Seattle Forrest

While we’ve seen USB-C used by Garmin on a handful of other devices this year (inReach Mini 2, inReach Messenger, Garmin Edge 1040, Edge Explore 2), all of those had USB-C on the part that plugs into the Garmin device. Whereas this time, Garmin has put USB-C on the part that plugs into the wall/outlet/etc… Atop that, it’s a new charging port design for the watch side, while concurrently offering way faster charging, taking just under an hour to fully charge the watch (compared to 2hr 30 mins for the existing Fenix 7/Epix series). It doesn’t sound like this charging port design is headed to other units though.
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2022/10/...ts-review.html

Last sentence is the most immediately important, but the fact that Garmin is trying new options at all of a hint of what's to come.

Iride01 

Yep, probably a good sign. However the cynic in me says that Garmin won't go whole hog on this until cell phones and other devices finally leave USB-C for something else and all those USB-C connectors already manufactured to install on PCB's go on sale!

Since I've gone on record now, Garmin will probably prove me wrong.... I hope.

Troul 

the new Wahoo is USB-C.... Never would I have thought they'd surpass garmin in that part of tech. LOL

Atlas Shrugged

The new Garmin products use USB-C. The OP was referencing the charger port for the watches which it looks like Garmin is changing in the new MARQ models. The charging ports for the watches are proprietary just as the Wahoo Rival are.

Troul 

thats what i get for trying to read while drowsy. side effects ugh.

znomit

Proprietary ports aren't something we want on our bike computers.

njkayaker

Why is the last sentence "immediately important"? Did you (or anybody) expect a USB-C port on the watch? DCRainmaker is referring to the power connection on the watch in the last sentence (that side has always been something proprietary, hasn't it?).

njkayaker

??? Garmin isn't putting proprietary ports on their bike computers.

njkayaker

??? The 1040 (released before the new Wahoo computer) is USB-C.

njkayaker

It seems Garmin has already proved you are wrong.

The 1040 (out for months) uses USB-C. The connector for the new watch uses USB-C (on the power side).

Seattle Forrest

I want my watch to be waterproof because I swim with it. I don't care how it plugs in.

Iride01 

Like I said, that was the cynical side of me. The optimistic side was wondering if the weight of users recently screaming for USB-C on everything and some governments getting involved might cause them to change their practice of introducing new models with slightly dated USB connections.

I'll be happy to let the cynical side of me be wrong. Though I do have quite a few cables from old to new USB standards, so for me it's not going to change much to make it easier for me. I can see where others that need to bum a cable from someone while away from home might have issues.

Seattle Forrest

​​​​​​A skeptic is a person who needs to see something is true before believing it, a cynic is a person that is gullible to their own sense of distrust. I'm not posting to make fun of anybody, this is "a teachable moment."

njkayaker

???

The European USB-C requirement is for 2024.

Garmin released the 1040 with USB-C months ago. Garmin released the Varia RCT715 with USB-C months ago. These were (almost certainly) designed before the announcement of the European requirement.

(The Inreach Mini was released 2/2022 and that uses mini USB.)

That is, there seems to be fairly concrete evidence that Garmin has already started moving to using USB-C in (new) devices.

Polaris OBark

USB-C is great. There is no down-side.

But, seriously folks, I have to say given that there should be a 50/50 chance of getting a non-USB-C cable in correctly on the first try, my success rate seems to be about 1/3. Good riddance to non-USB-C cables and proprietary connectors. I just got an otherwise great headlight (Cyglolite), but it has a USB-mini port. Those open up a whole new realm of horror.

znomit

I’ve got a cygolite hotshot that charges via mini. When travelling I tend to carry those triple headed cables that have mini/C/lightning connectors so you can charge any device you can think of. Except that one.

Troul 

I've wondered why more wearable & small tech [bicycle computers, lights, action cams] don't incorporate induction charging while keeping the port for a tethered cable?
with a decent charger, it wouldn't take that much longer than using a cable.

njkayaker

If you need the wire, you can save money/space not having the induction pad.

Wireless charging makes regular "topping up" more convenient. The devices you listed aren't generally used in a way that "topping up" useful..

unterhausen

I don't think I want usb c on my watch. It would be nice if Garmin figured out why the inexpensive 3rd party charge cables work so much better than theirs though. It wasn't very surprising when I expected my watch to be charged and it wasn't because the connection is so unreliable. Now that I'm using a $5 cable it's always fine.

It bothered me a little that my 830 didn't come with usb c. Micro usb works fine once you get it plugged in, but I'm sure people have broken the pc board connector. I thought about getting their integrated power bank, but it's just too expensive for me.
On edit: I just looked and it's even more than I remembered, $180 list for 3000 mah. That's almost comically expensive.

Troul 

I use inductive charging for a few tech devices & never experience a drawback that would make me wish I was jamming a plug in the port.

njkayaker

So what?

That doesn’t make the devices cheaper to make.

Troul 

Your point?

A consumer might overlook some additional cost to obtain such useful feature.

njkayaker

You asked why they didn’t. I provided a reason. You talked about something irrelevant.

Or they might not.

It’s not that useful. Not compared to making the battery smaller.

It would also have to be more than “a customer”.

Many people already see these as too expensive (the feature wouldn’t be added to cheaper products).

If there was such a big marketing benefit for this, it seems likely at least one company would done it.

With scores of companies and hundreds of products, we see zero with this feature.

Note that I’m not saying it would have no utility. What I’m saying is that the pros clearly don’t outweigh the cons since none of these products have thus feature.

Troul 

Are you in the computer tech business or are you speculating & thinking for others?

Sometimes the maker of a product lacks input from the consumers, & consumers might lack providing the input from being shunned or discouraged from giving feedback.

njkayaker

Are you?

"With scores of companies and hundreds of products, we see zero with this feature." => Not speculation.

Speculation. This also basically presumes every maker of these products don't know that wireless charging exists.

Bizarre.