Disppointed with the Barometer/Altimeter App - Samsung Gear S3

I am very disappointed with the Samsung Barometer/Altimeter app, The barometer only registers in whole inches of mercury. All watches I had in the past, register in hundredths of inches of mercury. I wonder who else feels the same and would like Samsung to fix this error or maybe a developer could create a replacement app.
Edit: They finally updated the app and it shows the barometric pressure in 100th of a inch of mercury. Big thumbs up

dhonzik said:
I am very disappointed with the Samsung Barometer/Altimeter app, The barometer only registers in whole inches of mercury. All watches I had in the past, register in hundredths of inches of mercury. I wonder who else feels the same and would like Samsung to fix this error or maybe a developer could create a replacement app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Hopefully Samsung does address it. Meanwhile I found a free app called "FBarometer." Just search/install via Gear app. Seems pretty accurate, doesn't register in hundredths but does do tenths so a step up from wholes inches at least.

I have a feeling Samsung rushed to get this watch out (obviously, everythings backordered now it seems).
I have a feeling there will be many updates in the near future. At least I hope so.

If you touch the barometer to display the trend look at the outside ring, the barometric pressure is displayed gauge style with a red dash marking the pressure and the units are to the hundreds place. It's still not great but you can at least tell the difference between 28.5 and 29.

I live 77m above sea level and my watch shows -97m, a bit out me thinks.

Barometer and altimeter are useless. I live between - 90 and plus 154 meters, in Amsterdam which is - 3. Consequently also the floor counter is facked up.

dhonzik said:
I am very disappointed with the Samsung Barometer/Altimeter app, The barometer only registers in whole inches of mercury. All watches I had in the past, register in hundredths of inches of mercury. I wonder who else feels the same and would like Samsung to fix this error or maybe a developer could create a replacement app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use another very good app called Barometer & Altimeter. I use it when go mountain. I talked to author this app before download it. It was tested by a few climbers and created with help mathematicians and physicists. The measurement error is < 1%. It is better than my stock altimeter GPS-based. Very good app, absolutely worth buying.

dhonzik said:
I am very disappointed with the Samsung Barometer/Altimeter app, The barometer only registers in whole inches of mercury. All watches I had in the past, register in hundredths of inches of mercury. I wonder who else feels the same and would like Samsung to fix this error or maybe a developer could create a replacement app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree! Looks like the sensors that Samsung has choosen are totally pieces of crap.
Altimeter: from my sofa 5m... couple of hours later 35m!!!
Barometer and heart rates are also giving vera random figures compare to 'real' hardware.
Samsung just wanted to show more features and be in line with competition but it does not work.
They better should have left very useful features that were present on previous model likre IR Remote that I had on my Gear 2 Neo!
I will never understand Samsung when they decide to replace features in place of add new features. Mainly when they remove very useful and working gears and replace those with unreliable sensors....

You do realise that the altimeter is air pressure based right?
If the air pressure has changed during the two hours you were on the sofa then the altimeter will show a different reading.
That's the whole point of calibrating it before you set of on a climb or whatever you're up to.

@Lakota
Where is the setting screen, been through settings tried hold the screen nothing.

jb.traveller said:
@Lakota
Where is the setting screen, been through settings tried hold the screen nothing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tap on the widget and scroll right.

Thanks Stormglider sorted.

Lakota said:
You do realise that the altimeter is air pressure based right?
If the air pressure has changed during the two hours you were on the sofa then the altimeter will show a different reading.
That's the whole point of calibrating it before you set of on a climb or whatever you're up to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it's barometric. And altitude jumps all over the place even when the pressure is constant. Eg walking up the stairs, 2 stories, results in a climb of -12 to +30 meters, should be - 3 to +4. And my daily run which is totally flat at - 3 shows 116 meter hills. It's true and authentic crap and I'm gonna replace for the Fenix 5 as soon as possible!

blackspp said:
Yes it's barometric. And altitude jumps all over the place even when the pressure is constant. Eg walking up the stairs, 2 stories, results in a climb of -12 to +30 meters, should be - 3 to +4. And my daily run which is totally flat at - 3 shows 116 meter hills. It's true and authentic crap and I'm gonna replace for the Fenix 5 as soon as possible!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats why shealth thinks i climbed 10 flights of stairs while just walking about for nine hours.

To those who think that their Gear S3 sensors are any accurate, just try to disconnect your phone Position/GPS or to use the gear S3 alone. You will then see the truth about those very inaccurate sensors that Samsung has put in the Gear!
They are only 'providing' you with accurate figures when position/gps on your phone is on, in other words, the 'accurate' info you are seeing are provided by internet data, and not by the sensors themselves... Shame on Samsung for that!

i have the same issue. at 155 ft above sea level, but watch states between -150 and +435
it also only counts 1/10th of floors climbed

I don't get accurate floor counts but I know for a fact the gps works well without my phone. At least the golf app I use gives me accurate readings in standalone mode.
Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

Same here. I stood outside under a clear sky around 30m above sea level. Tried calibrating thrice but each time it says -7M.

Skydiving
I have used the S3 Frontier when I skydive along with my Viso II Digital Altimeter and they are within 25-50ft of each other. This is without the phone. It is actually pretty accurate. I do not use the built in app. I use one from the store called Skydiver Altimeter. It works great.

Well no clue about others.. but just got mine and comparing with two others one ming Suunto and its like some others pretty darn accurate. Just going up a few feet.. was spot on. I wonder if like the phone you need to reset it at now and again.

Related

Galaxy S4 Sensor Array: Barometer, Humidity, Temperature...!

The Galaxy S4 has so many amazing sensors! Magnetometer, Proximity, Ambient light, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, Barometer, Thermostat, Humidistat, Infrared!
The barometer is the most exciting to me because I build pressureNET, a global network of Android phones reporting atmospheric pressure and current weather. This project is open source and we're hoping to grow large enough to get meteorlogically significant data, which should allow us to improve thunderstorm forecasting significantly. We're collaborating with atmospheric scientists at University of Washington who are currently receiving a livestream of or data. We're currently receiving about 11,000 measurements per hour. Check out our blog at cumulonimbus.ca.
What other ideas do you have? This is Star Trek right here. What else can we build with this incredible sensor array?
This thread deserve a bump.
Seems like a lot of extra stuff taking clock cycles due to polling. Any way to turn some of that stuff off if you want?
rushless said:
Seems like a lot of extra stuff taking clock cycles due to polling. Any way to turn some of that stuff off if you want?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you find this information? I haven't seen anything like that so far.
I also am interested in how the temperature and humidity sensors will be used. I hope developers can figure out interesting applications.
I downloaded a few barometer apps for my Note a year back but they didn't seem that useful. I will definitely try out the pressureNet app; it sounds quite interesting.
I made a Weather Station app that utilizes these sensors a while ago and is available at Google Play for free:
Weather Station
In regards to the OP, globally collecting information from these new sensors I think has minimal value. First of all the sensors are not stationary, second they reside inside of pant pockets most of time. Atmospheric pressure may have some value but it is not useful unless you adjust for elevation (which my app does).
I for one and curious how the humidity and temperature sensors will function in practice.
How exactly will they compensate for being in my pocket, hand, etc?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
Shammyh said:
I for one and curious how the humidity and temperature sensors will function in practice.
How exactly will they compensate for being in my pocket, hand, etc?
Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simple answer, it won't.
Look at this video and go straight to 13:40 where the reviewer both shows and mentions the inacuracy as a a temperature gauge.
http://youtu.be/diLD42QafIo
Beards said:
Simple answer, it won't.
Look at this video and go straight to 13:40 where the reviewer both shows and mentions the inacuracy as a a temperature gauge.
http://youtu.be/diLD42QafIo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could have been a bad case of early-softwareism.
Toss3 said:
Could have been a bad case of early-softwareism.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Possibly but it's my guess this is a pretty standard if not crude gauge. I doubt it has the capacity to offer variables or degrees (pun intended) in working out temperatures from pockets to real room, let alone being a bog-standard gauge.
Beards said:
Possibly but it's my guess this is a pretty standard if not crude gauge. I doubt it has the capacity to offer variables or degrees (pun intended) in working out temperatures from pockets to real room, let alone being a bog-standard gauge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's more likely that it's reading Celsius and the developer didn't convert it to Fahrenheit. It is that high b/c of her hand (body temperature is about 36-37 Celsius) and if she left it alone on a table it would probably register close to room temperature.
The idea of compensating for a hand or pocket is impossible. Therefore, the quality of the temperature sensor can be based only really on how long it takes to register temperature changes.
jsstp24n5 said:
It's more likely that it's reading Celsius and the developer didn't convert it to Fahrenheit. It is that high b/c of her hand (body temperature is about 36-37 Celsius) and if she left it alone on a table it would probably register close to room temperature.
The idea of compensating for a hand or pocket is impossible. Therefore, the quality of the temperature sensor can be based only really on how long it takes to register temperature changes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree, not even sophisticated temperature gauges have an ability to ascertain heat outside of it's own source. It would require a sensor to be placed directly where it needed to relay the information back to.
If you want to see an app that utilising the baro sensor and gps, check out xcsoar flight software, where altitudes have to be barometric for airspace levels.
Problem in thermo hygrometer Sensor in S4 I9500-Please help
jsstp24n5 said:
I made a Weather Station app that utilizes these sensors a while ago and is available at Google Play for free:
Weather Station
In regards to the OP, globally collecting information from these new sensors I think has minimal value. First of all the sensors are not stationary, second they reside inside of pant pockets most of time. Atmospheric pressure may have some value but it is not useful unless you adjust for elevation (which my app does).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sir I have installed some custom ROM.
After that I lost my Thermo hygrometer sensor on S4
The readings are like this after running HWModuleTest:
ACC RAW COMP
0 34.48 0
Before installing rom the readings were
ACC RAW COMP
3 34.48 16.7888
This means that something happens to thermo sensor.
Please help How can I correct that.
From where I can get back these ACC and COMP values.
Please help me soon.
I'm not the person you quoted, but the simple answer is to go back to stock, if you haven't already done so. Your custom ROM possibly doesn't support the sensors.

Bad Barometer - How to check it

Anybody has issues with the barometric sensor?
Long story short:
1. Dial *#0*# and it will pop up an app to check the phone.
2. Go to Sensor
3. Look up for the Barometer Sensor (right in the middle). It should read the actual atmospheric pressure. It should change a little. If not, you probably have a hardware issue. Even hitting the Barometer Selftest can show a "PASS" message but it´s just wrong.
Long story long:
Yesterday I bought a brand new S6 from the local company and I really use the barometer a lot (incredible but some of us really use them). So when i checked the sensor with my usual apps I found that it wasn´t showing what was expected out of it. I live at 1500 MSL so barometric pressure should be around 850hPa.
Nevertheless, the phone sensor is "STUCK" (does not change at all, not even on the elevator) at sea altitude pressure (around 1012hPa or 7 msl)
I went to the company today for a replacement. Filled up a warranty, they didn´t care to look at the phone, and gave me another one brand new. While waiting on the room for the paperwork I went on to check the S6 and S6 Edge that were on the showroom to see the barometer working... None of the displayed phones worked. Then we opened my brand new unit and I insisted on testing the barometer, same result, stuck at 1011.8hPa or 12.08 msl.
Then the cueless but really beautiful girl that works on the showroom and introduces the customers to the "basic functions", didn´t really have an idea of what is a barometer or why somebody would be interested on it at all. She asked by phone to the tech department about the "issue" and they just said that "the sensor only works if you download an app" (really?). So we went along with the flow and waited for the girl to download an application... then she was really happy when she showed me the result: "Look, it works, it shows some hPa and some altitude..." She just didn´t knew what was the altitude of our city, so 8 msl or so seems like a fine number for her...
Anyway, the sales representative told me that they can give me my money back and just declare that I wasn´t happy with the cellphone and that it just wasn´t what I expected... That really got me... but still I didn´t got crazy at all, just explained her that they can´t sell any more units if they are bad and that I ´m telling them in their face and showing them that they are bad units, so it´s just irresponsible to sell them.
Finally they agree to call the "Samsung special guru representative" and he told them that he would like to show me tomorrow how the sensor works. So i didn´t want to take the phone but they insisted that I should keep it as it´s perfectly good and tomorrow some guy will convince me that we are indee at sea height and that our local mountains are not there... Let´s wait.
Meanwhile, I looked up everywhere for a similar issue but seems that nobody is having this problem or nobody really care about that sensor readouts. There´s only one other guy on the whole forum reporting this issue but he just does not make any noise about it.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=61013470&postcount=2
I want to pinpoint the problem so here are the specs for the unit that I actually have. Maybe it´s kernel related? baseband (don´t think so)? Build?
Anyone with this problem fell free to jump (maybe we are up for a class action lawsuit against a big name)
Device Name Galaxy S6
Model Number SM-G920I
Android 5.0.2
Baseband G920IDVU1AOC6
Kernel 3.10.61-4403670
[email protected] # 1
Sun Mar 8 00:27:41 KST 2015
Compilation LRX22G.G920IDVU1AOC6
danielvelez said:
Anybody has issues with the barometric sensor?
Long story short:
1. Dial *#0*# and it will pop up an app to check the phone.
2. Go to Sensor
3. Look up for the Barometer Sensor (right in the middle). It should read the actual atmospheric pressure. It should change a little. If not, you probably have a hardware issue. Even hitting the Barometer Selftest can show a "PASS" message but it´s just wrong.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Allthough you surely have done it correctly, it is important to realize the atmospheric pressure does fluctuate daily. So while on average it might be 1013mb/HPa on sealevel, it can and does go up and down by a lot.
So it is functioning correctly when it indicates 988 or 1034 while you are on sealevel, it all depends on the actual atmospheric pressure.
(I read your story as "you should always see 1013 when on sealevel", which is not the case. I probably misread it, but wanted to make sure nobody might make the same mistake and conclude the s6 is faulty when it is not)
Just went onto the *#0*# menu and looked at the sensor info, and although I have no idea what the local weather station is currently reporting, the readout is giving me around 997hPa, with the post decimal point numbers flickering around as you'd expect with micro changes in pressure (I'm on the bus). It also estimates I'm about 134M above sea level. All from the main sensor menu. Only when clicking on self test does the readout then freeze. But again, on a self test report, figures are frozen.
I'm guessing the devices at your store are probably a faulty batch, perhaps? Can you go to another store at all?
Ok. In order to "illustrate" the problem, you can download a small video with the issue attached.
The video was shot at 1460 mts or 849.7 hPa measured with a Samsung S4, and really close to gps height and terrain elevation data from google earth.
It's true than the barometer fluctuates, and that height can be off by a couple of hundred meters if we are under a really high or really low pressure system, but usually it fluctuates in the order of 30-50 mts during the day on the same place (because of temperature and some other stuff). So problem is not that I'm not getting a precise exact reading of my current height, but that I'm not getting any readings out of the sensor at all. Sensor is just "frozen" on same pressure as if we were on a controlled pressure chamber.
Feel free to download the video (or maybe upload it to youtube and make it public)
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9026876/S6_Barometer_problem.mp4
danielvelez said:
Ok. In order to "illustrate" the problem, you can download a small video with the issue attached.
The video was shot at 1460 mts or 849.7 hPa measured with a Samsung S4, and really close to gps height and terrain elevation data from google earth.
It's true than the barometer fluctuates, and that height can be off by a couple of hundred meters if we are under a really high or really low pressure system, but usually it fluctuates in the order of 30-50 mts during the day on the same place (because of temperature and some other stuff). So problem is not that I'm not getting a precise exact reading of my current height, but that I'm not getting any readings out of the sensor at all. Sensor is just "frozen" on same pressure as if we were on a controlled pressure chamber.
Feel free to download the video (or maybe upload it to youtube and make it public)
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/9026876/S6_Barometer_problem.mp4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see from the vid that there isn't even a hint of a twitch on the barometer read out at all! That's bad! I just put my phone on a table and left it alone for a while, watching the read out, and it was constantly flickering. Even if it was only ±.05hPa, it never stayed still.
Try going to another branch, and see if they have a different batch of S6 stock?
solitarymonkey said:
I see from the vid that there isn't even a hint of a twitch on the barometer read out at all! That's bad! I just put my phone on a table and left it alone for a while, watching the read out, and it was constantly flickering. Even if it was only ±.05hPa, it never stayed still.
Try going to another branch, and see if they have a different batch of S6 stock?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, you are right.
On the Note 4, the problem was more related with high places (above 4000 ft) as it was detected by an airline pilot that tested a lot of different sceneries. So probably people under 1000 msl won't detect a "stuck barometer".
Also it can be related to the firmware or hardware version (maybe kernel), but not sure.
I just received a call from the local Samsung tech dept, and they are "detecting an issue" on the units. They are going to look up next week (don't work on weekends) and will be calling me with an answer. Meanwhile I'm gonna do some more field research...
So every time I want to check the Barometric Pressure I have to do the following:
1. Dial *#0*# and it will pop up an app to check the phone.
2. Go to Sensor
3. Look up for the Barometer Sensor (right in the middle).
There has to be a better way!
DIXZ06 said:
So every time I want to check the Barometric Pressure I have to do the following:
1. Dial *#0*# and it will pop up an app to check the phone.
2. Go to Sensor
3. Look up for the Barometer Sensor (right in the middle).
There has to be a better way!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That´s the dirty way of getting into the raw data from the sensor without installing any app that can read and display the data on a friendly manner.
There are a lot of apps that you can use for barometric pressure (just look for them on the play store).
I use a special app for free flying that uses the barometric pressure to measure vertical speed, and it makes beeps according to the speed. This kind of app for free flying is called generically a "Variometer". The one I use has a lot of configurable features and it´s called xctrack. There´s another one called xcsoar really good too.
For the general public, there are a lot of free barometric apps that can display the data. Try sensor readout. Another way of testing a lot of the hardware sensors on the phone.
So, fast update... I see that nobody else is having an issue at least on the poll. Nevertheless, I got a call from the Local samsung tech dept and they "CONFIRMED" that there´s an issue with their units. They are shorting out if it´s a hardware or a firmware issue and they told me that they will inform me next week on their findings.
I also made a lot of "noise" with the cellphone company, as a lawyer, and gave them the heads up that they are "selling" bad units and that they "should" stop selling them while they fix the issue to avoid a massive recall. It was a free advice but it was the right thing to do...
S6 barometer not working
I got new S6 at end of April. I am in Utah area. It took me a week or two to decide barometer was not working. Went to ATT store. The S6 and S6 edge phones that they had were not working either. Wrote email to Samsung tech. They claimed to be unaware of any barometer problem. They email replied and gave various instructions to trouble shoot including hard reset. I have now been to five ATT stores and one verizon and not found any S6 or edge with working barometers. All S5 phones indicated working barometers. By now I have checked about 20 S6 type phones and none of the barometers work. Also checked two note 4 phones and barometer also was not working. I have been checking using *#0*# code which a techie guy at first ATT store researched. I Have many phone calls to ATT trying to get action. Have four contacts with Samsung tech support trying to get action. ATT has sent two replacements that also have non working barometers. I have been very firm with these support people that this issue needs to be escalated to higher authorities. It has proven near impossible to get any meaningful action. Currently waiting for supervisor reply from Samsung. I think he will just say send your phone for repair. I am trying to get ATT to send Samsung a phone to repair for me. They so far will not entertain the idea. Both ATT and samsung are nice and saying they want to solve this for me, but so far they really have evaded doing anything meaningful.
richmini said:
I got new S6 at end of April. I am in Utah area. It took me a week or two to decide barometer was not working. Went to ATT store. The S6 and S6 edge phones that they had were not working either. Wrote email to Samsung tech. They claimed to be unaware of any barometer problem. They email replied and gave various instructions to trouble shoot including hard reset. I have now been to five ATT stores and one verizon and not found any S6 or edge with working barometers. All S5 phones indicated working barometers. By now I have checked about 20 S6 type phones and none of the barometers work. Also checked two note 4 phones and barometer also was not working. I have been checking using *#0*# code which a techie guy at first ATT store researched. I Have many phone calls to ATT trying to get action. Have four contacts with Samsung tech support trying to get action. ATT has sent two replacements that also have non working barometers. I have been very firm with these support people that this issue needs to be escalated to higher authorities. It has proven near impossible to get any meaningful action. Currently waiting for supervisor reply from Samsung. I think he will just say send your phone for repair. I am trying to get ATT to send Samsung a phone to repair for me. They so far will not entertain the idea. Both ATT and samsung are nice and saying they want to solve this for me, but so far they really have evaded doing anything meaningful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the answer... It's nice to see that I'm not alone on the world. By the way, the "poll" seems to be unfair, as the vote is for user and not for phone unit... you have tested more than 20? I have tested only 4 but all of them are bad... that means 24 : 4... it makes a different kind of result on the poll.
Anyway, I see that UTAH (Salt Lake) have a similar height to Medellin. And the Note 4 barometer problem was reported to be present only above 4000 feet or so... Maybe we are into something here.
Update!!!
The problem seems to be a "software" issue. Samsung claims that the software that they have put together for the Colombian companies was faulty. They came, installed a new firmware on my faulty device and now the barometric sensor seems working. Tomorrow I will test it for real during a "hanggliding" flight, as a barometer recorder. If it holds up, then it was a software issue.
The comparison on software:
Faulty vs Ok.
Device Name Galaxy S6
Model Number SM-G920I
Android 5.0.2
Baseband G920IDVU1AOC6 (FAULTY) - G920IDVU1AOE3 (OK)
Kernel 3.10.61-4403670 (FAULTY) - 3.10.61-4844656 (OK)
[email protected] # 1 (FAULTY) - [email protected] #1 (OK)
Sun Mar 8 00:27:41 KST 2015 (FAULTY) - Fri May 8 9:449:20 KTS 2015 (OK)
Compilation LRX22G.G920IDVU1AOC6 (FAULTY) - LRX22G.G920IDVU1AOE3 (OK)
Was it solved by the installation of the software ... I tried sensor using *#0*#, Apps, and Gear S3... all three gives different readings ... also tried with GPS. GPS reading gives lowest, then apps, and lastly the sensor using *#0*#
I also use S6 SM-I920 (India)
danielvelez said:
Update!!!
The problem seems to be a "software" issue. Samsung claims that the software that they have put together for the Colombian companies was faulty. They came, installed a new firmware on my faulty device and now the barometric sensor seems working. Tomorrow I will test it for real during a "hanggliding" flight, as a barometer recorder. If it holds up, then it was a software issue.
The comparison on software:
Faulty vs Ok.
Device Name Galaxy S6
Model Number SM-G920I
Android 5.0.2
Baseband G920IDVU1AOC6 (FAULTY) - G920IDVU1AOE3 (OK)
Kernel 3.10.61-4403670 (FAULTY) - 3.10.61-4844656 (OK)
[email protected] # 1 (FAULTY) - [email protected] #1 (OK)
Sun Mar 8 00:27:41 KST 2015 (FAULTY) - Fri May 8 9:449:20 KTS 2015 (OK)
Compilation LRX22G.G920IDVU1AOC6 (FAULTY) - LRX22G.G920IDVU1AOE3 (OK)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
khaaba said:
Was it solved by the installation of the software ... I tried sensor using *#0*#, Apps, and Gear S3... all three gives different readings ... also tried with GPS. GPS reading gives lowest, then apps, and lastly the sensor using *#0*#
I also use S6 SM-I920 (India)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indee... Barometric Issue was solved with new "Baseband" (Flashing a new rom). Now that phone is running latest android, and baro works ok.
You seem to be having gps readings... I'm not sure if it's a translation error but they are two different issues. My issue was only with the barometric sensor that uses a pressure sensor. A GPS uses a radio frecuency receiver.

Altimeter accuracy?

Does anyone know how accurate the altimeter is?
Every time a do a manual calibration, the new value is way off from the old value. Several dozen feet sometimes.
Has anyone tested it for accuracy?
I got the same problem too
And I'm in the same situation as you, I'm searching if anyone tested the accuracy of the altimeter :/
I havent found anything yet man. If you do, please post. Thanks!
When I refresh the altitude at home, I get 130ft. Checking my elevation against a geological survey source, I get 136ft.
When I'm at my vacation home on the coast (of Maine), I get 10ft.
Good enough for me
Reality test
I was skydiving yesterday and tested my Gear S3 Classic along with 2 specialised altimeters: Barigo and Neoxs.
Tried 2 apps: native baro-altimeter and Skydive altimeter metric by Jean-David Hsu.
Manual calibration and altitude set to 0 beforehand.
Below is the link to the video
https://youtu.be/Sofblyrn2FQ
So it is off at times? It is hard to see the reading in the watch in the video
reviad said:
So it is off at times?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the app keeps the screen alive all the time. The hand on the watch face is visible all through the jump. I put some magnifying screen shots in for better perception. Try watch the vid on PC. Must be OK.
Ljusalfheim said:
No, the app keeps the screen alive all the time. The hand on the watch face is visible all through the jump. I put some magnifying screen shots in for better perception. Try watch the vid on PC. Must be OK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, what I meant by "it is off at times" is that it is not always accurate? I could see that the watch was on, but it was hard to tell if was the same reading as the "real" altimeter.
reviad said:
Sorry, what I meant by "it is off at times" is that it is not always accurate? I could see that the watch was on, but it was hard to tell if was the same reading as the "real" altimeter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I should say it IS accurate! In most cases Gear S3 performed better than Neoxs (professional skydiving altimeter). Screen shots show that the difference between Barigo and Gear is minuscule and Neoxs is approximately 100 meters wrong at times.
So, I was pleasantly surprised. The watch rocks and no mistake!
I live 200M from the coast. Setting up the Gear was easy at sea level from then on mine has been as accurate as can be expected for this type of device.
I have owned nearly every smart watch available being a watch nut and can say to date the S3 is my favorite of this type of watch. Very well made and in general a quality advanced piece of micro engineering. One to be proud of.
Ryland
The altimeter on the S3 is a fake, same as barometer. To prove it, just disconnect the watch from your phone and prevent internet access. Data will then be totally inaccurate with huge variation during the day even if staying at exact same spot.
Samsung is just using the GPS data location to get more accurate values, but wht is inside the S3 is dumb
fastmike said:
The altimeter on the S3 is a fake,
Samsung is just using the GPS data location to get more accurate values, but wht is inside the S3 is dumb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry but you are totally and entirely wrong. See my video (link is above). There was no phone and Internet in the sky with me.
I recommend app Altimeter & Barometer. I use it in mountain from year. Accuracy is better than stock devices.
Ljusalfheim said:
Sorry but you are totally and entirely wrong. See my video (link is above). There was no phone and Internet in the sky with me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No link I am assuming you where jumping it could I use this insted of a digital. I am jumping a analog and if this will work I would rather buy this .
kidhines said:
No link I am assuming you where jumping .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The link is below:
https://youtu.be/Sofblyrn2FQ
Ljusalfheim said:
The link is below:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you trust your life with this only ?
kidhines said:
Would you trust your life with this only ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course not. Never trust in one single device (even professional). I use at least 3 simultaneously.

Keeping altitude on display

I want to try the altimeter during a flight, but I can't keep it on display. If the watch return in AOD mode, it comes back on the watchface if turn my wrist, not to the last application as Altimeter. Is there a way to keep it on display ?
An alternative could have been to put the altitude as a complication on a watchface, but no one include it... I can only find the pressure...
A pressurized cabin won't give you an accurate altitude reading. Typical commercial airliner cabins are commonly pressurized to about 6000-8000 ft.
Sent telepathically
RiverCity.45 said:
A pressurized cabin won't give you an accurate altitude reading. Typical commercial airliner cabins are commonly pressurized to about 6000-8000 ft.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh I'm talking about a non-pressurize little Cessna
I don't have mine in front of me, but isn't there an altimeter watch face?
Or you could turn the screen time out to maximum time.
You could make your own watchface and put the altimeter in it...
There is a watch face with altimeter alread...
Its calldled the gear dashboard... and you can stylize from there
smrsxn said:
There is a watch face with altimeter alread...
Its calldled the gear dashboard... and you can stylize from there
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've tried it : the barometer is available inside but not the Altimeter.
I've tried to configure a watch face with the gear Watch Designer but the I haven't found the option...
RiverCity.45 said:
A pressurized cabin won't give you an accurate altitude reading. Typical commercial airliner cabins are commonly pressurized to about 6000-8000 ft.
Sent telepathically
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now I understand why my watch only went up to about 2300m when i tested it on a recent flight. thanks! I thought it was broken!
I had the same problem. I wanted to use the Altimeter for paramotoring. Someone on this forum kindly directed me to a Gear app called "I am alive".
Install the app, open it and switch it on and leave it running in the background. Whatever app you open after will now stay on screen. Works great.
Thank you, I am Alive works perfect

Trick the watch into thinking its being worn?

I got the new Samsung Gear Sport and apparently it doesn't realize I'm wearing it due to the bone in my wrist or the tattoo I have. Is there any app that I can side-load or find in the gear store that will trick it into thinking its being worn?
That's... Odd. There's a chance that your watch is defective, it might be good to see if you can exchange it or have it sent out for warranty if you try it on your other wrist and it still doesn't work. What if you move it a little higher up? Is there any situation you've been able to get it to think it's being worn?
Lastly, what symptoms is your watch experiencing that makes you think it doesn't realize it's worn? I can use my watch when holding it in my hand.
It works on the other wrist just fine, it works just fine further up the arm....it's the tattoo. The only thing that is bothering me is no always on display because it thinks I'm not wearing it. It won't read my blood pressure which I could care less about.
My Zen watch 2 would still show always on display when it wasn't on my wrist... Why don't companies actually quality control test stuff properly anymore? =(
So, I found an article about someone getting theirs to work with a reflective material. Bent washer + $5 chrome skull sticker, and electrical tape = win.
Watch always thinks it is being worn. Doesn't read heart rate but don't need that.

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