Apple I-Phone

[+4chin seeker]

I am considering buying a Apple I-phone. I am told it has GPS enabled features. I can not get a good solid answer from sales reps as most of them have never used a GPS and no nothing more that the has GPS capabilities. So my question to you is; do you or someone you know use a I-phone and have used it for GeoCaching? If so what do you/they think of the unit?

[+oneeyesquare]

I am considering buying a Apple I-phone. I am told it has GPS enabled features. I can not get a good solid answer from sales reps as most of them have never used a GPS and no nothing more that the has GPS capabilities. So my question to you is; do you or someone you know use a I-phone and have used it for GeoCaching? If so what do you/they think of the unit?

 

The iPhone has a very nice Google maps app which relies on manually inputing your current location. It has absolutely no GPS features, either receiver onboard or ability to connect to a Bluetooth GPSR . There are also no caching programs currently available, though the browser renders and navigates geocaching.com exquisitely. It is a very nice phone with a gorgeous UI, but limited feature set, a beautiful walled garden, if you will.

 

If you are really wanting a GPS enabled phone, ATT will be releasing the 8925 or HTC Kaiser shortly (if they haven't already), which is a Windows Mobile phone with a built in GPS receiver. This phone will be approx the same as the iPhone with a far more extended feature set.

 

I use a Glofiish x500+ and my wife uses the x500 (hand me down). Both units with built in GPS and Windows Mobile and approx the same size HxW, with several additional mm's thickness.

 

I have an iPhone as well. So... speaking from experience.

Edited September 16, 2007 by oneeyesquare

[lewis82]

And even if a future version (iPhone 2G) has an intregated GPS, it would surely not be appropriate for Geocaching (at least without third-party apps). Like, just a map screen, or even worse, just Google maps for navigation.

[+Genoist]

I use Google Maps on my BlackBerry all the time if I need to see sat photos of a cache site. If the iPhone Google Maps works as well (or better) than the BlackBerry one, then it would be a great companion for Geocaching.

[+Dark_Faerie]

My friend got me into geocaching on a camping trip two weeks ago. I'm planning to try using my phone and blue tooth GPS reciever. I've got impatient and found 3 caches just using google maps whilst waiting for my reciever to arrive. One was 2m out, google pointed right at the exact side of the trees the caches had been hidden!

 

There is a lot of navigation software out there for phones that use windows mobile. Don't know how good any of it is (any recommendations?) but they range from free to $60 or more.

 

My phone is made by HTC, don't know what the model is in the US. In the UK it's the T-mobile MDA Vario II (with a keyboard that slides out to the side).

 

If it can't be used for geocaching, the reciever cost little more than the car charger it comes with and both use the same usb cable for charging. plus I've got a route finder it can be used with.

[+Whitewater49]

my iphone is in the mail right now. I will be using it for the google maps app and to navigate geocashing.com while out and about. This should reduce any need I have for printing instructions on multis or puzzles. Of course it is just another gadget in another pocket but I typically keep my cell phone with me in case of emergency anyway.

GPS functionality will be existing standalone unit provided by Garmin

Edited September 25, 2007 by Whitewater49

[+SimonTuffGuy]

iPhone owner here as well... I've hacked my phone and added several 3rd party applications... One of them is called Navizon, which connects to Navizon.com and it supposed to be a GPS product of some sort... I just got it working today where it pin-pointed my location at the office...

 

From what I've heard posted around the boards (iPhone hacking sites, etc) is that the iPhone DOES have GPS capabilities, but they are turned off currently... I'm not sure if that is true, or someone just starting rumors...

 

With that said... I don't think I would want to put my $500 phone to the conditions that my GPS has seen...

[lewis82]

[...]

 

From what I've heard posted around the boards (iPhone hacking sites, etc) is that the iPhone DOES have GPS capabilities, but they are turned off currently... I'm not sure if that is true, or someone just starting rumors...

 

[...]

 

I don't think so. Apple did not even put a 3G chipset just because of heat dissipation. Why put a GPSr inside and do not even use it? Also, people at ifixit.com opened one iPhone and they did not find any.

 

Also in some places it is illegal to add new functions to electronics for free. So if an update ever happens, you'll have to pay for it.

 

EDIT: Maybe your app works with cell tower triangulation?

Edited September 26, 2007 by lewis82

[+Marky]

I use Google Maps on my BlackBerry all the time if I need to see sat photos of a cache site. If the iPhone Google Maps works as well (or better) than the BlackBerry one, then it would be a great companion for Geocaching.

If you open a cache page with an iPhone, and then click the google maps link, it will forward you to the google map app on the iPhone, which is really sweet (and better than any other google map app on other smart phones I've used). Neat how they put the switching logic in so that it uses the app rather than the web based google maps.

 

I've also successfully used the vcard format of gpsbabel to put cache pages in my address book which then will automatically sync with my iPhone. Not the best solution, but it's something (for those times when you don't have cell signal and would like to read the cache page description and the hint.)

 

--Marky

[+4chin seeker]

I never thought I'd get so much info from my one post. Let's keep it comming..... I think the I phone is for me............ I'll be contacting some of you later for more info about hacking them as soon as I get one.