The Google Pixel Watch 5 is arriving with new GPS capabilities that the manufacturer claims delivers more accurate tracking than the satellite data from the best Apple and Garmin running and fitness watches.
Google says it has worked to solve some of the many inherent problems with GPS tracking, including the imposing buildings in urban settings, satellite errors, and the atmospheric conditions to push the envelope for the Pixel Watch 5. As a result of the advancements announced today, Google reckons users will benefit from more accurate portrayals of a route when you’ve been on an outdoor run, hike or bike ride.
“If your position is jumpy, it undermines the whole experience,” says Google engineer Frank van Diggelan in a blog post. In my own personal experience, GPS interference also leads to inaccurate distance data, which causes issues of its own with pacing. So how did Google do it?
Well, Google Maps 3D models of buildings in towns and cities around the world were paired with Google’s AI technology in order “to cut down on errors caused by the GPS signal bouncing off buildings.”
Google says those findings were paired with Google’s existing network of GPS reference stations around the world. “These stations measure GPS signals, account for discrepancies, and serve that data to Google products in real time. This helped [Google’s engineers] cut down on inaccuracies from atmospheric conditions and satellite errors,” the company says.
From here it was all about how finding a way to bring these problem-solving solutions to the small smartwatch. The antennas are smaller in these timepieces and getting a strong GPS signal from satellites is harder. Getting around that was more difficult than solving the problems, Google says.
Google also says that the effect GPS has on the smaller smartphone battery life was a tough challenge to navigate, but the company was able to compress the watch’s raw GPS data by “sending it to a server to get processed and corrected, and delivering it to the Google Health app back-end” without negatively affecting the battery life compared to the previous generation Pixel 4.
Google tested the tech around the world and found it worked and outperformed the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Garmin Fenix Pro 8. And it definitely outperformed the Pixel Watch 4 as you can see from the graphic below. Pixel Watch 4 route in red, Pixel Watch 5 in blue.
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