Xplova’s latest GPS unit can store 700 hours of ride data and its 2.2in colour screen has a healthy 20 hours of battery life with the backlight off.
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Four of the five data screens are customisable, with up to 10 cells showing 80 different data options. These are reliably collected from ANT+ sensors (Bluetooth is only used for connection to Xplova’s app), as well as GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou satellites.
There’s a dial-style dashboard screen, and join-the-dots navigation of routes uploaded from the app. In theory, that makes the X3 competitive with Garmin’s Edge 130, although options from Lezyne and Giant are cheaper and/or have larger screens.
At 90g, the X3 is heavy for its screen size. The O-ring mount rattled until I padded it with tape, so I’d advise using a Garmin-compatible replacement (it will fit). That multiple satellite sourcing doesn’t seem to make it any faster or more accurate than other units, in the UK at least.
The only significant use of colour is on the dashboard screen, which can’t be customised and is hard to see. Scrolling through the menu is idiosyncratic and infuriatingly slow.
There are all sorts of irritating glitches with routing/ride/upload functions too.
Xplova X3 GPS Computer specifications
- Physical dimensions: 54 x 85 x 22 mm
- Weight: 90g
- Display: 2.2-inch
- Display type: Trans-reflective type Color Display with Buttons
- Display resolution: 240 x 320 pixels
- Battery: Rechargeable Lithium Battery
- Battery life: Up to 20 hours (GPS 3D-Fixed / BLE & Backlight off). Up to 27 hours under Low Power Mode
- Input: 5V Micro-USB
- Charging time: Fully charged within 5 hours / Chargeable while riding
- Operating temperature: -10°C 40°C
- GPS: High sensitivity GPS/GLONASS/BeiDou system
- Navigation: Waypoint Navigation
- Built-in sensors: Temperature, Barometric Altimeter
