APPLE

Apple Watch 2022 has a very important novelty

Apple confirms that all three 2022 Apple Watch models exclusively use their own GPS systems.

When the Apple Watch first came out, it relied on iPhones to handle most of its functions. That changed with the launch of the Apple Watch Series 3 in 2017, Apple's first smartwatch to offer cellular connectivity that allowed the device to make calls without the presence of an iPhone. The year before that, in 2016, the Apple Watch Series 2 added its own GPS system, although the watch continued to use GPS on a nearby iPhone whenever possible.

But that has changed in the three new Apple Watches models released in 2022. Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (2022) and Apple Watch Ultra in fact only use their GPS system, without requiring anything from the possibly connected iPhone.

In the supporting document titled “Calibrate your Apple Watch for better workout and activity accuracy,” Apple writes, “An Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8 and SE (2nd generation) use the Apple Watch's built-in GPS even when the iPhone is nearby. To conserve battery life, older Apple Watch models use your iPhone's GPS where available." By the way, the Apple Watch Ultra uses a dual-frequency GPS system.

In other words, older Apple Watch models rely on the iPhone's GPS system connected to save the watch's battery. It actually makes sense to allow the Apple Watch Ultra to use its own GPS, thanks to the larger battery that lasts "up to 36 hours". The Apple Watch 8 battery (308 mAh), however, is the same as the Series 7 and offers 18 hours of autonomy. In Apple's eyes, the battery is big enough for the watch to use its own GPS. The same goes for the second-generation Apple Watch SE's 296mAh battery.

With this novelty, Apple Watches become almost completely autonomous from iPhones, despite probably greater battery consumption.

mundophone