GPS accuracy: AWU2 vs iPhone 14Pro, 94%

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mtbdudex Author

Level 1

28 points

GPS accuracy: AWU2 vs iPhone 14Pro, 94%

I've had my AWU2 since Dec-2023, truly love it.

However I'm perplexed by GPS accuracy: AWU2 vs iPhone 14Pro, seems AWU2 is around 6% less than iPhone 14Pro.

Below are screen shots with data.

These are all MTB bike data; I start/stop both same time, AWU2 is left

wrist facing up (top of wrist), iPhone is mounted to bike stem clear

view to sky.

I use the app TrailForks, its GPS settings are as shown; tick every 1 second for 1m min distance.

I can't find a setting spec for the AWU2 in any settings, on AWU2 or the iPhone watch app.

With the Apple ads stating "precision dual-freq GPS provides accurate

location for calc distance, pace, and route maps" I'd expect the AWU2 to

be much close, 98-99% accurate as the iPhone.

Does anyone know if Apple is "crippling" the GPS accuracy by less frequent sampling time or distance wise??

I'd like user settings to balance trade-off of GPS vs battery is that's the rationale.

Mike R

Posted on Jul 5, 2024 2:08 PM

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Answer 1

Jeff Donald

Level 8

44,868 points

Jul 21, 2024 5:49 PM in response to mtbdudex

Pay the fee and become a developer and you’ll have access to Apple’s software engineers and various support documentation. You could also ask the developer(s) of the software you’re using. They would have some clue as to answering your questions.

I suspect the answer to accuracy is more related to physical size of the watch vs. iPhone, embedded antenna in watch vs external antenna in iPhone and iPhone having a more stationary position that watch on wrist constantly moving. Sampling rate is a developer/engineering question.

This article may answer some questions.

https://www.lifewire.com/iphone-gps-set-up-1683393

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