Connected GPS vs Mobile Run - Difference?

[IsmeneP]

Folks, I have recently started using mobile run with my FitBit Charge HR.

What exactly is the difference between Mobile Run and Connected GPS?

Is it that with Mobile Run I 'initiate' the exercise mode from the mobile phone, and it tracks the Fitbit device and uses the data from both devices?

While Connected GPS I 'initiate' the exercise from the FitBit Blaze and it tracks the mobile phone and uses the data from both devices?

thank you in advance.

Moderator Edit: Title for Clarity

[MikeF · Accepted solution]

As I understand things from the published publicity materials and announcements/forum discussions:

MobileRun

Initiated from phone

GPS receiver in phone

Position tracked from phone (phone app running)

GPS plot synced to Fitbit server from phone

Will work with no tracker present

Connected GPS (Changes highlighted)

Initiated from Blaze

GPS receiver in phone

GPS data transferred to Blaze

Position tracked from Blaze (phone app not running)

GPS plot synced to Fitbit server from Blaze

Will not work with no tracker present

In both cases, steps and calories are tracked and calculated by the tracker if one is in use. (This is a relatively recent change by Fitbit. Previously, those figures were estimated by the phone and the tracker data superceded when MobileRun was in use.)

and for completeness...

Surge GPS

Initiated from Surge

GPS receiver in Surge

Position tracked from Surge (no phone app running)

GPS plot synced to Fitbit server from Surge

Will not work with no tracker present

[bbarrera]

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@MikeF wrote:

Connected GPS (Changes highlighted)

Initiated from Blaze

GPS receiver in phone

GPS data transferred to Blaze

Position tracked from Blaze (phone app not running)

GPS plot synced to Fitbit server from Blaze

Will not work with no tracker present

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@MikeF thanks, nice summary although I spotted one error - "Position tracked from Blaze (phone app not running)" is not correct as the Fitbit phone app is still running on phone, asking the OS for GPS data, and then sending to Blaze via OS/Bluetooth. If your point was with respect to where activity data is stored before syncing with Fitbit servers, doesn't seem to add anything to discussion as the phone app is running in the background in both MobileRun and Connected GPS cases (with Surge you can sync with computer and never install phone app).

The key points you appear to be making:

- (user interface) tracking started from? device or phone

- (power consumption) GPS receiver location? device or phone

- (tracker) is tracker required? yes or no

Also wanted to mention that for MobileRun case the tracker is optional. In fact if your phone is Fitbit tracker then I believe MobileRun gives you everything except Active Minutes. I've been using my iPhone 5s as my tracker since the Force recall, and it works great as I almost always have phone in pocket. As added bonus, no problems with step count accuracy while pushing shopping carts 🙂

[MikeF]

It's not an error, I just have a different opinion on how it works. I've no idea if I'm right, but then neither do you. We'll have to wait and see. 🙂

[bbarrera]

@MikeF I've written iOS apps, its not an opinion.

On the iPhone an app requests location updates from iOS using the Core Location framework, then iOS periodically delivers location updates to your app (running either foreground or background). The app is responsible for doing something with the location updates, either displaying/processing, or forwarding the location data to a wearable or external device. You cannot "tell iOS" to deliver location updates directly to a wearable, your app is responsible for doing that.

[Rich_Laue]

Im not sure aboit ios but on android there are several fitbit programs running, my understandong is that only the background app needs to be running for connected gps to work

[bbarrera]

I've been using "connected GPS" with Apple Watch for awhile now. Here's how it works... From the Watch I launch an app, say Strava or Cyclemeter, the Watch sends a message to iPhone, and iOS starts the Strava or Cyclemeter app on my phone (in the background). The phone app requests GPS data, gets it from iOS, and data is sent to the app on Watch. The "good" Watch apps do all the real work on iPhone side, and only update the Watch display. That is a) faster because phone CPU is much faster than Watch CPU, and b) saves Watch battery life by minimizing the amount of data sent over Bluetooth. Displays and radios consume majority of power in most mobile/wearable devices.

[MikeF]

Theres so much I could write here but I don't think it's worth it on a public facing forum.

Suffice it to say, I'm happy with the level of detail I've gone into in my descriptions. Thanks.

[bbarrera]

@MikeF

Sorry, no disrespect intended. You make valuable contributions to the community and just wanted to clarify that the Fitbit app needs to be running on the phone (in background) for Connected GPS to work. Its how iOS works, and I'm fairly certain how its handled in Android. Don't know about Windows phone.

Confirmed here by moderator ErickFitbit:

"The cool thing about Connected GPS is that it is all initiated from the Blaze and you won't even notice that it is running on the phone as there is nothing displayed on the screen."

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/Connected-GPS/m-p/1127438#M586

(to be precise, on iOS 9.x if you open phone display a thin blue bar will appear at top with a message like "Fitbit is Using Your Location" - except for that banner, you wouldn't realize the app is running in the background unless you are a developer and monitoring running phone processes using Instruments tool)

[matt9013]

So with connected GPS will i need to turn my phones GPS on or will the blaze/app do it for me?

[bbarrera]

The Blaze will do it for you, assuming you've completed basic setup once -- with an iPhone the way it works in general is that you'll need to visit Settings > Privacy > Location Services and configure Fitbit to Always or While Using. You just need to do that once. Now that you've told iOS that its ok for Fitbit to use location (GPS), then on Blaze you'll start a walk/run, and behind the scenes that triggers a bunch of events that are hidden from you -- Blaze sends a message to iPhone, your phone launches Fitbit app in the background, and then Blaze is tracking your walk/run with GPS info (again I'm stating in generalities true for iOS, Apple Watch and bluetooth connected devices).

So from your point-of-view, you just start a GPS activity on the Blaze and you are good to go. Nice and easy as long as you are carrying phone and Fitbit supports that phone.

[EmersonFitbit]

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@bbarrera wrote:

The Blaze will do it for you, assuming you've completed basic setup once -- with an iPhone the way it works in general is that you'll need to visit Settings > Privacy > Location Services and configure Fitbit to Always or While Using. You just need to do that once. Now that you've told iOS that its ok for Fitbit to use location (GPS), then on Blaze you'll start a walk/run, and behind the scenes that triggers a bunch of events that are hidden from you -- Blaze sends a message to iPhone, your phone launches Fitbit app in the background, and then Blaze is tracking your walk/run with GPS info (again I'm stating in generalities true for iOS, Apple Watch and bluetooth connected devices).

So from your point-of-view, you just start a GPS activity on the Blaze and you are good to go. Nice and easy as long as you are carrying phone and Fitbit supports that phone.

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This sounds like the experience that I have every time I run a GPS-connected exercise. When you initiate a walk, run, or bike- for example- your phone will immediately look for a GPS signal on your phone. You'll see a progress bar next to a phone icon on the Blaze's display, but you do have the option to bypass the GPS lock (like on the Surge) and begin the activity quickly.

[SunsetRunner]

@EmersonFitbit

Is the Fitbit app running on the phone for Connected GPS, yes or no?

[bbarrera]

@EmersonFitbit thanks for confirming the user experience!

[EmersonFitbit]

That's a good question, @SunsetRunner! I'll check into that and get right back to you as soon as I have the info. 

[EmersonFitbit]

@SunsetRunner For what it's worth, in my experiences with the Blaze, I haven't had to use the Fitbit app while running a connected GPS exercise. I'll try to get more concrete wording.

[bbarrera]

@EmersonFitbit my understanding is that @ErickFitbit checked into the question "is Fitbit app running to support Connected GPS" and the answer was yes as reported here:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Blaze/Connected-GPS/m-p/1127438#M586

[EmersonFitbit]

Let me circle back first thing tomorrow! @bbarrera @SunsetRunner If I'm wrong, I vow to give @ErickFitbit some sort of elaborate high five (he sits across from me).

[Rich_Laue]

This answer could be dependent on the type of phone that is being used

[bbarrera]

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@EmersonFitbit wrote:

@SunsetRunner For what it's worth, in my experiences with the Blaze, I haven't had to use the Fitbit app while running a connected GPS exercise. I'll try to get more concrete wording.

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@EmersonFitbit Same experience with Apple Watch and "connected GPS" watch apps that use the iPhone's GPS.

Thanks for digging a little deeper on this one.

I do a little iPhone and Apple Watch programming on the side. I can tell you from reviewing Apple's watchOS 1 API docs, and observing running processes on iPhone, that launching an Apple Watch app that uses phone's GPS will definitely start the phone app in the background. Start Strava or Cyclemeter on Apple Watch, and iOS launches Strava or Cyclemeter in background on iPhone. Like you said above, no reason to interact with app on the phone, and you wouldn't even know its running unless you open iPhone and pay close attention to the blue pulsing banner near top of screen as shown in this screenshot I took yesterday:

Thats how it works with Watch apps coded to use watchOS 1.

To be clear, I haven't investigated watchOS 2 apps. There were some significant changes (e.g. native apps) so perhaps its possible now for watchOS 2 apps to have direct interaction with some iOS frameworks, and thereby avoid starting background app on the iPhone. Lets assume watchOS 2 apps ask and directly receive GPS from iOS on the phone. From the phone's point-of-view, its now doing *more* work than an iPhone app. Why? Because it now has to deliver the GPS info over Bluetooth, instead of via memory on the phone. Also, iOS would be sending a lot of raw GPS data over Bluetooth and that might not be best for power consumption of both devices. The division of labor between iPhone and Blaze would need to be investigated to minimize power draw of Blaze. For example it might reduce Blaze power consumption to process GPS info on iPhone (leveraging MobileRun code in Fitbit's phone app), and then only send display updates to Blaze. In addition, that moves the walk/run/ride closer to Fitbit servers, after all, in the Fitbit world "the truth" is on Fitbit's servers and not on the tracker.

Ultimately the answer depends on how Fitbit developers implemented the software architecture, within the constraints of iOS. I'm very interested to learn what they did and look forward to playing with the Blaze when it arrives.

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@Rich_Laue wrote:

This answer could be dependent on the type of phone that is being used

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Agree!