In terms of screen size and clarity (pixel count) they are identical. Dimensions are ever so slightly increased, 58 x 114 x 19 mm for the Edge 1030 Vs 59.3 x 117.6 x 20.0 mm for the Edge 1040.
This slight dimension increase also gains the Edge 1040 an extra two grams, so it now weighs 126g (4.4oz) for the unit alone.
Battery life has been upped, depending on the version you opt for, with the Edge 1040 Solar running a claimed 45 hours and the Edge 1040 35 hours of demanding use. This is a difference of 11 or 21 hours over the Edge 1030 plus. We've covered the solar specifics below.
The satellite operating system is now multi-band and frequency, as mentioned above, and the Edge 1040 Solar gains 64gb of internal memory over the non-solar Edge 1040, which keeps the same 32GB as the Edge 1030 Plus has.
Mapping has also moved on both the new Edge 1040 units to be worldwide over the standard Garmin cycle map.
The analytical capabilities have also upped on the Edge 1040 computers to include power guide, real-time stamina, cycling abilities and adaptive training plans.
The rest of the training, planning and analysis features as well as mapping and compatibility with Varia, ANT+ shifting and smart trainer control are carried over from the existing Garmin Edge 1030 Plus unit.
But one big hurrah for many will be the 'pause navigation' feature, which allows you to nip off for a coffee or call of nature, and then hold your place rather than the auto re-routing which can be a big cause of frustration to some riders.