GPS and iPhone... better future?

[alexr73]

Hi all,
I'm testing several tracking applications that uses GPS intensively, and I've noticed that really iPhone is missing something in the GPS hardware...

At the beginning, several users complained that doesn't work, and in effect the first times I was using GPS location services, all failed! For 1 week-10 days, then the problem was solved doing NOTHING!...
(this can be also a firmware fix, but it's really annoying!)

Altitude, it's not precise, some applications uses raw data and give 50-70m errors!!! The best are apps like EasyTrails GPS or MotionX Sport, that seems uses some kind of interpolation, but it's really a trick, and in case of MotionX this eat your battery like butter! EasyTrails it's a bit better, but still seems there are the classical +50m in some interpolations... (at least, are fixed, so the delta are correct, hehehe!)

The best is if Apple will decide to make better hardware! iPhone is already the top phone at the moment, no comparisons, so it should be quite intelligent to keep the same Apple-standard also in this minor (or less minor) details.... (otherwise a low-class Garmin or Magellan will eat our iPhone, like they are doing for almost all the iPhone apps!)

ideas? rumours? iPhone 4G?

 

[Moi un Mouton]

My experience with "low-cost" GPS chips is that their altimeter capabilities are rubbish. I have a Garmin Forerunner and it is no better.

I'd say, if you want an altimeter, buy a real altimeter not a GPS version.

However, I have also been a bit disappointed by the delay in the iPhone actually locating me once I turn a GPS application on. Especially given that it is supposed to be assisted by cell tower readings - it can take many minutes, even though I'm always in pretty much the same place as last time I used it. The Garmin is much much quicker to get a signal and a lock (and for those who don't know, it's a wristwatch form factor).

However, the Garmin sucks as a phone and an internet browser

 

[t0mat0]

Presumably if you had altitude data from an ordinance survey equivalent map, you could get altitude to within 10 metres just by knowing lat long position, and reading off the altitude. Are there microbarometers these days? If you really want altitude, i'd imagine an external accessory would be the way to go. Or work out altitude after a run.

 

[alexr73]

@Mouton, the delayin getting the signal is really disappointing, but at least is solved after some times that you're using it. Now I'm always getting signal in 20sec, while at the beginning (the first 10 days) it was 10-15min, and one time I had to reboot the iPhone!

the thing is: iPhone is not a "cheap stuff", it's one of the best tools I've played with, in general, not for GPS! The cool thing is that, if Apple can solve partially these problems, you can do things that are really cool, like publish directly on your preferred website, or on your blog (seems one of these 2 app I told above will be exporting soon to everytrail.com and to wordpress.com), and you have practically infinite opportunities...

for me it's okay like this, I don't care about 50m +/- in my tracks, but I feel that Apple should take care of this point a bit more...

 

[alexr73]

...but I feel that Apple should take care of this point a bit more...

has already somebody submitted some polls/requests/petitions to Apple?

 

[t0mat0]

has already somebody submitted some polls/requests/petitions to Apple?

You first
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

 

[mattdude86]

everytrail.com

things that are really cool, like publish directly on your preferred website, or on your blog (seems one of these 2 app I told above will be exporting soon to everytrail.com and to wordpress.com), and you have practically infinite opportunities...

for me it's okay like this, I don't care about 50m +/- in my tracks, but I feel that Apple should take care of this point a bit more...

I think you are talking about EasyTrails gps. It's a good app and soon will be able to do these things more and more...

 

[Nathaguz]

The Iphone GPS just sucks! I am a heavy GPS user and my old Nokia N82 had a much better GPS reciever which could actualy be used for real navigation.

- Where I live (Switzerland) I find about 2 - max 5 satelites (4 needed for a fix). Nokia N82: 5-8 Satelites

- In America, I found about 7 - 11 Satelites with my N82.

I assume this is why some Iphone user in america have a better gps signal than in other parts of the world...

Apple, please use better gps hardware! Its possible!

 

[alexr73]

You first
http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

wow, let's begin to bombard Apple, it's important that next iPhone has Apple-quality!!!!

http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html


and tell them to keep Apple-standards also in the GPS of iPhone, it's important!