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Native route tracking
- Thread starter kybldmstr
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Yet another poster who neglected to mention that he/she's on wOS 3 beta.
Interesting. I went for a run today and it didn't do this...will have to see if it does it next time. I had location service on too.
Batting1000 is also on wOS 3 beta.
See, people, that's why it's important to state whether or not you're on the beta, including when replying so there's no confusion.
I always run without my iPhone and the map is showing with relatively accurate route in my activity app. I can tell since I run along a river.
Is there a possibility that AW is using wifi Access points to map your run even without an iPhone? Or GPS has been there since day 1?!
I will try it again this weekend with a different route. I'm Running OS3
Is there a possibility that AW is using wifi Access points to map your run even without an iPhone? Or GPS has been there since day 1?!
I will try it again this weekend with a different route. I'm Running OS3
I also noticed this and can confirm. Twice this week I ran without my iPhone and it accurately mapped my routes both different routes.
I just arrived from work, and I turned off my iPhone before starting my bike activity. I can see accurate tracking on the little Map, but no speed information. From what I see it would be hard to get such precise tracking without GPS... Maybe they use the accelerometer?
It is possible. They already had algorithms to get pace and speed from the accelerometer so adding turns then overlaying it on the map would help correct the data. Making an extremely educated guess by the software as to your route.
I can believe it works if it knows your start and end point, maybe via wifi. What I did to check then was going for a walk without my iPhone and start randomly an activity with my watch and stop it before I get in my home's wifi range. I tried 2-3 times and it always mapped perfectly my walk. Maybe the Watch uses wifi networks around to get location or OS 3 activates a built in GPS or A-GPS. Anyway, I am really happy to get the map feature for my runs, I was missing that feature since I no longer run with my phone. 6s Plus is way too big to be comfortable to run with!
Does any one have an idea as to how the watch is doing this in this new OS?
I am quite curious as to how they implemented this behavior, and always thought that to get such functionality we would need to wait until the second generation of watch maybe with GPS built in.
As such, I cannot wait to try this out this week and see how well it maps to my streets here.
I am quite curious as to how they implemented this behavior, and always thought that to get such functionality we would need to wait until the second generation of watch maybe with GPS built in.
As such, I cannot wait to try this out this week and see how well it maps to my streets here.
I would like to know as well. The 
Watch doesn't have the compass' chip and an accelerometer can't differentiate turns from other random arm movements. Also accelerometers can't determine or even the approximate distance when biking (needs arm swing). Wonder if it is taking the starting point and the ending point and just 'mapping' the route between the 2.
Watch doesn't have the compass' chip and an accelerometer can't differentiate turns from other random arm movements. Also accelerometers can't determine or even the approximate distance when biking (needs arm swing). Wonder if it is taking the starting point and the ending point and just 'mapping' the route between the 2.I would like to know as well. The
I haven't gone without my phone yet, but I'd be curious if it works for what I do...I go back and forth between two spots several times rather than going from one location and ending at another.
I understand that the watch does have a gyroscope in addition to the accelerometer which I imagine could be used to determine direction.
This is from the AW Technical Specs sections of Apple's support site:
- Heart rate sensor, accelerometer, and gyroscope
No, the gyroscope can't determine your direction of travel or orientation in relation to a mapped direction like true or magnetic north. In order to determine direction you need a chip that uses the Hall effected and the
Watch doesn't have this.I have got to try this because I can't believe it. I did test in my neighborhood and it worked, but it knows that route. I am going to drive to a different location without my phone. 
I would be shocked it worked.
I would be shocked it worked.
Only thing I could think of would be Wi-Fi triangulationI would like to know as well. The
Me too because you may have hit on it knowing the route. For the test can you cut off your iPhone before you get to the new destination and leave in car (or better yet leave at home) and not cut it back on until after and you have driven off. Also a couple of questions.I have got to try this because I can't believe it. I did test in my neighborhood and it worked, but it knows that route. I am going to drive to a different location without my phone.
1) Are you biking or running?
2) Is the route you are going to take on 'mapped' roads?
3) If yes to #2 can you 'meander' off a bit so that it is not just filling in a mapped road?
4) Is this area clear of all known possible Wi-Fi and hotspots?
5) Do you have another GPS device like a Garmin to map the route to post comparison pics
I won't even bring my phone in the car. I would be running and I live out in the woods so it would be a good test. The roads may be mapped but it is all country roads with no homes or very far away and outside city wifi
I don't think it knows the route. I think it relies on knowing the starting place, downloading a map and it calculates from there, possibly wifi assisted. I stopped running a mile before home yesterday and ended the workout. It took 30 seconds after that for the route to pop up after I ended the run and was walking.
I can't say my first test was very scientific, but I left my phone behind and went to the next city over high school outdoor basketball court and set the workout to outdoor walk. No real reason for that, but I just went back and forth from one end to the other...
Since I was just going to test for 10-15 minutes, it didn't add up to much but I finished the workout and when I got home, looked at the activity app on the iphone, the little route picture showed me at the school with the route just going back and forth on the same route. Not sure how it knew I was at the high school and all my back and forth and running down shots. It was spot on. Still don't know if I trust this yet. There wasn't any wi-ifi connection.
Since I was just going to test for 10-15 minutes, it didn't add up to much but I finished the workout and when I got home, looked at the activity app on the iphone, the little route picture showed me at the school with the route just going back and forth on the same route. Not sure how it knew I was at the high school and all my back and forth and running down shots. It was spot on. Still don't know if I trust this yet. There wasn't any wi-ifi connection.
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Has anyone checked to see if the map coordinates are being stored somewhere in HealthKit? This is very intriguing to say the least. Would really love to know exactly how this works and hopefully it makes it into the production release.