An iPhone SE is lighter than the bigger big computers with a screen that is hilarious better (the Roam has 8 total colors lol), chipset, memory, connectivity, etc, etc, etc. $429 for the iPhone SE vs $700 for the 1050. The Roam is about the same price as the iPhone but is in another functionality universe.
What gives? Why not get an iPhone as a dedicated bike computer? The data plans aren’t that much more than a Netflix subscription, and with an iCloud connection and call forwarding you could stop carrying your regular phone around on all your rides.
As @KevinKlaes suggests, I suspect you’ll be disappointed with battery life alone (if the SE is anything like any other apple product I’ve owned). If you use it as a true bike computer and use its GPS for route tracking, it’s likely to be a huge battery suck.
If you go this route, I’d still take your REAL phone with you in case of emergency.
Not an iPhone user but definitely would be worried about heat. Month ago had phone on table streaming BT while I did some yard work ( sweaty pocket kept dialing emergency contacts) , phone shut down due to heat just sitting there. Last week I had phone on passenger seat of a car while I did some diag, AC on but sunlight hitting phone just right, went into heat protection.
Screen on gps running out on your bars probably easily kick it into protection mode.
Also if you race, many don’t allow the use of a phone as a bike computer.
It’s also worth noting, what software you are going to be running on the iPhone, if you are going to using something like strava or the default apple workout app, which doesn’t have mapping, route finding e.t.c e.t.c, the comparison is more likle $439 iPhone SE, or $160 Garmin 130, as it would have about the same funtionality (but better cooling and battery life)
I use my SE on the bars all the time for mapping. The SE screen is way easier to read and manipulate. When I want more battery life I strap a battery stick to the bars and use a short cord.
I do a lot of mountain biking and it’s holding up just fine. I’ve seen many Garmins with burned screens but not iphones.
If you have another phone anyway, would there be a need to buy a cell plan for the SE?
I hope the similarities between the two put some pressure on the computer companies to up their game. It’s time for them to be better than the Tamagotchi I had in 4th grade lol
Fluidity/speed/intuitiveness of UI. I tried sitting down with a Garmin 840 the last 3 days, I spent a few hours on forums trying to figure out what stuff actually meant (“step distance” “duration” “time to go” “workout step”) and tapping through labyrinthine menus. When I figured that the 840 did away with “Target Power” I was pretty much done.
The touchscreen looks like it is from a Lexus built in 2002. Look at any decent smartphone now and tell me that Garmin/Wahoo should be happy with that screen. Yikes.
I’m going with a Wahoo Bolt v2 to replace my old Bolt which was 7 years old pretty much exclusively because it works well with TR outdoor workouts. And because Wahoo doesn’t ask me for my entire biometric readout every time I use their product.
I got a Varia and it is awesome btw. Total game-changer. More of this innovation please!
Well each to their own but the thought of an iPhone and battery pack strapped to the top of my bars rather than a small Roam out front. I’ll pass thanks.
When you talk about the look of the UI or the touchscreen itself ? There is a reason why CC companies go resistive screens rather than capacitive as on your phone, try using the iphone in the rain , why the reference to Lexus, do they make bad UI’s ?
Why ? Why not give the iPhone a chance, if it works for you it works for you, like most things in cycling, do what works for you
I tried that years ago and, well, it sucked. I had a special case for my iPhone and that fit on a Topeak stem mount. Here are a few issues I have had:
Battery life was not good enough, especially considering that I need my phone for emergencies. I’d have to run my iPhone at full brightness for the most part.
Overheating is an issue on hot days. That’s something that happens when you mount your iPhone on your windshield, too. Then brightness would be reduced, making the screen barely readable, etc.
I’d have to take a spare battery with me.
There are apps for that, but … none of them were as good as a dedicated bike computer.
Back then iPhones were not officially waterproof, so I had problems riding in the rain. That is no longer an issue. Still, using the touchscreen is not great when it rains or when you have sweaty hands.
So overall, getting a bike computer is a big upgrade. I ended up with a Bolt v1. I’m very happy with it. In terms of data fields, I don’t need anything than what the Bolt v1 offers. Later versions fixed some gripes, e. g. better battery life, a color screen and integration with SRAM drivetrains. Once I upgrade, I’ll get two blips in order to be able to push buttons more safely.
And they still aren’t. They are “water resistant.” My daughter recently had a minor water event with her iphone. I told her to power it off, put it in rice for at least a day. She assured me that wasn’t necessary, citing Apple’s ridiculous marketing claims about being able to handle 9 meters for 10 minutes or some such nonsense. Of course, minor experience with water and her phone was ruined, despite Apple’s marketing claims.
I tried using a phone instead of a bike computer for my first season after getting back into cycling. Battery life was terrible. Forget about riding in the cold. Phone flew out of the mount hitting a bump at 35 mph. The end.
As it stands, barring some very bad luck, they are indeed water proof. The SE is only ip67 but that should be more than enough for some rain. All other iPhones are much more water resistant.
I have a friend who very often records underwater while shallow diving with his and I have submerged mine before a few times by mistake.
If the phone has been opened before (e.g. for a battery or screen replacement) then it’s more likely to be compromised.
The phone does attempt to warn you if there is water in the charging port not to plug it in. I have a wireless charger for when that happens.
You are totally right that I should have written water resistant and not water proof.
In my experience, newer iPhones (7 or 8 onwards) can manage to be under water for some time, but with an asterisk: you can dunk them in water or keep them underwater, but sweat will corrode contacts. That’s why I still put my iPhone in a water proof (?) cycling wallet or a ziplock bag.
Also, once you have had your battery replaced, it is less water resistant than before as the factory seals have been opened and they cannot be put together the same way as when the iPhone was first built.
In any case, I’d much rather expose a cycling computer to the elements than my iPhone.
