I prefer to leave my phone at home when hiking or exercising. A phone is a significant investment and honestly isn’t built for extreme outdoor use (think of the rain!). Aside from distractions and short battery life, the size and weight of a cell phone are inconvenient while hiking through the wilderness or jogging around the neighborhood.
Having outdoor watches on your wrist provides you with better analytics for improving your exercise. It is two times more accurate at tracking distance and speed than a phone application. By tracking your heart rate, cadence, vertical oscillation, and V02 Max, outdoor watches can determine how long each foot is spending on the ground between strides.