does T-Mobile G1 really have GPS navigation?
Published on September 29th, 2008 in gps navigation, phones, software
Unfortunately the answer maybe no. Yes we’ve read the specs too. It says:
- GPS GPS navigation capability with built-in GPS receiver and map software
So it is capable. But will it really give you turn-by-turn directions as you travel? We already talked about bunch of GPS applications on the Android platform but none of them was a simple GPS navigation application to give you directions from A to B.
GPS navigation was not even shown on the announcement site as a feature. We’ve searched for some videos too… found none that shows a promising GPS navigation application.
Why do you think there’s no default GPS navigation application on the G1? Is it because Google Maps will load slower than the speed you’re traveling at? Or is it because it will drain your batteries quite fast for having both GPS receiver and the 3G on at the same time?
However it is not all that bleak. We did come across some developers working on this though: Take for example AndNav. It is still in development but it already looks promising.
Here is the proposed feature list for AndNav:
- Worldwide Map-Routing, based on GoogleMaps
- Always up to date!
- Routes with WayPoints(From A over B to C)
- Waypoint-order can be optimized
- No need to buy MapPacks, never!
- Voice-Directions (british, by Joy Gibara)
- Street-View and Satellite View
- 100% Free (Only your Internet fees)
- FirstAid-Help
- Traffic Overlay (No TMC needed)
- Loads hiking routes in many formats (soon)
- POI-search (Points-Of-Interest) (soon)
- Various map display types (rotating or fixed)
- Different KeyLayouts and UnitSystems (Metric or US)
See a screencast of AndNav.
Related:- New bluetooth GPS receiver AD750 from Adapt-Mobile
- ask.com reveals GPS enabled mobile service
- Google Maps on Windows Mobile supports GPS
- Garmin GPS 20X
- T-Mobile Dash is back in black; still no GPS
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[...] Link: NaviGadget [...]
I will switch to sprint if this phone does not have GPS Navigation.
Come on T-Mobile……….. Get with the program!
I have been a loyal tmobile customer for quite some time now, and I am a tech kind of guy, and when i see all of the other carriers coming out with advanced services i get jealous and frustrated. I think the local carrier in my metro area even has gps services, come on tmobile, get it together. i am really sick and tired of taking the back seat, waiting on tmobile to catch up with the competition. i too vow to switch to another carrier if tmobile doesn’t get their (expletive) together.
I AGREE 100% WITH TARRYL
I’m still on the fence about getting the first Android phone and since I’m not a T-mobile customer, I couldn’t have got in line on time anyway. So I’m going to wait it out till a lot more posts on this site and others convince me that the G1 has decent un-assisted GPS performance so that I can view topographic maps while hiking and out of coverage. I’d like to know: run time in “airplane mode”, time to first fix in various scenarios, and if there are any power saving programs that wake the GPS up every so often to record a way point. Now that USGS has GeoPDFs available for free download, I’m ultimately hoping to see a program that understands these files and can stitch them together, show me my current position, and pan and zoon smoothly. I’d love it if it were open-source, but I’d probably pay up to $50 for a good closed source one if I had to.
Dara Parsavand
Note: GeoTIFFs would be OK too, but GeoPDF is more future proof as that seems to be the direction USGS is going (e.g. http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/13265/). For more on this topic in general, see a thread on Google Groups (http://groups.google.com/group/android-discuss/browse_thread/thread/13c88c7d70c420/d12d9c75cd4640dd#d12d9c75cd4640dd)
I thought I read all the major reviews, but I missed this comment at gizmado (http://gizmodo.com/5053611/t+mobile-g1-android-phone-hands+on):
“Maps is top-notch—we found our location within a few seconds indoors on Manhattan’s far east side with combines GPS and cell-tower.”
So it sounds like assisted GPS can work very well. I’d still like to know about un-asissted GPS though.
Dara Parsavand
i too agree with tarryl 10000%
t-mobile is always like that the service is not good and even with the new phones still the same how comes the g1 does not have gps navigation system turn by turn t-mobile have to be better than the competition
What the G1 needs is “on-board maps”. I often travel to places where I can’t get cell reception, but I do get a GPS signal. I don’t want to load maps before I go anywhere because I might not have a cell signal. I’d pay (pay as in pay once, no subscription to keep using if I don’t update) for a fill featured GPS application with on board maps.
y’ll talk crap things! you buy a phone to use it as aphone and text primarily.but if u need som gadgets to satisfy ur spoiled ass go to bestbuy and buy garmin! t-mob wont care enuf if u drop ur subscription with them.they wont get hurt if they lose u.:)
[...] you remember we talked about GPS navigation for Android phones back in September and mentioned AndNav. Well that name is back in the news with their latest [...]
the GPS needs to be independent of a data connection so it can be used when roaming, google maps is pretty usless if you’re in another European country sans data plan.
I tried the directions this weekend to a part of LA I am not familiar with and unless you can keep your north south bearings it is difficult. I can understand turn right but when its turn west and your not sure which way west is it sucks. I found my destination but made four wrong turns and had to keep imputing my destination from my currant lost location. Guess its just a phone and one poster was correct in saying “if you want a nav go buy on form Best Buy”.