Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., I.C.E., Tech
Should've bought a Garmin? Testing the iPhone 3G's GPS capabilities
by Damon Lavrinc on Jul 14th 2008 at 12:05PM 
Yes, we were among the suckers who endured the idiotic lines, activation woes and intermittent service that you've undoubtedly read about after the iPhone 3G's launch this past Friday. But our reason for suffering through myriad hassles to get our hands on Apple's newest hotness wasn't purely selfish. We wanted to see whether the iPhone 3G's new GPS functionality was worth the cost of admission or if we'd be better off buying one of the many stand-alone navigation units currently on the market. Make the jump to find out if it's worth your hard-earned cash and a place on your dash.Gallery: iPhone 3G GPS Review
On Sunday, we had to make a trek to San Francisco from our East Bay "offices," and the drive appeared to be the perfect test to run the iPhone 3G's navigational abilities through the gauntlet. The route would take us through a residential area, across two freeways, the Bay Bridge and into the bowels of the City on the Bay.
We inputted the name of our destination into the iPhone 3G's Google Maps application, and just like its PC counterpart, Google had no issues searching the city and dropping a red pin on our desired destination. We selected the "Current Location" as our start point and after a few seconds of thinking, the GPS locked on to our position and dropped a green pin to identify our departure point.
Before we begin, it deserves note that the iPhone 3G does not offer real-time, turn-by-turn directions -- a major drawback compared to standalone satnavs. We've heard conflicting reports that GPS software manufacturers won't be able to use the iPhone's new GPS functionality in their own applications, something that we're convinced will change as the iPhone's popularity grows.
However, the Google Maps application still offers (non-real-time) turn-by-turn directions at the top of the screen, so knowing where to navigate simply involves pushing the right arrow and advancing the directions to the next waypoint.
Once underway, we quickly found that there is no link between the listed directions and the GPS beacon, designated by a blue dot. The screen would either show your current location (tracking the blue dot on the center of the display), your last turn or the next turn. After a few directional changes, we discovered it's best to hit the location button on the bottom left corner of the screen to get your current position and then follow the purple outline that designates the selected route. Once you've made a turn or passed the next waypoint, press the right arrow to advance the directions and then press the location button to get the blue dot back on the screen. It's a bit convoluted and almost makes having a passenger manning the map a necessity, but assuming you've got the screen zoomed out to an appropriate level, you can track your progress easily and see your next turn well in advance.
Unfortunately, while we were descending into The City we hit a communications dead spot, so the map disappeared momentarily, yet still displayed our route and GPS beacon. Once the map was back on screen a few seconds later, we were met by the cruel reality that we missed our turn. While a normal sat-nav would have re-routed us after our gaffe, the iPhone only displayed our current location and the route we should have taken. However, this is where the GPS functionality had the chance to shine.We zoomed the screen out to show both our current location and our destination, and then made our way through the maze of one-way streets and "No Left Turn" signs, attempting to get to the red pin that would end our journey. Although the GPS beacon continued to track our course, it occasionally displayed our position in the middle of a block even though we were at an intersection. After a few seconds, it would catch up with our progress, giving us a rough idea of where to turn next.
After a few lefts and one illegal U-turn, we arrived unscathed and only half-impressed with the iPhone 3G's GPS capabilities. Compared to a dedicated navigation unit, the iPhone just can't compete with systems offering turn-by-turn directions and on-the-fly re-routing. However, its small size and ease of use would make it a competent companion for navigating through a city on foot. So aside from a few intermittent errors on both the phone's part and our own, it's safe to say that the 3G works as advertised: under-promising and only slightly delivering.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Jim 12:09PM (7/14/2008)
sounds like a big piece of poop you got there.
Reply
Vink 6:24PM (7/14/2008)
I agree that it is not as good as a stand alone, but it's not a stand alone. The iPhone does a lot of thing very well, a few things good, and then still has more features that most people won't use. I would like to think that most people that own the phone will be very compitent with Google maps and be able to use it to get where they are going. Remember, this is a PHONE. If you NEED a dedicated GPS to stay on the road... then please STAY OFF THE ROAD!
Mark 8:42PM (7/14/2008)
X 10k
SimbaDogg 12:07AM (7/15/2008)
u got my attention...that it seriously hands down the worst gps interface review i've read. which makes me ponder this question, because i swear i've used the most recent version of googles gps nav software on my phone, and i can almost swear that it did offer turn by turn directions.
i must say, it kinda makes you sad to be the first in line, buy something this pricey and HAVE to be locked into a contract, unless you love those ETFs, and then find out the only gps app u have access to is seriously flawed. well, i must say i've been using windows live search for my att tilt, and it 1) does do turn by turn and 2) does offer re routing 3) since its entirely data based like google, it does offer construction rerouting as well (which you're not gonna find on other phone programs like tomtom)
EchelonBob 12:21AM (7/15/2008)
So the excuse for pathetic navigation is that the iPhone is primarily a phone? Well, so is my slim LG VX8700! Except that with VZNavigator, my phone can easily track my location via GPS and navigate with turn-by-turn spoken directions and 3-D map views! With traffic! And it can tell me those directions directly into my Bluetooth headset. Oh, it can also play stereo music over Bluetooth, voice dial, and read an SD card, three other things the music phone iPhone can't do...
Yes, it's pretty, and has an ingenious interface. But you guys give iPhone WAY too much of a free pass. Version 1, OK. But Version 2? Come on already! Apple blew it here in several key ways.
Logik 12:26AM (7/15/2008)
I recently took Sprint's Instinct phone on a little journey in and around Sacramento, and down around in L.A. The navigation option performed just as good as my stand-alone. The only minor inconvenience, was that I had to wear the headset because the speaker volume wasn't loud enough at max level.
Andrew 11:54AM (7/15/2008)
Yeah right now it sucks for turn by turn but the current solution of Google Maps on the iPhone was never meant for in car directions.
Good thing about the iPhone is that it has the App Store, so companies are free to port over their software to the iPhone.
TeleNav has already confirmed they are coming out with GPS turn-by-trun software for the iPhone and TomTom has a working port of their software.
It wont be long before you can buy an iPhone and choose your GPS map software from TeleNav, TomTom or Garmin.
Wait for the real players like TeleNav and TomTom to release their software on the iPhone then you will have a killer car GPS.
fil 4:19PM (7/16/2008)
@SimbaDogg
Autoblog review cars, and iPhone's GPS is a first. Why don't you come do a review on cars?
Scott 9:47AM (7/17/2008)
EchelonBob
And that would be a fair comparison if VZNavigator was free, but you're paying a MONTHLY CHARGE for that single feature!
Verizon FTL.
Justin 12:10PM (7/14/2008)
I bought a 3G iPhone. I've found the GPS to be good for location finding as long as you're outdoors (and geocoding your photos!).
Apple never promised the GPS to act as a link with Google Maps to be a navigator, there's word of 3rd parties creating their own apps to take advantage of this later.
For what it is, I think it's great. Just be sure to turn it off when you aren't using it, it kills your battery life.
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Ermax18 12:50PM (7/14/2008)
No GPS devices work indoors. It is line of sight only. If you can't see the sky, neither can it. This is another reason why that car finding program wouldn't work well with GPS. If your car was in a parking garage the program would only be able to guide you to the garage, after that you're on your own. :)
I am sure with time though someone is going to come out with a better program that offers turn by turn directions on the iPhone. It isn't like it doesn't have the hardware necessary for this.
What I am interested in is how well it's new Exchange server integration works.
To bad this thing is GSM only and locked to ATT. I will stick with my 1250min/unlimited text/unlimited data for 49.99 plan with Sprint. :)
DKB_SATX 1:36PM (7/14/2008)
ermax18: My TomTom works inside my house, though it's slower to lock onto satellite signals. In many structures, I'm sure it wouldn't be able to find the satellites, but it's important to remember that radio waves penetrate many materials that light does not.
why not the LS2LS7? 1:59PM (7/14/2008)
My Garmin Nuvi works in my garage, and it sometimes works 1 floor down in parking garages. It never works 2 or more floors below the top.
Recent GPSes have more sensitivity and stand some chance of working indoors. Just not terribly well or often.
Toy Yoda 4:52PM (7/14/2008)
My GPS in my 6 series bmw works in the maze of tunnels in Boston quite nicely, no problem with it. And there are plenty of underground exits, forks in the tunnel, zig zagging curves and the like.
Sean 12:16PM (7/14/2008)
If you bought a phone specifically for the purpose of using it as a map instead of buying a GPS (OR A FREE MAP), you get what you deserve.
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Vink 7:00PM (7/14/2008)
*WARNING* the following post creates a long debate about the camera. I suggest moving on to the next page.
Vintage 12:18PM (7/14/2008)
Too soon Apple. Too soon. Same goes for your POS 2MP camera with crap lense and no flash.
Where'd my old apple go? The one that left features out if they were mediocre, and instead only focused on a few things that they did really well? I miss that apple.
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FotoGenetix 12:21PM (7/14/2008)
how about actually buying a real point and shoot instead of waiting for that "right" phone
Parkerman 12:35PM (7/14/2008)
It is meant to be a phone....NOT a camera...do you understand that?
Vintage 1:02PM (7/14/2008)
I have a point and shoot. But what is the point of the camera on this thing if it takes crappy pictures? Why do you defend a crap version of a camera? And if it is meant to be ONLY a phone ,why does it have a camera lense, camera abilities, and is advertised as something that will be a camera/phone/ipod all in one? It plays music okay, but the camera sucks balls.