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- shadoweva09, on 07/20/2008, -11/+67Sorry, an antenna has to be a certain size to pick up on a certain frequency, there is absolutely no variation on this as it is dictated by the laws of physics. The antenna being "too small" is just ridiculous, chances are the problem here is that they did not build a compass into the thing.
- megamod, on 07/20/2008, -0/+43I just googled some more information on this and this is what the chipset manufacture says:
"Hammerhead™II delivers all the performance of its predecessor, while in addition printing a new benchmark for high performance Positioning & Navigation integration into mobile devices.
* Using chip scale packaging (CSP) technology, its size (3.59 x 3.74mm2) now offers possibilities of integration into the miniaturizing world of mobile handhelds
* Hammerhead™II integrates a high performance AGPS baseband processor and a low-noise GPS RF front end. It comes packed with new software features such as advanced multi-path mitigation that avoid large errors in urban environments caused by reflected signal in buildings and other structures"
i doubt they would invest in such a good processor and not have planned ahead. - jasmus, on 07/21/2008, -0/+39From what I can tell, my 6110 navigator has no clue which way I'm moving until i move. It tracks point 1, then point 2 like .5sec later, then draws a line between the two and knows which way i'm facing. It sucks when you stand still, but it works for navigation in a car no worries. Why couldn't they do this in the iPhone?
- toddsinclair, on 07/20/2008, -6/+42I don't care how big the antenna is ... without real turn by turn it doesn't matter.
- trotskyist, on 07/20/2008, -7/+33REPLY *****, USE IT.
- megamod, on 07/19/2008, -7/+32They already said it can be done. Why would they lie like that and tarnish their reputation that is as spotless as the back of a new iphone?
@elister: as funny as your sexual innuendo is I'm not sure what you're trying to say. - dpowre, on 07/20/2008, -2/+25its actually worked pretty well for me.
- PilotHead, on 07/20/2008, -2/+24Why the hell would you want a GPS unit that's only "Location Aware" with a map instead of a real GPS unit that I don't know...actually navigate?
- Alex2, on 07/20/2008, -1/+22For a GPS device I want features. Most of the features that peope want are not based on accuracy, but rather convenience. So, it's the software, not the hardware.
For hiking biking - you need to be able to add trails and waypoints in gpx format, and download them from mapmyride bikely.com etc.
Things like the electronic compass, altimiter, speedometer are nice.
Having a satellite/topo view of my hike would really be nice.
For the car, I want turn by turn directions.
Live traffic is good. Having spoken street names is good.. "turn right on baxter" is better than upcoming turn.. ding. (it's a hassle when there's two intersections 100 meters apart)
Blocking phone calls when I'm driving is also good.
For the bike, I want turn by turn directions that also include taking the bike route along the sea wall or bike lanes. That's a wishlist item.. nobody's doing that now.
So.. it's the software, not the antenna. - gpan, on 07/21/2008, -5/+23Ding Ding Ding! Give this digger a prize. The lack of a compass is exactly why the iPhone won't have a true GPS navigation system! I'm surprised very few people realize this.
- Petrarch1603, on 07/21/2008, -3/+19well you can always get that app which uses the shadow of the sun to tell north
- kenvsryu, on 07/21/2008, -4/+18Because someone in a black turtleneck told you.
- paloooz, on 07/21/2008, -13/+26Because everything else about your phone sucks.
- choppinbroccoli, on 07/21/2008, -4/+17That's what she said?
- and303, on 07/21/2008, -3/+15Strange. Both Google Maps and Tom Tom do turn-by-turn just fine on my AT&T Tilt.
But more importantly, you can buy a really nice Tom Tom standalone unit to mount in your car for $120 on sale, and you won't have to choose between knowing where your going and calling to explain why you're late. - kaplanfx, on 07/21/2008, -2/+13You are right megamod, and this whole article is ridiculous. The real issue here is that apple and google are getting a deal on the map data they are purchasing from third parties for google maps, but part of their agreement prevents them from using the data for turn by turn directions (the 3rd parties license data for that purpose at higher costs).
Try using google maps on a 3G with the locate me button clicked, it clearly updates fast enough to be used for turn by turn directions, as you can watch it track you to within a few meters. Once apple works out the licensing issues there will be 3rd party providers who will have turn by turn software and map packs, available for an additional cost of course :) - lowbot, on 07/21/2008, -1/+11Yep. Sadly tech writers dont even know this. Of course there are different antenna designs, but they need to be able to catch a 1575.42 Mhz signal to work. Adding a few inches here or there doesnt do anything.
- obsolite, on 07/21/2008, -0/+10George Bush really needs to stop promising people free WiFi.
- jsauter, on 07/21/2008, -0/+9Depending on how much concrete and steel were between you and the sky in the parking lot, I would be surprised if any GPS device would work well (or at all).
- ibeetle, on 07/21/2008, -2/+11So AT&T can sell you a Turn-by-Turn subscription service for $4.99 a month.
- streak, on 07/21/2008, -0/+8Naturally, the iPhone 3G would be in my right hand as I hold it high on the dashboard for optimal signal strength, while driving with my left hand and as I pray the airbag doesn't deploy in my neck.
- whiledo, on 03/25/2009, -0/+8Same deal with my Garmin Nuvi. It doesn't start showing you the direction you are facing until you start moving a bit. And on the screen where it shows you search results, the arrows indicating where it is in relation to you previous location will turn into cardinal directions when you stop moving.
- benologist, on 07/21/2008, -1/+8Where else would it be if you wanted directions while you drive?
Also coming soon:
The iDashDock. Just $49.95 for a piece of plastic with a velcro strip on the bottom!! - kaplanfx, on 07/21/2008, -1/+8compass? If the gps is acurate, it should be able to tell which direction you are heading just by taking 2 or 3 samples. In fact, with a few accurate samples it should be able to tell how fast you are going in a particular direction, and weather you are accelerating, decelerating, or maintaining speed. As I said in a comment above, the issue is almost certainly that apple and google have a license agreement with the maps data provider that does not allow the data to be used for turn by turn directions.
- nakile, on 07/21/2008, -3/+9Buried as inaccurate. I'm tired of hearing this garbage. It's been passed around for weeks now, and has been disproved time and time again.
It doesn't even made since anyway. "Too small to emulate turn-by-turn navigation?" Does the guy even know how turn-by-turn works? It takes your previous location (where you were a few moments ago) and you current location and draws a vector between the two points and determines what direction your traveling based off that. It's all software based. If the GPS chip can find your coordinate (which every single one can, that's the point of them in the first place!) then the right software can figure it out. - JDOG, on 07/21/2008, -1/+7Big or small, it takes its sweet ass time. It also appears to take much longer when it's on EDGE making me think most of the work is being done on the cell tower side.
- inactive, on 07/21/2008, -2/+8Knowing Apple, turn-by-turn on the iPhone just doesn't work perfectly, and they'd rather have no feature at all than a ***** version.
- bradleyland, on 07/21/2008, -0/+5Exactly. Many GPS units rely on interpolation of multiple points of location data in order to determine cardinal direction. There's nothing unique about the iPhone that would prevent the same from being applied.
- pintomp3, on 07/21/2008, -1/+6the software isn't much good unless the antenna can get a good signal.
- bingo000, on 07/21/2008, -4/+9Yeah I heard the year 1980 was cool.
- ninfreak92, on 07/21/2008, -0/+5I smell ATT+TELENAV+MONTHLY SERVICE FEE =/
- WELLDOITLIVE, on 07/21/2008, -1/+6And my girlfriend forbade anal but look what happened
- streak, on 07/20/2008, -0/+5More specifically, for reliable tracking, the location facility just might not be sufficiently accurate in a vehicle unless the iPhone 3G is placed on the dash where it has stronger, more consistent access to signals from more GPS satellites. Wi-Fi and cell phone triangulation alone are not accurate enough for turn-by-turn directions.
- sandaboy, on 07/21/2008, -3/+8Proof it will work when they friggin release the software:
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSB465531 ... - slifty, on 07/21/2008, -2/+6Possibly, but without an antenna the software can't always function. I just did a road trip with my friend to DC where we used his new iPhone for directions. It got us there fine but when we were parked in an enclosed parking lot the iPhone couldn't pinpoint our location. This wasn't a huge problem since, well, we were parked... but you get the idea - it isn't powerful enough to have 100% coverage, and this is lame.
- inactive, on 07/21/2008, -2/+6In my experience, the GPS is very choppy, and at times is 100 yards off. At higher speeds (Highways etc) it skips... Hopefully that can be fixed with a software update
- zigziggityzoo, on 07/21/2008, -0/+4it's actually $9.99/month, and not available on the iPhone.
- Paranoidmarvin, on 07/21/2008, -0/+4Depends what you are using it for...
I use a Garmin Venture HC for my field work, and it's great for what I need it for - directing me towards markers, or leaving markers that can then be uploaded for a computer so I can analyse data.
It doesn't have turn-by-turn navigation, even though it has ±2m accuracy most the time. - tnoy, on 07/21/2008, -4/+8People have been thinking Apple is the first to do everything for years now.
- haentz, on 07/21/2008, -0/+4Well the Nokia N95 also doesn't have a compass either and provides quite adequate turn-by-turn navigation. I for myself am fooling around with an iPhone application of my own at the moment, which outputs the plain GPS data. And it doesn't seem to look very good...
- booshack, on 07/21/2008, -1/+4Apple explicitly forbids apps of that nature.
- MxM111, on 07/21/2008, -0/+3I hate to break it to you, but with antennas, size matters.
- Billions, on 07/21/2008, -7/+10A device that can locate you on a map if you don't know where you are? It does matter, you're being extreme. It just isn't as useful as it can be - and from what we've heard, _will be_ once an app is released to support what you're looking for.
- hansolo007, on 07/21/2008, -1/+4Works for me quite well. I was driving and the blue dot was moving along with me in real time. I almost couldn't take my eyes off it...
LOOK OUT!!! - ibeetle, on 07/21/2008, -0/+3"There's just no pleasing some people."
"Funny, thats just what Jesus said."
-- Monty Pythons Life of Brian
If TomTom came out with Turn-by-Turn navigation software for the iPhone tomorrow people would go bat crap crazy.
This is the software that should have come with the iPhone.
The iPhone should have been able to do this from day one.
Not enough POI spots.
No voice directions.
The price is too high. (Even if the software was free.)
What do you mean I have to pay a subscription for this feature, or that feature my XYZ does this for free?
I just bought a TomTom ONE XL GPS
And of course the often (way over used and often misused) words like deal breaker and no brainer will be in every post. - shank2001, on 07/21/2008, -0/+3You obviously dont know how GPS works. GPS can be very much off when only seeing 3 satellites. The more satellites the receiver can see, the more accurate it is. Weaker signals DOES mean being less accurate, sometimes even up to 100 meters! That said, my iPhone does a great job is pretty darn accurate (we are not doing USGS surveys here people), and is much quicker at finding my location than most GPSs out there.
- DirtyBinLV, on 07/21/2008, -2/+5My Samsung Instinct is the exact same size as an iphone and it does turn by turn navigation with voice prompts. Its web browser doesn't hold a candle to the iphone, but it's pretty great for $120.
- inactive, on 07/21/2008, -5/+8In short, the answer is... no.
- mindsnare, on 07/21/2008, -3/+6I find it to be better than most GPS devices I've used, it picks up a signal very quickly, even in high rise areas, it even picks up indoors pretty well if you're near any windows.
I sometimes run google maps when driving and it's spot on, there's even a section of road with a temp detour that takes you off the side of the road about 5 metres, and you can see your blue dot showing that on google maps, how can it be any better than that? - inactive, on 07/21/2008, -0/+2Apple is the limitation here, as they say in the iPhone SDK that they won't accept turn-by-turn programs. TomTom is more than welcome to make all the turn-by-turn programs they want, they just won't be accepted by Apple straight away if submitted to the App Store.
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