Android Standalone GPS App

[mnosbisch]

It can be seen the discussion I started here, and I think needs to be made as a suggestion for an App.
http://androidcommunity.com/forums/f...87/#post266153

This at the moment is the deal breaker for me. I want a phone that get good call quality and reception, touch screen (minor whim, not needed), and built in standalone gps system (no internet needed ,I neither want a data plan nor think I ever would need one, and no service provider service needed or paid extra for). If you read the above link to the forums, you can see that the gps standalone system is the deal breaker for me and to me makes an android phone no different then any other phone out their on the market to me. It disappoints me that the android os could not bring this feature which would have made its device stand out from the competition, otherwise any free to under 50 dollar phone fills the other two requirements I am interested in.

I got 2 weeks before I pick a new phone, looking at the HTC Droid Eris for Verizon at moment for Android, should get v2.0 at some point but at v1.5 at this time. If you guys know any standalone gps apps at the moment or ones in development for android please let me know this could change my decision around, but otherwise I don't see what this phone offers for ME that a free phone can't give me. I will save the $100 and put it toward a Garmin or TomTom.

I believe this feature will allow android to standout from the others with database updates to it every few days if the user decides to have the updates. Yes I am willing to take a dent in smartphone hard drive/microsd card space to have such a feature. Unfortunately the idea of android catching on might of missed this boat due to the lack thereof, so I think that android could find broader acceptance if this was a feature included.

[f4phantomii]

Did you really even search? Gotta be dozens of threads discussing GPS solutions.

Take a look at this thread:

http://androidcommunity.com/forums/f...android-12957/

I personally recommend Alk Technologies Co-Pilot Live. It is available on the Android Market for $35 one-time fee and does not require a data connection. It is basically a standalone GPS app which appears to meet your needs. Maps for both Europe and the Americas...probably more. I use it nearly every day.

[Tom Mariner]

I understand that it is expensive with a data plan, but Internet-centric Android 2.0 navigation is really the next step in turn by turn. You are right to want a non-connected alternate, but you will really miss an experience.

I had a Garmin and this blows it into the weeds with not only the quality of the routes, but display responsiveness. And I don't have to buy a new map every year. This nav release is only five days old and it can be improved every time I connect to download a section of a Google Earth image to overlay over my route. Not that I want anything changed.

I have a Droid and the suction cup for the windshield -- amazing. I talk to my phone hanging just to my right and it either goes where I want, or if it is a multiple choice, like "home depot" gives me a list beginning with the nearest. I haven't begun to scratch the surface of what this thing can do.

And did I mention that it is also a phone! But I certainly understand, that unless you are enamored with newest, most useful technology, an Android phone with a data plan will cost you as much as an iPhone. (Well, less the charge for the navigation.) But folks, the reason for the whole Java / Open Source thing is so that everyone can choose their own level of experience.

[mnosbisch]

Thanks so much for the reply f4phantomii.

That helps me out. I did some (but not overly much) searching around through the forum, google, app store, and verizon website, but probably not as much as I should of. It was late, I had homework, and I was tired, though none of this justifies my lack of research and probably the slightly emotionally charged and extreme posts I made.

Thank you so much for the app suggestion and the link to your excellent explanation, I appreciate it so much. I hate the idea of being tethered to the internet or paying monthly fees to a service provider for such a service. This definitely renews my hope in getting the android phone I like.

Again, thanks so much for the help.

[f4phantomii]

No problem.....actually I just tried to search for "gps" on here and it didn't even return the thread I referenced. In fact, it claimed to find no matches at all!

In any event, often it's just easier to ask, even if it does get slightly annoying to answer the same question over and over. At least you weren't one of those people that asks a question like that and the same question got asked about two threads down!

And I will concur with Tom's assessment. I often find CoPilot's POI database rather weak. It seems to be good for gas stations and restaurants, but not so great for shopping malls or other obvious large landmarks. In those events, what I often find myself doing is using Google Maps to find the place I'm looking for and then enter that physical address into CoPilot. Then it works fine.

I've often wished CoPilot had tighter integration with Google Maps so that I could search for my destination on Google and then simply tell it to send the destination info directly to CoPilot without having to manually enter it.

But, with the advent of Android 2.0 and Google Maps finally providing realtime turn-by-turn navigation, I'll likely use it as my primary means of navigation except for those times when I don't have data coverage.

In the end, I feel the two apps complement each other well, and I certainly have no regrets about spending the $35 for CoPilot.

I'm still waiting to see Garmin's response. I've always been very pleased with Garmin products and their customer service is the gold standard by which all others should be measured. I'm hoping Garmin will go ahead and convert their NuviPhone line over to Android, and they seem to have good reason to do so now.

[ammar87]

Hi everyone,
I would likw to know if anyone has an idea which can we use to write code for Android, and i want to know if anyone already know some code for handset or network based GPS positioning.
Basically i am working on a project which has for aim to display on tou telephone screen the telephone number and the location of the person who called you.

If anyone can help me please.

Thanks you very much.

[MeMongo]

Hi everyone,
I would likw to know if anyone has an idea which can we use to write code for Android, and i want to know if anyone already know some code for handset or network based GPS positioning.
Basically i am working on a project which has for aim to display on tou telephone screen the telephone number and the location of the person who called you.

If anyone can help me please.

Thanks you very much.

Try this site:
http://www.anddev.org/

[MeMongo]

I personally recommend Alk Technologies Co-Pilot Live. It is available on the Android Market for $35 one-time fee and does not require a data connection. It is basically a standalone GPS app which appears to meet your needs. Maps for both Europe and the Americas...probably more. I use it nearly every day.

I would not recommend Alk Technologies Co-Pilot live. I paid for it and had a LOT of problems getting it to install on my G1. The 1GB worth of maps took up nearly 3GB on my card, but I expected that. After days of trying to get the application to work (their tech support would only respond to one e-mail a day), it finally installed and started up. Unfortunately little things like my home address being declared as "invalid", my neighbor's house being positioned on the other side of the neighborhood, the street my friend lives on was in one place, but the voice commands told me to turn right about a mile down the street where there was no road, only a ditch and some trees (no, I didn't turn).

When I tried to get a refund they didn't respond for nearly a month and then told me that I waited too long to request a refund. I pointed out that my original request was before the deadline and they told me to take it up with Google (because of Google Checkout).

Basically I'm out of $35.

[chris76]

Ceiborg has that application working. I checked a demo version.