You are right, but I've worn out the USB ports on multiple Garmins from using the ports to recharge and download the files. Now I just use the app and download the files later from the Garmin website, and use a magnetic charger plug also to eliminate the wear and tear on the port. I wish I could wirelessly access the files and cut out the Garmin app/download steps.
I'm still using a Forerunner 935 from 2017 and I haven't had any problems with charging/syncing data. I use the USB charger about once a week. Once every two weeks during winter when I don't use the GPS as much.
Only thing I have updated on the watch is the free loop, which holds the watch band after you've threaded it through the buckle. I'm gonna have to replace the watch band eventually - the plastic band is starting to crack, Canadian winters aren't gentle on these things.
Garmin support sent me replacement free loops when I called in asking how I could replace them.
I use mine every day for recording year round barring a few breaks and need to charge every three days or so. I've had one long enough to have to change the battery because the life went down so much.
I've been through a lot of Garmin devices and mine always have battery degradation before the USB port is in any way non-functional. Especially with USB-C on the newest ones, that really shouldn't be happening.
You are correct, the last time I had to replace my 530, the 530 was on sale due to the 540 coming out so I bought the 530 on sale and haven't thought about it since. For some reason I thought I bought a 540 after comparing the product pages for so long.
I gamble and buy the cheapest ones on EBay in lots of three (some have adapters included plugs for USB-C/micro USB, though it seems like as time passed by, more and more are separating the plug purchase from the cable purchase). The recently announced tariffs will put a damper to this since the last few I have bought were dropshipped from China.
