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	Home / Cell phones

	The perfect GPS phone	By Jørgen Sundgot, Friday 28 April 2006

Whether you're an adventurous globetrotter or simply unable to tell which way is up and which is way is down on a map, new GPS phones promise to make your life easier; here's the list of what to look for.

While bigger is - in many cases - better, the opposite goes for consumer electronics. As 2006 arrives, miniaturization has finally progressed to the point where GPS phones with integrated antennas are hitting shelves, promising to merge the abilities of effortlessly navigating unknown areas of the globe and making calls wherever users see fit. This means one less device to carry whether walking, biking, driving or boating - but, as always, there are gaps to mind.

First things first

While a GPS phone should be pocketable, it also needs a suitably high-resolution screen in the range of three inches to provide sufficient overview and information, as well as large and easily distinguished hardware and software controls which cause minimal hassle and distraction when walking or driving. The shake-prone nature of most marine use renders GPS phones unsuitable for boating due to small screen sizes; bikers should get along just fine as long as exposure to the elements is limited.

To avoid hidden accessory costs, make sure a car mounting kit which enables charging is bundled. Battery life is equally important when out and about, as it the ability to quickly get into navigation mode and get a GPS fix; look for models which utilize the latest SiRFstar III chipset and a reasonably fast processor for high precision and snappy performance, as well as support for AGPS which draws on mobile phone networks to offer swifter GPS locks.

Map management

In addition to detailed maps which clearly distinguish between various types of roads, terrain and properties such as speed limits or one-way driving, the ability to suggest user editable routes to and from predefined locations or ones current position, or alternatively a point of interest, is a must. POI (Points of Interest) databases are equally vital, and should at a bare minimum contain gas stations, accomodations, emergency services, banks and post offices.

Furthermore, itineraries which enable leg-by-leg navigation represent an important aspect as they allow for detailed forward planning whilst ensuring flexibility en route. On the note of flexibility, the device must also be capable of rapid automatic re-routing should unforeseen obstacles require taking another route to ones destination. Visual and voice prompts alerting the user of his or her next action are similarly important, as is the presence of night skins to avoid ruining ones night vision when driving in the dark.

Lastly, look for the ability to easily upload required map data from a PC as well as solutions which allow for the purchase of frequently updated maps for either specific cities or countries as opposed to regional or continental approaches which often contain vast quantities of unnecessary data.

So, which one do I buy?

At the time of writing, the selection of GPS phones in the US market is hardly crowded; the ageing HP iPAQ hw6515 and RIM BlackBerry 7100i represent the sole contenders. We recommend holding out for the hw6515's successor, the HP iPAQ hw6925, which is slated to arrive with Cingular in May 2006. This model will be identical to the European iPAQ hw6915, which we've found to perform decently for users who want a mix of business and GPS features.