My Droid 2 has finally bit the dust. I'm thinking of upgrading my phone, but when I do - I will lose my unlimited data plan. I'll need a phone that uses only GPS (No Data) for mapping my rides. I currently use Map My Ride and have over a years worth of ride data stored on their site. A year or so ago I checked to see if my Droid 2 would Map My Ride while in Airplane mode. It did. I've heard there are some Droids that will not Map My Ride without using data. I guess Which of the newer Android based phones (Verizon) will record my rides and not use data. I will be able to upload the data to Map My Ride using WiFi when I return home. I don't mind not being able to see the map while riding.

Thanks for your input.

I could be wrong, but I think Airplane mode disables GPS too. Try it with just disabling your data connection and see what happens.

Take a look at the OsmAnd app. It's an app that uses downloaded open source maps for navigation instead of getting maps over the data connection in real time. I have a Garmin so don't use the app, but from what I heard it may be what you're looking for.

As far as your unlimited data plan, I'm with AT&T and they've kept my unlimited data plan grandfathered in over a number of phone upgrades even though they no longer offer an unlimited plan.

Does it really use that much data? I'm on the unlimited plan as well, and only go over the 2GB threshold when I listen to Pandora or online radio constantly (~ 3 hours x 5 days a week). Have you looked at your previous months data usage? How often do you go over the 2GB limit?

I highly doubt MapMyRide will eat your data like a TdF rider eats calories.

Actually a little more digging -
https://support.mapmyfitness.com/entr...115-Data-Usage

200 bytes per minute with Live Tracking.

So you'd have to ride over 5368709 minutes (89478 hours, 3728 days) with live tracking on, to eat 1 GB of your 2 GB alotted data - in a month. Impossible that just mapmyride/run/fitness is the culprit to your data usage.

I'm ditching the unlimited plan to go on the 2GB plan on August 4th.

200 bytes/min in likely your uplinked tracking data. If you're looking at a live map, that uses more data. I haven't quantified it, but it's certainly a lot more than 200 bpm. OsmAnd eliminates the need for data going either way because the map is resident on your phone. You don't even need a cellular plan at all. You can download maps and upload your data a via wifi.

I have a 10" tablet which has no 3g connection at all. I can put it in airplane mode and the GPS still works. Also, in the Google Maps app you can download sections of maps to a local cache so they work when disconnected from WIFI (basically ANY networking). So the same should be true for a phone. The specific Android implementation and phone's controls may or may not allow it.

As already mentioned the OsmAnd app is a fairly full featured GPS app with down loadable maps.

I use an older android evo that is no longer activated on any plan for my gps bike computer.. The only caveat is that once I'm done with my ride, I need a wifi signal to upload my rides to map my ride or strava..

If you have an older phone, strip most of the apps off the phone and you will get some solid runtimes out of them. Works great.

Thank you all. I did a little testing with my family member's phones. Each has a different phone. On another Droid 2 - I was able to connect to GPS while using Map My Ride. However I had to connect first and then switch to airplane mode. Of course no map was presented, but after uploading via wifi the map was filled in.

Once I get my new phone I will try the OsmAnd app. It sounds very promising.

Looking forward to having a new phone. I've been suffering with this one way to long. I opted for the S4.

Now I just need to get back on the saddle. I broke my shoulder on February 28 and haven't ridden nearly as much as before.

Thanks again for all the input.

w/ verizon you can keep your unlimited data but you need to buy your own phone, no subsidy. But, no contract either, just continue on month-to-month. If the phone costs you an extra $400-$600, I guess you would be unlikely to use that much in unlimited data over the life of the contract you would need to sign to get a subsidized phone.