Gear

Just have a quick question or two for anyone with the Nokia 5800 or similar with the free GPS, or also anyone with a HTC device with the same.

I'm wondering what level of detail you can get down to, how big your screen is, also what the accuracy is like and if you need any extra protection for your device if you're in rain etc?

Also what is battery life like and can you get your present altitude? Would you recommend it for outdoor recreation use?

So you think Garmin and the like will team up with mobile phone manufacturers to bring an integrated device and combat the threat of free navigation from other Mobile Phone Manufacturers?

Cheers,

John

Just upgraded from a 5800 to a HTC wildfire and use viewranger on both.

Accuracy seems to be dead on , screen for the 5800 is a tad small  but certainly big enough to see where you are and need to go. The Wildfire screen is bigger and more user friendly to me.

The software for the HTC phones doesn't have the same functionality yet as for the 5800s, no panorama for instance, but I just use it to show where I am on an OS map ( which you can get for 50,000 or 25,000 ) . Detail is as detailed as the map scale you are using.

I bought an aquapack for mine , i've used a sandwich bag previously but after spending two days in torrential rain in Snowdonia the aquapack didn't let any water in at all , big thumbs up from me. The touchscreen still works through the case.

Battery life isn't that great once GPS is on. With a full charge it will last you a day on the hill. I use mine as my map ( I carry a map and compass too and can use them) .

Personally I would thoroughly recommend either for outdoor use - but only with the waterproof case.

Assuming you're interested in SatNav (for driving etc) more than GPS (for walking off-road), I have a Nokia 5230 (which is v similar to the 5800 but with a few missing/diminished features). The "My position" function is currently 4 houses out. Have used the the SatNav from time-to-time and once it gets going it seems pretty accurate: slip roads start almost exactly where they're supposed to, and bridges are crossed at the right point etc.

The level of detail seems quite adequate to me but then I've not used it a great deal.

The ViewRanger app does provide a (not always accurate) altitude but I've not found this info displayed with Nokia maps.