Smartphone GPS. Does it use data? If so how much?

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V4oLDbOY

Gawd
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Feb 3, 2008
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I'm a new Android owner, S2 Skyrocket on ATT. I only got the 200mb plan since I dont think I will be needing even that much since most of my time is around a wifi assessable area.

But I started thinking about using GPS, that is something I might actually use, especially with Google rolling out indoor maps. I have yet to activate my phone so I haven't tried GPS out on it.

For those who do have a smartphone with GPS or who might know. Does it use your data plan? If so, how much? Do you even notice the amount of data it uses?
 
The GPS itself doesn't use data but Google Maps and Google Navigation uses your data to download the actual maps. Your position is free but to see where you are isn't.

On the other hand, it's not a lot of data either although I don't have the numbers. I didn't have any trouble (or even came close to it) when I was on a 500MB plan.
 
No, data will not be used, just get your GPS route found when on Wifi, and then just turn off your 3G/2G/Wifi radios, and so long as you dont go too far off the track it will still show your track, it wont recalculate, but it will pick your location up the whole way.
 
W.Feather said:
No, data will not be used, just get your GPS route found when on Wifi, and then just turn off your 3G/2G/Wifi radios, and so long as you dont go too far off the track it will still show your track, it wont recalculate, but it will pick your location up the whole way.
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This. The phone isn't streaming the map data the whole time you're navigating. It caches the whole route the moment you start navigating to the destination. The data used between the GPS radio and the satellites is not carrier data, therefor is not tracked or counted against you.

I wouldn't think it would be much data to pull up map data anyways though. Maybe a few MBs at most each time you navigate or more if you do a lot of re-calculating due to leaving the original course it plotted for you. I know there are other navigation apps in the market though that let you download all map data in your region/state/country so you don't use any data or need a data connection in order to navigate, I can't remember the names of them though or if they're any good compared to Google nav.
 
Programs like CoPilot Live do not use data at all....instead you download the entire map and store it to your phone.
 
Hmm, interesting. I think I should look into a gps app that downloads the entire map. I only have a 200mb plan. I dont care about wasting the data, but I care about going over and having to pay.

Are there any gps apps I should look into? I'll check out CoPilot.
 
chances are you wont hit 200MB of data if your doing navigation mainly, it uses very little (unless your using it pretty much all day every day ;) )
 
wait up,

if you use A-GPS data WILL be used in addition to any data that you would use with maps, etc.. AGPS allows for a faster lock by using the nearest cell towers.
 
W.Feather said:
chances are you wont hit 200MB of data if your doing navigation mainly, it uses very little (unless your using it pretty much all day every day ;) )
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Then you should ask yourself whether you can really use your smartphone for navigation mainly. You assumed people don't use internet and read email on their smartphone,etc, and just use the phone for navigation. Why don't you suggest him to buy a GPS if all he do is navigation?

Make no sense.
 
chiu said:
Then you should ask yourself whether you can really use your smartphone for navigation mainly. You assumed people don't use internet and read email on their smartphone,etc, and just use the phone for navigation. Why don't you suggest him to buy a GPS if all he do is navigation?

Make no sense.
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I do have a GPS. But the maps are a few years out of date and if I can get by using the GPS on my phone and have it not use any of my data plan, I feel that is a much better and more convenient option. I am asking precisely because of this, I plan on using that <200 mb on other things or maybe not, but I want to maximize that data plan and not use it if I dont need to. I wanted to know if the GPS used any data, seems that it does and doesn't.

Right now I feel my best option is a GPS app that stores the maps locally. I only plan on using the GPS is California, so hopefully I can find one that limits the maps it downloads. I wish I could have google maps download data locally. I know it caches the recent and common things, but I want at least a county's worth of maps locally so I never need to se data when not around wifi.
 
YeuEmMaiMai said:
wait up,

if you use A-GPS data WILL be used in addition to any data that you would use with maps, etc.. AGPS allows for a faster lock by using the nearest cell towers.
Click to expand...

Yes, but you can also tell it to not auto-download A-GPS data, or you can manually do that

chiu said:
Then you should ask yourself whether you can really use your smartphone for navigation mainly. You assumed people don't use internet and read email on their smartphone,etc, and just use the phone for navigation. Why don't you suggest him to buy a GPS if all he do is navigation?

Make no sense.
Click to expand...

Read the fucking thread, I gave a suggestion/information based on his question, Hence me telling the OP that they will be fine based on just GPS usage with lower MB plan, OP is also in Wifi the majority of time, which can be used for internet/email, sounds like the OP is only relying on data when in a vehicle, so the only time GPS may be used (based on how I understand the OP) is in the vehicle, where you wont be reading e-mail or browsing the web.
 
W.Feather said:
Read the fucking thread, I gave a suggestion/information based on his question, Hence me telling the OP that they will be fine based on just GPS usage with lower MB plan, OP is also in Wifi the majority of time, which can be used for internet/email, sounds like the OP is only relying on data when in a vehicle, so the only time GPS may be used (based on how I understand the OP) is in the vehicle, where you wont be reading e-mail or browsing the web.
Click to expand...

Correct, but if I can help using ANY data for GPS I would like to do so. I would like to have data available for anytime I want to check movie times or yelp a restaurant. Even if GPS only used a bit of data, if I dont need to use my data for GPS, why should I. That's why I want an option that will prevent any data being used.

I will look into caching data from google maps/nav. As of now, that is my favorite GPS app as it provides a better search option.
 
best option is to get A-GPS data prior to leaving wifi areas, AFAIK when driving (after connected to GPS) it will not attempt to download A-GPS data, and if you have data disabled it will be unable to download it, and it will take a little bit longer to connect to GPS
 
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