Stand-alone GPS tracking, Endomondo, My Tracks etc.

[xendula]

I am starting this thread to share experiences with GPS tracking. Hoping there are other runners/cyclists out there, who bought this watch.

Stand-alone GPS tracking: HOW?!
Bought my LG WULTE2 yesterday, took it on a run this morning. Two problems :

• There is no way to shut off bluetooth, to ensure that the watch is using its own GPS, and I needed bluetooth on my phone to be on so I could listen to music.
• Unlike in Samsung's Gear Manager, you can't just disconnect the watch from your phone temporarily in the phone's AW app: you can disconnect, which will wipe your watch and restore it to factory settings! #wtfgoogle!?

If you all found a way to force the LG WULTE2 into stand-alone mode, let me know.

I tried to put it in Airplane mode, it looked as if location was still on, but:

Endomondo showed perfect GPS signal strength, yet starting run tracking via the "play" button did nothing. No error message... It just sat there.

My Tracks likewise did absolutely nothing and there was no error message.

I shut airplane mode off and used Endomondo to track my run. It took it a while to pick up my signal... My Tracks still did nothing. The Endomondo app was weird to use. In comparison to the Nike plus app on my Gear S (the only run tracking Gear S app that works stand-alone), it gave me less options and less useful info, and even pausing or stopping the app was not straight-forward. I guess i have to get used to all the swiping in Android Wear, but so far, I am not impressed with the Android Wear experience for runners at all.

What did you all use so far and how did it go?

 

[daddyd302]

Have you tried turning off bluetooth on your phone?

 

[Jaycemiskel]

If you're using the Bluetooth on your phone to listen to music you must be pretty close to it. So why can't you just use the phone GPS? The only option I think you have right now until they put out an update is to turn Bluetooth off on your phone. You could put your music on the watch so you could still listen to music.

 

[foxbat121]

If you have your phone with you, why the hell you want to force the watch to use its own GPS. There is no advantage what so ever. If you want to test the standalone GPS, leave the phone at home or turn off the BT.

Most apps require Bluetooth connection to work. It is a well know factor. Being on the bleeding edge of the AW means you will have to wait for app deves to evolve and redesign to support watches that connect via cell radio.

 

[xendula]

Why: because I have 13 days to test this watch before my return window closes.
This thread is really not about the why's but about the how's, guys. Endomondo and My Tracks are supposed to work in stand-alone mode.

 

[foxbat121]

Well, why can't you just turn off the BT on the phone if it is just a test? It is not like you need to do this all the time. There isn't a need for what you are asking.

I have never heard anything about those two apps can work stand-alone. In fact, IIRC, LG manual says apps won't work in standalone mode or not connected via BT, period.

 

[Jaycemiskel]

Turn the Bluetooth off on your phone. That's gonna be your only option at the moment. Since you're just testing it to see if it works, you should be fine without your music. You have a valid way to test it, that's why everyone is asking you why.

 

[tekproph]

There are several things to consider here:
1. Is the app you are using updated to support the version of AW you are using and Marshmallow? (probably not since it just got released last week and devs have had a hard time with that version of AW supporting cellular connectivity/aGPS with their apps... believe me, first hand exp here).
2. If the test is true, you will need to turn off BT from your phone as the others state here. This naturally will create a "separate" device connection (unless you are wifi connected which I would doubt if you are running away from your home network).
3. Give the developers time to work with their apps to support these wearables. LTE/aGPS on a wearable has never been done until now. 3G/4G radios are different than LTE radios due to the ability to work with VoLTE connections which is where a larger part of the networks are going now. This device is different than a regular phone due to its software and how it communicates with a connected phone.

 

[foxbat121]

In addition, put a phone or watch into airplane mode is the worst way to test GPS. These modern GPS chips gets help to quickly lock into the exact location by network help. Without it, it may take couple minutes before your watch can know exactly where you are (the GPS signals remain the same but the initial calculation is the problem without a network help). After this initial lock, the GPS will work normally.

So, I did a 2-minute walk outside my house leaving my phone home and use cell radio to connect. My Tracks app on the watch worked perfectly and tracked as precise as a phone could do. The result is only viewable on my phone, not on the watch. So, it definitely need to talk to the phone.

 

[tekproph]

Keep in mind this device does NOT use regular GPS (satellite connection) it uses aGPS which is network based. So it will work without the phone however, like I mentioned, many apps are not up to date yet. the Gear S2 3G is also suffering from the same problem, Tizen or not, the devs are not pushing out updates as fast as the general public wants (which are usually unrealistic time frames)

 

[foxbat121]

Common mis-conception about the aGPS in modern phones. It only needs network assist to help speed up the initial acquisition. The operation is still satellite based. The initial assist is optional. Without it, it needs longer time to calculate like normal GPS device would (ever use one when you fly to a different city? It needs a looong time for initial lock).

With network assist, initial lock can be down to less than 10 seconds regardless where you are. Without it, typical GPS requires a few minutes depending on how much recent data it stored, e.g. if it was last used within certain range of your current location, they cache that GEO data to save the calculation time. But if you fly to a different city, it has to start from scratch.

 

[lvmymoto]

As all of the above have mentioned, I think at this point you're only option is to completely turn your BT off, then do you're run.

I also bought the Urbane 2 for exercising because of the standalone capabilities and the GPS. But at this point, if you want to completely use the watch untethered, LG Health is probably you're only option. I tested it out last night, without my phone. Started Runkeeper which works great on AW, and LG Health at the same time. Runkeeper didn't do anything but keep track of time, whereas LG Health tracker distance, minutes per mile, time, and BPM.

So I think we are going to have to wait for app developers to catch up with the new OS and GPS/LTE connectivity. It's only a matter if time. This watch and OS are not even a week old at this point.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[mdw1995]

I was able to purchase the Urbane 2 a couple of days before the cancellation and have yet to turn it on. I now have my SIM in hand and will test it tomorrow. My main interest is to be able to track my runs with GPS while listening to music and to have a way to make calls in case of emergency. All without taking my phone with me. Has anybody been able to use any apps to accomplish this? Runkeeper, endomondo, strava, my tracks, runtastic, etc? With or without phone synched through cellular?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[lvmymoto]

I was able to purchase the Urbane 2 a couple of days before the cancellation and have yet to turn it on. I now have my SIM in hand and will test it tomorrow. My main interest is to be able to track my runs with GPS while listening to music and to have a way to make calls in case of emergency. All without taking my phone with me. Has anybody been able to use any apps to accomplish this? Runkeeper, endomondo, strava, my tracks, runtastic, etc? With or without phone synched through cellular?

Posted via the Android Central App

There aren't any yet. At least that anybody has confirmed. As I had said above, Runkeeper was keeping tack of time, but nothing else. Meaning that it wasn't able to "see" the watches GPS. LG Health on the watch worked perfectly however. As I, and others, have said, we are going to need to wait for the app developers to catch up with the new tech in the watch. Shouldn't be long...

 

[wsrobert]

The Sony Smartwatch 3 was released last year with GPS. There's of course no cellular radio. But you still have the ability to listen to music (via music uploaded from Google Play) and track a run - absent the phone.

So I'm not sure what everyone means when discussing devs needing to catch up? The devs have had since the end of last year to figure out how to make their apps work in standalone mode to track GPS/running activity. The fact that it still doesn't work on some of the biggest names in the fitness game - who all have Android Wear apps - is concerning.

I'm returning a S2 3G for this exact reason. Tizen has its own app issues. But even the Samsung built apps like S Health are incapable of accurately tracking a run (off by 30-60%). Trying to use Nike Running on the S2 3G will crash any other app you have open - like Samsung's Milk Music. I like a few on this thread were hoping to be able to walk out the doors with only my S2 3G and BT earbuds. Have my run tracked while listening to music - and yet still take or make a phone call. The S2 3G fails miserably. It doesnt matter how I have things set up - location on using GPS and mobile networks, only GPS, remote connection to the phone disabled, remote connection enabled, turning on/off various other radios/settings. When I'm lucky - no apps would crash. And then I'd have a run thats off by 30-60%. Most times though, apps would just crash and leave me with no run tracking, no music and pissed off.

 

[lvmymoto]

The Sony Smartwatch 3 was released last year with GPS. There's of course no cellular radio. But you still have the ability to listen to music (via music uploaded from Google Play) and track a run - absent the phone.

So I'm not sure what everyone means when discussing devs needing to catch up? The devs have had since the end of last year to figure out how to make their apps work in standalone mode to track GPS/running activity. The fact that it still doesn't work on some of the biggest names in the fitness game - who all have Android Wear apps - is concerning.

I'm returning a S2 3G for this exact reason. Tizen has its own app issues. But even the Samsung built apps like S Health are incapable of accurately tracking a run (off by 30-60%). Trying to use Nike Running on the S2 3G will crash any other app you have open - like Samsung's Milk Music. I like a few on this thread were hoping to be able to walk out the doors with only my S2 3G and BT earbuds. Have my run tracked while listening to music - and yet still take or make a phone call. The S2 3G fails miserably. It doesnt matter how I have things set up - location on using GPS and mobile networks, only GPS, remote connection to the phone disabled, remote connection enabled, turning on/off various other radios/settings. When I'm lucky - no apps would crash. And then I'd have a run thats off by 30-60%. Most times though, apps would just crash and leave me with no run tracking, no music and pissed off.

That's a good point about the Sony watch and GPS. My only thought would be maybe the issue is that the Urbane 2 is the first Android Wear watch running Marshmallow and then adding GPS with LTE. So there is a significant difference from the Sony watch. In that case, the developers would need to catch up and put out an update for all of those things. Don't know, just speculating.

At any rate, LG Health seems to be pretty accurate when using the watches GPS and data. I've just been using the information I get from LG Health and then manually adding it to Runkeeper. It is extra work, but I'm hoping that Runkeeper will update their app to work with the forth coming GPS/LTE enabled smartwatches.

 

[xendula]

The Sony Smartwatch 3 was released last year with GPS. There's of course no cellular radio. But you still have the ability to listen to music (via music uploaded from Google Play) and track a run - absent the phone.

So I'm not sure what everyone means when discussing devs needing to catch up? The devs have had since the end of last year to figure out how to make their apps work in standalone mode to track GPS/running activity. The fact that it still doesn't work on some of the biggest names in the fitness game - who all have Android Wear apps - is concerning.

I'm returning a S2 3G for this exact reason. Tizen has its own app issues. But even the Samsung built apps like S Health are incapable of accurately tracking a run (off by 30-60%). Trying to use Nike Running on the S2 3G will crash any other app you have open - like Samsung's Milk Music. I like a few on this thread were hoping to be able to walk out the doors with only my S2 3G and BT earbuds. Have my run tracked while listening to music - and yet still take or make a phone call. The S2 3G fails miserably. It doesnt matter how I have things set up - location on using GPS and mobile networks, only GPS, remote connection to the phone disabled, remote connection enabled, turning on/off various other radios/settings. When I'm lucky - no apps would crash. And then I'd have a run thats off by 30-60%. Most times though, apps would just crash and leave me with no run tracking, no music and pissed off.

Ditto on being concerned about the fact that the Smartwatch 3 has been out for long enough that devs could have added stand-alone GPS tracking capabilities but didn't.

What you were trying to do with the Gear S2 works for me with the Gear S. However, my battery would die within an hour when streaming music with Milk while tracking my run with Nike+, which is not long enough for most my runs. Even listening to downloaded MP3's over BT while running killed the battery too quickly.

But: it worked without any issues at all.

I was hoping for the same or better experience when I got the LG watch, especially knowing that the stand-alone GPS functionality was not new to AW.

 

[xendula]

At any rate, LG Health seems to be pretty accurate when using the watches GPS and data. I've just been using the information I get from LG Health and then manually adding it to Runkeeper. It is extra work, but I'm hoping that Runkeeper will update their app to work with the forth coming GPS/LTE enabled smartwatches.

Does that mean you are keeping yours?

 

[lvmymoto]

Does that mean you are keeping yours?

I think I am keeping mine! I've had several different smart watches so far, and this is the best so far by a long shot! I have no issues with it at all. Everything just works. I have until this coming Monday, the 30th, to return mine under the normal 14 day return policy. So unless LG releases something that actually has some information in it in the next week, and that information is bad, I'm keeping it.

Plus, I really do think that a lot of the standalone issues will get resolved as Android Wear 6.0 starts hitting the rest of the watches.

 

[xendula]

I think I am keeping mine! I've had several different smart watches so far, and this is the best so far by a long shot! I have no issues with it at all. Everything just works. I have until this coming Monday, the 30th, to return mine under the normal 14 day return policy. So unless LG releases something that actually has some information in it in the next week, and that information is bad, I'm keeping it.

Plus, I really do think that a lot of the standalone issues will get resolved as Android Wear 6.0 starts hitting the rest of the watches.

I had put mine up on Ebay and changed my mind as well, pulled the listing, and took it on two runs since. I found two apps that work stand-alone with just the watch, so I could leave my phone behind, and I found them via someone else's recommendation on XDA, so I take no credit:
Runkeeper and GhostRacer. However, the GPS singal does not get a lock, unless you also install the free Wear GPS, start that app up first and let it search for GPS satellites, before then starting Ghost or Runkeeper.

Like a complete geek, I've been running with Nike + tracking on my Gear S on one wrist, and Ghost and Runkeeper on the other, while also streaming music over BT from my LG watch. Nike+ shows an about 5% longer distance for the same trail.

The battery seems to last longer. But there is definitely an issue with the battery indicator: I think that the number my watch shows me is not the actual battery precentage. I was at the magical 67%, when trying to load music onto it, and kept getting an error message telling me the battery was too low to transfer music.

Also, I hope that some of us who have the watch and decide not to keep it, will put it up on Ebay instead of returning it to ATT; there are many people who'd love to get one, so this is their only chance. Who knows, maybe a really good developer is ending up with one, which would benefit all others who have one.