[pct-l] Android phone

[belcherjd at juno.com]

Let me try this again.
Has anyone used a Sprint phone for their GPS??

I got several replies but nobody answered the question.

One reply said that it did not matter which company you use.
But, according to Sprint themselves, none of their phones will work for this purpose because their phones are programmed and wired such that they will not work in true GPS mode (airplane mode turned off/ out of cell tower range) only as "assisted GPS".
At one of the Sprint stores I went to the manager took the time to try EVERY smartphone in the store to see if we could get any of them to access the GPS chip while in airplane mode and not one would do it.
Two of my daughters have Sprint phones and neither of theirs will work in GPS if in airplane mode and/or out of range.

Since Sprint has the much better data plan (unlimited) and although not the widest voice coverage they do (according to their maps) have by far the best data coverage, I was hoping that (without jail breaking a phone) that someone has found way to use a Sprint phone as their GPS in the middle of the Sierras or the North Cascades. Since I'll be wanting a toy to play music, update journals, and the like - it might as well be a smartphone and keeping with the light weight principle of each piece of equipment should be multi-use.

Defining "a thru-hikers purpose" = True GPS, long battery life, light weight, good voice & data coverage when close to civilization, and maybe even on the trail spare battery replacement.

Therefore,I asked the question to further my research: Has anyone out there been successful in getting a Sprint phone to work as a GPS for a thru-hikers purpose?


Jon (Gandalf - PCT class of 2013)
Marysville WA

Follow my pct hike on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/GandalfPCT2013
Mexico to Canada

____________________Original Message _____________________
Message: 18
Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2012 01:40:06 GMT
From: "belcherjd at juno.com" <belcherjd at juno.com>
Subject: [pct-l] Android phone

Has anyone used a Sprint phone for this purpose??

Jon (Gandalf - PCT class of 2013)
 
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