gps on phone

[stephen1205]

a smartphone with only gps enabled or receiver will certainly use money,is it?

 

[Hadron]

I'm not sure I understand the question. Using GPS does not cost, but if you use data at the same time (e.g. running Google Maps) then the data use may, depending on your contract.

 

[stephen1205]

thanks,i heard some phone do not use data plan,they act like standalone gps

 

[Tim K]

Google maps uses data unless you download a part of the map and save it for offline use. You'd then have to turn data off on the phone.

The other alternative is to install a non-google maps/navigation app that stores the map data locally. I know there are a few but cannot recommend any. You can check the play store or search here for suggestions.

 

[Hadron]

My usual procedure when travelling abroad is to store the map tiles for the region I'll be visiting on my phone. I never use data abroad (data roaming charges are the biggest rip-off left in the mobile business), but that works fine as long as you don't want turn-by-turn navigation (to do that without a data connection you need a different app).

 

[dvhttn]

thanks,i heard some phone do not use data plan,they act like standalone gps

If a phone has GPS onboard then the GPS ALONE will not use any of your data plan, it's entirely separate. What "could" use your data plan is if you use an app, such as Google maps which uses GPS to locate where you (the phone) are but downloads the relevant map using your phones data link. As others have said, if you use Google maps you can download pre-determined map tiles before you go.

You can also have an app that has ALL of its maps stored on your phone (usually the SD Card) so that it has no need to use your data plan. Handy if you're not in range of a mobile signal. Also, the GPS signal originates from orbiting satellites and so does not rely on you having a mobile signal at all. It is affected by buildings, being underground, the weather, etc.....

HTH

Dave

 

[BigRedGonzo]

All Android phones that I am aware of have stand alone GPS units built in. Stand alone means that they don't have to have data to work. However, they also have a function called aGPS, which uses data to download a rough set of satellite positions based on cell tower location to help the unit lock on to its position much quicker. The amount of data downloaded by the aGPS function is extremely small, but it speeds up satellite acquisition (time to fix) drastically. After the lock is made, data is no longer needed.

Hope this helps,
BigRedGonzo

 

[JillLoftus]

If your phone has a GPS receiver, it should continue to listen for the satellite signals regardless of your cellphone network service.

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