Mobile sat nav phones

thor

I don't have much knowledge about gps and satnav but I have been told that you can get something similar on certain mobiles. Can anyone give a brief summary about the current situation regarding this. Will I be able to use these type of phones to find my way round towns and rural areas? Do you have to pay extra for the service?

LOST

I have a Nokia N82 with TomTom software on it - it works with a bluetooth GPS receiver. Its fantastic and I rely on it constantly!

Lots to talk about on this topic - but best thing would be to start with what phone you have and go from there?

dominiquereynolds

I use tomtom Navigator 6 on a Nokia n73 with a Blue tooth GPS receiver. Before the n73 I used tomtom mobile 5 on Orange SPV c600

I then pay the yearly subscription fee for tomtom traffic and have unlimited data package on the phone contract.

Browntoa

google maps mobile is free , but only accurate to the nearest mast

works on Java phones , Windows Media, Symbian

http://www.google.co.uk/mobile/gmm/stp-js.html

Google Maps on your phone


if you feel like typing, enter www.google.co.uk/gmm in your phone's web browser.

Discover more great products designed especially for your mobile.


Google will not store your phone number and will only use it to send you this SMS. The service is free from Google, operator charges may apply for receiving a text message.

piggeh

I have a HTC Trinity (also known as an Orange SPV m700 I think, and also referred to as something else). It has a built in GPS receiver and runs windows mobile, so I just loaded TomTom onto it and works very well. It takes a while to get a signal but otherwise works the same as a tomtom (ie touchscreen interface etc).

Picked the phone up 2nd hand on ebay for £80. However the HTC Touch Diamond (if you;re due an upgrade) also has built in GPS or just look for any phone with windows mobile, built in GPS and a memory card slot. I think the iPhone might have sat nav but not sure on costs. Normally you just pay for the software otherwise.

thor

After reading all the replies it seems Browntoa's suggestion is the one that is closest to being free depending on my current network O2 not charging for receieving texts. Of course GPS is far more accurate than relying on phone masts but I don't think my G600 can work with gps anyway.
I am still considering purchasing a gps phone. Is there anyone who can say for sure they do not have to pay any extra tomtom or satnav usage charges apart from buying the phone in the first place?

Browntoa

you can download to your pc and install that way

manutd99

thor wrote: »

After reading all the replies it seems Browntoa's suggestion is the one that is closest to being free depending on my current network O2 not charging for receieving texts. Of course GPS is far more accurate than relying on phone masts but I don't think my G600 can work with gps anyway.
I am still considering purchasing a gps phone. Is there anyone who can say for sure they do not have to pay any extra tomtom or satnav usage charges apart from buying the phone in the first place?

once you have tomtom on your phone there are no extra usage charges. I have an N73 and TomTom 6 installed on the phone and I pay nothing for using. Any questions PM me and i can point in the right direction.

Buzby

You need to watch out whether the phone offers GPS or A-GPS (Assisted). Most GPS phones also provide A-GPS, and whilst the opposite isn't the case, the trouble is A-GPS can speed up a fix, that you having to wait up to 2 minutes for the GPS chip to find it for itself.

The problem here is that it results in data transfer charges - especially if you use Google Maps, as even after Google takes fixes from your GPS and not the network, it STILL needs the data link to transfer the maps or satellite images you need to view.

Finally, just because a phone has GPS, doesn't mean it has mapping provided - the GPS simply provides Lat/Lon co-ordinates, if you want maps you'll need to buy them or download them. Co-Pilot/Tom Tom are options you can purchase.

Do remember, using a GPS adds to the power drain on your battery, so son;t expect to get hours of fixes and full use of a mobile... it'll have run flat by then!

stugib

Browntoa wrote: »

google maps mobile is free , but only accurate to the nearest mast

Just to add, if you do have a GPS phone (I have Nokia N95 8GB) then Google Maps can use it and give you directions with GPS positioning.

The thing you'll be missing if you want a true SatNav replacement is spoken directions but it does me fine if I'm either walking or a passenge.

Nokia Maps can do spoken directions but it's an add-on pay-for service, not sure how much.

thor

stugib wrote: »

Just to add, if you do have a GPS phone (I have Nokia N95 8GB) then Google Maps can use it and give you directions with GPS positioning.

The thing you'll be missing if you want a true SatNav replacement is spoken directions but it does me fine if I'm either walking or a passenge.

This is the most likely solution for me then. GPS phone + google maps. Totally free and the lack of voice is no problem at all.
Thanks to all who replied, this has all been very informative for me.

EDIT:
As a test I have just tried to install google map's gmm.jad on my samsung g600 and it does not work. I get an error message "downloaded jar are invalid". I guess my current phone is invalid and I will need a new one anyway.