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Smart phone magic


Rebelgent

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Hello everyone,

 

Although I'm not new to the geo-caching world, the geo-caching app on a smart phone has befuddled me somewhat. If I can get an answer or two to my questions, I'd certainly appreciate the help.

 

I currently own a Blackberry "dumb" phone. Actually, I was told it wasn't a smart phone, so I can only assume it's a dumb one. I don't know how one tells the difference between a smart phone and all other phones to begin with.

 

Anyhow, I am in the market to get another phone because my BB is beginning to fade, and the one thing I want to make absolutely certain of is that I can use the geo-caching app to find caches on my new phone. I had a company Apple 5 phone where I used to work and used the geo-caching app on that and it worked wonderful well. Unfortunately, the job didn't last and when I left the company, I had to give the company's phone back.

 

So, now to my questions. From what I've heard and read, the Blackberry doesn't have a really good app for geo-caching, correct?

 

When I buy a smart phone, is there any one phone that is better than the rest for the geo-caching app? I assume battery life gets drained pretty quick when using the phone for geo-caching, no?

 

Does the Android system support the geo-caching app in the very same way as the Apple app? I suppose this is the question I would like to have answered the most, and is the question that has stopped me from buying a new phone. If I can buy a smart phone and know that the Apple or the Android will work just as well as one another, I'd be a happy camper.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Rebel Gent

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Does the Android system support the geo-caching app in the very same way as the Apple app?

Sure, though they're two different operating systems. :)

The GPS will work as good as the phone used.

We've seen no real difference how caches come up these days, and todays phones are on par in accuracy to a handheld GPSr.

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From what I've heard and read, the Blackberry doesn't have a really good app for geo-caching, correct?

Well, there is Cachesense, though IIRC, they haven't had an update in a few years.

... Edited for- June 2012.

- Still gotta be a bit more modern than when the other 2/3rds had Trimble outdoors in '05 or 6 for her old bb. :laughing:

Edited by cerberus1
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As far as using a geocaching app goes, one system is about as good as the other. From what i gather the apps available on the two are pretty much fairly similar and there is basically zero difference if you go for the GS option.

 

Where you will notice a difference is with the unit it self. If you decide on Apple then you get an iPhone, that's it. It is what it is and you need to live with it.

 

If you decide on the android system then you are able to get something that is more "best fit" for you. You have the option for anything between a $10,000 machine designed to be carried around by your butler and handled with cotton gloves to a machine put out by the caterpillar group that is not only built to take a beating but includes extra goodies like an IR camera.

 

Point being that when it comes to caching features such as waterproofing or screens that work in the rain are really handy and can usually be matched to features you need away from caching too.

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Thanks for all your input. I have a hand held Garmin GPS that I still use and it has served me well. It's just that I really like the convenience of the phone app when I had the iPhone to be able to start a cache hunt at a moment's notice without having to go online and manually download the waypoint coordinates. And since there just had to be more than a few folks out in the geo-caching world who knew more about phones and the apps that go with them than I did, I'm glad I sought out the counsel of this forum.

 

Thanks again,

 

Rebel Gent

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If you are looking at the Samsung Galaxy line, Go for the "active" models. They are more durable and have significantly more battery power than their "regular" or "edge" counterparts. I was using the galaxy 5 active and have moved onto the galaxy 6 active. The geocaching aps work great on them.

 

Check out some reviews on youtube for a better list of pros and cons for android vs. apple.

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I find the Windows App to be far more intuitive and easy to use than the Android App.

 

I'm so glad you said that. I was finding the first few days with the WP App rather difficult and asked a friend to talk me through it, but she uses Android and didn't recognise much either. I concluded that WP was worse/more difficult (as one sort of comes to expect with shoddily programmed or under-supported WP Apps, if they exist at all), but maybe it really only took some getting used to. I'm feeling I might be getting the hang of it two weeks or so into it.

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I'd like to thank everyone for their insight. I purchased a new phone literally the day I read the replies made on this thread and am very happy to say that my phone and I are read to find treasures this summer. Plenty of geocaches are around....all I have to do is wait for Spring time to return. We got 3-6" of snow today, and here it is April 9th! Sheesh!

 

Have fun one and all....

 

Rebel Gent

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