So far, here we have a Motorola Defy and a Samsung Galaxy (not long ago this G word to this UK user was either a chocolate bar or something in outer space).
But, reading webpages tells me that there are loads of these gadgets on sale with lots of model names from a range of manufacturers - are there any others in use by HUBBers that can be recommended for travelling?


Matt,
+1, It is a most useful thread!

I am not sure how much accuracy is necessary; I used to be involved in surveying, yep, using GPS (to some extent when it was just becoming available), and that goes well beyond the requirements of navigation. As I understand things, the extra pings of the system will refine the precision achieved - not the same thing as accuracy.
Without precision, accuracy becomes an illusion, but navigators don't necessarily need high order accuracy in order to locate where abouts they are.

The availability of "dead" maps for smart phones seems to be mushrooming and I can see the attraction here.
Could Garmin (I pick on them because no one here seems to talk about Tom Tom et al, so far anyway) be running scared of this? My impression from reading this forum and a few other places is that their software is not friendly to the average end-user who just wants to get the result without playing about with the software.
Then, I assume the dead map version can be updated anytime the smart phone is near a free wifi outlet?

This thread evolved from another one specifically about Garmin and I have been put off, to some extent, by their marketing of GPS for such applications as navigation of golf courses. I surmise that Garmin have seen the threat from smart phones and have segmented their marketing to compete.

I still have an open mind about this and I am hoping for a load more feedback.

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Dave

Well I've been using an Asus 550 (Vodaphone something or other) for 3 years now - it's my daily phone and has been all over North Africa. It has internet and GPS with a socket for external antenna. It's loaded with Tom Tom as well. Although it's getting a bit slow by comparison to the likes of Samsung Galaxies it has served me very well - the gps is faster than my garmin too.
I have a toughbook in the car that can even use the gps.
It's been dropped many times though she hasn't tried it in the shower.

I must confess to being tempted by the HTC Titan - 4.7" screen and 1.6gig processor running windows mobile 7 . I have an aversion to Google, via android tracking my every move and then selling all that info on but that's for a different forum

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Chris
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"Never have a stupid argument with an idiot - he gets a lot more practice than you"
there I go again
not too hard really

That's a really good point there actually... when you're stationary it makes very little practical difference - but when you're moving - even at 40mph it makes a massive difference - especially when coming up to complicated road-layouts and the device understanding where you are on that system and importantly how high you are so it understands if you're going under something, over it, or just to the left of it.

Smartphones get around this like the old GPS units did by 'locking' the path to a defined road - when you leave that road, or you hit a complex layout or the signal drops to just 4 satellites then you get very confusing directions and quite often wrong directions as the device mis-understands where you are.

Signal is an important thing as well. Smartphones have single small antennae that are combined with their GPRS/GSM antennae - these have significantly lower gain than the dedicated GPS devices which have the tech required to capture as many sats as possible and move between them at speed. To deal with the speed issue your phone will use it's GSM connection to determine where you are based on near-by cell towers, but as soon as you turn that off (say because you're in another country and don't want the roaming costs) you'll notice how long it takes to find a signal - this is also an issue around high buildings and even mountain passes - where your smart phone may struggle, your GPS will work.

Garmin software is a bitch by the way - hate it - so hard to use and takes so long to learn. Tom Tom software is very very good and very easy to understand but doesn't allow as much flexibility in terms of using free maps and data.

Here's a review I did of the Tom Tom Rider

TomTom Rider Review | The London Biker

and here's a quick comparison I did with the Garmin and Tom Tom when the Zumo first came out..

Garmin Zumo – Initial Review | The London Biker

It's fair to say that over the last two years I've had the Zumo my opinion has changed.

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http://thelondonbiker.com/blog

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I reckon if you can navigate a complex road network without a GPS and a paper map you probably won't be able to with a GPS.

Friends of mine use an iphone as a GPS when trail riding without to many difficulties. But off course it's not use for turn by turn navigation. Don't see a big need for this anyway. The old route highlighter on a paper map is a function that can be achieved on a smart phone.

I use a garmin myself because to date I haven't liked the case options, but have just gotten one which may work and plan to use backcountry navigator and androzic for overviews when I change a plan. Garmin for the detail.

Androzic allows for oziexplorer maps. This means you can scan in any paper map or download digital maps, georeference them in oziexplorer and load them in. No need for paper maps any more, mean less luggage and less worry about waterproofing.

Should be perfect for RTW I reckon. Screen are big enough now to work out a route without them. RTW doesn't need to much GPS accuracy. It's mostly open road anyway.

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Tacos Tyring Travels.com

Diversity of downloading offline maps and choices of maps are truly amazing. Heck ,, I don't even know at least 80% of the maps they are talking about ,,
Go here ,,, at the very top download Mobile Atlas Creator,,, read the help me files ,, select the area ,, then choose from some 20+ map formats ,,


Download Mobile Atlas Creator from SourceForge.net

Choose your maps ,, tiles ,, details ,, and create your own map... Click offline map in the setting in your map program ,, copy the map file from MAC ,, place it under Locus/map or any other map program you might be using ,,, before using,,, under setting click offline map.

It will take getting used to ,, experiment with it ,,, but ,, ah,, free maps,,,, great software ,, fun doing it ,, making your own map.

Now for online ,, when you travel ,, ask your carrier for the MONTHLY unlimited flat rate data plan,, which can be used all over the world ,, SK Telecom, in Korea provides 10 USD a day plan,, so you folks must have it in EEC and USA as well.
300 bucks a month ,, for internet,, EM ,,, etc ,,

Also if you go to APP store,, download free Kakao Talk ,, this allows you free chat ,, free sms ,, you can send large photo and video files to those with same ,, All free, as long as you are online.

For those coming to the UK and probably similar for other european countries with Orange coverage -
Orange pay as you go Dolphin package in the UK is only £10 month, no contract, no fee 100mb data 400 free texts. Available on line or at any Orange High street shop

__________________
Chris
-----------------
"Never have a stupid argument with an idiot - he gets a lot more practice than you"
there I go again
not too hard really

Just click ,, how,, vector maps , choose your region ,, unzip ,, move it to your Locus directory ,, takes five minutes.
http://www.vectormaps4locus.eu/

Samsung Galaxy S3 – Galaxy S III will have 12mp camera, 2GB ram and more

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Galaxy S3

Well leaked information on the highly anticipated brother of the Samsung Galaxy S II, the Samsung Galaxy S3 will compete against the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 next year. The Samsung Galaxy S III will heavily challenge Apple’s handsets, as the Galaxy SII did well against the iPhone 4 resulting in multiple lawsuits back and forth between the 2 big companies, Apple and Samsung. With the recent release of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and the hype that comes with every Google phone it makes for the Galaxy S III to have a hard time getting popular.
Samsung Galaxy S3 screen

The Samsung Galaxy S3 will sport a huge 4.6 inch screen bigger than the 4.3 inch screen of the Galaxy S II. Samsung accidently leaked that it would release phones in 2012 with the new flexible glass specifically; FOLED technology. This would make for an interesting concept coupled with the rumored 4.6 inch screen and 1280×720 resolution of the Galaxy S III. Reasons why Samsung have chosen to use the OLED/FOLED screen technology is it uses less power and it also allows for the screen to be curved which is something new.
Samsung Galaxy S III and Android

The Samsung Galaxy S III will obviously run Google’s Android Ice Cream Sandwich, which featured a big database (but not bigger than Apple’s) of applications and games to download. Despite the Android market not having as much applications as the Apple market the Operating system is open source meaning there will be way more customization allowable.



Samsung Galaxy S3 camera

The Galaxy S3 will likely to have a whopping 12 MP camera (MP is merely one factor out of a dozen) which surpasses the Galaxy S2′s 8MP rear facing camera. But Samsung is going to do something innovative — it looks as if the Samsung Galaxy S3 will have a 1/2.3-inch sensor. That’s much bigger than the 1/3.2-inch CMOS chip found in many phones, including the iPhone 4S. To give you an idea of how that can impact image quality, check out another device using a 1/2.3-inch chip: the ultra-stylish £500 Pentax Q system camera.
Galaxy S3 features

Here is a summary of the features which are rumored to be available on the Samsung Galaxy S3 via CNET

• 4.6-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen at 1,280×720-pixel resolution
• 1.8GHz chip with 2GB RAM for zippy multitasking and games
• Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with a refreshed TouchWiz skin
• Camera-quality 12-megapixel photos
• Styled like the Galaxy Nexus

And here’s what we’re hoping for:

• A flexible OLED screen on a jaw-dropping curved chassis
• TouchWiz mini apps that put social networking front and centre
• Ultra-high ISO photography so we don’t even need to use the sickly built-in LED flash