GPS reception on iphone 4 good enough without TomTom cradle

I have the Navigon APP which I prefer over tomtom and don't use a cradle and it works great. Not sure why Tomtom wants to sell them other than to make money and to provide a cradle because for me over the past year it works great.

I've been using my iPhone 4 with Navigon's navigation software and have noticed that the GPS reception is much improved over my 3Gs. No need for a boost.

I read somewhere that the iPhone 4 has an improved GPS component in it.

I was recently In Brooklyn New York trying to get somewhere in Long Island. Ironically my car's navigation went bad just days prior after hitting a large pot-hole in Manhattan (it was replaced today by the dealer). So I decided to have a go on my iPhones Navigation.

Now I am using the expensive Magellan RoadMate app that I purchased out of curiosity. Aside from being horribly inefficient (it uses about 3% battery for every five minutes the navigation is on) I found that the signal was lost quite a few times, other times the Navigation would go completely off whack and show a location miles away.

Being that I never used the Nav so severely before on the 3gs, I can't make a comparison whether or not it is better or worse. But I can say that I would never want to rely on it.

Some nav providers are clearly better and more reliable than others, just look at the reviews. Also, any of them would tell you to keep it plugged into your car if possible while using on long trips just like you would a stand-alone GPS unit.

I have grown to rely on the TomTom app, as a newbie to the DC / Northern Virginia metro area. The TomTom app initially had many issues, but the company has released several revisions, and I am now a very satisfied customer. They are now IOS4 (background) compatible, with a quick revision for minor bugs.

I received the TomTom cradle as a birthday gift back in March. Without a charger, the navigation app (really, anything that uses the GPS) ate away at my 3GS battery life. The cradle became a necessity.

I also recently purchased the iPhone4, and was disheartened to find that it didn't fit the cradle very well. It sits inside of it, but there wasn't enough contact to maintain a charge and send audio to my car stereo. HOWEVER, I found a very easy fix elsewhere on the net. Just put a thin strip of velcro behind the pin connector in the cradle, and voila! The iPhone 4 maintains contact with the connector. (No, you do not need to put any velcro on the phone itself.)

Yes, the cradle is a bit pricey; you could just as easily buy a cheap charger. But I have no regrets, I think the cradle and TomTom app are well worth the money. (I would have ultimately bought the cradle if I had not received it as a gift.)

For a more or less part, the TomTom cradle is between a convenience and a necessity.
* In 3G and 3GS (possibly i4 too), the navigation is not entirely reliable in weak tower areas and you don't have your iPhone hooked up to the windshield while driving.
* It relies on a clear line of sight and very little interference from your car stereo along with a good 3G signal from the towers.
* It comes with a recharger along with a windshield cradle and a car powered GPS.
* It's mostly a necessity for travellers and road workers (realtors etc.)

Magellan also has one but not many like the software compared to TomTom's software. Crashes and UI for the most part.

The downside for the cradle is in most states it is illegal to utilize since it obstructs the driver's view, you answer text messages, push notifications, and emails while driving, and it can cause a distraction by taking your eyes off the road and looking at the directions.

I've been using my iphone 4 in a normal cradle (with a separate power lead) for a few days and had absolutely no GPS signal problems. (I'm using CoPilot, which is great). However, I've not tried driving around a congested town where the buildings might get in the way.