read data to/from the health app.

Does anyone have any solution to this?

I think its related to the way Garmin connects to Bluetooth. The Cateye Cycling program settings list Bluetooth _sharing_ among others, where there is no mention of bluetooth in the Connect program settings. Further, The Cateye Cycling app is listed in settings/privacy/Bluetooth Sharing as well as a permitted contributor to the health app (settings/privacy/health). It is also a "source" for Health app.

Hopefully, the Garmin boys will fix this in some future release...but I'm not holding my breath, they are too device-centric and apparently unwilling.

Not stepping up to the plate with IOS Health App support is one thing, but breaking Apple Watch Speed connectivity is another. Garmin thinking Apple is a competitor, foolish as that is, could even being screwing with it on purpose. Not integrating with health app...It's really bad business. A billion iPhones is not a market you want to ignore, or impede or annoy. If you make a competing device, make it do what they do, but even better, especially on their platforms. It cultivates the greatest respect.

0 The_Hunnymonster over 8 years ago

Seems to me your issue is with what the Apple Watch & iPhone do (specifically around the behaviour of the bluetooth stack on the iPhone when multiple devices are attached) - not sure what you want Garmin to do to fix that - surely it's an Apple issue to fix the behaviour of the iPhone bluetooth stack?

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

The cateye device I mentioned connects to phone, as well as CDC/HRM/SPD/PWR sensors (all BT) and does not interfere. That's five devices in the iPhone stack without killing the Apple Watch connectivity.

This is almost certainly caused by the way Garmin handles the BT, but no matter. I'll just turn all that crap off, along with their inexplicable wi-fi.

I don't expect that they will ever play well, they are too device-centric in their development view.

0 schinder over 8 years ago

I leave my Apple Watch (original) at home when out cycling, because it's useless for cycling and I don't need it for anything else when I'm riding. Is the only reason that you carry yours is getting the activity into Health right away? There are other ways to do that. Several apps (Strava, maybe Garmin Connect, RunGap) will send activities to Apple Health after getting them from their paired sites. The WiFi on the 820 (I have a 1000) is there to speed up the process of getting an activity to Garmin Connect (and then, for me, automatically onto Strava, etc.) Usually it's there before I enter the house. I don't know exactly when they get to Health, since I rarely look at Health, but they are there when I look.

That said, I've had my Epix and Apple Watch connected to my iPhone (6) at the same time, using both, and I've probably had the 1000 and Watch connected at the same time, although never when I was using either one.