Consumer demand is clearly trending away from standalone GPS devices. Smart phones are becoming ubiquitous, and the demand is shifting toward GPS phones with accurate navigation apps. Can a cell phone really do everything that a GPS does? Consumer Reports recently analyzed the vast number of navigation apps available for smart phones, and found large variations in quality across the board.
The organization reviewed several of the most popular iPhone navigation apps. They ranged in cost from an unbelievable $100 (for an app?) to $10 monthly. Consumer Reports’ regard for the app seemed to go up as the price did. A powerful app that essentially turns the phone into a dedicated GPS device got the best results from Consumer Reports’ reviewers.The bottom line is, a cell phone is not as accurate or powerful as a good standalone GPS system. A dedicated GPS device offers more accuracy, better volume control, and a better overall user experience.
Modern smart phones are designed to do it all. Unfortunately, that functionality comes at a cost: while those phones do it all, they don’t do it all well. Certainly a phone does not play movies as well as a 72″ inch flatscreen television, or play video games as engrossing as the latest Playstation 3 epic. Why would the average iPhone user, then, expect the same GPS quality that could be found on a standalone device?
The small size of a smart phone mandates a less powerful GPS transmitter than would be installed in a dedicated device. In addition, the phone’s housing, as well as other frequencies that transfer through the iPhone, disrupt the signal. The result is reduced GPS tracking functionality.
However, for the consumer that wants it all in one package, GPS app programmers have made some sterling applications that provide a good navigation experience for drivers. iPhone users may want to consider supplementing that phone-based GPS with a dock for their vehicle, in addition to a car charger that will offset the increased battery drain. Will future cell phone GPS systems be as powerful as standalone devices? Maybe. At this time, however, standalone GPS devices provide pinpoint accuracy that a cell phone simply cannot.
