Accuracy of GPS Watch data


Forum » General Forums » General discussion

By pwb999 on 16/05/19 at 12:14pm

Dear all,

I am interested in the accuracy of the gps track data recorded by smartwatches, so that I can verify the OS Locate coordinates that it also can display to compare with my dedicated GPS device ie Garmin Etrex.

My own is a Apple series 3 and I enjoy reviewing the data logs it captures. I do know that Fenix is a dedicated unit to this form of activity but I am surprised that a general purpose watch can still generate a very useful track log. Is the Fenix still the gold standard for such watches?

For example this is the gps track on the left captured by my watch and the gpx track recorded by my Garmin Etrex 30x. Considering that the watch has an intermittent view of the sky compared to that of the Garmin I think the two are very compatible.

On the left is the watch gps trace whose colour relates to my heart rate ie red = hard. This appears to confirm that its own gps chip is very good and reliable as a backup to a dedicated gps device. The right side of the image is the gpx track from my Garmin Etrex 30x. Not much difference. Unfortunately at present you can only view the trace and cannot export it to another application.

Is the GPS chip in Fenix watches significantly better ?




WalkLakes recognises that hill walking, or walking in the mountains, is an activity with a danger of personal injury or death.
Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions.