Most modern smart phones are now equipped with what they call a "digital compass" or a "magnetometer". A neat feature, actually, and was (and is still) one of my major criteria in choosing a phone. Phones with this neat thing basically have three coils (very small ones) or something similar that are oriented perpendicular with each other such that each one of them is at right angles with the other two, giving them a three-axes Euclidian space orientation... imagine three donuts, one placed flat on a table and the other two standing on the edge of the first donut.
While the conceptual construction may be straightforward, the performance isn't as straightforward. Many users, especially in Windows Phones, have reported (and complained) being asked to re-calibrate the compass frequently, at times almost every time a compass-using app (such as Here+ Maps) is launched... at least frequent enough to start trigger a complaint. Often times the cause of the problem is having a case with a magnetic lock where the obvious solution is not to use such a case. Yet the issue of calibration isn't really limited to those with a magnetic case - just changing locations can prompt another calibration session.
If the three-donut construction of the magnetometer is so straightforward, why are we users being asked to recalibrate more often than what we feel is needed? Isn't this piece of nano-composite technology high-tech enough to be always accurate? Let's find out.
Where I live, there are at least five devices that have a magnetometer: my L1020, an iPhone5, an iPhone5s, an iTouch, an iPhone4s and an HTC One - only the L1020 is mine. The digital compass of each device were compared against two "real" compasses (a simple under-$1.00 compass and a professional navigator's compass). Calibration was performed as needed or as requested by the device. The phone was aligned with the compass needles, and the variation in the heading (which should be 360 or 0) is noted.
So, first off, the L1020. Upon launching the native Maps app and tapping on the teardrop shaped icon on the upper right corner of the screen, I was prompted to calibrate the compass (as usual). But instead of performing the recommended figure 8 motion (which would make me look like I'm playing some child's airplane game), simply slowly rotating the phone about all three-axes calibrated the compass. The result was a consistent +7-degree deviation from magnetic North at home and in the office. However, once the phone is calibrated while inside a car, the deviation is sometimes reduced to just 1 degree (barely noticeable) - but results in moving vehicles aren't reliable since the range of the deviation is from 1 degree to as much as 20 degrees.
Second, the iPhone 5. No calibration required. Compass deviation: +4 degrees.
Third, the iPhone 5s. No calibration required. Compass deviation: -3 degrees.
Lastly, the HTC One. No calibration required. Compass deviation: +11 degrees.
Wasn't able to test the iPhone4s at this point in time.
Interestingly, the iPhones had less deviation compared to the L1020. The HTC One had the largest deviation, but for practical purposes such a deviation would barely affect the performance of a compass-using app. Does this suggest higher manufacturing standards being implemented in iPhones? I don't think so. I tested another iPhone 5s a few months ago and it gave a different deviation value (+10 degrees if I remember correctly); even two phones of the same model do not produce the same reading deviations.
So, that's for the devices around me. How about your digital compass? Ring in below with your findings.
While the conceptual construction may be straightforward, the performance isn't as straightforward. Many users, especially in Windows Phones, have reported (and complained) being asked to re-calibrate the compass frequently, at times almost every time a compass-using app (such as Here+ Maps) is launched... at least frequent enough to start trigger a complaint. Often times the cause of the problem is having a case with a magnetic lock where the obvious solution is not to use such a case. Yet the issue of calibration isn't really limited to those with a magnetic case - just changing locations can prompt another calibration session.
If the three-donut construction of the magnetometer is so straightforward, why are we users being asked to recalibrate more often than what we feel is needed? Isn't this piece of nano-composite technology high-tech enough to be always accurate? Let's find out.
Where I live, there are at least five devices that have a magnetometer: my L1020, an iPhone5, an iPhone5s, an iTouch, an iPhone4s and an HTC One - only the L1020 is mine. The digital compass of each device were compared against two "real" compasses (a simple under-$1.00 compass and a professional navigator's compass). Calibration was performed as needed or as requested by the device. The phone was aligned with the compass needles, and the variation in the heading (which should be 360 or 0) is noted.
So, first off, the L1020. Upon launching the native Maps app and tapping on the teardrop shaped icon on the upper right corner of the screen, I was prompted to calibrate the compass (as usual). But instead of performing the recommended figure 8 motion (which would make me look like I'm playing some child's airplane game), simply slowly rotating the phone about all three-axes calibrated the compass. The result was a consistent +7-degree deviation from magnetic North at home and in the office. However, once the phone is calibrated while inside a car, the deviation is sometimes reduced to just 1 degree (barely noticeable) - but results in moving vehicles aren't reliable since the range of the deviation is from 1 degree to as much as 20 degrees.
Second, the iPhone 5. No calibration required. Compass deviation: +4 degrees.
Third, the iPhone 5s. No calibration required. Compass deviation: -3 degrees.
Lastly, the HTC One. No calibration required. Compass deviation: +11 degrees.
Wasn't able to test the iPhone4s at this point in time.
Interestingly, the iPhones had less deviation compared to the L1020. The HTC One had the largest deviation, but for practical purposes such a deviation would barely affect the performance of a compass-using app. Does this suggest higher manufacturing standards being implemented in iPhones? I don't think so. I tested another iPhone 5s a few months ago and it gave a different deviation value (+10 degrees if I remember correctly); even two phones of the same model do not produce the same reading deviations.
So, that's for the devices around me. How about your digital compass? Ring in below with your findings.
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