Can a mobile phone work as a GPS

[edds11]

the maccy deez reference was for the free wifi

[Virt]

Maps as in google maps or? What phone do you have?

If it's Google Maps then it's quite probably it uses a combination of 3G and GPS. Proper SatNav applications will usually only need GPS, unless your phone doesn't have it and relies on internet for it. In which case, upgrade

And yeah, I guessed. Took me a while to figure it out though

[edds11]

iphone 4

[Virt]

Then it will be the SatNav app you're using that requires internet. I used TomTom and it works fine, it's something like £40 though so you'd expect that See if there are any free ones that don't require an internet connection?

[Wicky]

As mentioned earlier position is derived from triangulation from phone towers rather a 'direct' link to overhead satellites. AFAIK iphones don't directly communicate with sats.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/i ... ation.html

What is GPS? How does the iPhone GPS system work? Can it be used for real-time navigation in a car?

Garmin -- one of the leaders in GPS satellite navigation systems -- defines GPS, or Global Positioning System, as:

A satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. . .

GPS satellites circle the earth twice a day in a very precise orbit and transmit signal information to earth. GPS receivers take this information and use triangulation to calculate the user's exact location. Essentially, the GPS receiver compares the time a signal was transmitted by a satellite with the time it was received. The time difference tells the GPS receiver how far away the satellite is. Now, with distance measurements from a few more satellites, the receiver can determine the user's position and display it on the unit's electronic map.

Garmin's complete definition and details are quite interesting and should be read in their entirety.

iPhone GPS Support

The iPhone 3G and all subsequently released iPhone models use A-GPS -- or "Assisted GPS" -- which in basic terms accesses an intermediary server when it is not possible to connect directly via satellite -- indoors, for example -- and this server provides the nearest satellite with additional information to make it possible to more accurately determine a users position.

Apple explains that the iPhone 3G and all later models also use "wi-fi hotspots and cellular towers to get the most accurate location fast" when GPS is not the most convenient method of location detection. The iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 5 models additionally have an integrated digital compass to also provide the direction one is facing, which is quite useful when combined with mapping software.

When combined with a service, most iPhone models are capable of providing real-time navigation. The original iPhone is not.

[geodude]

Stuff the mobile phone as the GPS kills the battery.

Get one of these. It's be the best £90 you'll spend on your bike.

http://amzn.to/W1SUXi - Garmin edge 200

Brilliant. I wont ride the bike without it now. It doesn't have maps, but you can still use it as a satnav. You just have to follow the black line.

I take the Garmin edge 200 on local rides for tracking and the edge with an OS map if using it to guide me along my pre-planned route. Worth the pennies, especially as a Strava user.