A mobile phone with integrated full GPS

[STATUE]

In the early days I got stitched up from my own ignorance in thinking my new phone with 'aGPS' was the business - until I sailed too many yards from a lamppost!
So is there a mobile phone with full GPS ?
(I only ask, 'cos recently, such a question brought a choking sound from purveyors of such equipment).

 

[Refueler]

Most phones today and Android Tablets of course have actual GPS as well as aGPS ....

iPad of course like to split their cr** into those that do and those that don't.

Even my old Samsung S8 has GPS ... as well as Glonass etc.
My old Blackberry 10 and 30 - both have full GPS ...
My wifes S28 has full GPS

Basically any shop should list specs clearly - if not - ask or walk on by.

 

[jwilson]

Both my old Iphone 6 and current Samsung have a very good GPS, current S21 has GPS with Galileo and Glonass as well as US GPS.

 

[lustyd]

aGPS is assisted GPS, so is in fact a full implementation augmented with other information. What you had probably didn't have aGPS it was probably just using wifi data to provide a guess at location. You'd be hard pressed in 2023 to buy a phone without real GPS, and many will now have dual frequency GPS for better accuracy. They don't have great antennas compared to a fixed set or even a Garmin hand held, but they'll get your position down to a metre no problems.

 

[STATUE]

Q : "When I am out at sea, will your Smartphones pickup GPS ? (I don't mean ASSISTED GPS).
A : "This mobile GPS is not advisable to use at the sea."

... word for word on a Samsung chat !

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

 

[roaringgirl]

I bought a small tablet in Las Palmas for 60€. It was the cheapest I could find with a real GPS chip in it. It worked fine in the middle of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Ask the sellers/read the full spec online before buying. If the sellers don't know/won't answer the question, you have your answer.

 

[lustyd]

Q : "When I am out at sea, will your Smartphones pickup GPS ? (I don't mean ASSISTED GPS).
A : "This mobile GPS is not advisable to use at the sea."

... word for word on a Samsung chat !

I am not surprised their minimum wage support person in the cheapest country available didn't know the answer to your question. They are more aligned to "how do I change the SIM card" type questions.

Assisted GPS is the same as normal GPS, it just locks faster because of the assist. In the very early days, some companies marketed something else that wasn't GPS or A-GPS. I'd refer to this as artificial GPS which would show you roughly which building you were near and would not work at sea. This was short lived and aside from the non-GPS iPad I'm not aware of any device still using it since real GPS chips are now very cheap (although apparently too much for Apple).

As far as I can tell, A-GPS is also no longer really used since GPS chipsets now download their ephemeral data via Internet periodically. If this is missing it takes 30 seconds or so to lock your position when you first turn it on which is no big deal on a boat.

Long story short, you'd be extremely unlucky to buy a mobile phone without real GPS these days.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Q : "When I am out at sea, will your Smartphones pickup GPS ? (I don't mean ASSISTED GPS).
A : "This mobile GPS is not advisable to use at the sea."

... word for word on a Samsung chat !

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Sounds like nobody knew what they were talking about.

 

[Refueler]

Q : "When I am out at sea, will your Smartphones pickup GPS ? (I don't mean ASSISTED GPS).
A : "This mobile GPS is not advisable to use at the sea."

... word for word on a Samsung chat !

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Ha Ha ....

My Samsung S8 is a discontinued phone but is good GPS .... has Navionics Boat and Lakes on it with full Baltic Sea. Of course screen size is not ideal for full nav - but good enough ............

The 'idiot' who answered on that 'Chat' is an idiot !!

 

[dunedin]

I suspect you would struggle hard to buy a smartphone today without a proper GPS installed.

(Apple with its ridiculous WiFi only iPads the only exception, and they are hardly phones)

 

[Refueler]

I suspect you would struggle hard to buy a smartphone today without a proper GPS installed.

(Apple with its ridiculous WiFi only iPads the only exception, and they are hardly phones)

Have never been able to understand Apple's stand on this .... its actually hard to find an Android that does not have WiFi ... GPS ... and SIM included. Even my budget Banggood Android Tablets have dual sim (4G etc) and all functions.

 

[lustyd]

Have never been able to understand Apple's stand on this .... its actually hard to find an Android that does not have WiFi ... GPS ... and SIM included. Even my budget Banggood Android Tablets have dual sim (4G etc) and all functions.

It's nothing against GPS per se. The chipset with the GPS is also the chipset for GSM comms and the wifi only doesn't have the chipset so can't offer GPS. Apple didn't intentionally include GPS in the first place, originally they said iPad shouldn't be used for that stuff as you have an iPhone.

 

[Irish Rover]

As an aside I whenever I fly to a new destination I keep maps open on my phone so that I can see exactly where we're overlying. I flew from Izmir to Tel Aviv a few months ago and went almost directly over my house.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

As an aside I whenever I fly to a new destination I keep maps open on my phone so that I can see exactly where we're overlying. I flew from Izmir to Tel Aviv a few months ago and went almost directly over my house.

You have the whole area downloaded onto your phone?

 

[lustyd]

You have the whole area downloaded onto your phone?

Why not? I have EU, Africa and US on my wrist watch (Garmin Epix).

 

[Irish Rover]

You have the whole area downloaded onto your phone?

Sometimes, but if not, you still get an outline non detailed map which is not difficult to follow. Anyway, I mostly fly Turkish Airlines and almost all flights have WiFi now.

 

[GrandadPig]

In the early days I got stitched up from my own ignorance in thinking my new phone with 'aGPS' was the business - until I sailed too many yards from a lamppost!
So is there a mobile phone with full GPS ?
(I only ask, 'cos recently, such a question brought a choking sound from purveyors of such equipment).

all my iPhones have full gos from the original to the current iPhone max. As does my iPad 4. Both used to sit in the wheelhouse next to the SH plotter and were every bit as accurate Mobile devices both running Navionics.

I like having a plotter just as a belt and braces but prefer to use the iPad + Navionics.

hooe that helps.

 

[Refueler]

It's nothing against GPS per se. The chipset with the GPS is also the chipset for GSM comms and the wifi only doesn't have the chipset so can't offer GPS. Apple didn't intentionally include GPS in the first place, originally they said iPad shouldn't be used for that stuff as you have an iPhone.

Doesn't change fact that iPad was originally born from a Gaming idea - but Apple clothed it as a 'tool' ......

They made agreements with various Drone Camera co's .... users soon found out the limitations and Android started to be seen on them.

I really cannot see point of paying for iPad when half the price for better Android.

 

[lustyd]

Half the price when new. Try selling both after two years and see which is more expensive overall. Try getting OS updates on Android after two years…

 

[Refueler]

Half the price when new. Try selling both after two years and see which is more expensive overall. Try getting OS updates on Android after two years…

I have a load of Android and pal of mine has a bunch of iPads .. we had this chat funny enough .....

His comment : OK for you with Android - at their prices you can afford to replace when updates stop ... me - I'm stuck with an expensive old pad.

Since that chat - he's gone Android and he's a very experienced and reputable IT guy here ....

Unlike Apple - even an old Android can be updated by using hack tools .... only limitation then is the chip and memory installed as to whether its worth it.
I have old android tablets that still today run videos / apps etc fine ...
My latest one is Android 11 which can be upgraded to 12 if I want ... but so far 12 has some issues ... and 11 runs everything nicely thankyou.