This is the thing about these gadgets. One almost always has a "general sense of direction," even on the water (wave set, wind) in fog. When you pull out the compass, you generally need a more precise determination. On one occasion, I needed to differentiate between 40 and 20 degrees, something a bit tricky with a tiny little button thingy....

There are lots ways of orienting,many of which are less susceptible to error than a compass. Just think of all the many ways a compass, any compass, can give an inaccurate reading.