Steps don’t match gps distance

[tpearce1110]

Versa 2, iOS phone. Stride length 30 inches. GPS distance of 4.95 miles only results in 8363 steps vs the 10454 it should be. This discrepancy occurs every time. I’m hiking and using walking sticks so arm swings every other step, but when hike completed, distance divided by stride length should yield steps. Frustrating. 

[MrMarv]

@tpearce1110 -

<<edited formula in second paragraph>>

That's not quite how it works. Steps are counted as they are recognized by the device, not calculated after the fact. And you have shown you understand why the are not counted "correctly" due the use of walking sticks. The same thing happens on treadmills if you hold both of the handles and do not let the arm the device is on swing free.

If you would like to test it, do not start an exercise on your Versa 2 - let the exercise be auto-recognized as a walk if you have it set up to do so. Then the distance will be calculated as steps (8,363) times stride length (30") which will give you 3.95 miles ... 8363 * 30 / 12  /  5280.

But then you would be out approximately one mile for the day - but at least you would be able to confirm my first sentence if you doubted it.

I personally don't worry about this type of thing when I understand the reasons for it and cannot change how I exercise or how some things work. For instance, I know for a fact that when using the Versa 2's Treadmill exercise app, the heart rate values cannot be trusted as well as when just letting the session be recognized as a "walk". The heart rate algorithm apparently changes when in exercise mode and "messes up". But then the same thing has been reported on the Apple Series 5, a device that rates the best for normal heart rate sensing but sucks just as bad as the others when in exercise mode.

Good luck and welcome to the boards - you will find that the answers you get are not always the opposite of what you hope for.

[tpearce1110]

Thanks. That’s kind of what I expected was the case. Appreciate your
answer.