Dumping iphone - Android recommendations?

[Spacecadet]

My data limit is 512Mb/month and the two hour trip cost me ~740 Mb of data. That was ~£12. I have the phone set to use the GPS location rather than the cellular masts and it still used this much data. I was very, very surprised. With O2 I can get "unlimited" data bolt on for £5 a month, but at the moment I'm smarting a bit from the surprise so I'm not using the GPS.

If you use google maps then it downloads the map data as you need them. Same applies for a couple of other sat nav systems

using GPS or the Cellular masts for the positioning shouldn't have any effect.

[Fred Bloggs]

If you use google maps then it downloads the map data as you need them. Same applies for a couple of other sat nav systems

using GPS or the Cellular masts for the positioning shouldn't have any effect.

Thanks, I was completely unaware I was using 3G data/GPRS data. What about using it in "aircraft mode"?

[Spacecadet]

Thanks, I was completely unaware I was using 3G data/GPRS data. What about using it in "aircraft mode"?

Then google maps won't be able to download any info and you'll be flying blind!

EDIT: actually google maps won't work at all without a data connection

[Fred Bloggs]

Then google maps won't be able to download any info and you'll be flying blind!

Sounds great! I need to see if there's an Android sat nav app which doesn't cost me the earth to run, or pay O2 the extra £5 a month for data bolt on.

[Jog On]

Sounds great! I need to see if there's an Android sat nav app which doesn't cost me the earth to run, or pay O2 the extra £5 a month for data bolt on.

Or jump ship to Orange for unlimited data - this is my bargaining chip for O2 now. Unlimited data or I'm off!

[Fred Bloggs]

Or jump ship to Orange for unlimited data - this is my bargaining chip for O2 now. Unlimited data or I'm off!

TBH, O2 is a good deal, I have free O2 to O2 calls, (we all have O2 phones in the family), free calls to 10 landlines, 500 minutes, 500 texts, 512Mb data all for £15 a month shared between 2 mobile phones. Not bad really.

[Spacecadet]

Sounds great! I need to see if there's an Android sat nav app which doesn't cost me the earth to run, or pay O2 the extra £5 a month for data bolt on.

A couple of things you could do to minimise the data usage when using google maps as sat nav
1. Check the route before you leave and memorise which motorway junctions you'll need. Only activate google maps when you leave the motorway.
2. Keep the map zoomed out as much as you can. You should only need the detail for the last mile or so or any "weird fiddly bits".

I did a 3 hour berkshire to essex trip the other week (should have been 2 hours). I had google maps on the entire way and can see no impact on my bill

Just chcked online, that day I used 9171KB of data.

[Fred Bloggs]

A couple of things you could do to minimise the data usage when using google maps as sat nav
1. Check the route before you leave and memorise which motorway junctions you'll need. Only activate google maps when you leave the motorway.
2. Keep the map zoomed out as much as you can. You should only need the detail for the last mile or so or any "weird fiddly bits".

I did a 3 hour berkshire to essex trip the other week (should have been 2 hours). I had google maps on the entire way and can see no impact on my bill

Just chcked online, that day I used 9171KB of data.

Thanks. My mistake then. I had it zoomed in pretty close to where I was travelling. Good tips those.

[fullyautomatix]

Bought a Samsung Galaxy recently and been very impressed with it. Very easy OS to understand especially if you are coming from Iphone OS.

It has a GPS built in.

[Clippy]

A couple of things you could do to minimise the data usage when using google maps as sat nav
1. Check the route before you leave and memorise which motorway junctions you'll need. Only activate google maps when you leave the motorway.
2. Keep the map zoomed out as much as you can. You should only need the detail for the last mile or so or any "weird fiddly bits".

I did a 3 hour berkshire to essex trip the other week (should have been 2 hours). I had google maps on the entire way and can see no impact on my bill

Just chcked online, that day I used 9171KB of data.

Surely, it would be easier to buy and install a SatNav app such as CoPilot Live and regularly update it.