T1 Tact Watch GPS Not Needed With Distance Tracker Smartwatch Feature

What is smartwatch GPS?

GPS stands for Global Positioning System, and it’s a way of finding your location (or position) anywhere in the world through the use of satellites. Some smartwatches have built-in GPS systems, however, a T1 Tact Watch GPS is not required to keep track of fitness or exercise routines. The reason for this is that some devices, such as the T1 Tact Watch uses a high-quality pedometer and accelerometer to track step count and distance travelled by foot.

Still, it’s important to understand exactly what GPS is, its origins, and how it’s used today to get a better understanding of its use in a smartwatch. A T1 Tact Watch GPS system is redundant in this case, since it already has a built-in pedometer and tracking system. We’ll start by explaining how GPS works and give some insight into how it developed over the years.

Different Ways to Read Distance and Elevation

Another tool smartwatches use to determine your position is barometric altimeters. These record the pressure changes at different points of your workout and give you accurate information on elevation changes. Note that this is done without the use of watch GPS. Product Manager Joe Heikes explains it this way:

“We’re putting a barometer in more and more of our wearable products because it enables the ‘floors climbed’ feature...However, I think customers should understand that, for the vast majority of runners, there is very little benefit to this measurement,” Heikes said.

Runner reviews her Distance tracker feature which replaced the T1 Tact Watch GPS function

“A quick mathematical check shows that a 10-percent grade over one mile creates only an additional eight meters of distance as compared to one mile over a flat. While a 10-percent grade may not sound like much, that would be because one has not actually tried to run a mile up a 10-percent grade!”

As a result, you don’t need 3D readings, that is, readings that take into account both your distance and elevation. Again, tactical watch GPS isn’t necessary, and simple 2D readings are sufficient, as Heikes explains:

“In most products, we do not take elevation changes into account in the distance calculations. Except in rare cases, it really doesn’t matter.”

How a Smartwatch with GPS Can Show Different Distances

With so many smartwatches on the market, many users are finding that their distances vary with their friends’ when they go on long runs together. The reason for this is that GPS readings work differently on different devices. This includes receiving, registering, and filtering GPS signals. Remember that you’re relying on several satellites orbiting thousands of miles above you, so there’s bound to be differences.

Interference Can Cause Problems with GPS

“For users on land or sea, a GPS signal is about as strong as a light bulb would be to your eye when it’s a few miles away,” he said. “However, seeing more satellites makes it easier to establish a more accurate position.”

“In deciduous forests, as leaves fall in winter, a watch may record a different path from the same route taken in summer,” Heikes added. Obstacles “also create other problems such as when the signal bounces off a building before it reaches the watch, in which case the GPS receiver in the watch will think it is farther from the satellites than it really is.”

Healthy Mature Male Using His Smartwatch Distance Tracker Function Coupled With Smartphone To Tracking Running & Fitness Data

Smartwatch GPS History

Watch GPS systems work based on the time it takes for a satellite to send a radio signal to your watch. This is known as triangulation, where your device solves equations based on the positions of different satellites, calculating their position and the time it took to receive their signals to determine where you are positioned.

This is possible mainly because the radio signals submitted by a satellite to a smartwatch with GPS is constant, so you can accurately determine where you are.

According to Product Marketing Manager Tom Lund:

“Triangulation is a way to determine the difference between the time that your running watch receives a GPS signal and the time that GPS signal was sent to your running watch. The difference between sending and receiving a GPS signal determines how far away the satellite is,” Lund said.

“By integrating GPS technology in a fitness or sports watch, the watch measures a series of points that are used to accurately derive metrics like distance, speed, and pace. These metrics give runners real-time insight into their running performance,” he added.