Using Nexus or Galaxy 7 as Dash GPS

OP update here. For other reasons we bought two new Samsung Galaxy S3 phones.

With their 5" screen and the fact the cells are always with us, we have returned the Garmin 2595 and use the cell phones with the offline GPS system Sygic.

OP Conclusion:

I bought the Garmin 2595 LMT.

Nice 5" screen form factor for both MH and Jeeps. (I use a bean bag mount.)

I can carry the GPS in my pocket for walking guidance and security when away from the car.

It responds quite well to the voice activated searchs and navigation to a location.

The traffic thingy will be useful when driving into San Francisco bay area.

I can add POI info to the unit.

We had Bus and Truck routing options on our previous Garmin. They were ok but not overly useful. So will not miss them (I hope).

Since I already have a Tablet with Sygic working on it, another tablet was not required and would be more cumbersome for day to day use in the cars.

Thanks to all for your guidance and experiences.

No cell service needed in order to use a smartphone as GPS. My son has an old phone of his that he no longer has cell service for that he uses as a GPS and music player.

A Nexus 7 or Galaxy 7 should do an excellent job as a mobile GPS.

OP here again....

I forgot to mention, that we do not have smart phones so no GPS available from that source.

One smart phone would cost us about $300 per year so we do not feel the need being retired with lots of time for non-mobile source entertainment and not being social media active...

Lantley wrote:
...
Using your phone as a GPS is convenient but it is also inconvenient if you get a call or need to use the phone while in GPS mode.
Yes I know talking and driving is bad . But you don't even have to talk if the phone rings at a critical point while in GPS mode you can miss a turn. Using the phone as a GPS is not foolproof and has itys pros and cons. ...

I used my phone on a 4000 mile trip last year. It was in constant use not only as my GPS but I also used it to listen to music using Pandora or mp3's on the phone. When calls came in, I was able to answer them without issue using the speakerphone option.

Everyone has their own preferences, likes/dislikes. For me, my phone works great and I don't need anything else. I have a Garmin GPS, a Nexus 7 tablet, my phone, a netbook and a laptop that are all very capable GPS navigators. I feel my phone does as good or better a job for me as any of the others and is by far the most convenient. Your mileage may vary.

Howdy!

I use the Co-Pilot Live USA app for our goto GPS. I started using it with my Samsung Galaxy tab. I recently purchased a Galaxy Note II phone and Note 10.1 tablet. Both have the GPS feature and run Co-Pilot without a data connection. You only need to check to make sure the tablet your getting has the GPS feature. My Note tablet does and it only has WiFi data connection. I don't connect to data while traveling using my tablet.

"Happy trails"
Chiefneon

strollin wrote:

deandec wrote:
...
A Tablet will have to be carried to the vehicle...or....no GPS would be available. ...

This is one of the key reasons that I prefer my phone, I ALWAYS have it with me. With my dedicated Garmin GPS, I never kept it in the vehicle since I always feared that it would get stolen so I kept it in the house and only put it in the vehicle when I was going on a trip. There have been quite a few times when I was out & about and wished I had my GPS with me but my phone is always in my pocket ready to go whenever I need it.

I have seen projects where guys built their Nexus 7 into the dash so it essentially becomes an in dash navigation device. That's nice but means you have to dedicate the N7 to that vehicle.

I have a dedicated GPS but I also use my Nexus 7 as a GPS with the Co Pilot app. I also have Co pilot on my Android phone as well.
Using your phone as a GPS is convenient but it is also inconvenient if you get a call or need to use the phone while in GPS mode.
Yes I know talking and driving is bad . But you don't even have to talk if the phone rings at a critical point while in GPS mode you can miss a turn. Using the phone as a GPS is not foolproof and has itys pros and cons.
I don't use my Nexus as a GPS everyday, But when embarking on a long trip, or towing the RV the Nexus 7 makes a nice GPS. The larger screen is a nice option.
I can also play audio books through the Nexus and play it through my truck speaker via blue tooth. Using the Nexus allows my phone to be free for use as a phone while still taking advantage of Smartphone features and apps.

deandec wrote:
...
A Tablet will have to be carried to the vehicle...or....no GPS would be available. ...

This is one of the key reasons that I prefer my phone, I ALWAYS have it with me. With my dedicated Garmin GPS, I never kept it in the vehicle since I always feared that it would get stolen so I kept it in the house and only put it in the vehicle when I was going on a trip. There have been quite a few times when I was out & about and wished I had my GPS with me but my phone is always in my pocket ready to go whenever I need it.

I have seen projects where guys built their Nexus 7 into the dash so it essentially becomes an in dash navigation device. That's nice but means you have to dedicate the N7 to that vehicle.

OP here:

My thoughts were:

The Tablets provide additional uses, for the same money, when not being used as a GPS. Although, we really do not use the Vizio Tablet a lot as we have two laptops for travel.

The Garmin does only one thing, but does it well.

I have liked Sygic as the guidance system compared to the 8 year old Garmin software. Just as I am sure I would like the Nexus/Galaxy upgrade vs the Vizio.

A dedicated GPS though will likely always be in the vehicle and ready for use.

A Tablet will have to be carried to the vehicle...or....no GPS would be available.

Decisions, decisions.......

Thanks to all for your experiences and insights.

I'm a fan of stand alone GPS. I recently purchased a Garmin 2595. Nice unit.

My android could barely make phone calls, let alone run navigation.

iPhone rules......