Cellphone instead of dedicated GPS?

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Lope

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From what I've heard, cellphones with GPS software don't necessarily speak the directions to you the way dedicated vehicle GPS devices do.

Does anyone here use a cellphone for GPS navigation while they drive? Hows your experience of it?
How much bandwidth does it use?

Regular GPS navigation is great because of the bright screen, which stays on constantly, the screen is bigger, the voice that tells you where to turn etc, and also some models even speak the road names, so you learn the names of roads in the area "turn left into bosmansdam road" etc

The downside of vehicle GPS systems is they don't run software like trapster.
So at the moment it seems to get the best of both worlds you need a dedicated GPS AND a cellphone running trapster...

Any ideas when vehicle GPS systems will have GSM capabilities and can run trapster?
It seems for the two to join together, one of two things are needed:
* A manufacturer builds a GPS Navigation system with an open platform (like android) so trapster can be added.
* A really good GPS cellphone app becomes available with all the voice prompts and text to speech capabilities. (seems more likely)
 
Dude, where have you been? I haven't needed a dedicated GPS since my Nokia N95 almost, what, 4 years ago... There are several options for pretty much all mainstream smartphone OSs that'll give you all the features of a stand-alone GPS...
 
Lope said:
From what I've heard, cellphones with GPS software don't necessarily speak the directions to you the way dedicated vehicle GPS devices do.

Does anyone here use a cellphone for GPS navigation while they drive? Hows your experience of it?
How much bandwidth does it use?

Regular GPS navigation is great because of the bright screen, which stays on constantly, the screen is bigger, the voice that tells you where to turn etc, and also some models even speak the road names, so you learn the names of roads in the area "turn left into bosmansdam road" etc

The downside of vehicle GPS systems is they don't run software like trapster.
So at the moment it seems to get the best of both worlds you need a dedicated GPS AND a cellphone running trapster...

Any ideas when vehicle GPS systems will have GSM capabilities and can run trapster?
It seems for the two to join together, one of two things are needed:
* A manufacturer builds a GPS Navigation system with an open platform (like android) so trapster can be added.
* A really good GPS cellphone app becomes available with all the voice prompts and text to speech capabilities. (seems more likely)
Click to expand...

I use my 5800 + Garmin Mobile XT. Only paid for one, guess which :p

The latest firmware update has (I'm running EU firmware, so I do get the latest) vastly improved GPS acquisition time (less than 30 sec) and the accuracy of the receiver is pretty much the same as your stand-alone units (I'm guessing they even use the same IC).

There is no data charge since Garmin Mobile stores the maps locally in the phone so no need to get the maps from the internet as you drive (unlike Google Maps and Ovi Maps).

You can have voice-guided navigation too but I didn't install that since I know how to read a map (and didn't feel like downloading 100 MB more) :p
 
+1. Been using cellphone as a gps for about 3.5 years now.
 
Nokia E72 and OVI maps... fantastic turn by turn voice nav. Loads of phones do this now.
 
Nokia Maps. You don't need anything else. Bought a Bluetooth GPS module for my E51 a few months ago, and it works perfectly. Accuracy is pretty impressive.
 
Haha, I need a smartphone. My phone is 6 years old, all I've used it for is calls and SMSes lol.
This info is not very good for Garmin's business.
Thanks. I'll check out what map stuff is available for iPhone.
 
When a phone is advertised as having GPS, it just means it has a GPS chip inside, not that it includes navigation software.
Nokia provide Ovi Maps with turn-by-turn navigation with most of their phones as standard now. But most manufacturers don't.
 
I use a 5800 with Garmin Mobile XT as well. Works perfect. I got lost in a forest the other day (Don't ask) and my trusty 5800 was able to acquire GPS under the canopy and lead me out of the forest before the spiders got me :D I'm upgrading now and will be using my 5800 as my dedicated GPS from now on.
 
HTC Desire + Garmin map mobile for android. Pretty impressive. Uses build in GPS and is quite accurate and has voice directions. The only problem with a phone is the battery gets finished fast so car charger is a must. Ohh and a phone will ring when some call use while car gps won't.

So you could miss your turn off if some one bugs you. Other than that phone GPS is quite advanced since the old days.
 
Ive never and probably will never buy a stand alone gps unit unless one like to do trails and stuff.
Ive been using iPhone 4 with software Navigon. One of the best combination out there
 
does anyone here use GPS on their Blackberry?

I know Nokia have free maps but I guess I will have to pay for mine.... Just have NO IDEA which maps to use.

I see garmap is on Blackberry App world for R500.00 :wtf:

:confused:
 
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