Hi folks, so I'm torn between using a 'smart phone' or an actual GPS unit such as the Garmin Edge Touring. As of now I have a little Tracfone that gets the job done. (Plays music, makes phone calls/texts etc.) But it doesn't have GPS. So i'm wondering if I should upgrade to a smartphone but i'm concerned with the battery life and the glare from the sun (plan on mounting to my handlebars).

Here are my options for smart phones. I'll be going with Virgin Mobile if I do get one. Can't complain for $35 a month.

-https://www.virginmobileusa.com/shop/cell-phones/lg-optimus-f3-phone/features/ $99.99. The features note that it has good battery life which is definitely a plus. But not waterproof so I'd have to buy a special case and mount.

Or

-https://www.virginmobileusa.com/shop/cell-phones/reef-phone/features/ $74.99. Only 3G but i'm not really to concerned with that, and it claims to be waterproof. However people are compaining about insufficient battery life. Will have to buy a mount too.

Or should I just get an actual GPS unit and stick with my tracfone? I don't really care about fast internet and whatnot with a smartphone since i'll be occupied with more important stuff on the road. The only downside is the Garmin Edge Touring is $250 which is pretty damn expensive, but if it lives up to the expectations it'll be worth it hopefully. Anyways, suggestions are much appreciated!

What do you think a GPS should do?

For riding a bike, I would answer that with (1) follow a route, (2) show me a map in case I get off my planned route, and (3) work regardless of where I am.

The Garmin Touring you reference works pretty much like that, and it's sufficiently resistant to water that you can stick it on your bars and ride in the rain. Note there are a few cycling GPS models that don't show you a map.


You may find that the mapping programs that come with a smart phone don't work if you don't have a working data connection. Bad news when you're roaming or out of cell reception, which can happen pretty frequently especially in mountains. So you'll have to pick a good mapping add-on for whatever phone you end up with. Also, most smartphones have pretty lousy battery life if you leave the display on, while you can turn the backlight off a decent GPS and extend your battery life.

In my experience a smartphone will do just fine if checking every so often (stored in a frame bag behind the steerer), or better still a tablet (on the side of pannier bag). Download an offline maps application and check it every now and then. Tablet battery life is usually excellent when only using GPS and it's much easier to read a map on a large screen, just check it every now and then when you need to be reoriented and take a break from cycling.

I have a smartphone but I'm no smartphone expert. Mine is a Tracfone ZTE Valet. It has a GPS in it but I really haven't used that GPS much. This phone has good battery life (probably because it's so underpowered) but I'd still rather use a Garmin GPS unit for navigation.

I'm slightly more of an expert when it comes to GPS units. I work as a cartographer and I use fancy expensive Trimble GPS units at work. No one is going to get one of those for recreational use, of course. When I went GPS shopping for myself I got a Garmin Dakota 20. It's an easy to use touchscreen unit and it works really well. It comes loaded with basic maps on it and you can load your own maps and tracks too. I think I paid $212 for mine and that was a few years ago. We use ours for hiking, biking and driving on roads out in the middle of nowhere. We even used the Garmin to navigate the streets around Salt Lake City when we were there once.

Smartphones have a lot of features and buttons to conserve battery power.

I use a Garmin eTrex Vista with City Navigator. Waterproof, drop proof. Easy route downloads from ridewithgps.com. A bicycle mount is available. If buying new, I'd look closely at the touch screen models.

That being said, I usually turn it on for just a few minutes to point the way, longer of course for the rare time I am navigating through a town large enough to need some turn-by-turn. The Vista elevation feature is nice when in mountains.

This article may be helpful.

My cell phone is an inexpensive flip phone.

If you want to record you rides, a smartphone will work with Strava and not eat up much battery. If you needs maps for navigating, a Garmin is better equipped for that and battery life.

If you can load apps and data with wifi, you might be able to use one of those Virgin Moble phones without paying the monthly plan fee if you do not use it as a phone. If you decide to get the phone instead of GPS, first get the phone. Then see if you can load the apps and data you want with wifi. If you do not have wifi at home, go to McDonalds to access it. If that works, you saved yourself from having to buy a phone plan with a monthly fee of $35 for it.

I use a vintage flip phone that is about 10 years old, my phone plan costs me $80 per year, that is why I still use that as my cell phone instead of the smartphone. (That $80 a year plan is not available to new customers, sorry.) I have a separate smartphone with no phone plan that I can use GPS apps on it but can't use it as a phone. You did not say what your current phone plan costs, but if it is good enough for your needs and costs less than a new plan, do the math.

My above comments should not be considered an endorsement of a smartphone instead of a GPS. I use a GPS, but I carry the smartphone to have as a wifi device for e-mails, surfing web for news, etc. when I stop at a restaurant that has wifi I pull out the smartphone.

Some other phone plan options if you are looking for low cost:
How to Save Money on Phone Plans - US News

The above link did not mention PureTalk, if I got a phone plan for my smartphone, I would get their minimalist plan without data and only use wifi for data.

I could. I tried a couple of lower-cost carriers (T-Mobile, StraightTalk) and found their service wanting compared to the major carrier (AT&T) I currently use: poor coverage, slow data transfer speeds, and non-existent customer service were my primary complaints.

On tour, I carry a smartphone (iPhone 5) and a dedicated cycling GPS (Garmin Edge 800). The Garmin is mounted on the bars and is powered on whenever I'm riding. The smartphone stays in my handlebar bag and is powered off unless I actually need to use it. The Edge 800 has better battery life and a screen that is more readable in direct sunlight.

Thanks sstorkel. Saves me typing the same thing. Only difference is I now use a Garmin Edge 810. My smartphone is a HTC One, which is totally useless in sunlight and if used as I use the Edge 810 would kill the battery in no time. That said I can counter that using my dynamo.

Also I note that unless I have actual network coverage, it will not route for me in GPS mode, just show where I am.

In my experience tools designed to to multiple things generally don't do as well as tool designed to do a specific task.

Andrew

"Jack of all trades, master of none."