iPhone GPS

Apple iPhone - iPhone GPS

Hi everyone, I'm new new to the iPhone and smart phones in general, I went to AT&T and ordered an iPhone 3. The first thing I want to learn is about the iPhone GPS. I have a Garmin GPS and the last time I went to Chicago I used my Garmin and it worked fine until I got deep downtown and lost the satellite signal in the maze of buildings and caught hell til I finally got one.I was told by a friend that his iPhone didn't have this problem there because it also works off cell phone towers. I can see how this is possible,the problem is there are several different apps for this, from free on up and I don't know which one is best for this kind of situation, I don't want to pay top dollar when a lesser app will do.

iPhone GPS
The built in maps app is free and works just fine.

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But consumes data like anything.

Unless you are on unlimited data plan, try to be conservative with its usage.

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You can save a lot of data by choosing "Map" instead of "Satellite" for the display. "Satellite" is pretty, and useful in many situations, but takes a _lot_ of downloaded pixels.

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Also, whether using the cell system to download maps continuously or just using the GPS receiver continuously runs your battery down FAST. You will need some sort of a connection to the cars auxiliary power for anything more than a pretty short trip.

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> I went to AT&T and ordered an iPhone 3. The first thing I want to learn is about the iPhone GPS.

Presumably a 3GS

> I have a Garmin GPS and the last time I went to Chicago I used my Garmin and
it worked fine until I got deep downtown and lost the satellite signal in the
maze of buildings and caught hell til I finally got one.

I have had GPS units for about 13 years. 2 different Garmins, and 2 different built-ins.

I haven't had the problem you describe, even on Lower Wacker Drive.

> I was told by a friend that his iPhone didn't have this problem there because it also works off cell phone towers.

For just over 1 year, I have had the TomTom (USA & Canada) App, and this is now my only GPS unit. My Garmin Nuvi lives in my wife's car.

This App is one of the expensive ones, but the reason is that you are purchasing complete maps of all of North America (excluding Central America), along with point of interest. That makes it about 1.5 GB.

> I can see how this is possible,the problem is there are several different apps for this, from free on up and I don't know which one is best for this kind of situation, I don't want to pay top dollar when a lesser app will do.

I also have some good but inexpensive Apps, like MotionX GPS, which download maps over the Wifi or cellular network as needed.

As for location by cell tower, well, it's nowhere near as accurate as a GPS fix.

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That is a good review for Tom Tom. Even if I don't know Lower Waker Drive.

I used to hate flying into Minneapolis, because the car rental garage is on like the second floor of a 5 story parking structure. I would be all the way out the the highway intersection that I need to make a choice at before the GPS would get a satellite fix. That is why you can't rely strictly on GPS. And I couldn't get a fix, circling the airport, because the sky is obstructed.

If I hadn't changed 2 time zones on the flight in, it usually acquires the satellites faster.

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Inrix has a great maps / traffic application. Beat the Traffic is another one, I think written by KHOU Houston but it works in other cities, I've tested it in Los Angeles and Dallas, doesn't skip a beat and even links traffic cameras. Mapquest is also a free program, as is Google Earth. I've got a folder with all of them sometimes one traffic application will pick up a wreck the others don't have yet. Amazing for free apps!

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Here is my experience with Apple's Maps, and is similar with other apps that do not install the maps on the phone.

I was driving up the Pacific Coast and found several areas where I was in a cut through a hill with stone on either side, or in the bottom of a valley. I had no cell signal, but I did have a clear view of the sky, or at least enough to continue GPS reception.

What I saw on the screen was a dot for my location and a pin for the next POI on top of a grey grid for a map. The app lost cell reception and so it could not get the portion of the map I needed. Being that I was on a windy road in the hills, I could not see the next turn on the map that I needed to take.

I was also running my Garmin nuvi 360 along side the iPhone and the map and my location were both shown.

The canyons of any big city may play havoc with cell or GPS reception.

I used to travel for work to "wide spots in the road" and farmer's fields where there was no cell reception, so for me, I prefer an app that loads the maps to the phones, because in those situations, I usually have good GPS reception. Either way it is nice to have a paper map at hand at least for an overview. You can usually pick up a one-page overview map at a convenience store and if you are staying with friends leave it with them or give it to a stranger at the airport.

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i use map quest which is free. around town and it has voice directions. i use att navigator which is $10. mo and great for me, i travel. however if you miss a turn you have to go slow so the gps can catch up especially in the city.

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I have used Tom Tom for many years, first on a Palm Treo and now on iPhone. I like and trust it. I also use MotionXGPS, which is a great gps app. It will allow you to cache maps when you have WIFI and use them when you don't have cell or WIFI coverage.

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I like both apps as well but I find myself using TomTom lately even more because of it's Traffic feature. It is very accurate and warns me ahead of time about a slowdown and proposes an alternate route.

No other mapping/NAV app does this quite as nice as TomTom does.