Apple Watch Ultra and WatchOS - Missing GPS Feature?
I'm not aware of any built in indicator on apple watchOS showing if your watch has a lock on GPS services. Unless there are new complications on settings on the Ultra that I haven't seen, this is an obvious miss even for non-ultra athletes. And something that has been on Garmin devices for as long as I can remember.
I run for fitness and actually still continue to use an Apple Watch even though I think a Garmin is a better device. I stick with the Apple for one reason, it allows me to run without my phone.
However, because I never know if the watch has a GPS signal, I'm never fully sure my run is accurately being tracked. I put up it with it because I prefer that ability to run without a phone. But I'm guessing an ultra athlete would get pretty frustrated if their watch didn't pick up the GPS until after they started training.
Yes there are some hacks by checking location services to give you and idea, but this doesn't actually tell you the device is using GPS. Just that the watch is using some method to determine your location.
Curious to hear from those iron men and women. Would you put up with this and just trust the watch has you covered?
My love of watches and the blend of design and engineering far exceeds my wallet. But doesn’t stop me from enjoying this hobby.
Waiting to confirm, but sounds promising. From DC Rainmaker's initial review:
"Apple Watch Ultra includes a new multi-band/dual-frequency GPS chipset, across both L1 and L5. Multi-band is potentially useful in deep city environments, as well as cliffs and other satellite blocking scenarios. In doing so, they’ve joined the COROS/Garmin/Huawei camp when it comes to higher GPS track accuracy. Of course, this is something I’m keen to put to the test in the coming weeks. As we’ve seen with other multi-band implementations, accuracy can range from astounding to meh."
In my runs, which has largely been exclusive to fenix products, I have never looked at the GPS indicator while running. The only time I care is the initial hook up. I will review after each run to make sure it tracked, but I am not sure I want/need to see it while running personally. That said, if after a week of running my map has wayward GPS pings, the watch is gone, which is what happened the first time I tried to use an apple watch.
Waiting to confirm, but sounds promising. From DC Rainmaker's initial review:
"Apple Watch Ultra includes a new multi-band/dual-frequency GPS chipset, across both L1 and L5. Multi-band is potentially useful in deep city environments, as well as cliffs and other satellite blocking scenarios. In doing so, they’ve joined the COROS/Garmin/Huawei camp when it comes to higher GPS track accuracy. Of course, this is something I’m keen to put to the test in the coming weeks. As we’ve seen with other multi-band implementations, accuracy can range from astounding to meh."
In my runs, which has largely been exclusive to fenix products, I have never looked at the GPS indicator while running. The only time I care is the initial hook up. I will review after each run to make sure it tracked, but I am not sure I want/need to see it while running personally. That said, if after a week of running my map has wayward GPS pings, the watch is gone, which is what happened the first time I tried to use an apple watch.
I'm the same. I only care about the GPS lock indicator when I'm getting ready to start the run / initial hook up in a new location. The problem is you don't have any indicator on watchOS so you can't tell.
Saw DC's initial review and heard about he GPS improvements which agree sound promising. Still haven't seen if they have added or will add a lock indicator.
I'm the same. I only care about the GPS lock indicator when I'm getting ready to start the run / initial hook up in a new location. The problem is you don't have any indicator on watchOS so you can't tell.
Saw DC's initial review and heard about he GPS improvements which agree sound promising. Still haven't seen if they have added or will add a lock indicator.
I do not recall if either runkeeper or strava have an app. It would be easily solvable with a Connect app. Perhaps seeing if the compass locked in. Like you, will be waiting.
The details aren't clear to me, but apparently the Ultra's action button supports starting a workout immediately (no "3-2-1" countdown) and that feature is only active after the watch has acquired both GPS and heart rate lock. If that's true, I assume there must be some indication of the lock. I guess we'll see in a week.
But to answer the original question. I've never had a problem with starting a workout. Even if it's not fixed when the workout begins, the watch has always acquired GPS within 5-10 seconds. In the worst case it might be off by 5-10 yards at the start, which is nothing for a run of any length.
(And I have finished many Ironman triathlons.)
Did like 12 runs this week... i had 0 issues all my runs track with no weird off point starts. But i didn't do any trail runs yet.