IPHONE 3G GPS

We use the Iphone for a handheld GPS now, can do a lot more then the stand alone old fashioned ones you by from the main stream GPS manufactures.

Because a phone could not possibly surf the internet, show videos, play music, take photos, record video, play games, work as a calculator, etc, etc, etc, etc.........and do GPS as well.........................oh wait.........yes they can.

Glenndini
When I surf the net I use a PC, when I watch video's I use the BIG screen TV/Monitor, I take video's with a HD video camera and the quality is far better than phones, I play MP3 music LOUD on my PC or car radio, when I take photo's I use a $1000 camera,the size and quality is far better, can't be bothered with stupid games, for a calculator I can use the GPS, PC or a calculator, also the GPS plays music, Unit converter, world clock, picture viewer, My phone does not send or recieve text, does not send or recieve video, does not have message bank, cannot call overseas or 1900 numbers, it's all been closed by my request, all I want is a phone,

.

Sooooo what do you watch Youtube on?

olcoolone
On my HD TV / Monitor 590mm X 350mm screen , You Tube full screen .

.

You are without doubt the world arbiter on everything technical and I bow to your unquestioned superiority on such matters.

Glenndini
Thanks but I do make stuff ups at times, like now after having been into the Adelaide River Rodeo tonight then I come home and spell the word Receive wrong in my upper post. It's a wonder you didn't spot it.

.

Mike I think you getting confused a bit, Google maps need internet connection to work, the phone logs on the internet and the GPS inside the phone tells Google where you are.

The phone only acts as a gateway to the internet.

You can run software that enables you to use Ozi Explorer map files on it or if you have internet connection you can download a snapshot of a Google map to use later even if you out side phone range.

The Iphone works the same as any handheld GPS and doesn't need phone coverage.

The old 3G phones with no GPS could use Google maps but it was used by triangulation of your signal to give a rough location.

Sorry Mike miss read your reply!

I've just said what you said...sorry

No worries. My iPhone took about 15 minutes to get a fix out near Mt Dare and then the sat signal kept dropping all the time. Definitely no phone reception as I am with Vodafone which is a total dog out there. Maybe atmospheric conditions but my other gps didn't seem to be having a problem. I was having fun comparing them.
To reanswer the original post.....yes it is a gps but you need maps for it to be useful. In it's basic form it uses the phone data connection to download maps for the area that the gps says you are in, so no phone signal, no maps. This is where most people get confused as there can be 2 connections, the gps to a satellite and the phone to a phone tower. To add to the confusion the phone is 'helping' the gps when it can by triangulating it's position from the phone towers.
In short if you buy maps for the phone then you do not need mobile reception for it to be a handy little gps.
Mike

My understanding of A GPS is that it uses the celullar towers to get a location fix.

Some phones have only that and dont work away from towers.

I have of course been wrong before so.....................................................

Mike we get good satellite reception with our two Iphones, even indoors...If it's under warranty I would get it checked.

Graham the AGPS is a true GPS, it doesn't rely on phone coverage.

The benefits of AGPS are:
Better acquisition time.
Better for low signal areas or indoors.
Less power consumption.

The Iphone is still behind our Qstarz BT-Q818X GPS mouse...the Qstarz is a AGPS reciever to.

http://www.qstarz.com/Products/GPS%20Products/BT-Q818X-F.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS

As here is what I meant

A typical A-GPS-enabled receiver will use a data connection (Internet or other) to contact the assistance server for A-GPS information. Some A-GPS devices cannot fall back to standard GPS, needing cell tower or internet signal as these A-GPS devices won't function with only GPS satellite signal.


List of devices with Assisted GPS:

Apple iPad[1]
Apple iPhone 3G[2]
BlackBerry Bold [3]
BlackBerry Storm 9530 [4]
E-TEN Glofiish X500
E-TEN Glofiish M700
ESCORT Entourage CIS [5]
ESCORT Entourage PS [6]
Hewlett Packard IPAQ 614c
Hewlett Packard IPAQ 914 - Release expected June 8
HTC Advantage X7500 (HTC Athena 100)
HTC Advantage X7501 (HTC Athena)
HTC Advantage X7510[7]
HTC Artemis 100[8] (HTC P3300)
HTC Census (HTC P6000)
HTC Dream (with Google Android software release 1.5)[9]
HTC Hero
HTC Magic
HTC Omni
HTC P3600i
HTC Pharos 100[10] (HTC P3470)
HTC Sedna 100 (HTC P6550)
HTC Sirius 100[11] (HTC P6500)
HTC Titan 100[12] (HTC P4000, Sprint Mogul _Permanent_Painted_Coatings.aspx-6800, Verizon Wireless XV6800)
HTC Touch Cruise[13] (HTC P3650, HTC Polaris 100)
HTC Touch Diamond[14] (HTC Diamond, HTC P3700)
HTC Touch Find (HTC Polaris 200)
HTC Touch HD (HTC Blackstone)
HTC Touch Pro[15] (HTC Raphael 100)
HTC Trinity 100 (HTC P3600)
HTC TyTN II[16] (AT&T Tilt, HTC Kaiser 120, HTC P4550)
Land Rover S1
LG KC910
LG KM900 Arena
Lg Incite
Lg GT505 Pathfinder
Motorola A3100
Motorola A1600
Motorola A1000
Motorola A925
Motorola A835
Neo 1973
Neo FreeRunner
Nexus One
Nikon Coolpix P6000 Compact Digital Camera[17]
Nokia 5230
Nokia 5800 Xpress Music
Nokia 6110 Navigator
Nokia 6210 Navigator
Nokia 6220 Classic
Nokia 6650 fold
Nokia 6700 Classic
Nokia 6710 Navigator
Nokia E52
Nokia E55
Nokia E66 (Nokia Dora)
Nokia E71
Nokia E72
Nokia E75
Nokia E90 Communicator
Nokia N78
Nokia N79
Nokia N82
Nokia N85
Nokia N95
Nokia N95-3 North America
Nokia N95 8GB
Nokia N95 8GB North America
Nokia N96
Nokia N97
Nokia N810 (with Diablo firmware upgrade)
Nokia N900
Novatel X720
Novatel MiFi 2200
Novatel MiFi 23xx series
Palm Pre
Palm Treo 800w
Palm Treo Pro
Sony HDR-XR520V Handycam Camcorder with built-in GPS receiver[18]
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1
Sony Ericsson XPERIA X2[19]
Sony Ericsson Aino[20]
Sony Ericsson W995
Sony Ericsson C702
Sony Ericsson C905
Sony Ericsson G705
Sony Ericsson TM506
Sony Ericsson W715[21]
Sony Ericsson W760
Sony Ericsson W995
Sony Ericsson Z780
Samsung Blackjack II
Samsung Galaxy
Samsung GT-i8510 INNOV8
Samsung i8910
Samsung Monte S5620
Samsung Mythic (SGH-A897)
Samsung Omnia
Samsung Omnia Pro 7320
Samsung SGH-i780
Sonim Technologies XP3.20-E QUEST
Sonim Technologies XP3.20-A QUEST
Sprint Navigation
Toshiba TG01
Tracker G400
VZ Navigator
Zoombak tracking devices[22]
Some Sierra Wireless devices


So it appears the IPAD will be able to be used as a mapping solution

Also here

Definition:
Assisted GPS, also known as A-GPS or AGPS, enhances the performance of standard GPS in devices connected to the cellular network. A-GPS improves the location performance of cell phones (and other connected devices) in two ways:

-By helping obtain a faster "time to first fix" (TTFF). A-GPS acquires and stores information about the location of satellites via the cellular network (see almanac) so the information does not need to be downloaded via satellite.

-By helping position a phone or mobile device when GPS signals are weak or not available. GPS satellite signals may be impeded by tall buildings, and do not penetrate building interiors well. A-GPS uses proximity to cellular towers to calculate position when GPS signals are not available.

The Iphone GPS is the real deal, they use AGPS...the A stands for assisted whereby most GPS's are just GPS.

NO you don't have to be in phone range for it to work and it is for free as long as you use the GPS software and not the internet.

The Iphone can be used as a stand alone GPS receiver.

YES they uses the satellites directly with out requiring the 3G network to be available.

x2

There are some excellent iPhone programs that quite frankly leave dedicated GPS units for dead in terms of features. GPS kit and (my favorite, Motion-X) are very well developed and offer the ability to download free maps, including very detailed topo maps, and keep them on your phone. All you need to do is look at the areas of interest while you're in a wi-fi area (at home) so you won't need to download heaps on the road.
These are not Navigation programs though, and for that you may want to use something like Navigon or Tom-Tom, also available for the iPhone.
It also helps to get around the outrageous charges for map updates for some of the more popular GPS units.

could not disagree more.....
My iPhone does everything my Navman does and it does not cost $180.00 to update a map!!!

We were using a Garmin for our test. Unfortunately I cannot comment on a Navman.

What mapping program were you using? Were you using just the standard Maps app, or a dedicated piece of mapping/navigation software? You'll probably find that the proper software (ie: GPS Kit, TomTom and the like) will perform quite adequately. Certainly that's my experience with them.

I agree, however, that the pre-loaded Map program leaves a lot to be desired.

Charles

________________________
Charles Jenkinson
Perth, Western Australia

Gracie "The Grey Ghost"
1991 Toyota Landcruiser GXL
4.2L Turbo Diesel
358,495km and counting!

Its wierd how everbody seems to have different experiences with the Iphone, I have the 3gs and am impressed with what you can do with it. I have 2 navigation apps Navigon and tom tom, both work extremely well and have it set up so the sound comes through the car sound system, it fades the sound when giving directions and puts it back up when finished, could not be happier. I have another app which gives me internet radio and drive along listening to radio from all over the world, but I do have a fairly large data pack which some of these apps can use a bit of.

I love all this new gear but I must say I was the same as a previous post and only wanted a phone to be a phone, but after seeing an Iphone and what you can do with it buckled and bought one, have not regreted it one bit. I am not interested in the crappy games either but the kids love them.

Can't tell you for sure, as have never tried it, but I don't think so. Apple are somewhat proprietary with the features they allow programmers to use, which makes it hard to write applications that utilise the FULL capabilities of the iphone.

Using bluetooth GPS requires the creation of a virtual COMM port to a computer. I've never seen an iPhone app that does this, with GPS or another device.

Could be wrong though, so anyone who wants to correct me, please do so.

It would be LOVELY to be able to run these mapping apps on an iPad! Would be a much nicer version of the Tablet PC that I use for navigation...

Charles

________________________
Charles Jenkinson
Perth, Western Australia

Gracie "The Grey Ghost"
1991 Toyota Landcruiser GXL
4.2L Turbo Diesel
358,495km and counting!

Charles,
Yep the IPAD would be good. I am in the market for a new Notebook or something else and the IPAD is not that much more expensive.

It is such a good interface but unfortunately does not look like I can use my maps.

My wife also has a MacBook which we take when we travel and I started looking at setting it up for maps but once again it looks difficult due to the lack of Apps I want to run.

Oziexplorer will not run on it but a product called Macgps Pro I think it is called seems similar and will read the raster maps.

But I was keen to see if I could get an IPHONE/IPOD working as it is great to use.

You never know what is around the corner with technology though.

Richard

I have the iPad and all the iphone apps come across via itunes free of charge so no paying twice. You have to buy the 3G version of the ipad to get GPS even though you don't need a sim card in the ipad for the gps to work which proves that it doesn't need the 3G towers for a fix. I do not have a sim card in mine and the gps works fine, actually better than the iphone....must have a better aerial? IPad=great device in my book.
Mike

I had a look at Motion-X - are there Australian maps for this. From the web site it does look like a navigational software - ie door to door.

Interesting what was said about the IPAD - it sure would be a good map display.

Will be interesting to see a review of its GPS capabilities,



Richard

re IPOD Touch.

If you get a TomTom Car kit for IPOD or IPHONE you get GPS capabilities.

It appears the IPHONE 3G has the inbuilt GPS but the Tom Tom enhances this - I think :)

This does not give you the application software - for this you would need Tom Tom or perhaps even COPILOT.

May be even Motion-x will work as well.

http://store.apple.com/au/product/TY168ZM/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY


If OZI would work on this then it would be a much better solution than the PDA I use.

I guess I just have to keep dreaming.


Richard