Well my first impression is that it's pretty pants.
It can take between 3 and 12 minutes sometimes to get a lock (if it can get a lock at all), it is all but useless in cities with lots of tall buildings, it doesn't always plan the optimal route - and is probably only really useful in suburban areas when driving between one open motorway and another; it isn't useful for foot or cycling navigation (which is why I wanted a small portable GPS system) because no matter what I do (regardless of whether I use the 'on foot' or 'in car' profile) it only gives me 'in car' options - and says bizarre things like (when cycling in the park - with no roads for about 1.5KM) 'after 150 meters, take the first exit at the roundabout.' Which naturally has me saying WTF?). I tried planning a journey to somewhere only a few streets away from my home - and after waiting nearly 9 minutes for it to get a lock (with my phone in full view, in the middle of a notorious part of the City Center of Newcastle upon Tyne, which is known as a through-point for drunks, alcoholics, junkies and criminal types of all descriptions and where I have seen muggings with my own eyes on more than one occasion) only for it to then send me on a magical mystery tour of virtually the entire city.
The point is I guess if you were going to use this, you would always need to remember to plan ahead - and maybe place it somewhere first where it could get and maintain a good signal before actually going anywhere.
The only reason I'm so bothered I guess is that this was probably the biggest reason for buying this phone. (And pretty much to cut down on the sheer array of gadgets I usually carry around)
I guess I will try adding a Bluetooth GPS receiver to it and see if that helps any. I suppose I might not need to use it all of the time - but it seems that it's almost a given that it probably will be needed in busy built up city locations.
I asked this before - but I didn't get much luck - but what would be the best Bluetooth GPS receiver to buy for this phone?
You need to differentiate between the hardware and the software. There are to problems here - the bellow average GPS chip and the truly terrible Maps software. A Bluetooth GPS unit wont make maps any better, but you will get a faster lock and slightly better accuracy. But even the best GPS can struggle in built up areas or under trees.
You would be better of just getting better software to start with, like copilot (or Viewranger for off road walking/biking).
I will look at alternative software. But again a recommendation of what the best Bluetooth GPS receiver currently might be for this phone would be extremely appreciated.
I am just terrified of buying some cheap Chinese crap from eBay and totally wasting my money again (and my time).
The Map's software may well suck, I don't know - I haven't had much of a chance (due to the sucky on board GPS) to give it much of a chance. But it's disappointing anyway, as I have upgraded to a 3 year UK navigation package - and I'm wondering now if maybe I wasted my money.
A lot of the walking and cycling I plan to do will actually be in cities - as I'm planning an extended European tour later this year - so it is not so much the off road kind of thing that I need.
Anyway the external Bluetooth may/or may not help, but as far as I have heard everyone else say, it almost certainly won't hurt. (Providing I can figure out which one to buy of course).
raid517 wrote:
I have upgraded to a 3 year UK navigation package - and I'm wondering now if maybe I wasted my money.
YES, you have. Firstly, it sucks major league and you should have bought Copilot. Words can't describe how much better it is. Secondly, do you really think you will still be using your N95 in 3 years time?!
As for what to get, the safest choice is a Holux unit. The iPod of BT GPS units and has the Sirf III chipset. I have one and it's been flawless.
Head over to www.pocketgpsworld.com for more info.
Well it was only a couple of quid extra for 1 year and 3 years. And no I don't expect I will have this phone in 3 years.
TBH, as soon as I hear about a Windows Mobile phone with equivalent/better features and hopefully better GPS, I will probably drop the N95 like a hot brick.
As neat as it may be, it is still a little limiting at times.
Anyway I'll look out for that GPS reciever - and I will also look at anything anyone else recommends (or maybe the consensus is that that's the best one?).
I'm not ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater yet I think. It might be a while before anything can beat the N95 in it's sheer range of features. So I will probably persist with it until then.
Edit: Can you please point me to a page where I can both look at the specs of that unit and also possibly buy it? That link you posted doesn't point to it specifically (in fact I can't find it) - but if it compares well with other similar devices, I probably will buy it.
raid517 wrote:
TBH, as soon as I hear about a Windows Mobile phone with equivalent/better features and hopefully better GPS, I will probably drop the N95 like a hot brick.
Apart from the 5Mp camera (overrated anyway), there already is plenty.
I hear there's better on the horizon though? The HTC Keiser is supposed to be able to top the N95 in certain areas - and that's due for release soon as far as I have read.
The only problem with that for me is that you are getting more into true Smartphone territory - and I kind of like a phone to look and feel like a phone. (Possibly because I am not looking to draw attention to myself). I like the mobile phone form factor and you would probably have to look twice to notice anything special about the N95 - which is definitely a plus in my book.
But I guess I could adjust or possibly learn to love the full SmartPhone look and feel too.
Anyway I still can't find that Bluetooth GPS receiver you were talking about. The name you mentioned is a company, who appear to manufacture several versions.
I have seen some GPS receivers on eBay that claim to be 32 channel and I have seen some by the manufacturer you mentioned which are only 20 channel.
Are more channels better? Or doesn't it matter so much?
Well I bought a 32 Channel Holux Bluetooth GPS receiver off of eBay anyway. (I just hope that it isn't fake). I almost got caught out - as there was a Chinese brand called Holox - which was clearly a rip off - but I didn't spot it until nearly the very last second.
Anyway another question that springs to mind is, is there currently, or are there any upcoming phones that enable USB host functionality?
I'm asking as I usually carry some kind of media player about with me (currently Archos 504 160GB) and it works well as a good portable USB harddrive too - and it would be very neat to be able to hook up a phone via USB and to run applications directly from it.
At least then I wouldn't have to be stuck with this crazy 2/4GB space limitation for all my stuff.