Question Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Compass

[Mr. Orange 645]

Sorry, I know this is the GW4 forum, but I couldn't find a GW5 forum. If there is one, please point me the way.

Anyone else having issues with the compass? On my GW4 classic, once I calibrate the compass it stays calibrated. Every time I open it, it points the correct direction.


Ok my GW5 Pro, the compass will not stay calibrated. Sometimes when I calibrate, it's way off. Other times it's accurate. But if I move my wrist or turn too quickly it will be off by several degrees. I've tried with True North and Magnetic North.


Software issue, or hardware issue?

 

[Barmenchik]

I don't have any problems with the compass. GW5 Pro UK.

 

[derausgewanderte]

watch this review's section on the compass. Exactly what you describe. I hope there will be updates that will fix this.

 

[gettinwicked]

Yeah, mines all over the place. I originally had a grey watch 5, but didn't like the color, so I sent it back and got the silver. The grey one worked perfectly, this silver one is pretty much never right..

 

[Mr. Orange 645]

Ok so I'm not the only one. Was wondering if I needed to exchange but doesn't sound like that would help. Thanks!

 

[gettinwicked]

Make sure to report it guys. Go to contact us in the gear manager app, then tell them what's going on with it. The more folks do this, the better the chances are that it will get fixed quickly.

 

[Mato285]

Sorry, I know this is the GW4 forum, but I couldn't find a GW5 forum. If there is one, please point me the way.

Anyone else having issues with the compass? On my GW4 classic, once I calibrate the compass it stays calibrated. Every time I open it, it points the correct direction.


Ok my GW5 Pro, the compass will not stay calibrated. Sometimes when I calibrate, it's way off. Other times it's accurate. But if I move my wrist or turn too quickly it will be off by several degrees. I've tried with True North and Magnetic North.


Software issue, or hardware iss

Sorry, I know this is the GW4 forum, but I couldn't find a GW5 forum. If there is one, please point me the way.

Anyone else having issues with the compass? On my GW4 classic, once I calibrate the compass it stays calibrated. Every time I open it, it points the correct direction.


Ok my GW5 Pro, the compass will not stay calibrated. Sometimes when I calibrate, it's way off. Other times it's accurate. But if I move my wrist or turn too quickly it will be off by several degrees. I've tried with True North and Magnetic North.


Software issue, or hardware issue?

I think i know why is that happening.. When i took off that magnetic band off from my gw5 pro that compass issue dissapered. Also when i closed up the app and opened it again, compass was still calibrated. But as soon as i put that band back on it was not accurate again. So i think that magnet is messing up that compass ..

 

[gettinwicked]

I think i know why is that happening.. When i took off that magnetic band off from my gw5 pro that compass issue dissapered. Also when i closed up the app and opened it again, compass was still calibrated. But as soon as i put that band back on it was not accurate again. So i think that magnet is messing up that compass ..

I have the non pro 5 and have this problem.. It's not the band, at least not for me.

 

[Mato285]

I have the non pro 5 and have this problem.. It's not the band, at least not for me.

Im sure for 90% its because of magnet on gw5 pro because it messed up compass on my mobile phone (Samsung galaxy s21 5g) same way as on watches when i put that band close to the phone. I hope im wrong because i like that band so much.

 

[gettinwicked]

Im sure for 90% its because of magnet on gw5 pro because it messed up compass on my mobile phone (Samsung galaxy s21 5g) same way as on watches when i put that band close to the phone. I hope im wrong because i like that band so much.

Well, I don't have that band on mine, so, that is definitely not my issue. Mine at least points in the general direction of North, most of the time. It's just crazy to me that Samsung would push out a watch that's meant for hiking and outdoors stuff with a compass that doesn't work.. It would suck to find out the hard way...

 

[Mato285]

Well, I don't have that band on mine, so, that is definitely not my issue. Mine at least points in the general direction of North, most of the time. It's just crazy to me that Samsung would push out a watch that's meant for hiking and outdoors stuff with a compass that doesn't work.. It would suck to find out the hard way...

Also i just found out that even when band its of, it can still break calibration even from up to 20cm from band! Crazy!! Everything is all right when band is far from watches but as soon as i put it "too close" compass its ****ed up. Anyway it annoys me that i bought device for 460€ and its not working properly. for me its working totally fine without band.. If im right , its shame that big brain Samsung engineers did put out device with that stupid fault. Even more so when they was talking about that band as one of the selling points. If its because of that magnet there should be some compensation for gw5 users something as free diferrent band or something. In your case it should be software or defective piece.

 

[splus]

I've seen this on a few YT videos, but I don't have this issue with my GW5 Pro, even with the original band with a magnet. Every time I opened the compass app it worked perfectly and the direction didn't change with any movement.

Could it be that the problem is a combination of hardware and software? It's possible that different watch batches have slighty different hardware compass and need a different sensitivity calibration?

 

[OnnoJ]

The magnetic flux compass uses magnetic sensors. Metallic and magnetic objects in the vicinity can influence the local magnetic field. Calibration is needed to compensate for disturbances and get a better reading.

That some need to calibrate more than others is perfectly normal, as some may experience more/different magnetic disturbance in his location/situation than others.

It is not Samsungs error, but inherently connected to magnetic flux compasses.

The accuracy of the compass reading will probably never be better than 10-15° anyway. For instance, local earth magnetic anomalies, so called Variation, is not being compensated by the algorithms used by the watch and the magnetic North Pole lies in a different spot than the real geographic North Pole (earth rotation axis) - which is by the way also not steady in one spot as the earth rotation axis actually wobbles a bit.

My suggestion: don't make a fuss over this calibration or accuracy thing and just calibrate before you require a best possible compass reading - whatever your use-case may be.... It is more like a gimmick anyway.

 

[gettinwicked]

The magnetic flux compass uses magnetic sensors. Metallic and magnetic objects in the vicinity can influence the local magnetic field. Calibration is needed to compensate for disturbances and get a better reading.

That some need to calibrate more than others is perfectly normal, as some may experience more/different magnetic disturbance in his location/situation than others.

It is not Samsungs error, but inherently connected to magnetic flux compasses.

The accuracy of the compass reading will probably never be better than 10-15° anyway. For instance, local earth magnetic anomalies, so called Variation, is not being compensated by the algorithms used by the watch and the magnetic North Pole lies in a different spot than the real geographic North Pole (earth rotation axis) - which is by the way also not steady in one spot as the earth rotation axis actually wobbles a bit.

My suggestion: don't make a fuss over this calibration or accuracy thing and just calibrate before you require a best possible compass reading - whatever your use-case may be.... It is more like a gimmick anyway.

Except that this IS a Samsung error. I, as well as others in this thread and on Reddit will calibrate the compass, then even SECONDS later it's off. And I mean, it can be OFF. Mines North has straight up pointed South, as well as most other directions.

Anyway, I wonder if it's hardware related? Because, mine is really bad, as well as some others, meanwhile, plenty of folks are pretty much spot on. My watch 4 was, I even put it up against my first watch 5 (got one color, didn't like it, so got a different one), and the 4 pointed as true as you can get, while the 5 was way off. The second 5 is the same way too. I don't know, might RMA it to see if a different one does better..

 

[AkoreJepade]

I have the 44mm BT model with the D-Buckle strap that has the magnet in it and have had no issues with the compass, so I do not think it is the D-Buckle causing the issue on the Pro model.