about Nokia N95 GPS
Published on April 11th, 2007 in gps navigation, nokia, phones, reviews
The intranets is starting to fill with Nokia N95 reviews. We’ll try to collect all GPS related tips and tricks in one place. We will update this post as we go along - so bookmark it perhaps.
Gizmodo thinks GPS is one of the features that rock.
The GPS is really GPS, not some assisted-GPS that Sprint and Verizon have in their phones. That means you can really navigate with it, like I did, to streets around SF I wasn’t too familiar with. (Specifically, the corner of Washington and Cherry, close to where the Zodiac killer blew away a Cabbie so many years ago.) The point of interest database is sizable and you can search for things by proximity (the nearest ATM or liquor store), and then get the phone dialing right up. Turn by turn is a subscription that’ll cost you about $10 a month, and the voice nav won’t read street names, but that, and the phone’s persistant Lag aside, it rocks.
PCW reports that it usually takes upto 5 minutes to get a position fix.
The GPS feature was something I was eager to test out - previously I’ve had to carry around a separate Bluetooth receiver to facilitate sat nav on my N70.
The GPS antenna is housed within the numeric keypad, so the screen must be slid up during use. It took a while to pinpoint my location - often over five minutes - but it’s an incredibly useful feature to have on a phone.
Due to the small screen size, fiddly operation and battery drain, you shouldn’t throw away your TomTom/Mio/Navman just yet though.
DigitalUrban seems to be impressed with GPS features and talks about how to use your Nokia N95 with Google Earth.
The ability to create tracks for Google Earth/Maps in a small portable portable phone is impressive. On our first test run we used the Sports Tracker application on a drive across Berkshire (its meant to be used for running or cycling but it does the same job in a car). The N95 performed well considering it was placed well inside the car, rather than on the windscreen as with most in-car GPS systems. After you have reached your destination you can simply choose to ‘Save as Google Earth’ and then transfer to your PC.
Some reader’s comments about preloading maps to save battery life.
The biggest tip I have though, get the Map Loader software off either the smart2go website or the nokia website and then load up GPS maps that way. By doing this is prevents the phone from constantly using your network connection to get the maps for your area. This saves battery life and your data charges. Only problem is, its PC only, so OSX users will have to fire up parallels or Boot Camp.
AllAboutSymbian has a long review of GPS feature on the Nokia N95 with lots of pics.
It’s worth noting that we’re not talking SiRF III performance here. In my experience, lock-on can be up to (in absolute worst case) two minutes even when the N95 hasn’t moved from the spot where you last used its GPS, with satellite lock being disrupted more easily by buildings than with my two year old TomTom SiRF II GPS. Having said that, the extra convenience that comes with an integrated GPS may outweigh the performance differences, and in any case it’s easy to supplement the built-in GPS with a Bluetooth GPS (’GPS Data | Positioning settings’) in areas where you know there are going to be problems seeing GPS satellites. Maps/Smart2go automatically uses this extra GPS data if available and then goes back to its internal attempts at a fix when the Bluetooth GPS is unavailable.
We’ll update when we find more Nokia N95 GPS sources.
UPDATES:
Engadget seems to be somewhat pleased. TTFF seems to be an issue that everyone has.
The time required to lock satellites would be considered unacceptable if this were a dedicated nav unit, but once they were locked, we were pleased with its ability to hold the signal. Update times were also good, with our position being redrawn on the display several times per second. Map redraws were often painfully slow due in part to the fact that the device downloads detail maps on the fly over its data connection, though that data connection is also one of the nav app’s strong points. Not only can maps be kept up to date, but you get goodies like city guides (for a fee) and points of interest (sadly, no traffic conditions right now). Point to point routing seemed effective enough; the phone was rarely able to calculate a route by itself, but there’s an option to “search” for a route online which seems to work. In action, directions are belted out in a soothing English accent.
NYCFlagship answers a lot of questions including the difference between routing (free) and navigation ($$).
Routing means that the application draws a route from A to B. Navigation means that the route is voice guided meaning it tells you how to get from A to B (in 300 meters turn left etc). Navigation also automatically re-calculates the route if you take a wrong turn. Navigation is a purchasable feature.
EdParsons suggests to adjust your standard network settings tool if your N95 is suffering from really slow satellite fix times.
Related:My default network setting was set to use the standard contract settings, in the past I have had problems with these with other applications, so I updated them using the neat Nokia Settings tool - and all of a sudden I started to get a fix in less than a minute.
May 3rd, 2007 at 3:05 pm
[...] the other Nokia N-series phones. Unfortunately the GPS receiver is of really bad quality, and the antenna is located in the keypad, so for reception you will have to slide open the screen. In the first days I couldn’t manage [...]
May 19th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
If you have a good enough satellite fix, the receiver can still pick up signal’s with the keypad shut. I have even had it shut and in my pocket and got a siginal when using sports tracker (and MAPS) although the data from sports tracker was good, it was not smooth, but jagged when having the keypad shut and the phone in my pocket. The GPS receiver is excellent.
July 19th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Where can I purchase maps? Can I buy normal GPS maps and use them on my N95? Please help, I’m really a novice at this.
Thanx
Rocco
July 27th, 2007 at 1:46 am
It varies from one N95 device to another. i read alot about the time N95 GPS receiver takes to start working.. some say it’d take 5 minutes to start!
Now i’ve my new N95. its GPS is fascinating.. it just works when i operate it. in less than 5 secs. it works in my room in the 1st floor of 5 stores building (but not in the middle of the apartment). I tried Sports Tracker with it, i walked 4km in 35mins and then saved the tour as Google Earth file (.kml) and bluetoothed it to my pc, now i can send that file to any of my online friends worldwide to have an idea about the region i live in. ur trip is also saved in Sports Tracker program with detailed statistics and a feature of replaying ur trip route and more.
To download Sports Tracker:
http://nds1.nokia.com/NOKIA_COM_1/Microsites/BetaLabs/applications/apps/SportsTracker_31_v149.sisx
August 9th, 2007 at 7:15 am
Hi, i am a university student in santa cruz bolivia and i just bought the Nokia N95, and i have yet to put my gps to use, i would like to know what i should go about doing, like what programs to install to my phone for better and more eficient work and more ocnvencience on the phone. i will be traveling to vancouver shortly and i would like to put it to use. thank you ver much.
cheers
Ron
August 28th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
I have a question for all N95 owners. Can the GPS be used with for example a notebook via bluetooth. This way you can use maps and navigation software in the notebook also using the position given by the GPS. Is this possible? Thanks!
September 11th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
There is a micro Java app that works well with this type of Nokia (N95) and others too. It is a pure navigation application with all the features of a such. I got it on http://veripath.us
September 30th, 2007 at 8:25 pm
[...] a number of reviews on the web about the phone’s gps navigation capability. there is also NaviGadget, a blog dedicated on collating the gps navigation function of Nokia N95 from various locations in [...]
October 14th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
How do I get maps to work? Every time I open it - it can’t get a GPS pos fix, no matter how clear the sky is ;(
Could anyone help?
October 18th, 2007 at 6:52 am
I will be getting this phone in a couple days, i live in belize and would like to know if there are any maps i can use to upload or will the gps pin point my location? any info on belize with gps?
November 16th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
I bought my Nokia N95 few days ago.i am eager to use its GPS,while i dont hav any knowledge about it but i know i can use it to find routes n open various maps.i heard that it can also track my location.i tried to open maps,but it displayed our globe n asks for turning on bluetooth.then it asks for GPS position.can you guys fix this problem of mine.
November 17th, 2007 at 3:07 pm
Is there some way of using an external antenna with the Nokia N95 8GB? - This will mean I don’t have to keep the unit on the dashboard, where viewing it is difficult in bright weather?
December 28th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
I am still disappointing with N95 GPS wise, as I frequently use different type of GPS stand alone application. I dont know if anyone have been evaluating other Nav software capability, but the Basic Nokia Map software is not optimum, cant change orientation, when cursor is moved, no distance displayed, navigation basic quite costly $350 for 3 yrs Middle East, else map view is satisfactory through MapLoader. Good luck
January 1st, 2008 at 7:05 am
The N95 GPS is very disappointing. It takes on average 5 minutes to get a fix, and I live near the tropics with open sky.
January 10th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I got my N95-3 on Xmas and I’m rather impressed with the GPS. I’ve never owned a full-on GPS, but I have used a couple and while it’s not quite as nice as the dedicated one, it’s really not that bad.
I think the longest I’ve had to wait for it to get a fix on my location/the satellites is 45-50 seconds. It’s usually faster than that, which is pretty impressive in my opinion.
Are the people who have issues with the GPS using the N95-3, the 8GB or the first version? Just curious if they improved the GPS with the N95-3 or not. But I’ve found that it works inside and I really don’t have to have it open, it still picks things up fine when it’s closed.
I haven’t tried the navigation while driving, but I have used it to calculate routes to various places (spots that I know) and the directions have been correct each time. So…. overall, I’m very impressed with it, especially considering it isn’t a dedicated GPS unit.
Oh wow. I just noticed how old this article is.
January 26th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
holy!@#$ the gps is pissing me off very disappointing i have been waiting 10 minutes still no signal help?
February 4th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
i dont know how to use my gps on n95 8gb please help
March 28th, 2008 at 1:31 am
Hi All can anyone please help ,how to activate the PTT on your N95 i.e what the settings should be
April 30th, 2008 at 3:00 am
Hi, just got the N95 8GB from http://www.allukphonedeals.co.uk/ and I want to use my copy of tomtom on it. Currently it’s on sd card for my XDA exec. Anyone know how to get it installed and working for my N95? I’ve read that it won’t work with the built in gps but i do have the bluetooth jobbie I used on the XDA.
August 25th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Guess what? Nokia has disabled the ROUTING feature on the latest firmware update. This means that routing, once a free feature, is no longer free. Now you have to pay for voice navigation AND routing.
read about it at the nokia forums:
http://discussions.nokia.com.au/discussions/board/message?board.id=navigation&message.id=5652&query.id=260513#M5652