Finally! Apple Watch Series 8, Ultra, Watch SE 2 are independent of iPhones for GPS

The latest set of Apple Watch from 2022 has got a major update which ensures that they will use their built-in GPS, even when the iPhone is nearby. It is not like the Apple Watch didn't have its own GPS. When the first Apple Watch was released, it used to rely on a nearby Apple Watch for processing. This has been changed with the launch of Watch Series 3 in 2017, which was the first Apple watch to offer cellular connectivity. This enabled calling via the Watch itself without the need for an iPhone nearby. Not just that, the Apple Watch Series 2 in 2016 had already added its own GPS system. However, so far, it used to rely on the iPhone’s GPS when possible.

Things are changing now! Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and Watch SE 2 - all the latest three models of the Apple Watch will now use their own built-in GPS, irrespective of the availability of an iPhone nearby. "Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8, and SE (2nd generation) use the built-in Apple Watch GPS even when your iPhone is nearby. To preserve battery life, older Apple Watch models use the GPS from your iPhone when available,” Apple has confirmed in a blog post.

This working in-built GPS without the need for an iPhone or Apple Watch will make it easier to track your location during workouts, especially in the case of Outdoor Walk or Outdoor Run workouts, which rely laboriously on GPS for measuring distance and mapping. Earlier, all Apple Watch models with GPS were used to get data from the iPhone when it was nearby. This was used to be a technique to make the most of the battery for the Apple Watch. However, it is still true for older generations of Apple Watch models with GPS, as the latest update is only for the newest models.

You should know that the price of the latest Apple Watch Series 8 with GPS is Rs. 31800, while the Watch SE 2 GPS version costs Rs. 19800 in India. On the other hand, the most rugged version, the Watch Ultra is priced at Rs. 63700.