# Cell-phone time: which way makes more sense?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-time-which-way-makes-more-sense/1022342>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 20, 2025, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-time-which-way-makes-more-sense/1022342 "2025-08-20T21:58:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2025, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-time-which-way-makes-more-sense/1022342/41 "2025-08-23T21:28:31Z")

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> [@Timz](#):
>
> So if you’re determining true north, and you want to do it in the daytime, guess you’re stuck with shortwave WWV.

Oh no!

Anyway…

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-time-which-way-makes-more-sense/1022342/42 "2025-08-23T21:33:22Z")

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> [@Timz](#):
>
> Meaning, being off by a half-second won’t bother anyone?

No, meaning that it’s off by much less than a half-second. If you’re comparing [time.gov](http://time.gov) to some other clock, and they differ by a half-second, it’s probably the other clock that’s off.

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2025, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-time-which-way-makes-more-sense/1022342/43 "2025-08-23T21:39:26Z")

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If you want the most accurate time, get it from GPS.

But, really - unless you are doing astronomical observations, anything better than 1 second is probably pointless.

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**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2025, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-time-which-way-makes-more-sense/1022342/44 "2025-08-23T21:41:08Z")

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> [@beowulff](#):
>
> But, really - unless you are doing astronomical observations, anything better than 1 second is probably pointless.

And if you’re doing astronomical observations and the most precise timekeeping device you have available is your cellphone, then you probably should be working on grant proposals instead.

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**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\
**Post date:** [August 23, 2025, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-time-which-way-makes-more-sense/1022342/45 "2025-08-23T21:42:27Z")

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> [@Chronos](#):
>
> No, meaning that it’s off by much less than a half-second.

Not much less. I compared my desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone, and they were all clearly off from each other. Not quite half a second, but probably a third. The tablet was closest at maybe 1/10, but it was still easy to see them ticking over independently.

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