Apple confirms important new features for the 2022 Apple Watches. Apple confirms that all three 2022 Apple Watch models use their own GPS systems exclusively.
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When the Apple Watch was first released, it relied on iPhones for processing most of its functions. That changed with the release of the Apple Watch Series 3 in 2017, the first Apple smartwatch to offer cellular connectivity that allowed the device to make calls without an iPhone present. The year before, 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 Watch models released in 2022. Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (2022) and Apple Watch Ultra use only their own GPS system, no longer requiring anything from the possibly connected iPhone.
In the support document titled “Calibrate Your Apple Watch for Improved Exercise and Activity Accuracy,” Apple writes: “The Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8, and SE (2nd generation) use Apple Watch’s built-in GPS even when your iPhone is nearby. To conserve battery life, older Apple Watch models use your iPhone’s GPS when available.” Incidentally, the Apple Watch Ultra uses a dual-frequency GPS system.
In other words, older Apple Watch models rely on the connected iPhone’s GPS system to conserve battery life on the watch. It actually makes sense to allow the Apple Watch Ultra to use its own GPS thanks to the larger battery lasting “up to 36 hours.” The battery of the Apple Watch 8 (308 mAh), however, is the same as the Series 7 and provides 18 hours of autonomy. In Apple’s eyes the battery is large 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.
