iPhone GPS: Misused for the Worst
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A lot is being said now that the new iPhone 3G has been released. With its pretty fast-wireless connectivity to 3G data networks, and getting your email on the fly, to its built-in GPS receiver, the iPhone is the best gadget to have on the go. But what bothers us a lot is its misuse of the GPS feature.
Its not a car GPS. It is a cell phone. People have been reviewing the GPS feature as if it were an expensive, on-dash turn-by-turn units with sexy Australian voices named Shiela. It wasn’t made to be used in such a way. If you look at Apple’s iPhone product info, they don’t market the GPS as something you would use in a car.
The iPhone’s GPS connection isn’t even good enough for turn-by-turn direction accuracy, especially not in a car that could block the antenna in the phone. It is also dangerous to use the phone in this way; the iPhone isn’t cradled in the car so you need someone to hold it or read it off for you. Or use the phone (handheld device) while driving which is illegal in a few states.
So, what the hell is this iPhone application for if we can’t use it in our cars? Use it before you drive anywhere. The iPhone should be ultilized like a supplement, much like you would Google Map a location before you leave for your destination. It will also help you find things in your given location. For example, I was lost, on foot in a small city, looking for a StarBucks I knew it had. Certainly, the situation would’ve turned out better if I had an iPhone with GPS capability on me at the time.
Truth be told, the GPS on the iPhone was never meant for navigating in a car. So stop telling people it sucks because it won’t guide your car if you miss a turn. If you want that, get one that will:
- Garmin StreetPilot
- Garmin Nuvi
- Magellan RoadMate
- Magellan Maestro
- TomTom Go
Theres 500 other products that will do turn-by-turn GPS for your car right now. We might be eating our words later on, but for now, I say wait to see if there will be any better applications for the iPhone GPS features. Then maybe we’ll let you use it in your car.
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