Well, he's mounting it on his handlebar. And I was replying to a commment that was talking about backlights. That strongly suggests that it's going to be looked at.

That's possible but not at all likely. He said he's using a "phablet". So the probability of it being e-ink is effectively zero. (But an e-ink display would not be a bad idea!)

That's possible, too. But, even if you are using an auditory interface, being able to see a map is useful.

I don't care/mind at all that the user wants to use a tablet/phablet/phone! (And I was replying to the "backlight" comment.) I'm just making the trade-offs clear (to him and other people).

Lots of people use phones while riding. More power to them (ignoring any "distracted driving" issues)!!

While you are certainly free to use your expensive phone to replace a cheap cycle speedometer (again, I don't mind!), the phone is a bit overkill for that purpose. My iPhone and Nexus 7 are hard to read in sunlight. My Edge 800 is much easier to read.

I'd give up video, games and quick screen response on my phone for one. I was imagining something like a Kindle though.

The cheap cycle speedometer works better - I was only using it as a proof of concept.

Nexus 7 I agree is all but unusable in direct sunlight.

E-ink isn't a bad idea at all.

https://www.meetearl.com/ (Though, it's been in "pre-order" status for a couple of years at least.)

I'm not sure if you can side-load apps to the e-ink Kindles (which means what you could use them for is very limited).

Yes, it sort-of works but there really isn't much of a value "proving" it.

The Garmin Edge displays are pretty good (especially the data black&white screens). The color map screen is OK but useable (and without a battery-draining backlight).

That's pretty intriguing.


When you're considering designing android apps for a phone, or evaluating them, it's helpful to know what the display looks like in real world conditions. A double-row size widget displays a large block number adequately in mid-afternoon light.

Through some testing the screen is almost impossible to see in the sunlight, which kind of kills the point of having it mounted.

Transflective screens are apparently not great for indoor viewing hence why they're only used on dedicated GPS's. The Nokia Lumia 920 has a special screen mode for sunlight readability but I have my doubts that it's much better than what I've already got.

Maybe I'll just use the smartphone to plan a route, then write up a cue sheet each night.

Dreaming of the ultimate solution to spend wads of dough on... Garmin Monterra?

I suppose. It's just not something many people would do. Though, I figure that the display choices made in the cue-sheet app are related to what you are talking about.

Computationally, the phones are more than up to the task of navigation (they are faster than the Edge 800). They apparently work well for tracking/recording rides (ala Strava).

They are devices that many people have. I'm actually interested in them working for people.

That's one reason some people stick with the Garmins.

What app are you using for navigation?

You should check-out the cue-sheet app. A friend used voice-prompts on the ridewithgps app on a long ride and was satisfied with it (the ridewithgps app requires a subscription for navigation).
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