Android Wear and GPS

[richhoops]

Hello, looking for a bit of input here, I do a bit of running now and I’m enjoying it but, I guess like many people, I’ve been looking for a way to use runkeeeper and listen to music without taking my phone out.

I picked up a Sony SmartWatch 3 as it had built in GPS but found the GPS signal so flaky and unreliable I had to return it. I only used the watch for running so I would have to turn it on 20 minutes before I left to get a GPS lock (Runkeeper doesn’t display signal on the watch so I would have to use endomondo which did just to see if it was active!), then as soon as I set off the GPS would drop and not come back on until about ten minutes into my run.

It was clunky and fussy and I got fed up so sent it back however I still love the idea. I’m wondering about the Moto 360 Sport now as that has GPS but not sure if it will be just as good/bad as the Sony. Or should I be looking for a non android wear device? I’ve considered an apple watch but the thought of having to curate a playlist on iTunes fills me with dread!

Anyone have any experience with this they can share that might help?

 

[BobLad]

When I first got my SW3 in February 2015, the GPS was so flaky I gave up using GPS, though I still liked the watch. About two months ago I decided to try GPS again. To my amazement, the watch showed a GPS lock in a few seconds. I've been using GPS every day on the watch since then. It has always locked on very quickly. There was only one time when it took about 10 seconds. My route that shows on the map has always been amazing. I don't know if GPS is working while I'm out, but I always see a complete and accurate map when I get back. Google keeps updating Android Wear. This seems the only reason it works for me now, so I wonder if you had the latest updates. Another possibility, of course, is a problem with the hardware (the watch). This probably doesn't help you. I just wanted to give you my experience.

 

[richhoops]

Thanks, I persevered with the Sony for a couple of weeks but I'd already sent it back before I posted this although I was using it about the same time you got yours working so maybe I was just unlucky with my hardware.

 

[wynand32]

Related question: if your smartwatch doesn't have integrated GPS, can it still pull GPS from the phone for tracking runs? If it can, does it work on the iPhone as well as Android devices?

 

[Smith 001]

Nope,without integrated GPS or antenna,it can't get fix neither sports tracking.

 

[richhoops]

You can use a non GPS watch to display info from the phone but it's the phone doing the GPS work. So if you used Runkeeper or Endomondo on your phone it would display the stats on your watch as long as you had both with you on your run.

 

[wynand32]

You can use a non GPS watch to display info from the phone but it's the phone doing the GPS work. So if you used Runkeeper or Endomondo on your phone it would display the stats on your watch as long as you had both with you on your run.

Perfect, thanks, that works just fine for me. All I really want is to control my phone without pulling it out of its holster. I've had GPS in smartwatches/fitness trackers before, and it absolutely destroys battery life, and I always have my phone with me anyways.

 

[Smith 001]

Hi,I'm curious about how to display the info.Install a app?

 

[richhoops]

My experience with Android Wear is any apps you have on your phone that are Android Wear compatible automatically install on your watch during set up and then you just run them from the watch. For example here's the runkeeper instructions

https://support.runkeeper.com/hc/en-us/articles/202988016-How-to-use-Runkeeper-with-Android-Wear

 

[Smith 001]

Thanks,my watch supports GPS,I can't test this.If I install Runkeeper on my watch,then I could use the phone GPS to show the map?am I misunderstood?

 

[richhoops]

Yeah so the app would run on the phone as normal but the watch would display some of the key information so you could glance at it quickly

 

[Smith 001]

Thank you,it seems that GPS on watch is useless.unless I leave my phone.