cell phone with GPS

Forums › Mobile handsets › cell phone with GPS

twotravelbugs

27 posts

Geek

#36354 23-Jun-2009 20:21

Hi All,

Another questions from two non-geeks...

I need a new phone (still!) and wouldnt mind one with a GPS function to save me also buying a GPS unit. I'd use it for geocaching rather than needing a map function.

We've looked briefly at the LG KS500 as it seems to be the cheapest model out with GPS. BUt can we use the GPS without hooking up to the internet? Can we use it to type in some co-ordinates and have it tell us which direction to walk and how far? I know this phone doesnt have Wi-Fi and so I'd have to sign up to some internet package.

Is there another phone, not too expensive, that would be a good GPS for amateur geocachers? If I can avoid spending a couple of hundred dollars on a phone and another couple of hundred on a basic GPS unit, then great.

As for other functions, not really fussed as long as I can call and text. And get woken up when I set the alarm!

Thanks heaps, Karen

jjnz1

1363 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#227782 23-Jun-2009 20:36

Nokia N78, full 3g, gps, 3.1MP camera, wifi, normal headphones jack, ipod style music player, fm radio, fm transmitter to play your music on car radio, can have upto 16GB of music etc on it using memory card.

$450 inc gst

This nokia uses nokia map which has voice guidance which is really good. The maps are download from the internet only once, and are stored on the phone, so your mobile doesnt need to use the internet which costs lots.

cleggy2

166 posts

Master Geek

#227850 24-Jun-2009 08:08

Hi. I bought a Samsung i617 on trade me. It has GPS (Garmin XT mobile). Works as well as any other stand alone GPS unit. Sucks the battery though, so will need a car charger.

Geese

1028 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#227861 24-Jun-2009 08:58

A few years ago when the Nokia 6165i came out, I bought one new only for the GPS function. The ability to use it as a phone was secondary to my geocaching needs. It was great as people would just see me with a cellphone, not a bright yellow GPS, so it allowed me to be a bit more covert while doing caches. I got many, many FTFs with it, and even now I still use it for caching.

However as great as it was it had 2 major problems, firstly when one gets to about 20 metres from destination, it says arrived at destination, and no longer displays the arrow like a normal GPS, there is a way around that, which works, but nowhere near as good as pointer. Also the battery use for a little cellphone battery was shocking. A car charger is definitely compulsory. This is probably due mostly to backlight being set to always on.

Anyway, I too would like to get another new XT mobile with GPS ability like the Nokia 6165i's great GPS feature. But don't want to pay OTT price.

NZtechfreak

4649 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#227871 24-Jun-2009 09:32

The N78 has a decent feature set, but I'd spring another $150 and get the N82 - better build quality, less bugs in the firmware, better camera, better keypad. Realistically any of the N-Series (and most E-Series) phones from Nokia can do what you need.

A lot of them also come in NAM models (XT frequency bands), if thats a consideration.

EDIT: Forgot to mention to avoid the LG. You'll really want a smartphone for your needs, that way there are plenty of GPS programs at your disposal so that you can find ones that meet your needs.

Twitter: @nztechfreak
Blogs: HeadphoNZ.org

superleaded

34 posts

Geek

#227963 24-Jun-2009 14:29

NZtechfreak: The N78 has a decent feature set, but I'd spring another $150 and get the N82 - better build quality, less bugs in the firmware, better camera, better keypad. Realistically any of the N-Series (and most E-Series) phones from Nokia can do what you need.

A lot of them also come in NAM models (XT frequency bands), if thats a consideration.

The question is, how do we get our hands on them? I can't find them for sale anywhere, even though Amazon.com sells the NAM N-series for less than the asian/euro ones we can get here (N79 - 300USD, N85 330 USD).
If you knew someone in the states willing to send them across it wouldn't be hard to make some money selling them on trademe :D

I'd buy one.

jjnz1

1363 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#227973 24-Jun-2009 14:48

to find anything including cell phones, use

www.priceme.co.nz or www.pricespy.co.nz

In their search box type n78 etc. These websites list all of the new zealand shops that sell the particular product. Great for finding the best price on tvs/ stereos, computers etc also.

For the N78, www.einfo.co.nz has them for $450 and the N82 for $580?.

I own an N82, and it is awesome if you wana spend that much. The camera on it is regarded as still one of the best in the mobile phone world.

superleaded

34 posts

Geek

#228012 24-Jun-2009 16:29

None of those will work on XT though, so you're stuck with vodafone's relatively poor coverage as soon as you leave the cities.

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

paradoxsm

3000 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#228048 24-Jun-2009 18:12

Unless it's a 3G extended device (UMTS900MHz support) where the coverage and speed seems to be rather nice.

jjnz1

1363 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#228070 24-Jun-2009 19:21

superleaded: None of those will work on XT though, so you're stuck with vodafone's relatively poor coverage as soon as you leave the cities.

They save the best phones for the more popular 900MHZ 3G networks! ;-)

NZtechfreak

4649 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#228149 25-Jun-2009 05:50

Phones direct is pretty good about bringing in NAM models, they have the NAM N78 (although its ~$600 mark rather than the $450 above for the Euro frequency one that runs on Vodafone), and the NAM E71, E75, N85, 5800, and N97.

Twitter: @nztechfreak
Blogs: HeadphoNZ.org

Lipex666

444 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#228150 25-Jun-2009 06:12

have a look at http://www.d-shop.co.nz/ all the phones you can shake a stick at and is NZ owned and in NZ dollars

"The only way to learn some- thing is to do it"