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Best GPS phone?

J

JurijFedorov

Lurker
Hi...

Right now I am thinking about getting a Garmin GPS watch or a GPS phone for running.

Do you know any good GPS phones that you can use without ever using the internet. I need an accurate phone that can measure distance, speed and then at the end upload a map of the run to my pc. It will probaly demand a great battery.

It needs to be resonably priced, as I am a student and a good camera would be nice too. If would be extra cool if the phone was waterproof and durable.

:bike:
 
Most of the newer phones have good GPS units in them. Good enough for running. There are also apps that track your runs without using internet I believe. That includes route, pace, time, etc. Check out the apps available on http://play.google.com and see if you find one that fits your needs.
 
Thanks. I am currently looking at the link.

But wouldn't some phones be better for running than others? Some phones are eating a lot of power when the GPS is on.

How about the map? Does it have to be Google Earth or can I download a map to the phone? I won't be using the internet at all.
 
JurijFedorov said:
Thanks. I am currently looking at the link.

But wouldn't some phones be better for running than others? Some phones are eating a lot of power when the GPS is on.

How about the map? Does it have to be Google Earth or can I download a map to the phone? I won't be using the internet at all.
Click to expand...

If just using the GPS function, it really isn't a huge power draw. The biggest power drain on a phone now is the screen. It's not even close to the next biggest power user on a phone. As far as maps, it depends on which app you use to track your run. Some will plot it real-time on a map, some keep up with stats like pace and time but no plot, and some will store the route and overlay it on a map later. You just need to find what is right for you.
 
svt_gEEk said:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.endomondo.android.pro&feature=top-paid

Check this one out. Seems to be a popular choice.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

Everyone active in Denmark uses Endomondo. As far as I know it is a tracking program, that lets you see your run and speed after the run. It is probably good enough for me. And I have found several programs that can store maps on the phone. So I am happy.

Right now I need to find out what the best phone is, and if it can measure speed on the go. Then I will be set to run a half marathon in under 1:30 this year.
 
JurijFedorov said:
Thanks.

Everyone active in Denmark uses Endomondo. As far as I know it is a tracking program, that lets you see your run and speed after the run. It is probably good enough for me. And I have found several programs that can store maps on the phone. So I am happy.

Right now I need to find out what the best phone is, and if it can measure speed on the go. Then I will be set to run a half marathon in under 1:30 this year.
Click to expand...

Any Android phone that can run one of those apps will measure your speed on the go.
 
No phone will ever come close to the positioning speed and accuracy of a dedicated GPS device without using AGPS (internet). It will either take time to get a fix, or is very inaccurate.
 
With that said, I had the Galaxy Note which support GLONASS, it can lock in 1-2seconds outdoor and possible indoor as well. iPhone 4S and various XPeria devices also support it. Most of these phones are not exactly affordable and bulky to run with though.

If you use Google Maps, go into Settings -> Labs, you can turn on pre-cache, you can precache within 10miles radius of a selected location, but you can cache many locations as you want. However, you needs internet to calculate direction.

Osmand and MapDroyd lets you download offline maps, but for direction and navigation, I much prefer Maps.
 
I am Russian my self. So GLONASS sounds extra good in that acpect. I think I will by a phone like Note, only smaller. But I am going to wait for the price to drop to $150.
 
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