What does a GPS watch actually do?
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Walk into any outdoor shop or browse online and you will quickly discover there are hundreds of GPS watches available. Some cost under £200, while others can cost over £800. But one of the most common questions we still hear at Outdoor GPS Shop is surprisingly simple:
“What does a GPS watch actually do?”
The answer is that a modern GPS watch does far more than simply tell the time or count steps. Today’s GPS watches are designed to help walkers, runners, hikers, cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts track their movement, monitor performance, navigate routes and stay safer outdoors.
How Does a GPS Watch Work?
A GPS watch connects to satellites orbiting the Earth to work out your exact location. Most modern watches use multiple satellite systems including:
- GPS
- GLONASS
- Galileo
Using these satellites, the watch can calculate:
- Your position
- Distance travelled
- Speed
- Pace
- Direction of travel
- Elevation gain
Importantly, a GPS watch does not need mobile phone signal to track your activity. This is why GPS watches are so popular with hikers, trail runners and mountain walkers exploring remote areas.
Tracking Your Activities
One of the main jobs of a GPS watch is activity tracking.
Whether you are:
- Walking
- Running
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Training in the gym
…the watch records your movement throughout the activity.
Most GPS watches can show:
- Live pace
- Distance travelled
- Total moving time
- Average speed
- Calories burned
- Heart rate
For walkers and hikers, many watches also leave a “breadcrumb trail” showing exactly where you have been.
GPS Navigation on Your Wrist
This is where GPS watches have improved massively over the last few years.
Basic GPS watches allow you to follow a GPX route using a breadcrumb line. More advanced models now include full topographical mapping directly on the watch itself.
Many modern watches now offer:
- GPX route navigation
- Turn-by-turn directions
- Back-to-start navigation
- Offline maps
- Summit information
- Route planning integration
For long-distance walkers, trail runners and mountain users, this can be incredibly useful when navigating in poor weather or unfamiliar terrain.
Brands such as Garmin, Suunto and Coros now offer watches capable of surprisingly advanced outdoor navigation.
What Are ABC Sensors?
Higher-end outdoor GPS watches often include what are known as “ABC sensors”:
- Altimeter
- Barometer
- Compass
These help provide more accurate environmental information outdoors.
For example:
- The altimeter measures elevation
- The barometer can help detect changing weather conditions
- The compass helps maintain direction when moving slowly or standing still
These features are particularly useful for hikers, mountaineers and ultra runners spending long periods outdoors.
Fitness & Health Tracking
Modern GPS watches are also powerful fitness tools.
Many now monitor:
- Heart rate
- Sleep quality
- Recovery time
- Stress levels
- VO2 Max
- Training load
For runners and cyclists, this data can help improve training and recovery. For everyday users, it can simply provide motivation to stay active.
GPS Watch vs Smartphone
Many people ask:
“Why buy a GPS watch when my phone already has GPS?”
The biggest advantages are:
- Better battery life
- Waterproofing
- Tougher design
- Easier to use in rain
- Works well with gloves
- Always attached to your wrist
- Better long-term activity tracking
A GPS watch is also far less vulnerable to battery drain during long walks, hikes or ultra events.
GPS Watch vs GPS Tracker
People sometimes confuse GPS watches with GPS trackers, but they are slightly different products.
A GPS watch is designed for:
- Activity tracking
- Navigation
- Fitness monitoring
- Outdoor adventures
A GPS tracker is usually designed mainly for monitoring what you have done, rather than being a true navigational device.
That said, the two categories are beginning to overlap. Many modern GPS watches now include live tracking, emergency alerts and safety sharing features.
Do You Actually Need a GPS Watch?
That depends on what you do outdoors.
For some people, a simple GPS watch that tracks walks and fitness is perfect.
Others may want:
- Superior offline mapping
- Long battery life
- Route navigation
- Advanced training metrics
- Expedition features
One of the biggest mistakes people make is buying far more technology than they actually need.
In our opinion, the best GPS watch is usually the one that matches your activities and is simple enough that you genuinely enjoy using it.
Final Thoughts
A GPS watch is essentially an outdoor companion for your wrist.
It can help you:
- Track where you are
- Record your adventures
- Navigate routes
- Monitor fitness
- Stay safer outdoors
Whether you are training for an ultra marathon, exploring mountain trails or simply trying to walk more each week, a GPS watch can quickly become one of the most useful bits of outdoor kit you own.
Further Reading
2. Do GPS watches work without a phone signal
3. Amoled Vx Mip GPS watch screens
