GPS or smart phone

[rbpru]

I was wondering what was the difference between a GPS app on a smartphone and the GPS units such as Garmin?

We expect to use it to RV travel.

[marcsbigfoot20b]

Been a Garmin user since the eMap.

Now I mostly use the iPad or iPhone in a holder. Waze is live and interactive and works great. Other apps (~$10) that you can download maps for free.... maps of any zoom level, area, map type (google earth shots), topo, street maps, etc I use with MotionX-GPS and GPS-Drive by MotionX. There are no Garmin maps available for Puerto Penasco, so I use MotionX and download the map for the area in both map and satelite view which Garmin cant.
These have a bigger screen and higher resolution than my Garmin GPSmap 60C so it is way easier to see and navigate with. They also work perfect with no cell service but you wont get live data.
Even with a GPS like Garmin, you still have to have the data loaded and or paid for.

[gcloss]

I once left my GPS home and was using my smartphone until I lost the data signal. I now have navigation built into my truck and always have a satellite signal. I do use the cell phone to find gas stations, POI, restaurants etc. For basic road navigation I would stick with a GPS.

[jerem0621]

Crawfordville wrote:
We prefer to use our smartphone. We have a hand held GPS but pretty much hate it.

I did too until I bought a Garmin. After I bought the Garmin and got use to it.. I deleted all the GPS apps on my phone but the native Maps program on the iphone. My former GPS was a Navigon.

However, being able to use Siri and ask it to take you somewhere is very handy!

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[rbpru]

RetSgt

We used road atlases and trip planners from Good Sam just this last winter. Still even am old curmudgeon like me can see the advantages of a GPS system.

We are planning and extended trip to the Big Sky Country this summer.

[Community Alumni]

I have both a Garmin and a phone app, but I'm exclusively on the phone now. I use Waze and a phone mount call GripGo. My phone has a 5" screen, so the screen is larger than my Garmin. The whole setup performed well on our recent 2500 mile journey from Texas to Canada. On that trip, we had some areas where coverage dropped, but the app continued along the route. We couldn't get any traffic updates or anything since that relies on data. Once we got into Canada, we had to rely on the Garmin totally since we didn't have an international data plan.

Waze is nice because it gives you real-time traffic. The Garmin mostly relies on third parties to provide traffic info. I find that sometimes there can be quite a delay. I found that the Garmin traffic coverage can be pretty terrible a lot of time. You have to be near radio stations broadcasting the updates and those were few and far between. I had better luck with my phone's data coverage. With Waze, users can report traffic or hazards immediately which gets pushed out to everyone. They also monitor the roadways through the devices and push out alerts when traffic is detected. Another nice feature is being able to view gas prices then route to the stations. The maps are updated nightly vs every 3 months with Garmin.

Even with all this technology we still carry paper maps, triptiks, and a compass as a backup.

mbutts wrote:
In addition, you won't miss any turns when your daughter calls to chat for a half hour.

I don't like to talk on the phone while driving, hands free or not, but when have to I can continue to use the app while on a phone call. You can still see the map and everything. The app continues to speak directions over the callers voice.

[the_happiestcam]

djgarcia wrote:
1. I don't have to physically hold in my hand the Garmin while I am driving.

You don't have to hold your phone, either. There are plenty of mounts out there. The commercial you see for the sticky one (where the guy is waving it outside the window and it doesn't come loose) works exactly as advertised.

[LarryJM]

AtomicChicken wrote:
I rather use my Garmin for GPS duties over my smartphone.

As mentioned before the standalone GPS unit's screen is easier to read. Also, unless you cache your route data ahead of time if you loose your cell signal you're out of luck with the smartphone.

I also like the fact that my Garmin is JUST a GPS unit and nothing more. It's simpler to use/navigate and it won't get interrupted by other tasks (like incoming calls).

I agree and the dedicated GPS is designed for that single task in it's display, lettering, etc. resulting in a better interface and readability than something like a smart phone. One smartphone real plus is some of the find location apps which IMO are better than the resident GPS capabilities so each has a use in navigation.

Larry

[rockhillmanor]

Speedogomer wrote:
If you do buy a GPS unit, buy a Garmin. I've used Magellan, TomTom, and Garmin, and Garmin is hands down the best of the 3. TomToms are an unintuitive mess, and Magellan's routing is terrible.

Maybe it depends on which models you bought?

I RV full time and my TomTom is 6 years old and still getting me to where I want to go successfully!

I think a lot has to do with buying the very low end low priced models of GPS's. You get what you pay for.

The TomTom I bought was the most expensive. I didn't buy it for that reason. I needed the largest screen and the capability of speaking my directions in as apposed to typing them in and of course the speech for directions.

[RetSgt7114]

Does anyone remember using just a road atlas and those pre-planned printed route maps called the "Trip-Tik", from the AAA Motorclub? Before smart phones and GPS, I used to get those from AAA every time I went somewhere. I thought that they were the neatest thing to have when traveling long distances in unfamiliar areas. Now we have choices between numerous high tech (and former military-only gadgets) like GPS units and smartphones to get us around. Amazing world we live in.

Now I use a stand alone GPS dash unit, which has a rear view camera linked to it. I use the smart phone like others have described.

[opnspaces]

I like to use a GPS for navigation. I only have a 2gb data plan for my phone and my two kids and wife chew through that pretty efficiently.

[ChooChooMan74]

JoeyM wrote:
I carry both. The smartphone "google maps" app is great, but you need to find another app to keep the screen on continuously: on android I use "Keep Screen On". If you do, you must keep the unit plugged into power. As others have said, you must be in cell tower range to update maps as you move. There are free apps that allow you to pre-download maps, "CoPilot" is one of them, but the maps are 6-8 years out of date. My neighborhood was annexed 6+ years ago and it still shows up in the old city it used to be in.

I don't have that problem. My screen stays on all by itself while using GMaps. And, I got a speedo program that does an overlay over it so it shows speed and whatever else I want it to show.

[happybooker1]

I vote BOTH! I start with GPS, but it's not always accurate. As in: I KNOW there's a Red Robin in X City off Y Highway but I need to know the exit to take. GPS doesn't even LIST RR in X City. So I go use Google on the iPhone, get the address in X city, then put the address in the GPS.

Doesn't happen often but enough to say I need both.

[JoeyM]

I carry both. The smartphone "google maps" app is great, but you need to find another app to keep the screen on continuously: on android I use "Keep Screen On". If you do, you must keep the unit plugged into power. As others have said, you must be in cell tower range to update maps as you move. There are free apps that allow you to pre-download maps, "CoPilot" is one of them, but the maps are 6-8 years out of date. My neighborhood was annexed 6+ years ago and it still shows up in the old city it used to be in.

[Speedogomer]

If you do buy a GPS unit, buy a Garmin. I've used Magellan, TomTom, and Garmin, and Garmin is hands down the best of the 3. TomToms are an unintuitive mess, and Magellan's routing is terrible.

[Crawfordville]

We prefer to use our smartphone. We have a hand held GPS but pretty much hate it.