Smartphone with offline gps suitable for cycling.

mali01

Im not sure if this is in the right section, but here goes.

im in need of a new phone to replace my very old nokia (doesnt even have a touch screen)

The most important feature i want is offline GPS. I have spent 2 days scouring the web for advice/reviews etc but im more confused than when i started. Im worried about biting the bullet and picking up a phone that a saleman says will do what i need, only to find out that it only has street mapping.

Im looking at the Nokia Lumia series of phones as it comes with Nokia maps. Is this the right direction to go in? (no pun intended)

HELP!!!!!! :?

Wooliferkins

The GPS doesn't rely on being online. It does however eat battery. I only use mine (Sony Xperia) with a tracking app but three hours is pretty much it. i'm a Sony/Erricson fan and I'm considering the Xperia Go for the better water resistance. Going from reviews both this and the Motorola Defy are fairly sluggish in operation so it kind of defeats the point.

ncn

I have a Samsung S4 and use Juice defender which stops mobile data when the screen is off. I use Strava and was out the other week for 4 hours and used probably 5% of my battery. With just gps in use and screen off it barely even bothers it.

jairaj

Mali01 - can you clear up if you just want something to track where you have been or do you want a proper map to tell to where to go etc?

If you want tracking then almost any newish phone will cope fine with that. There many tracking apps you can use Strava is popular one and I think it works on all platforms.

If you want proper mapping then its hard to recommend any phone as they tend to be quite fragile and the battery doesn't last long once you start using the screen. If you're only accessing the screen breifly just to check where you are it'll prob be fine but I would want a back up. I used to have a Motorola Defy which while being water and shock resistant was a bit sluggish for everyday use. If you used it just as GPS it'll prob be fine but I got fed up with it on day to day use.

A good mapping app is Orux Maps, available on Android and possibly on other formats. You can download OS maps onto the phone so you can view them off line.

markhewitt1978

You'll need a seperate app to do the GPS logging. You don't need to be online to do this and it doesn't depend on mapping. You'll wait longer for a GPS fix but for most cycling this isn't important.

mali01

Thanks for the replies so far.

Im after a phone that i can just check every now and then to see if im going in the right direction or to get me to the nearest road if i get lost. Something like google maps on screen with my location and then i can do the rest if needs be. Thats all i want it for. Just an emergency backup.

The Rookie

The Samsung Galaxy S3 will do that, but to navigate ALL phones need data access as they don't store the maps internally, too much data required.

I have logged an 8 hour ride with my Samsung Galaxy S3, used less that half the battery, the key is to turn off other data aquisition, as despite what Wooliferkins has said recieving the GPS signal takes little power, it's transmitting to different aerials as you move around, often with poor signal (high transmission power) that kills a phone battery.

markhewitt1978

The Beginner wrote:

The Samsung Galaxy S3 will do that, but to navigate ALL phones need data access as they don't store the maps internally, too much data required.

Not so. I use Viewranger which has 1:50000 maps of the entire country stored on the phone. Launch it up, press the show location icon and it tells me where I am straight away. No data connection needed.

Other nagivation apps such as TomTom also store the maps internally. There are quite a few others too, I think Open Cycling Mapping (forget the exact name) has an app which has online maps but also offline maps you can access without a data conncetion.

concorde

Have a HTC One and the battery lasts ages just using the GPS. Took it round CyB, was out for over six hours and it wasn't even half drained. That with a bit of use for pictures etc. It's the screens that eat the battery not the apps.

jairaj

You can save map tiles to be used offline with Google Maps so even if you don't have phone reception you just need GPS reception (almost always available if your are outdoors) to know where you are.

All smartphones will do what you want, even the budget models. Just read phones reviews and get the best one for your needs. They will all do the basic mapping you described.

junglist_matty

Android application:

OSMand


FREE OFFLINE NAVIGATION


https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... mand&hl=en

jairaj

If you want more detailed maps then I quite like Orux Maps app for Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.orux.oruxmaps&hl=en

Again allows you to save maps onto your memory card and also has OS maps too.

slindborg

mali01 wrote:

Thanks for the replies so far.

Im after a phone that i can just check every now and then to see if im going in the right direction or to get me to the nearest road if i get lost. Something like google maps on screen with my location and then i can do the rest if needs be. Thats all i want it for. Just an emergency backup.

In that case a bottom of the range Nokia lumia handset will see you fine.
Plus you can use endomondo etc if you so desire,

Nokia maps is one of the best nav/mapping apps I've used (and I'm a fussy git).

izumi

I have Nokia Lumia 620 and I love it. It has free offline world navigation by foot, by car and by public transportation. Maps are reliable and easy to use.

I also use app called Runtastic to record my rides.

I can't think of any other OS that has full offline navigation, so Windows Phone it is, I guess. I would recommend to get Nokia Lumia phone, because this range of phones (almost all of them) has full support of offline location services. Be sure to check this out: http://cdn.conversations.nokia.com.s3.a ... bility.png