[marklfc77]

Hi am looking for some advice regarding the above two handsets, the nokia I'm told has built in gps and I was told by orange that it doesn't impact on your data allowance. When I was looking at the Sony vivaz which I am quite interested in one the Sony website states that it has google maps and agps. What does agps mean do you have to download any information for it using your Internet allowance or is it like the nokia where it is free
thanks in advance

[marklfc77]

Thanks Jonathan
sort of makes sense when you find out that the A stands for assisted

just out of interested would anyone know how data hungry assisted gps is

thanks again

[prking]

A-GPS uses a tiny amount of data. You should note that almost all phones with GPS use A-GPS, including the Nokia. However, its something you can switch on and off.

To be honest though, using either of those handsets without a data plan is madness. Sorry to be blunt!

[Burry1]

One thing to note - whilst a handset may have A-GPS (and use a tiny amount of data to help speed up getting a location fix) you don't have to use it. On my nokia e52, I have disabled A-GPS and just use standard GPS (no data used), as I have found that it gets a location fix really quickly anyway.
The other part to possible data useage relates to the maps. On Nokia phones, you can download maps in advance to the phone using a PC (e.g. mine has all the UK and France maps installed) so I never need to download data when I am out and about. If a phone uses google maps, it MUST download data as you go (and this can be a significant amount depending on useage) as maps are not stored on the phone. This also means that if you lose phone signal, you lose the ability to use google maps. For me, this is a real deal breaker with google maps as a Sat Nav device.

[Bandos]

Originally Posted by marklfc77

Hi am looking for some advice regarding the above two handsets, the nokia I'm told has built in gps and I was told by orange that it doesn't impact on your data allowance. When I was looking at the Sony vivaz which I am quite interested in one the Sony website states that it has google maps and agps. What does agps mean do you have to download any information for it using your Internet allowance or is it like the nokia where it is free
thanks in advance

Did you purchase the Vivaz? I did and I'm regretting it now. Apart from the sluggish performance and dull screen, the GPS has now packed up completely. If it can't lock on to satellites in an open field on a cloudless day where can it lock on? This has to be the worst phone I've ever owned.

[Diogenes]

I have to agree with Bandos, the GPS in a Vivaz is all but useless (unless mine is atypical). It's very slow finding satellites, then very quick to loose them again when I put the 'phone in my pocket, or walk past a tree. Also the battery drains very quickly while the GPS is on.
When I bought my Vivaz I was hoping to install Viewranger software, which I've seen on a Nokia N95 where it was impressive, but I've decided that it isn't worth it when the GPS is so poor.

[Diogenes]

An update to my previous post:
In an attempt to get the gps working better on my Vivaz I installed the latest version of the software, to no avail. But then I tried a factory reset and since then the gps has worked well

[lostboybinns]

Sony + GPS = fail