GPS for overseas usage without data plans.

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rp1790

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#429557 21-Jan-2011 15:30

For iOS you can use a program called Offmaps. You download map data before you go and then it's available offline. Bit of a pain to do the downloads but I just spent a month overseas and used this in Beijing, Bergen, Tromso and Berlin, VERY handy.

rayonline

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#429712 21-Jan-2011 23:24

Does Offmap give you turn by turn assistance without a data plan?

LennonNZ

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#429715 21-Jan-2011 23:32

tomtom on the iphone doesn't need data as the maps are already on the iPhone after you buy it.

Thanks

wilsa

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#429734 22-Jan-2011 00:39

You could always just pick up a prepaid Sim in the country you are going to and use their cheap data rates

rp1790

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#429769 22-Jan-2011 09:52

rayonline: Does Offmap give you turn by turn assistance without a data plan?

You can plot a route and it gives you directions but it's not a turn by turn navigation system like, say, TomTom.

rayonline

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#429787 22-Jan-2011 11:18

Mmmm .. thanks.
Seems Nokia might be one of the more affordable solutions then. I did hear that HTC has partnership with TomTom so all maps are free but you need to pay for a fee for turn by turn navigation which is a monthly or a yearly subscription for each map "region". So you don't need data. If you have a data plan you don't need that subscription.

I have looked at simcarcs but for some countries, Thailand might be cheap at $2-5 for a simcard with some data or SMS but pretty expensive for international calls but I guess Wifi at the hotel is for that. But countries like Singapore cost like $15SG for a prepaid simcard, which adds up if I am only gonna be there for a few days (and I am going to a few countries). Their data rates are like $2.70 or $1.00 for 1MB depending on provider, while Starhub whicn in the past is seen as unreliable has a deal of $2SG for 20MB or $6SG fof 200MB (if you add that service on top of your voice plan).

Does anyone have an idea how much data is used? Let's say if you didn't download any maps and you need to download them on the go vs that you have them already so only need navi. I heard Google Maps are huge.

Thanks.

BrentR

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#429796 22-Jan-2011 11:58

Google Maps should be better now they use vector maps instead of bitmaps (Nokia has been using vector maps since 2007) but obviously you're relying on always being in coverage. If you deviate from your course using Google Maps and are out of coverage you're going to be lost again.

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Niel

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#429830 22-Jan-2011 12:43

rayonline: I did hear that HTC has partnership with TomTom so all maps are free but you need to pay for a fee for turn by turn navigation which is a monthly or a yearly subscription for each map "region". So you don't need data. If you have a data plan you don't need that subscription.

Tom Tom Navigator is available for only a few phones and in a number of countries available only by signing up with a specific provider. I believe they partnered with providers, not with phones.

So far I can find Tom Tom Navigator for sale only in the UK. It is available by other means for any Win Mobile phone which a friend did to trial before buy, but that is a subject we do not get into.

I've been looking for GPS software for my phone for so long, and every time there is a new player it seems like shortly after they come out of Beta they get acquired by a large player or phone operator and is no longer available or gets expensive.

In my opinion there is none like Tom Tom Navigator, it takes the cake.

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