Is GPS usage free

L

Lexi B

New member
For the phones that say they come with built-in GPS, do they operate like standalone gps devices and work for free with no data plan required?
 
They are free but voice directions are a premium service. As far as a data plan it's only in effect if you havent pre-loaded the maps on your MC. Meaning, if you live in Georgia and downloaded only that state, once you crossover to say North Carolina it will require a data connection to load the new maps. I plan on loading up the tri state area surrounding me and only loading up anything extra when I plan to travel.
Maps and application can be dowloaded here.
http://www.smart2go.com/en/index_html
And afaik the premium services can only be purchased directly from your mobile. Pricing has been discussed her on hofo...just hit up a search.
 
No, I don't think they messed up on the pricing. It's just right. Think about it:

For the US, it's $9.50 for a 7-day, $11 for a 30-day, $109 for a year.

They want you to use their software for as long as possible. If you're only going to be somewhere for a week, you SHOULD buy the 7-day, but your business sense will tell you to spend the extra $1.50 even though you don't really need it.

Or if you're in my situation just testing it out. Normally you'd only buy the cheapest one, but if you can get a whole month, you're likely to just buy that. Which means you'll be using it more, and everyone knows it takes 14 days to build a habit. So if I use the software for 30 days (which I will, cause, heck, I paid for it.) then I'm hooked. Moreso than I would have been if I'd only bought a 7 day license.
 
I get the logic behind more bang for your buck and trying to hook the consumer in but I just thought the seperation in price difference was odd. T-mobile hotspots are 6.99 a day I think but it's 19.99 for an entire week. I'll probably splurge for the 1year voice guidance but i'm not sure if I want to do it on the E90 or N95. I think the N95 would make a more practical GPS device as it fits into the holder I currently have. I wonder if the contract allows you to use voice guidance with multiple devices. Anyone know? Meaning.....swap back and forth between the E90 and N95 w/ only 1 charge.
 
angel_wing0, is that the price for smart2go or is that for Nokia's service? That's only for voice guidance right?

I've just tried smart2go, and I don't have a data plan or wifi or gps. The thing is fun to use, but it's address database seems limited since it's only 70mb in size for California. I am also not sure how to get to an intersection rather than just an address, but it works decently enough and the maps are neat, but require a lot of zooming on my e50 screen.

Are there similar free programs for the s60?
 
you can get a stand alone gps for $170.00. with maps, voice guidance and mp3 player, larger screen and nothing else to pay for afterwards for life.

For smart2go you pay for voice guidance, yet it does not say you street names. All these features like camera, multi media player,gps, youtube/web browse, VoIP are being bundled inside a cellphone, unfortunately none of these features are perfected and thus these features of a phone is to some extent useless.

To me these are just a marketing scam by cellphone companies to sell phones with a high price.

If cellphone companies really cared about consumers, they would have built a phone with superb screen resolution, surround sound audio, great battery life. fast smooth browsing. They need to master the basic functions of a phone, before they can really compete against, ipod,canon/sony,tomtom,garmin products. Phone companies are adding these half working features to their devices just to rip off money from consumers.
 
No, they're not 'perfected', but the fact that they're available on your phone now means that over time these features will be modified/perfected. My Route 66 doesn't say the names of the streets either, but since I can see whatever street I'm on, and the name of the approaching street/turn it's no problem.
 
with a small screen of a cellphone mounted on the dash board, I wonder how hard and risky it is too see what is written on that tiny not that bright screen. It is suitable for walking not driving.
 
I use my phone for GPS every single day and I have no problems hearing the directions or reading the street. Also, I have yet to see a standalone GPS for under $300, much less one with all the features you listed.

The draw for me in having a phone with these features is that I carry one device, and with that device, I can access any web page, I get my email, I can listen to music, watch movies, etc. And when I'm not using it, I can slip it into my pocket.

Also, my Nokia N73 does have the four things listed by you as making a great phone (superb resolution, great battery life, stereo surround sound, and fast smooth browsing. So I'm not sure what you're looking for here.
 
Well using any GPS device requires you to look at a screen and they're all pretty much the same size. The N73 screen is large enough that I don't have to strain to see thus not causing me problems whilst driving.
 
Granted I've never used a SiRF Star III device, but my LD-1W (Star II) works fine for me. It can go a few days before I have to recharge it (which isn't a hassle considering it's mounted to my windshield) and it gets the connection pretty quick, imo. Totally usable.
 
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