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Metric iPhone instead of Imperial

carlosbutler

carlosbutler

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 24, 2008
691
2
I was wondering if there was a way of changing the units that the phone uses for things such as Google Maps from Imperial to Metric.

I'm fed up with useless Miles as its not accurate at all and I dont understand feet and yards and when the sat nav software is available i would like proper measurements

Thanks
Carlos
 
bigmanathome24 said:
I was wondering if there was a way of changing the units that the phone uses for things such as Google Maps from Imperial to Metric.

I'm fed up with useless Miles as its not accurate at all and I dont understand feet and yards and when the sat nav software is available i would like proper measurements

Thanks
Carlos
Click to expand...

Dont think so (unless you chance the country on it), the UK uses miles for distance so that is what is shown, the same as road signs in the uk

Not quite sure why you think miles are inacurate
 
Hmm. I have a Canadian iPhone 3G which I use in Sweden but I get mine in metric. Have you set it up region format under General -> International to England?
 
JohnFa said:
Hmm. I have a Canadian iPhone 3G which I use in Sweden but I get mine in metric. Have you set it up region format under General -> International to England?
Click to expand...

If you set the region to UK you get miles, that is what we use here
 
you can't change it, unless as stated, you change your location

sat nav apps are controlled separately, you can chose miles/km in the app; but in terms of sat-nav miles would be better, as that is what the UK roads use. signs display distances and speeds in miles, and junction warning signs are all in yards

also, miles, yards, feet and inches are just as accurate as metres etc, they just aren't using a base of 10
 
I wish we could all go to one form of measurement like we have gone to one calender... That would be so nice
 
the reason it isnt as accurate is because it doesnt use a decimal system. ie 1km = 1000m = 100000cm etc. 1mile = 5,280 feet.

you get a 'quarter mile' but unless you are in New York and travel one block - you wont have a clue what that looks like. same as a ounces, fluid ounces stone...
 
bigmanathome24 said:
the reason it isnt as accurate is because it doesnt use a decimal system. ie 1km = 1000m = 100000cm etc. 1mile = 5,280 feet.

you get a 'quarter mile' but unless you are in New York and travel one block - you wont have a clue what that looks like. same as a ounces, fluid ounces stone...
Click to expand...

haha i know this i would gladly go to metrics. Im a Biomedical Engineer student. Its so hard to remember all of this and do imperial outside of labs and then metrics when im doing school work :( ... I just want one to prevail and that be it
 
i was actually going to mention that engineering in this country they use the proper system - metric. i think U.S.A must be one of, if not the only country to use imperial in engineering and construction.

luckily im doing computer science/artificial intelligence, so no measurements for me:D
 
bigmanathome24 said:
the reason it isnt as accurate is because it doesnt use a decimal system. ie 1km = 1000m = 100000cm etc. 1mile = 5,280 feet.

you get a 'quarter mile' but unless you are in New York and travel one block - you wont have a clue what that looks like. same as a ounces, fluid ounces stone...
Click to expand...

Can you elaborate a bit more, i am still failing to see how it is less accurate

Cheers
 
How are miles not accurate? u "non-Americans" need to suck it up. we made the phone, ur gonna use are system of measurement. god forbid u people broaden ur horizens
 
bigmanathome24 said:
the reason it isnt as accurate is because it doesnt use a decimal system. ie 1km = 1000m = 100000cm etc. 1mile = 5,280 feet.
Click to expand...

I understand your point, but that's not what the word "accurate" means.

You've confused some people here by using a word in the wrong way. Although I think you explained yourself quite well, so I'm not sure why they're still confused.
 
blancoBronco said:
How are miles not accurate? u "non-Americans" need to suck it up. we made the phone, ur gonna use are system of measurement. god forbid u people broaden ur horizens
Click to expand...

:mad:

Actually, China made the phone, if you want to get technical about it.

The problem is that the iPhone does not let you set your units choice separate from your locale. If you are in the UK, and you set your locale to the UK, then you get miles for distance measurements with no other choice. Same thing if you are in the US and wish to use metric... you have no choice. It has nothing to do with 'non-Americans'. God forbid you use your brain before you post and make yourself look like an ass.
 
blancoBronco said:
How are miles not accurate? u "non-Americans" need to suck it up. we made the phone, ur gonna use are system of measurement. god forbid u people broaden ur horizens
Click to expand...

Actually Foxconn in Taiwan made the phone. And the main designer is Jonathan Ive who is English.

I completely agree that the English culture and English people do not necessarily like change and most people I speak to at university are 'British this' and 'British that...'. But it is actually YOU that need to advance and adapt to using the most common format in the world.

P.S. We 'made' the English language, so if you are going to speak/type it please do so properly. As a matter of fact we also colonised America.
 
Baron58 said:
:mad:

Actually, China made the phone, if you want to get technical about it.

The problem is that the iPhone does not let you set your units choice separate from your locale. If you are in the UK, and you set your locale to the UK, then you get miles for distance measurements with no other choice. Same thing if you are in the US and wish to use metric... you have no choice. It has nothing to do with 'non-Americans'. God forbid you use your brain before you post and make yourself look like an ass.
Click to expand...

it was designed in the US...

how is imperial less acurate than metric?

i do not have near the understanding of how fast 45km/hr is or 8m/s as i do if it was listed in mph

i dont have a good feel for 30deg C as i do with 59F

1.8m? or 5 foot 7"

im glad its imperial

bigmanathome24 said:
Actually Foxconn in Taiwan made the phone. And the main designer is Jonathan Ive who is English.

I completely agree that the English culture and English people do not necessarily like change and most people I speak to at university are 'British this' and 'British that...'. But it is actually YOU that need to advance and adapt to using the most common format in the world.

P.S. We 'made' the English language, so if you are going to speak/type it please do so properly. As a matter of fact we also colonised America.
Click to expand...

designed and manufatured is an important difference which you dont seem to grasp

Ive the main designer? for what, the white plastic? as its surely not any of the technical stuff

metric wont be adopted anytime soon in the US. you will just have to cope
 
dukebound85 said:
i do not have near the understanding of how fast 45km/hr is or 8m/s as i do if it was listed in mph

i dont have a good feel for 30deg C as i do with 59F

1.8m? or 5 foot 7"

im glad its imperial
Click to expand...

lol at how things are in the uk

I agree on mph and feet/inches, but i can only understand temperature in centigrade
 
dukebound85 said:
it was designed in the US...

how is imperial less acurate than metric?

i do not have near the understanding of how fast 45km/hr is or 8m/s as i do if it was listed in mph

i dont have a good feel for 30deg C as i do with 59F

1.8m? or 5 foot 7"

im glad its imperial
Click to expand...

I'm totally the opposite. Imperial measurements mean nothing to me.

I'm glad it's metric.

What an age we live in where something can be both.
 
Yup

bigmanathome24 said:
i was actually going to mention that engineering in this country they use the proper system - metric. i think U.S.A must be one of, if not the only country to use imperial in engineering and construction.

luckily im doing computer science/artificial intelligence, so no measurements for me:D
Click to expand...

As far as I know we are the lone standout for better or worse :)
 
dukebound85 said:
<snip>

designed and manufatured is an important difference which you dont seem to grasp

Ive the main designer? for what, the white plastic? as its surely not any of the technical stuff

metric wont be adopted anytime soon in the US. you will just have to cope
Click to expand...

im not saying that the U.S.A should change. im not really saying anyone should change. but its ridiculous that two of the most important nations of the world should be different to everyone else in this respect. no one is going to change to imperial, the name even sounds old. but i would most certainly prefer that this country would change though.

Chundles said:
I'm totally the opposite. Imperial measurements mean nothing to me.

I'm glad it's metric.

What an age we live in where something can be both.
Click to expand...

yeah totally agree


paulsalter said:
lol at how things are in the uk

I agree on mph and feet/inches, but i can only understand temperature in centigrade
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the only reason you understand those measurements is because you have grown up with them and are used to them. if they stopped using imperial all children born would then get used to that. thats how it works. there is always a generation or two that would experience the change.

the same applied when many countries changed to the Euro. and thank god they did since the Euro only lowered in value a tiny bit, by one or two cents compared to the GBP which was just unbelievable.
 
This thread has gotten really stupid. Apple is an American company, but they're not trying to force anyone to use the iPhone in a strictly "American" way.

As for the accuracy of the two different systems, neither can be said to be more "accurate" because they are just measuring the exact same thing and coming up with the exact same distance. They just call it something different.

Would you argue that the Chinese language is more "accurate" than English or French or Russian? I wouldn't, but you could use the same, flawed logic you're using to make the argument that it is.
 
gloss said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by blancoBronco
How are miles not accurate? u "non-Americans" need to suck it up. we made the phone, ur gonna use are system of measurement. god forbid u people broaden ur horizens

Ignorant post of the day.
Click to expand...

but don't you like how he substituted are for our :D must be from NY cause it has to be the accent
 
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