How accurate is the native workout app for running distance and speed?

[TorontoSS]

Hello,

I have a s4 cellular Watch. I use it for working out a lot. I know for calories it can be a bit (or very) off. But how accurate is it for runs?

i started running about 2 months ago. Every other day I would go for a run and add some to my run till I reached 30 min. I run slowly, about 7min 20s per km. I don’t care. I tried to add speed but it hasnt worked so well.

today I went for my run and I averaged 6min 50 and did .33 km more.

my question is, how accurate is that? Also is it more or less accurate if you don’t have your phone with you? (I have the cellular version).

thanks!

 

[Monkswhiskers]

I have found my S4 to be quite accurate, I run the same 10k course and it is pretty much the same distance every time. I think the distance recorded is more accurate than the gps track. Some people have issues of accuracy when cellular is turned on (see another thread re this).

 

[TorontoSS]

I have found my S4 to be quite accurate, I run the same 10k course and it is pretty much the same distance every time. I think the distance recorded is more accurate than the gps track. Some people have issues of accuracy when cellular is turned on (see another thread re this).

thanks! That’s so interesting that cellular causes inaccuracies! When I looked at the run map it was super accurate.

 

[firedept]

My watch is pretty accurate. I jog and hike a lot. I find my watch is generally within range each and every time. It does not seem to matter whether my phone is along with me or not. My watch is cellular.

 

[minimo3]

I’ve found it to be accurate for outdoor runs but very inaccurate for indoor runs. I’m not surprised since it can’t get a GPS fix, it can be up to 25% off for treadmill runs. Too bad most treadmills don’t support GymKit

 

[TorontoSS]

I’ve found it to be accurate for outdoor runs but very inaccurate for indoor runs. I’m not surprised since it can’t get a GPS fix, it can be up to 25% off for treadmill runs. Too bad most treadmills don’t support GymKit

actually I agree too. on treadmills, you have to go by what the treadmill is telling you because it does know better. The Apple Watch can be under or over quite a bit there!

 

[NoBoMac]

I've always wondered about this. When I hike, I use both the watch and an app on the phone, Motion-X GPS. The GPS app will consistently show more distance, several tenths of a mile.

A local coffee shop I walk to shows in Google Maps as being 5.9mi round trip (using walking directions), where watch shows a consistent 5.66mi.

Now, not a big deal for me, as more concerned about heart rate and calorie burn. And as long as use same data source for an activity, might be off, but have a consistent off and a baseline for tracking purposes.

Something I've meant to do, and can be applied here: go to a local high school and do laps. See if a mile on the track is a mile on the watch.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I have found my series 5 cellular to be fairly accurate when running. When I am racing, I wear a Apple Watch and a Suunto, so that I can make sure to get a more accurate accounting, should a problem arise with one of the watches.

 

[Hicks.]

I sometimes “dual wield“ a S4 cellular and a Garmin 945. Generally the S4 records slightly longer runs than the 945 (say 0.2 mile on a 7 mile run). I often run with my girlfriend who also has a S4 (not cellular) and they’re both pretty similar to each other (I have cellular turned on).

 

[someoneoutthere]

OP: Did you go on multiple runs/walks before you started leaving your iPhone at home (aka did you do the “Do a workout for at least 20 minutes with your iPhone on you” that prompts up first time you record a workout on your Watch?)
Doing so helps calibrate your motion data and provides more accurate readings of your distance - at least that has been my experience with all the Apple Watches I’ve owned.
Hope it helps!

 

[millerj123]

Calories can be way different on the same route. I think it’s pretty accurate, but there are folks who get antsy about .2 of a mile on a 6 or 7 mile route.

 

[Hicks.]

Calories can be way different on the same route. I think it’s pretty accurate, but there are folks who get antsy about .2 of a mile on a 6 or 7 mile route.

I’m not too bothered about it being slightly different to say Garmin. When you have a 20 mile running target each week, it actually means you have to run slightly less time if you use an Apple Watch versus a Garmin! And yes, Apple Watch is pretty accurate and DC Rainmaker was pretty impressed with it – but it does do ‘swoops’ on corners when tracking (which probably explains the slightly longer distances measured).

One thing I would say, is that if you are bothered about having an accurate pace, Apple Watch will show you as being slightly faster per mile (compared to Garmin).

 

[rbart]

Apple Watch is usually 2% optimistic regarding distance (and pace).
I am working on a running app which can answer this issue ...