iPhone 3g - Can you use GPS without using any data?

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iPhone 3g - Can you use GPS without using any data?

I live in Canada but will visit the US tomorrow. I'd like to use the GPS but am concerned about the cost of data roaming.

How much data does google maps use when operating?

Is there a downloadable map program that can be used on the iPhone that won't incure data usage when using GPS?

Dell Precision

Posted on Aug 4, 2008 2:18 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 4, 2008 2:19 PM in response to _Wayne_

No, the use of GPS requires data connection.

You will have to check with Rogers to see what data roaming costs are.

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Answer 2

_Wayne_ Author

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Aug 4, 2008 2:41 PM in response to RonAnnArbor

Since the GPS is built in, I doubt it costs anything to use (I presume it's similar to the one in my car). On the other hand, I assume the GoogleMaps program uses data.

I would expect there to be a downloadable map for use with the iPhone GPS that doesn't require data usage.

As for data roaming, Fido (my provider) lists KB costs for data roaming; but without an idea of how much data GoogleMaps uses per minute, I can't calculate my roaming costs ahead of time.

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Answer 3

Aug 4, 2008 3:08 PM in response to _Wayne_

The GPS inside the iPhone doesn't work that way. It is not the same the as the one in your car, although it does use data to connect to a satelite for your connection.

It is currently tied to "location services" which are in turn tied to Google Maps.

There are currently no other mapping services available through the AppStore - although several companies including Garmin and TomTom apparently have something in the works.

Either way, they will still be dependent on unlimited data packages to work. It isn't the same as the GPS in a car GPS unit, or some other cellphones.

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Answer 4

_Wayne_ Author

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Aug 5, 2008 7:56 AM in response to RonAnnArbor

Well that's interesting. GPS Navigation is most useful in an unfamiliar location (and most unfamiliar locations are out of my home cell phone area). It seems strange that the phone is so limited; but, I trust that there's a good reason. If I were cynical, I might suspect that the high cost of data roaming is being supported with such a limiting feature.

I suspose I could take a chance and see how much a day in Seattle will cost me. Fido's web site has a few different rates and it's hard to figure out which one applies to me (Fido staff didn't know the answer either). It's either $0.01 or $0.003 per KB. At 1 cent per KB, 100 MB would cost over $1,000! Since I have no idea what data would be used, I think I'll leave data roaming off.

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Answer 5

Aug 5, 2008 3:04 PM in response to _Wayne_

I just came back from US and it worked like a charm without any data. I'm also with rogers and was visiting US last week.

So the idea is to load the directions on a Wifi before you leave the hotel or wherever you get Wi-fi. Once the map loads up, click on all steps in direction and zoom in to all the points of interest so it gets cached in.
So basically play around with maps till a significant amount is cached into google maps.

After that, just pull out the map while on move..and see it work with the maps and everything that was cached. I used it pretty effectively while I was there.

Hope it helps.

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Answer 6

_Wayne_ Author

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Aug 6, 2008 6:52 PM in response to dannygupta

While having this info yesterday would have made navigating downtown Seattle easier, I did follow your suggestion this morning and can confirm that it works. Sitting in the hotel, I played with GoogleMaps over the hotel's wi-fi connection. I panned the map as far south as the SEA-TAC airport and as far north as Bellingham (since I had to visit both today). This is a large search area of approximately 200km in the north-south direction. The GPS worked in both destinations. I don't know if the search function works because I was satisfied enough with just seeing the blue dot on the map and I didn't have anything to search for.

*TO CONCLUDE, the GPS can function without using any data!*

There was one annoyance. Every time I started the map program, I was advised that I had data roaming turned off and that I needed to connect to a wi-fi network or turn on data roaming. After shutting off the message, everything worked properly.

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Answer 7

Aug 9, 2008 7:01 PM in response to _Wayne_

Yeah, I followed my way back from all the way washington to Toronto without any data, worked pretty good.

It's a bit of work, but I love playing around with GPS while driving.

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Answer 8

Aug 10, 2008 12:16 AM in response to dannygupta

Sorry I didnt get to answer earlier but Yes, this is what I figured as well.

I was using get directions to go to a countryside and had all the maps in the iphone.

IF you ask where you are currently then yes, data is needed!

If you just going through the pages, thats all ok.

If anyone is going to have a second say about this, I will let you know right now that I have 0 network connection at the countryside so is NEVER going to get any data charge at all. but I could view the maps.

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Answer 9

Aug 31, 2008 9:05 AM in response to Irwin Pang

I drove around Lake Superior...Toronto to Winnipeg then into the US through Chicago and home...my data roaming bill was $347 upon arriving back in Toronto !
This fee was waived as an ooops...don't do it again...
but what a croc !!! Wanting to use Maps as a GPS costs more than buying a seperate GPS ?!?! Surely there must be an international data roaming cost that is reasonable?!? Does anyone know of any work-arounds other than pre-loading any possible map searches beforehand?

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Answer 10

Aug 31, 2008 12:55 PM in response to RonAnnArbor

RonAnnArbor wrote:
There are currently no other mapping services available through the AppStore - although several companies including Garmin and TomTom apparently have something in the works.

Garmin coming to the iPhone?
Woo hoo!

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Answer 11

hexonxonx

Level 4

2,495 points

Aug 31, 2008 1:39 PM in response to Adrian Schell

Don't look for Garmin or TomTom anytime soon. TomTom has stated that they have GPS app ready to go for the iPhone, but they are waiting for Apple. This means that Apple isn't allowing such an app or we would have seen one upon opening of the app store. It is thought that Apple wants to eventually release an app on ther own and this is why they are preventing such apps till then.

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