If you were buying today, would you buy a 820 or the new 520 Plus? Obviously buttons get round any touchscreen issues, but are limiting in other ways and the 520 Plus doesn't have routing on the device or POI database (well, not without using the Yelp app). I would usually create my routes in RideWithGPS or Strava, though.
I had the same quandary and chose the 820. I got one from Wiggle just over a week ago, and after a couple of weekends of extensive use, including a 4 hour ride in a downpour yesterday, I have absolutely no regrets.
My previous computer was a 510 and before that a 500. I destroyed the buttons on the 500 but have had no problems with the touchscreen on the 510, which I find much more intuitive. Going back to buttons would be a retrograde step as far a I am concerned, but I was deeply concerned about the touchscreen performance on 820 given all the negative reviews. Seems I needn't have worried, as the 820 screen performs just as well as the 510: it's responsive, works with gloves, and when absolutely soaked, I got zero ghost touches. Admittedly, there were several occasions where my touches or swipes were not registered, but I would have expected that given how wet the screen was. In the dry though, it seems entirely predictable. I am guessing the latest models have different hardware that fix all the reported issues?
The main reason I upgraded was I wanted access to Connect IQ apps (for Xert and my new Vector pedals), but the improved routing facilities were a draw, and I have been delighted with the overall performance. I use RideWithGPS to map rides and was able to following them with the 510's basic features, but the 820 takes navigation to a new level. Yesterday for example, I was trying out some new, unfamiliar roads, when I encountered an impassable road closure, but the 820 just guided me back to the route without drama, whereas I'd've been stuck with the 510. Not sure how the 520 would have handled that?
Other little touches like telling you your performance condition, VO2 Max and FTP are also only available on the 820.
I am using the latest 9.10 firmware where battery problems have been reported, but mine seems to be acceptable. For example, after 4 hours yesterday and with brightness set to auto I still had 58% left and that was with everything switched on: live track, bluetooth, wifi, following a route - the lot!
It was not all plain sailing though. At the very beginning I encountered a reboot loop to a corrupted screen when I was trying to set the device up. I eventually traced it to a problem connecting to my iPhone X, and I managed to get it to stop simply by powering down my phone and restarting it. Since then it has been perfect, and I couldn't be happier with its performance.
I definitely would not buy an 820. The touch screen just does not work anywhere near consistently enough the way I use the device. I am considering getting a 520+ to replace my 820 after having tried a 520 and finding its mapping capabilities to be insufficient for my purposes. I don't use automatic routing on the device so that would not be a problem for me on with 520+.
I looked at the 820 and the 520+ and went for the 520+ in the end.
On device routing is relatively easy if you use Routecourse on the 520+ and the app or web interface on your phone to quickly plan the route. Routecourse uses google maps to chart on phone which is perfectly sufficient for on the fly routing and also gives you the ability to link all your Garmin Connect, Strava, Ridewithgps, trailforks routes etc so they are all available on the fly from the 520+ when needed.
The ability to navigate to the start of a course and off course rerouting is also included with the 520+ by default as is audio TBT instructions with street names etc via the phone paired to my Trekz Titanium BT headphones.
Ultimately, a touchscreen is useless in the middle of winter on an MTB trail when I am soaking wet and covered in mud anyway so the decision was straightforward for me.
I have no regrets, the 520+ is a robust device that easily handles being thrown down a dirt track at speed without breaking.
...On device routing is relatively easy if you use Routecourse on the 520+ and the app or web interface on your phone to quickly plan the route.....
Not to quibble, but if you have to use a phone or something else to generate a route, I would not call that "on device routing." Starting with the Edge 705 and moving through some of the range of other Edge units, including the 820, the device itself could create routes to POIs or addresses.
On device routing is relatively easy if you use Routecourse on the 520+ and the app or web interface on your phone to quickly plan the route. Routecourse uses google maps to chart on phone which is perfectly sufficient for on the fly routing and also gives you the ability to link all your Garmin Connect, Strava, Ridewithgps, trailforks routes etc so they are all available on the fly from the 520+ when needed.
How easy is it to zoom in/out the map on the Edge 520 Plus? Can you do this without having to go through menus, if on the map page? Can you pan the map (which you can't do on the standard 520)?
Not being able to zoom easily and not being able to pan at all is what made the 520 ng for my use. In looking at the 520 Plus, it appears zooming is the same multi step menu process as on the 520 and there is still no ability to pan. This makes it a non-starter for me. The good old Edge 705 with its buttons and joystick made zooming and panning very easy an intuitive, even easy to do while riding, albeit a bit slow on the re-draw.
