Jump to content

I'm excited about the GPS-enabled iPhone


Recommended Posts

I held off getting an iPhone and decided to wait until a GPS-enabled one hit the market. That appears about to happen next week at Apple's developer conference.

 

I can't wait to see the applications that are written for GeoCaching with the iPhone. Google aerial maps on-demand, access to geocaching.com from wherever you get a cell phone signal, etc... the ability to log a visit and submit a photo at the same time, right at the cache!?

 

Gonna be cool!

Link to comment

I held off getting an iPhone and decided to wait until a GPS-enabled one hit the market. That appears about to happen next week at Apple's developer conference.

 

I can't wait to see the applications that are written for GeoCaching with the iPhone. Google aerial maps on-demand, access to geocaching.com from wherever you get a cell phone signal, etc... the ability to log a visit and submit a photo at the same time, right at the cache!?

 

Gonna be cool!

 

With the exception of submitting a photo, this is all possible right now with the current iPhone. I have one and use it for all my paperless caching needs, logging finds at the caches as well as looking at Google Maps. I use my GPS for the GPS parts.

 

Scott

Edited by sgarrand
Link to comment

I too have an iPhone & use it for - and am limited by - all the things mentioned in the previous posts. Having the GPS right there - in the phone - would be / will be a nice addition. Perhaps in another month or two the photo on the home page of Geocaching.com will show a picture of an iPhone instead of a BlackBerry! Ok, ok - maybe not that soon :) ..but who knows!?.. maybe they have a programming whiz at Groundspeak working on a GC-ing app for the iPhone already (??).

 

But really - the new version of Apple's software development package includes full programming capabilities for the iPhone now, enabling 3rd party developers to write software utilizing any of the iPhone's many capabilities. A nifty custom iPhone app would make Geocaching a snap -- enable uploads of photos to GC.com w/ your logs - a direct link to download cache coords data to iPhone's upcoming GPS feature (hopefully it won't be exclusively for auto navigation) - using iPhone's Maps to search for caches (like w/ the Google Earth klm) - etc. Having an app with all these capabilities would make the iPhone any geocacher's dream machine for sure!!!

 

:mad::(:o

Link to comment

I'm excited about my new (to me) bluetooth-enabled Treo 680!

I can cache using my bluetooth GPS receiver...AND

I can view Google aerial maps on-demand, I have access to geocaching.com from wherever I get a cell phone signal, etc... not to mention the ability to log a visit and submit a photo at the same time, right at the cache!?

Link to comment

just unveiled the new Iphone will have 3G data capabilities, GPS, and third party software capabilities. sounds like it could be a great geocaching device once somesoftware is released.

 

Just don't use it as your GPS if you live near the Canadian border. Turn that thing on in Canada for geocaching and you'll be buying yourself a Colorado every two hours or so.....

Link to comment

More information about the GPS capabilities on Apple's website. As some folks here had speculated, it's Assisted GPS (A-GPS). Reports are that Steve showed it tracking a car going down Lombard Street in San Francisco, which isn't easy! But it may not be accurate enough for geocaching or benchmark hunting. Anyone here have experience with A-GPS?

 

Patty

Link to comment

Now this may be the ultimate geocaching machine if the GPSr is any good. Go paperless for $200? So, who is going to try it first?

 

I vote for you! B)

 

Seriously, though, this might be cool, if it will support maps installed on the device. If it's still streaming-data-maps only, you're still out of (map) luck if you're outside cell service.

Link to comment
this might be cool, if it will support maps installed on the device. If it's still streaming-data-maps only, you're still out of (map) luck if you're outside cell service.

 

If the maps can be loaded as an app, and that's what the Apple site seems to be saying, then I'm on board. I love my Iphone - which I paid full pop for the day it was introduced. Now I can get a new Iphone with GPS and maps for less than the GPS I was looking to buy?

 

Yeah - I'll take one.

 

I say again - IF the maps can be loaded as a app.

Link to comment

GPS utilizing Google Map!

 

Price is literally half compare to original iPhone price at launch.

 

I would so want to buy this iPhone 3G.

 

But here is the down side!!

 

In order to use iPhone as anything, ipod, calculator, media playback or anything it is capable of .... you are required to have a cellular subscription! (Unlimited Data Plan too)... that is how Google Map get streamed to utilize the GPS.

Link to comment

About a year ago, I suggested that the iPhone had design elements (large hi-res touchscreen, especially) that would suit it for GPS use. Maybe someone at Apple was listening. The iPhone 3G is now available and incorporates GPS with Google Maps. Apple also has released an SDK which (I'm guessing here, since I'm no programmer) would allow software developers to build a program that could easily download Geocache files directly to the iPhone. And maybe it could even load Garmin style maps for areas where Google Maps can't be obtained wirelessly. Maybe there's smart phones that already do this, but my hunch is people will find it much easier on an iPhone (just as people overwhelmingly opted for the the intuitive ease of the iPod over other, more established, MP3 players).

 

This article below says the effect on the GPS industry could be shattering. Certainly, Apple now dominates the MP3 player market, but they haven't (yet) taken over the downloadable movie biz yet, so I'm not sure.

 

But $200 for a phone with built in GPS (and a great interface) looks like a much better deal than buying a cell phone AND a GPS. Comments?

 

***************************************************************

 

MONEYBOX

 

Recalculating ...

The 3G iPhone is coming. GPS manufacturers should be very, very scared.

By Chadwick Matlin

Posted Monday, June 9, 2008, at 7:00 PM ET

 

When Apple unveiled iTunes, it changed the recording industry by legitimizing and monetizing the process of downloading music. By coupling iTunes with the iPod, the company figured out a way to dictate the direction of the market for portable MP3 players. When it showcased the iPhone, it forced non-AT&T cellular carriers to scramble for touch-screen cell phone knockoffs. Now, Apple is bringing a faster, sleeker 3G iPhone to market—and it's the end of the portable GPS market as we know it.

 

For Apple, the move to GPS was a no-brainer. The original iPhone shipped with Google Maps as one of its built-in applications, and its EDGE network could already approximate your position by triangulating your signal against cell-phone towers. The denser the cell towers, the more easily the iPhone could spot you on a map. But that was just a tease for the growing number of people who've become accustomed to the GPS units in their cars.

 

Portable GPS devices have quickly gone from high-end curiosities to mass-market devices. In-car location trackers were the hot Christmas gift of 2007, and research firms estimated late last year that revenue would hit $50 billion in 2008 and $100 billion in five years. So far, the main benefactor has been Garmin, a GPS manufacturer that by most estimates commands more than 50 percent of the industry's American market share. The company posted record revenues in 2007.

 

Thus far, Garmin has specialized in portable units that whisper sweet nothings into drivers' ears as they shuttle between business meetings and the kids' soccer games. But recently, the market has become saturated with competitors ranging from Magellan to TomTom (the latter of which is the leader abroad). Despite blockbuster sales numbers, Garmin's stock has taken a dive, dropping more than 50 percent since December 2007. With Wall Street sourpusses looking on, Garmin decided to go mobile. The Nuvifone, announced in January, promised seamless integration of GPS, a portable Web browser, and a phone.

 

Garmin's new gizmo sounded a lot more promising and innovative before Monday afternoon. The GPS iPhone launches on July 11 for $200; Garmin's Nuvifone is slated to go live sometime between July and September; we still don't know how much it will cost or who the phone carrier might be.

 

But Garmin has bigger concerns than the Nuvifone. Every new iPhone sold means one fewer person needs a GPS unit in his car. Considering that the 3G iPhone starts at $200 and integrates music, phone, gaming, the Web, and GPS into one unit, the thing is going to siphon serious business away from the old-line GPS manufacturers. Garmin's entry-level portable GPS models hover north of $100. Almost all of the rest retail for more than $200, which isn't looking like a great deal right about now.

 

Apple's new phone also has the potential to take GPS technology to a level that Garmin and its competitors have not. GPS will no longer be for driving directions alone; instead, it's going to be a way to provide location-based services. With applications like Loopt, iPhone users will be able to see if their friends are nearby. In a perfect world, the GPS iPhone might even do the impossible—make Twitter useful. Eventually, it's easy to imagine a scenario in which you walk into a bar and see how many of your Facebook friends are in the room.

 

Maybe the Nuvifone could pull that off, too. But it seems fair to guess that the Apple fanboys aren't going to wait to find out. (A spokeswoman for Garmin wouldn't reveal many details about the Nuvifone, asserting only that the iPhone is aimed at a different market. When pressed to describe what Garmin's market was looking for, she said a device with phone, Internet access, and GPS capability in one package. Last time we checked, that's what the iPhone does.)

 

Apple's new product isn't guaranteed to destroy the GPS industry. For one thing, we don't know whether it can speak driving directions aloud—the killer feature on mobile GPS devices. (Our bet is that it can't.) Moreover, nobody seems to have a grip on how the iPhone will toggle between giving driving directions and accepting incoming phone calls. The Nuvifone already has that straightened out—when a call comes in, the unit will mute its driving directions, and the driver will be able to talk via a headset while looking at the unit for directions. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving will likely soon need to be renamed Mothers Against Distracted Drivers.)

 

One would assume, though, that all of this functionality will eventually be programmed onto Apple's platform by an enterprising developer. From there, users could download it to the iPhone. If that's the case, Garmin should make sure it's the company offering that program before anybody else capitalizes on Apple's shortcomings. Owning at least that market share would make a nice consolation prize.

 

But wait. TomTom—Garmin's chief global competitor—has already done it. Hours after Steve Jobs unveiled the 3G iPhone, the company announced it has already created an application that essentially transforms the iPhone into a TomTom GPS—complete with the look and feel of TomTom's maps and directions. It seems Garmin has already missed its on-ramp.

 

Chadwick Matlin is the staff reporter for The Big Money, Slate's business site, which will launch later this year.

Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2193237/

Edited by gpsdork
Link to comment

Looks like 3rd party GPS software for iPhone is already here:

 

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch navigation device maker TomTom already has a version of its navigation software running on Apple's iPhone and has plans to sell it to consumers, a spokesman said on Monday.

 

"Our navigation system runs on the iPhone already," the TomTom spokesman said after Apple announced a new version of the iPhone that will include global positioning (GPS) capability.

 

The spokesman did not say when TomTom, Europe's biggest maker of car navigation devices, would be ready to start selling the software.

Link to comment

I am under the impression that cell service is not required for the GPS to work. The iPhone can use a cell signal to improve the accuracy of your location (like when you are in a building), but it uses actual GPS when possible.

Link to comment

Everything that you guys are dreaming about the new iPhone doing are already possible with a widows mobile device (it is what I use).

 

Also A-GPS should work with out a cell signal (mine does). The cell signal only "A"ssists the GPS. It is possible that Apple would lock out the GPS to only work with a cell signal but I don't know why they would.

 

The biggest drawback with my setup and it would also affect the iPhone is GPS units tend to get dropped, dirty and wet while geocaching and while most GPS units don't mind this cell phones really don't like it.

Link to comment

Everything that you guys are dreaming about the new iPhone doing are already possible with a widows mobile device (it is what I use).

...

Wow, there is a single device ( no attachments ), with a 3.5 inch display, and GPS receiver for WM? Which one is that?

 

I am a die-hard WM person and have thus far resisted the iPhone, primarly as it does not some with Mobipocket or eReader ports ( I am a eBook fanatic and will NEVER go back to paper ). However with the release of the SDK and announcement ( or ... I read it on a website somewhere! ) that Mobipocket is coming our with a iPhone port, I am seriously thinking of going over to the dark side.

 

I would NEVER consider using an iPhone for geocaching, not even urban caching. I think that it's too fragile ( glass screen, not waterproof ) for caching.

 

Does anyone know what the no-plan price is for the 16gb unit?

Link to comment
Does anyone know what the no-plan price is for the 16gb unit?

Speculation is rampant on the various sites tracked by macsurfer as to how this is going to play out....

 

Due to the switch to a traditional cell phone model of discounted hardware being subsidized up front by companies like AT&T (vs ongoing fee per month with the v1 iPhone contract with AT&T in the US) and that Apple will supposedly no longer sell the phones online, it kind of implies that if you want to buy one at an Apple store or a cell phone retailer, you aren't walking out the door without a 2 year contract. :lol::huh:

 

Although it does sound like the penalties have gone down a bit, so maybe if you sign a contract, walk out of the store and immediately cancel, you'd be out US $300 + ~ US $200 cancel fee, or about the same cost as the original v1 phone before price drop.

 

Note the monthly fees in the US would be $10 more than for the v1 phone, and also the plan no longer includes the 200 SMS per month, so you'd be out even more per month if you add that to your plan if you are a v1 user considering an upgrade. :lol:

Link to comment
[

Although it does sound like the penalties have gone down a bit, so maybe if you sign a contract, walk out of the store and immediately cancel, you'd be out US $300 + ~ US $200 cancel fee, or about the same cost as the original v1 phone before price drop.

 

For the first-gen iPhone there was an application that activated your iPhone without you having to get a contract from AT&T...

 

If somebody (and I'm pretty sure it will) writes another version for the 3G iPhone, it'll be cheaper to buy an iphone than to buy an iPod touch... and you get the GPS as a bonus. :lol:

Link to comment

...

Although it does sound like the penalties have gone down a bit, so maybe if you sign a contract, walk out of the store and immediately cancel, you'd be out US $300 + ~ US $200 cancel fee, or about the same cost as the original v1 phone before price drop.

...

Although I wouldn't be happy about that I could live with as long as I can take my old number ( I have a Tilt ) transfer it to the iPhone, then put my new number on my old Tilt ( "old" ... it's not even a year old :lol: ).

Link to comment

Wow for GPS to pay an extra $20.00 on plans making them $70.00 for a single usage plan in insane. I pay 30.00 a month now for my cell phone. Fox news is calling the new phone a bait and switch deal. Lower price tag but we will screw you in the end on the 2 year contract with an insane monthly. I keep my already paid for GPSr and my Pda.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,365347,00.html

Link to comment
Does anyone know what the no-plan price is for the 16gb unit?

Speculation is rampant on the various sites tracked by macsurfer as to how this is going to play out....

 

Due to the switch to a traditional cell phone model of discounted hardware being subsidized up front by companies like AT&T (vs ongoing fee per month with the v1 iPhone contract with AT&T in the US) and that Apple will supposedly no longer sell the phones online, it kind of implies that if you want to buy one at an Apple store or a cell phone retailer, you aren't walking out the door without a 2 year contract. :lol::huh:

 

Although it does sound like the penalties have gone down a bit, so maybe if you sign a contract, walk out of the store and immediately cancel, you'd be out US $300 + ~ US $200 cancel fee, or about the same cost as the original v1 phone before price drop.

 

Note the monthly fees in the US would be $10 more than for the v1 phone, and also the plan no longer includes the 200 SMS per month, so you'd be out even more per month if you add that to your plan if you are a v1 user considering an upgrade. :lol:

dflye, can you point me to some threads where this is being actively/enthusiastically discussed.

Link to comment

dflye, can you point me to some threads where this is being actively/enthusiastically discussed.

This article from gizmodo with info from AT&T pretty much sums up how much they intend to nail the distribution of un-subsidized iPhone 3Gs to the floor in the US. Several times. With a large hammer. Ouch! :lol: Your nailage may vary in countries outside the US! :lol:

 

Gizmodo details on AT&T iPhone 3G sell/activation process

 

There are plenty of other places discussing this issue, but gizmodo is the first place I've seen with details supposedly from AT&T policy. If you really want to stay on top of this topic before the release of the 3G iPhone in a month or so (when facts will hopefully replace rumors), surf yourself to macsurfer and look for links that seem relevant. They cull the wheat from the chaff from tons of sites many times a day for mac/iphone related news, just scroll until something looks relevant. :huh:

Link to comment

I'm 51% there. Existing iPhone user who caches with a Glofiish x500+ (WM6 with integrated GPS). Just did two today and used the iPhone to look up the caches online. The Glofiish has a SirfIII chip and locks and holds exceptionally well, but the screen is unreadable in direct sunlight. Still a good caching machine though.

My iPhone concerns are the type of GPS chip used. No info on that. Obviously, with the new app store, a Geocaching app can be written, but when and how good still unknown. I hope that some reviews get posted prior to the July 11 release. It almost sounds fun to do the wait in line thing.

As far as the extra charges, not overly upset. Typical for American cell providers. There are several new WM phones coming (HTC Diamond, Samsung Omnia, Sony Experia1) with incredible feature sets that will eclipse the iPhone and work with ATT; however, they will cost beyond the $600 mark all, muting the additional equipment/data/text costs. I run the Glofiish as a 3rd line primarily for data (Geoscout is pretty neat, but poor for actul navigton) and the occasional tether session. I could dump that and recoup my costs there.

Summary: Very tempted to "upgrade"! The faster browsing wouldn't hurt either. I'm always looking up stuff out and about. The integration of navigation and Geocaching would be sweet!

Link to comment

...

There are several new WM phones coming (HTC Diamond, Samsung Omnia, Sony Experia1) with incredible feature sets that will eclipse the iPhone and work with ATT; however, they will cost beyond the $600 mark all, muting the additional equipment/data/text costs.

...

Yes, I am definitely keeping my eye on the Touch Pro and the Touch Diamond. The same size screen as my Tilt so no eBook benefit but it's a pretty sexy phone and with a GPS, Touch interfact, it's a good sounding phone for me.

Link to comment

I use the Trimble GPS Pack with my Sprint Sanyo SCP-7050 (which has Assisted GPS (AGPS)).

 

Geocache Navigator works great while on the Sprint network for two reasons:

1 - My data plan allows me to download information to my phone

2 - My AGPS phone uses both satellites AND the towers to get my location.

 

When I am off the Sprint network, Geocache Navigator is useless. There is no data connection from my provider. My phone can still connect to the satellite signals for location, but I need to use another program in the Trimble GPS Pack - Trimble Outdoors (TO). TO allows me to use my phone as a GPS, but again, since I'm off the provider network, I can't download any cache information. I have to input the lat/lon off a piece of paper or enter the waypoints into the phone beforehand.

 

My phone is also 3G (CDMA) but any phone (including the iPhone) off of it's provider network will not be able to download data. It will rely on what's saved to the phone.

Link to comment

I am new to geocaching. I'm holding off on buying a GPS unit because I may get the new iPhone instead. From what I'm reading here, it may be a perfect substitute for a handheld GPS (notwithstanding the issues of protecting it from the elements). But I'm wondering about cost.

 

Does one pay for a subscription when using a handheld GPS device?

 

Does anybody know whether Canada will have an unlimited data plan for the iPhone (I understand that Rogers/Fido will be the carrier)? If not, what sort of price are we talking about and how would that differ from using a handheld unit in terms of cost to use on a typical cache hunt?

 

TIA.

Link to comment

Does one pay for a subscription when using a handheld GPS device?

 

Does anybody know whether Canada will have an unlimited data plan for the iPhone (I understand that Rogers/Fido will be the carrier)? If not, what sort of price are we talking about and how would that differ from using a handheld unit in terms of cost to use on a typical cache hunt?

 

GPS usage is free.

 

Rogers/Fido have not released data pricing yet.

Link to comment

Everything that you guys are dreaming about the new iPhone doing are already possible with a widows mobile device (it is what I use).

...

Wow, there is a single device ( no attachments ), with a 3.5 inch display, and GPS receiver for WM? Which one is that?

 

 

HTC Touch CDMA/Sprint has GPS capabilities, mind you the screen is a bit smaller.

I run TomTom on mine with a Bluetooth GPS while I wait for Telus to enable the GPS chip on my phone.

 

There are LOTS of WM devices with GPS in the pipes already, and you can run TomTom, Garmin Mobile XT, Cachemate and any number of programs for maps. When I'm in cell phone coverage it's a great device to have handy for looking up trailheads and such with Google Maps but I'd rather use my Colorado for the actual tupperware hunt. Touch screens + wet rocks don't mix.

Link to comment

Does anybody know whether Canada will have an unlimited data plan for the iPhone (I understand that Rogers/Fido will be the carrier)? If not, what sort of price are we talking about and how would that differ from using a handheld unit in terms of cost to use on a typical cache hunt?

 

Be VERY careful relying on a cell-phone for GPS/Map coverage with Canadian carriers. Bell, Telus offer GPS on their phones only as a subscription model. With downloadable maps you run the risk of losing map coverage once you get out to the good caching areas. Toronto, for example, is surrounded by a greenbelt with particularly bad cell phone service.

 

Rogers will definately be carrying the iPhone/iPhone 2 in Canada (already announced). Not necessarily on July 11, 2008, and not necessarily with the aggresive data plans we've seen from Bell/Telus. Another thing worth noting: Rogers 3G map is not all that impressive at this time.

 

iPhone will no doubt be handy for caching, but you really want to have a handheld GPS for the actual trailwalking if you could ever encounter rain, or freezing temperatures. Plus, the iPhone does not have a user replaceable battery - something that could leave you miles from your car, lost and your cell phone is dead too, so no calling for help either!

Link to comment

iPhone will no doubt be handy for caching, but you really want to have a handheld GPS for the actual trailwalking if you could ever encounter rain, or freezing temperatures. Plus, the iPhone does not have a user replaceable battery - something that could leave you miles from your car, lost and your cell phone is dead too, so no calling for help either!

 

That's a very good point. Thanks, northernpenguin. Husband is definitely getting the iPhone. I'm thinking about it. Since me and the kiddos will likely do some geocaching in our neighbourhood while Hubby is at work, I'll still need my own device. Looks like it will be a while before the kinks are sorted out with the iPhone. I think I might go with a handheld. Then I don't have to worry about the kids dropping it! :-)

Link to comment

Everything that you guys are dreaming about the new iPhone doing are already possible with a widows mobile device (it is what I use).

...

Wow, there is a single device ( no attachments ), with a 3.5 inch display, and GPS receiver for WM? Which one is that?

 

 

PPC 6800, screen is just under 3.5 inches but it has everything else.

Link to comment

Everything that you guys are dreaming about the new iPhone doing are already possible with a widows mobile device (it is what I use).

...

Wow, there is a single device ( no attachments ), with a 3.5 inch display, and GPS receiver for WM? Which one is that?

 

 

PPC 6800, screen is just under 3.5 inches but it has everything else.

 

As with the majority of the HTC manufactured devices, the 6800 has a 2.8" screen. There is one WM device with a 3.5" screen... Actually a 5" screen. The HTC Advantage 7501. A bit big for carrying around in the woods for my tastes, but a very powerful unit, NTL.

 

Part of what makes the iPhone unique is the screen size and viewability in direct sunlight. As I mentioned earlier my Glofiish is worthless in the direct sun, but has killer GPS reception. Waaaaay better than my 60 CS.

 

The Samsung Omnia, HTC Diamond or the Sony Experia x1 are the next generation of WM devices coming this fall. All very tempting in different ways! Apple, with product availability on July 11 will have quite a market lead though esp. with the $200 subsidized price point.

Edited by oneeyesquare
Link to comment
[...] with the $200 subsidized price point.

 

In fact chances are that this price isn't a subsidized price.

 

Apple would be selling it at a loss hoping to make money with the App Store. And it may work.

 

(After all Sony is doing the same with its PS3... and it works, Blu-Ray has won the format war.)

Link to comment

There must be a software developer that loves geocaching! One of them should create an application for the iPhone that specifically integrates with Geocaching.com. If I had that knowledge, I would!

Me too! I have all sorts of grand plans in my head, but not the know-how. I signed up to the SDK and opened the 'Hello World' sample which typed Hello World with a picture of a globe. There were so many little files I got scared and closed it down. Not been back, as much as i'd like to...

Link to comment

Wow for GPS to pay an extra $20.00 on plans making them $70.00 for a single usage plan in insane. I pay 30.00 a month now for my cell phone. Fox news is calling the new phone a bait and switch deal. Lower price tag but we will screw you in the end on the 2 year contract with an insane monthly. I keep my already paid for GPSr and my Pda.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,365347,00.html

 

Actually, they are not screwing you over. If you do the math, the higher cost now is only $40 more than the old iPhone/data plan over the entire two year contract. That's not bad for an iPhone that has GPS and 3G capabilities.

 

Of course, the longer you keep the phone past the 2 year contract, the more you'll pay. I'm not surprised it was Fox News who had this article. :)

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...