AW5 LTE GPS accuracy problem

[jared_herx]

Another 5 mi run, LTE on, GPS on (obviously). Tracking remains pristine just on a subjective look at the maps that are generated (smooth in that it does not appear to be linking points together like it was before but actually tracking where I am located, but not so smooth that it's bending/swooping excessively like before, etc). The comparison with a map-tracker (How far did I run - online) was spot on whereas the watch would have been > 8-10% off in excess of actual mileage. No clear glitches aside from a little wobble under tree cover. This is almost 90% of the performance I had with my phone which is lovely. I now can confirm on which side of a path I was running on the map, something that I could not do with accuracy before. Playing music (not streaming) and running for about 40 min or so and battery went down about 30-35% (much better than the 70% on my first run).

Overall - seems to be a massive improvement over before. I will post if I have bad results or problems in the future.

 

[NME42]

Run 4 today: 10km, no glitches.

Battery consumption again to be disappointing. Was at the end >3% per km with high variations in between so that I thought that in the middle run, the watch would be empty.

I read somewhere that the GPS accuracy issues on the iPhone with iOS 14 are not fixed. So maybe we are the glad ones this time with watchOS 7. Still not 100% convinced that the problem is gone, but things are looking optimistic.

 

[rbart]

My battery seems more normal now.
I agree, I am not totally convinced about the end of our problems.
And I still have some doubts about distance accuracy...

 

[NME42]

Battery got better from day one to day three and on day 4 it is as bad as day 2. Not too worried about it as watchOS 7.01 probably will fix that.

Can‘t contribute to the distance topic as my Stryd always produces spot on results. With the same shoes sometimes identical results by 10m on the same route.

 

[NME42]

Run 5, no GPS issues. Battery consumption still high.

 

[mat_s]

Here are some of mine last runs. I have only GPS AW4 but I always run with watch disconnected from my phone. I do a test after instaling watchOS7 and the rusults was I think even worst than earlier.

This is correct route, with AW4 GPS only, disconnected from iPhone 7. Distance 5,05km

This is AW4 connected to iPhone 7 via BT. Distance 4,45km

Do you guys have this problems or it is something really unusual? This area is clear from high buildings, first 1km is around small houses and the rest is in park, no that much trees even.

 

[NME42]

Sounds like iPhone is not properly disconnected and producing bad GPS location data.

 

[mat_s]

Sounds like iPhone is not properly disconnected and producing bad GPS location data.

With this correct route I turn off blutooth in settings. Apple Watch is diconnected (red phone is displayed on watch).
This second route is AW connected to iPhone. I just wanted to try it and see if something was improved. I don't know if when AW is connected to iPhone it uses phone GPS or what? It is possible that phone GPS is that bad?
Do I need to contact Apple Support somehow?

 

[NME42]

Yes, iPhone GPS can be that bad. Same issues like we are discussing here with AW LTE. Seems that cellular data is messing up the location. At the moment it seems Apple fixed it for AW but not for iPhone.

 

[rbart]

It looks like bad Watch behavior when LTE is ON.
When your watch is connected to your iPhone, it only uses iPhone GPS (your watch is only a screen with heart rate sensor).

 

[rbart]

Some bad news ...
I have just finished a run in a place where I usually have glitches
There are 2 difficult locations where I always have wobbled with WOS6
Today, the first one is perfect but the second one shows wobbles...
Unfortunately, the issue is not completely fixed
For battery, in 1h with LTE podcast streaming, I have lost 30%

 

[NME42]

Yes, does not look very good but far away from the ugly dancing glitches we had. Keep fingers crossed that it is fixed (more or less).

 

[rbart]

It's recorded with Apple workout app that smoothes the small glitches.
The problem only occurs during 100m of a 10km run. The tracking is perfect on the other parts of the run.

 

[NME42]

The5krunner published a small report with AW6 and his conclusion is also that the GPS accuracy is very good. Well, no LTE and no idea if it is watchOS 7 or new hardware that is responsible.

 

[NME42]

Run 6, no GPS problems. Battery consumption very high with 4.5% per km.

 

[deeddawg]

Run 6, no GPS problems. Battery consumption very high with 4.5% per km.

JMHO but a %-per-time would translate better for other folks who likely have different paces.

In my presently poor (*slow*) level of conditioning, 4.5% per km would be really good battery usage.

 

[NME42]

Got your point, but do not overestimate me .
Currently doing mostly base training as there are no races in sight. So my pace is typically around 5:30min/km. I seldomly look on the watch and recognize the duration of the run, only the distance.

So todays run was 10.3km and 57:27 although I was doing intervals.
One thing I noticed after the run and todays strength training: using headphones and stopping listening to music/podcasts seems to cause a massive drain. As if the watch is searching for the phones and taking a lot of power to do so. But not sure what really is happening. In the first minutes after my run, I noticed a sudden drop of about 10%.

 

[NME42]

Run 7 through dense forest. No GPS problems. I had severe glitches in the past on this track.
Battery about 4.5% per km again.

 

[Picapau21]

Hi guys,

I just posted this in another thread but could some here help.

How do I force the Apple Watch to use the internal GPS rather than piggy backing off the iphones GPS signal?

I’ve tried turning of workout location services in the iphone setting but that didn’t seem to work. I had HR and distance data but no map of my route.

I’ve heard that putting the phone into airplane mode or turn off the iphones bluetooth might work. Will try that out later today but neither seem to me to be an elegant solution.

Does anyone have any experience with this and any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[NME42]

Airplane mode is not sufficient. You have to switch off Bluetooth on your iPhone in Settings, not Control Center.

 

[Picapau21]

Airplane mode is not sufficient. You have to switch off Bluetooth on your iPhone in Settings, not Control Center.

Thanks. Is there no other work around? I also cant figure out why turning location services to the workout app on the iphone doesn’t work. Any thoughts?

 

[NME42]

Thanks. Is there no other work around? I also cant figure out why turning location services to the workout app on the iphone doesn’t work. Any thoughts?

Not sure what you want to accomplish there. Which workout app on the iPhone? You are recording your workouts with your Apple Watch, I suppose? If yes, and your iPhone is connected, the AW is simply using your iPhone as an external GPS sensor. No running app on the iPhone necessary and so no reason switching off any location services for any iPhone apps.

You have to physically cut the connection to the external sensor. Something which would be lots better to configure as a simple switch in the Apple Watch configuration app, but here we are ;-).

 

[Picapau21]

Not sure what you want to accomplish there. Which workout app on the iPhone? You are recording your workouts with your Apple Watch, I suppose? If yes, and your iPhone is connected, the AW is simply using your iPhone as an external GPS sensor. No running app on the iPhone necessary and so no reason switching off any location services for any iPhone apps.

You have to physically cut the connection to the external sensor. Something which would be lots better to configure as a simple switch in the Apple Watch configuration app, but here we are ;-).

In the iphone settings there is an option to switch of location services specifically to the workouts app on the watch. I thought that would force the watch to use its internal GPS. Didn’t work.

Agree, a simple switch would have been perfect.

 

[rbart]

Apple doesn't allow us to force GPS on the watch when the iPhone is connected.
As NME42 said, you can only disconnect you phone from the watch

 

[Picapau21]

Apple doesn't allow us to force GPS on the watch when the iPhone is connected.
As NME42 said, you can only disconnect you phone from the watch

thanks both.