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What Good is the GPS Chip?

i've found it to be quite useful. i use the GPS a lot, it does a great job tracking me and getting me where i need to go. sometimes the routes it makes aren't the best, but you can change it on the fly by doing another direction query and it's definitely helped me out when i've been lost in unfamiliar places.

turn by turn will be great, but i'm pretty well adapted to maps.app as it is. i've never used a "real" GPS before, so maybe my ignorance of them truly is bliss... i've never known anything different!
 
I was just in LA and it was really all I needed to just pick it up and "see" exactly where I needed to turn as it was coming up. I get to pick my turns as well. I really liked it. Turn by turn would be great but I don't think it would be worth another $100 which is what it will cost when it comes out.
 
ibglowin said:
I was just in LA and it was really all I needed to just pick it up and "see" exactly where I needed to turn as it was coming up. I get to pick my turns as well. I really liked it. Turn by turn would be great but I don't think it would be worth another $100 which is what it will cost when it comes out.
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You may have a point. $100, no way i will pay that.
 
I may be missing the point, but I've used maps for directions and it doesn't compare to full featured turn by turn. I have a Nuvi and it is far superior to using the current map solution. According to a previous poster he's used turn by turn on another phone and he compared it's quality to that of his Nuvi.

I do think it's coming. They'll have to be careful not to over-price it when it is available.
 
I would have to disagree with AT&T making Apple hold off on turn-by-turn. The reason why is because the GPS chip has nothing to do with your AT&T service. The maps apps does use your cell phone signal and data to help find where you are at and to load the maps, but if there was an app with the maps already on the phone, the data wouldn't be needed. Also I'm sure the GPS chip doesn't really need to use the cell signal to help locate. So with an app with maps already on the phone and only using the GPS chip, it would have no contact with AT&T.
 
mizelly41 said:
I would have to disagree with AT&T making Apple hold off on turn-by-turn. The reason why is because the GPS chip has nothing to do with your AT&T service. The maps apps does use your cell phone signal and data to help find where you are at and to load the maps, but if there was an app with the maps already on the phone, the data wouldn't be needed. Also I'm sure the GPS chip doesn't really need to use the cell signal to help locate. So with an app with maps already on the phone and only using the GPS chip, it would have no contact with AT&T.
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The AT&T factor could be that AT&T does currently offer TBT navigation solutions for other smartphones with GPS and they charge a subscription for it. My previous WinMo phones had a trial version of it, but I already have navi in my car and I didn't want to pay $9.95/month for the service.
 
if the turn-by-turn app is more than $40-50, I don't think I'll buy it.

no way can it be $100. it's only software. but even software can cost an arm and a leg...YIKES!:(
 
whooleytoo said:
The big problem for me is, I'm most likely to use the GPS when on holiday abroad; but the data-roaming fees are astronomical.
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Car navigation devices don't need any phone connection. With turn-by-turn software, you would download the software (for an unknown price) and whatever maps you like. For example, TomTom sells complete UK maps for £30, complete Western European maps for £60. No data-roaming fees involved.
 
I find it convienent to be able to find out exactly where you are, and then search for a type of business you're trying to find.

Furthermore, if you're not the driver in the car, you can use it very effectively to get where you're going.

However, it's not a complete game changer over the original phone or anything.

Turn by Turn would be a nice option someday, for an application, but not additional AT&T fees.
 
I can see them charging close to $100- as Garmin charges about $80- every year to update the maps for their systems. I'm hoping they make it affordable....like in the $30- range.
 
MadGoat said:
In complete tree cover, it suffers a lot, while the garmin is never more off than 5-7 meters in complete tree cover.
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I heard that the iPhone 3G's GPS accuracy issues are due to Google Maps, rather than the actual GPS chip not being accurate. So basically, the blue location dot is accurate, but Google Maps is off by a bit. With dedicated GPS software, it should be as accurate as dedicated GPS devices.
 
I found the GPS quite useful when traveling in Europe. I was able to park my car and drop a pin at that location so I knew where I was in relation to it. Also, when walking around towns, the GPS was useful to know how to get to particular sites. I don't think it can ever to turn by turn like a Garmin, however, it worked fine for this application.
 
eplchamps0304 said:
it is useful for finding things around you. As a driving guide it's not very useful.
Without voice directions it's useless for driving IN a strange place.
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If you're alone, you're absolutely right, but if you've got a navigator along...

I used it with some friends a few weeks back. Popped the address of the restaurant we wanted to go to, it already knew where we were at the hotel, just pressed get directions, and it tracked us all the way there.

It DOES give you directions, just the same way as Google Maps does online. It just doesn't talk to you.

If I really want something to talk to me with directions, I'll buy a GPS Navigator for my car. But I find the GPS works well, and is very handy in my 3G.

And I'll be the first to admit, I didn't think I would use it!

:apple::apple:
 
The GPS is extremely useful to me. i've gotten lost in unfamiliar areas a few times and the gps has let me know my location so that I could get back on track. Just the time it saved me from aimlessly driving around was well worth it. I agree that turn by turn would be very useful, but if i wanted turn by turn in a car, then i would just dish out a couple of hundred bucks to buy a real nav system like the nuvi or something.
 
GPS has saved my ass a couple times when I've been lost trying to get to a meeting on time. But ya, other than saving my ass and keeping me from being late to important business meetings (that I should have been better prepared for) I'd say it's useless. :p
 
I use it all the time.

Not for driving directions, I have a GPS in the car for that, but to find things around me. The POIs in the car unit are never going to have everything, but when I use YPMobile or Where or Now Playing with the GPS, it's a great combo.

I can get cheap gas listings, restaurants, movies, and whatever else is near me. I love it.

I probably wouldn't buy turn-by-turn, but I definitely use the services now.
 
If they can come up with a turn-by-turn app that can work even close to as well as Verizon's Navigator GPS service then I'll line up to buy it. I just refuse to pay a monthly subscription fee for the service.

bc
 
DigMe said:
If they can come up with a turn-by-turn app that can work even close to as well as Verizon's Navigator GPS service then I'll line up to buy it. I just refuse to pay a monthly subscription fee for the service.

bc
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I'd never pay a monthly fee for a turn by turn application...NEVER!
like they own the damn satellites ...pfft...
 
stockcerts said:
How many of you really feel like you currently benefit from the built in GPS? There are several apps that make use of it, but are they really that beneficial? One of the big selling points for me was the GPS as I was anticipating turn by turn software. I do think it is coming, but I'm not sure why it's taking so long. There are several other smartphones that have good GPS software. I am sure that Apple is capable of using a similar (or better) turn by turn solution.
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every company that i know don't waste the chips on their cellphones, Apple is filling that gap.
 
I drove from New Jersey to Massachusetts to a LAN party. I only missed one turn and that is because the highway I was on didn't have a sign for a merge onto an exit, so I took the wrong exit. Other then my miscalculation, the GPS worked very well...
 
bluenoise said:
The AT&T factor could be that AT&T does currently offer TBT navigation solutions for other smartphones with GPS and they charge a subscription for it. My previous WinMo phones had a trial version of it, but I already have navi in my car and I didn't want to pay $9.95/month for the service.
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Spot on. Every cell phone with turn-by-turn directions is a service that the cell carrier charges for, and AT&T isn't interested in losing out in that market. Sadly, we are the ones that suffer via functionality.
 
I already have a dedicated GPS unit for the car and a mapping unit for hiking so I don't need the GPS in the iPhone.

With that being said, I am really happy that it is there because of all the other location based services that it is capable of. None of those other dedicated devices can provide the other functionality that the iPhone can. That, and the the fact that there are many people programming innovative uses for it is what makes it worth it to me.
 
It is pretty darn useful to me. I've used the GPS capabilities several times. Also helped a family get directions from a place I wasn't familiar with. i.e. - I was out of town at a gas station and someone walked up to me and asked for directions. I didn't know, but whipped out my iPhone asked them for the address they were going, had the GPS figure out where we were and BAM...directions!

Really was nice to be able to help folks very quickly thx to the GPS in my iPhone. :D
 
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