The maps suck

Correct but you cannot navigate or verify your location without cell reception.

So if you know where you are and where your going, the offline google maps works great. If your lost and trying to figure out that mess..doesn't help unfortunately.

 

There's plenty of signal between home and the mall.

 

Just FYI, many smartphone map apps work on a GPS network and not just cellular networks. I have had map directions going with no service before.

 

Of course you can. GPS satellites are in orbit and unless you're down in a hole or at a high latitude there'll be enough visible to get a position fix. The mapping app takes that and displays your position on the locally-stored maps.

 

Strictly speaking, GPS satellites simply broadcast their data streams. There's a "constellation" of satellites but no "network" in a communications sense. (ignoring what may be behind the scenes used by the satellite operations crews)

 

From the research I have done, IMHO, the best Garmin for dedicated offroad use would be the Garmin Drive Track 70LMT.

It comes preloaded with 100k took maps. You can buy a 3rd party huntview/24k top map. The Garmin also comes with 1 free year of Birdseye. You can use Base Camp to create routes/waypoints and load them into the Drive Track and actually be navigated TO and through the route (unlike the Lowrance or Fiahfinder/Chartplotter combos).

 

Not all phones have a "GPS" , some rely on cell towers.

 

Name a smartphone that still relies on tower triangulation. Not trying to be an ass, but I can't think of a current phone which doesn't have a real GPS receiver inside. Heck, I've had one in sports/running watches since 2011.

The tower-triangulation technology went out a long time ago when the cell chip makers began putting GPS receivers in their chipsets.

 

Friends iPhone 5s on AT&T. He has played with setting etc. On the preloaded map on his phone, the second he looses cell - screen wont show his location and the map displays shut.

 

on android, you can navigate without cell signal by using the downloaded maps. if you are planning a trip from point A to point B you can tell it ahead of time to download the map and cache it.

also, cellular is only used to assist the gps chip, that's why it's called agps. most modern devices have gps chips in them and don't need to rely on the cellular assist. the cellular assist just helps get a gps lock faster.

 

try google maps instead of apple maps.

 

I have an running app that is like that but once you get back to cell phone range the run log pops up.

I'm pretty sure the phone knows where you are but without a map for your reference its kinda useless. That's why people are saying to download the map first.

 

App limitation. Apple Maps doesn't download map data, it's all over the internet. Without data connection the app will shut down.

Use an app that allows saving maps locally.

See http://gizmodo.com/how-to-save-offline-maps-in-the-new-google-maps-for-ios-819672562
Note the date on that article pre-dates the 5s release.

 

My 3D maps are aweosme!

 

This is in Android on Google maps.

 

seriously....

 

At last, someone who understands current aGPS implementation! Yes, the network can provide the current emphemeris to aid in initial time to lock. Skyhook style wifi sensing/lookup can provide much greater positional accuracy within buildings and under obstructions. End of the day though, the in-phone GPS chips are quite capable of standalone operation.

 

Yes, seriously.

My post was for clarity to others who could easily misunderstand what you wrote.

 

Theres nothing to misunderstand...The premise of the post was that cell phone can utilize GPS outside of cellular networks...

The semantics and function of GPS is outside the scope of my comment.

 

The in phone gps chip sucks in my airplane