GPS in Galaxy Player 4.2

[yinyan]

Excuse me, my English is not good.
Please, if anyone has another GPS application installed (for example, TomTom, igo8, Sygic, etc.), can you tell me how it behaves on the road the GPS of Samsung 4.2? ¿Take the satellites quickly? Is it accurate? Are you sensitive, ie, take several satellites and not lost in the navigation (except, of course, when we entered in a tunnel)?
Note to people who have the 4.2 and 5.0 or 4.0. - Which performs better as a GPS?
Thank you very much.

[CrowdAds]

[natkingcole]

Another question towards the GPS of the Wifi 4.0. I couldn't connect to GPS once (of course it's turned on). Location only works with wifi for me.

Where is the GPS-sensor?
It it one of those dots beside the front speaker or is it the black stick that is also uncovered with the backcover put on?

[steinburger1109]

Many of the GPS apps require a data connection, because they are intended for an Android phone. There is a thread here in which good offline GPS apps are discussed. Maybe you can find an answer to your questions there.

[barryem]

Here's a Youtube video about GPS on the 4.2.

You Tube

You Tube

Barry

[Goucham]

Originally Posted by natkingcole

Another question towards the GPS of the Wifi 4.0

4.2 or 4.0? (the thread is labelled 4.2)

I couldn't connect to GPS once (of course it's turned on). Location only works with wifi for me.

As a sanity check, if you haven't already tried this, you should download GPS Test. It will tell you if your GPS is on or off and show you any satellites in view. This works with or without WiFi being on.

[1776]

The GPS works without a data connection but MAPS does not. You need wifi to have the maps change. You can set up a route while connected to wifi and the SGP will cache the maps for that route - so you can travel with GPS without wifi but if you go off that route you will not have the maps for the change in route. And you cannot turn the SGP off after caching the route - if you do, you lose the maps.

[mikee]

I use an app called navfree and stated by its name it is free and provides offline gps maps for the 4.2. I use it on my 4.0 and would assume it would work just fine on the 4.2

[Goucham]

Originally Posted by 1776

And you cannot turn the SGP off after caching the route - if you do, you lose the maps.

Doesn't enabling the Pre-cache map area Labs feature allow you to work around this limitation, provided you can pre-cache the entire target zone?

[barryem]

I read recently that the new version, the one that comes with the SGP 4.2, does pre-cache so I tried it and sure enough I get full map information and GPS information with Wifi off after caching my local area. It does that even after you turn the device off and back on.

I don't remember if it was the new version of Google Maps or of the GPS software that does this. I think it was maps. I don't have a lot of use for GPS. I just tried it as a curiosity. But I don't really know that much about it.

As I recall, I tested this by caching my local area, turned the device off and back on with Wifi off and asked for directions to someplace in a neighboring town and it gave it to me. That was a couple of weeks ago so I don't really remember much detail now.

I think the article I read said that it's only the latest update that does this so you might make sure you're updated and give it a try.

Barry

[mikee]

I heard on a tech show today that google is working on a new version of maps that will cache much more even whole cities and maybe the whole country you live in. I cannot confirm this though

[zacp2]

Originally Posted by mikee

I heard on a tech show today that google is working on a new version of maps that will cache much more even whole cities and maybe the whole country you live in. I cannot confirm this though

It will not only cache them. It will download them totally (like maps for GPS apps.)

[mikee]

well I hope the galaxy players get this maps update when it comes out if it isn't too far down the road

[IpaqMan]

I tested the GPS function in my SGP 4.2 and Galaxy Note simultaneously.

The Note locked onto enough satellites to display a position location in GPS TEST in less than ten seconds (very fast).

The 4.2 took about a minute to lock the location.

[Goucham]

Originally Posted by mikee

well I hope the galaxy players get this maps update when it comes out if it isn't too far down the road

Unlike certain updates that have to go through Samsung, this is coming straight from Google and thus far, all the Maps updates have been made available to the SGP so I'm optimistic. As long as the hardware can support it, I'm sure we'll get that update too.

[stryfewalker]

I just got my SGP 4.0 back yesterday from repair (long story) and downloaded the latest Google maps update last night. There is a "Pre-cache map area" feature in the "Labs" area of settings that can be turned on or off.

The write up for the option reads as follows:

Pre-cache map area
by Ole C.

Going on a trip where you won't have data coverage? Use the 'Pre-cache map area' option on the Place Pages to load up the map area before you go. To find this option, long press on the map around the area you'd like to load, then tap on the bubble; or go to "More options" on a search result Place Page. Only map tiles are loaded (no satellite, traffic, etc).

[mikee]

Originally Posted by Goucham

Unlike certain updates that have to go through Samsung, this is coming straight from Google and thus far, all the Maps updates have been made available to the SGP so I'm optimistic. As long as the hardware can support it, I'm sure we'll get that update too.

unless they pull the really greasy move of making that update only for ICS. I don't see that happening though since there aren't that many phones actually running ics surprisingly