Elevation Gain Problem With Series 4 Apple Watch

I tried an interesting experiment this morning with similar results. With my iWatch 4 GPS connected to my replacement iPhone X, I went to the bottom of a long steep hill and turned on the outdoor cycling workout app. I then started up the hill and watched the elevation gain display on the watch. As expected, it remained stuck on "0 FT ELEV". After a few hundred yards I stopped and turned off the iPhone. I then continued up the hill with just the iWatch powered up. From that point the watch started registering elevation gain. After a few more hundred yards, when the elevation gain had reached 54 feet, I stopped and turned the iPhone back on. With the iPhone on the watch would not record any additional elevation gain. It remained unchanged at 54 feet. Several hundred yards further up the hill I repeated the process of turning the iPhone off and on. Each time that the iPhone was off the watch would accumulate elevation gain. When the iPhone was on, the watch would not record any additional gain.

IOS12.1.4 did not cure the elevation gain problem. I installed it this evening and took the iPhone X and my Apple Watch 4 out for a test. As before, the AW4 stayed stuck on "0 EL GAIN" when climbing a hill. When I powered off the iPhone and continued up the hill the AW4 then registered normal elevation gain.

After weeks of working on this problem with Apple technical support I'm told that there currently is no solution. I'm told that Apple "engineers" are aware of the problem and it will be addressed in some future software update. Apple sent me a new replacement iPhone X but it had the same problem as my first one. In summary, whenever I pair my Apple watch series 4 GPS with an iPhone X it will always display "0 FT ELEV" in the workout app for hiking or cycling. The same thing happens with my wife's Apple watch 4 when I paired it with either one of the iPhone X's. Both watches, however, display the correct elevation gain when paired with my wife's iPhone 8 plus.

SteeeeeP,

Interesting. Similar problem but distinctly different. The elevation gain problems I have experienced seem confined to the iPhone X, and instead of being massively off the elevation gain remains stuck on zero while the phone is turned on.

Have you tested the AW with the iPhone turned off? That should give you some indication of where your problem lies. In my case it seems to be with the iPhone X or its software. I'm interested to install the new IOS upgrade that should be coming out this week in response to the Facetime bug. That might address my problem but I'm not holding my breath.

Swift Harbor

Ta,

Interesting results. I powered off both my replacement iPhone X and the iWatch 4 to break any connection. I then turned on just the watch and went for a walk uphill. For comparison, I brought along my wife's iWatch 4 connected to her iPhone 8+. I started up the outdoor walking workout app on both watches. When I reached my neighbor's driveway my wife's watch displayed 20 FT ELEV. My watch, which was not connected to anything, displayed 13 FT ELEV. Progress.

I then returned home to repeat the process with the replacement iPhone X. I powered off the iWatch 4, turned on the iPhone X and turned on the iWatch 4. I then set off on the same route that I had taken previously. The result: my wife's iWatch 4 displayed 21 FT ELEV. My watch, which was now connected to my replacement iPhone X, remained firmly stuck on 0 FT ELEV.

So again, my iWatch 4 works normally when connected to an iPhone 8+ or nothing at all. But it will display only zero elevation gain when connected to my original iPhone X or its replacement iPhone X.

Ta,

As my Apple senior advisor suggested, I returned my iPhone X to the Apple Store this morning. It was a complete waste of time.  Despite freely acknowledging that the phone would not connect properly to my Apple Watch (probably due to a software issue), no one was willing or able to correct the problem for me. I wanted to exchange my iPhone X for a newer model and pay whatever price difference there was between the two.  I was told that Apple does not permit this.  After extensive discussion I was given four options:

1. (Preferred) Wait for a software upgrade to correct the problem (without any idea of if or when that might occur).

2. Trade in my new iPhone X for a $400 credit and buy a new iPhone XS for full price.  ($400 for a phone that I paid $1,205.12 three weeks ago? I don’t think so.)

3. (My favorite) Turn off the iPhone while I’m bicycling and use the Apple watch solo to record the elevation gain. (Brilliant.

Why didn’t I think of that? Turn off the power and the problem goes away. Why don’t I just smash the phone with a rock and fix it for good?)

1. Exchange my current iPhone X for another “refurbished” iPhone X and hope that this one will work better than the last two. (Right, take someone else’s problems in a new case and hope for the best. My last replacement has more problems than the original.)

My solution - continue to wear my old Garmin Forerunner on the other wrist when I exercise. It cost less than a tenth of the price of my iPhone and Apple Watch but it still works like a charm.  More than I can say for the fancy jewelry on the other arm.

It’s very disappointing to see a company admit that its product doesn’t work and still refuse to do the right thing for its customer.  Move over Sears, you’ve got company coming.