Phones with GPS - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

FurnaceFace · 12-02-2009, 12:07 PM

Anyone have a recommendation on a GSM phone with a true GPS? I don't want an....A-GPS or whatever it's called which uses the towers for triangulation. Also not interested in an iPhone.

Barnes · 12-02-2009, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FurnaceFace

Anyone have a recommendation on a GSM phone with a true GPS? I don't want an....A-GPS or whatever it's called which uses the towers for triangulation. Also not interested in an iPhone.

Why would you want this? You want your phone's GPS not to work in the most urban settings?

FurnaceFace · 12-02-2009, 01:08 PM

Perhaps I've misunderstood the technology but I don't want my phone using airtime to find my coordinates. If that's not the case then ignore the non A-GPS comment.

EDIT: This is what I'm referring to:

Quote:

aGPS is not some monolithic, written-in-stone-standard. In fact, Qualcomm, who makes the most popular aGPS chips (called GPSOne) has four different possible configurations for aGPS. How aGPS is actually implemented on the device appears to be up to the device OEM/cellular carriers. These four options are:

Standalone - Your handset has no connection to the network, and uses only the GPS satellite signals it can currently receive to try and establish a location.
MS Based - Your handset is connected to the network, and uses the GPS signals + a location signal from the network.
MS Assisted - Your handset is connected to the network, uses GPS signals + a location signal then relays its 'fix' to the server, which then uses the signal strength from your phone to the network towers to further plot your position. You can still maintain voice communication in this scenario, but not 'Internet/Network service' ie Web Browser, IM, streaming TV etc..
MS Assisted/Hybrid - Same as above, but network functionality remains. Normally only in areas with exceptional coverage.

Standalone mode is important. This means you do not need the carrier network at all to use GPS and usually you can install any GPS mapping software to boot.

If the above is still true (it's from a 2008 article so it's perhaps generations old) then I want a Standalone option. I do not expect my carrier network to be available at all times and I'd like to use the feature say in the US where I don't have coverage.

GoinAllTheWay · 12-02-2009, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FurnaceFace

Perhaps I've misunderstood the technology but I don't want my phone using airtime to find my coordinates. If that's not the case then ignore the non A-GPS comment.

You will still need air time. No phone has a full map of North America installed on it, or even a city for that matter. The GPS will know were you are, the phone needs to suck in the map of the local area around you to show you.

At least that's the way I understand it. That's why a true GPS unit will still be needed for hiking/navigation or bombing around in the sticks, they all have a full, detailed map pre-installed on them.

bluejays · 12-02-2009, 05:08 PM

Hey, I have a HTC Touch Dual with GPS on it. Got it from Telus without contract for $150! Has a GPS chip in it and just had to download the Garmin software for it to work. No data plan necessary (unless you want the other features such as traffic updates). I can't believe I went without GPS all my life. BTW, I disabled data on my phone, so regardless if it tries to connect, it can't and I won't be charged. Just went to the States over the weekend and just downloaded the necessary maps onto the phone and was good to go!

GoinAllTheWay · 12-02-2009, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fleury

Hey, I have a HTC Touch Dual with GPS on it. Got it from Telus without contract for $150! Has a GPS chip in it and just had to download the Garmin software for it to work. No data plan necessary (unless you want the other features such as traffic updates). I can't believe I went without GPS all my life. BTW, I disabled data on my phone, so regardless if it tries to connect, it can't and I won't be charged. Just went to the States over the weekend and just downloaded the necessary maps onto the phone and was good to go!

I figured it would come to this. Really, the only reason why a phone would have to connect for data to d/l map info was really only because until recently, phones didn't have that much memory. Now that you can get phones with up to 32 Gigs, fully installed maps probably aren't that far away. With google GPS coming out, GPS manufacturers are going to have to find new ways to make money.

bluejays · 12-02-2009, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

I figured it would come to this. Really, the only reason why a phone would have to connect for data to d/l map info was really only because until recently, phones didn't have that much memory. Now that you can get phones with up to 32 Gigs, fully installed maps probably aren't that far away. With google GPS coming out, GPS manufacturers are going to have to find new ways to make money.

I didn't say I d/l it authentically.

And I put it on a MicroSD card.

burn_baby_burn · 12-03-2009, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fleury

Hey, I have a HTC Touch Dual with GPS on it. Got it from Telus without contract for $150! Has a GPS chip in it and just had to download the Garmin software for it to work. No data plan necessary (unless you want the other features such as traffic updates). I can't believe I went without GPS all my life. BTW, I disabled data on my phone, so regardless if it tries to connect, it can't and I won't be charged. Just went to the States over the weekend and just downloaded the necessary maps onto the phone and was good to go!

Does it have full navigation? I always thought that Telus blocked third party GPS applications. I subscribe to Telus Navigator which is brutal. The maps are 10 years out of date, which can be real frustrating considering all the changes that have occured in the last 10 years. I feel like getting a Garmin or a TomTom, but I like the portability of GPS on my phone.

Bobblehead · 12-03-2009, 10:05 AM

I just got the Pearl flip. Still figuring it out but the GPS seems kind of wishy-washy. BB maps finds me, but the maps are pretty bad, at least up in my area. I Can't get Google maps to use the GPS, and when it triangulates based on the towers it is always a couple blocks wrong.

GoinAllTheWay · 12-03-2009, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

Does it have full navigation? I always thought that Telus blocked third party GPS applications.

They didn't in my case, I have and HTC P4000 and I have no problems downloading and installing google maps on my phone.

Telus seems to treat the HTC phones a bit different for whatever reason though.

Bobblehead · 12-03-2009, 10:29 AM

Most new HTC phones use Android, which is an open source OS, so the may be part of the difference. Additionally, Google wrote Android so that may be an additional factor.

GoinAllTheWay · 12-03-2009, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Most new HTC phones use Android, which is an open source OS, so the may be part of the difference. Additionally, Google wrote Android so that may be an additional factor.

On new phones, yes, I've had mine for about 2.5 yrs now and it's running Windows Mobile.

onetwo_threefour · 12-03-2009, 01:52 PM

On my Telus Pearl 8130 that I've had for 2 years, I have Google Maps installed and it works fine with GPS.

bluejays · 12-03-2009, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

Does it have full navigation? I always thought that Telus blocked third party GPS applications. I subscribe to Telus Navigator which is brutal. The maps are 10 years out of date, which can be real frustrating considering all the changes that have occured in the last 10 years. I feel like getting a Garmin or a TomTom, but I like the portability of GPS on my phone.

By full navigation I assume you mean voice instructions? If so, yes. Seriously, on torrent sites, there is Garmin and TomTom software all over the place. I can't imagine my phone without it now actually. Just hanging out with friends and deciding where to go to eat and how far it is is great. I haven't used Telus Navigator, but knowing Telus, I feel your pain. Would I recommend GPS on your phone? Hell yeah!

burn_baby_burn · 12-08-2009, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fleury

By full navigation I assume you mean voice instructions? If so, yes. Seriously, on torrent sites, there is Garmin and TomTom software all over the place. I can't imagine my phone without it now actually. Just hanging out with friends and deciding where to go to eat and how far it is is great. I haven't used Telus Navigator, but knowing Telus, I feel your pain. Would I recommend GPS on your phone? Hell yeah!

I'm not as tech savy as some. How do I get this on my BB? Or where can I download it?

bluejays · 12-08-2009, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burn_baby_burn

I'm not as tech savy as some. How do I get this on my BB? Or where can I download it?

I don't have a BB, or can I say exactly on here, but torrents(dot)to should be a good start I'd think?