IIRC the last time this subject came up here we learned that the X and Y accuracy was comparable but it was the Z (altitude) accuracy that suffered because the smartphones do not have a barametric pressure sensor to determine precise altitude.RobFromRedland wrote:This is interesting, because I also have compared tracks from my phone to my Garmin 60csx, and found them to be comparable.
If that's still true, not certain what the ramifications are when really needed? as long as the X&Y are accurate you can easily see your altitude on the topo map or use an ABC watch for altitude.
I do agree there are more issues with smartphone GPS navigation than a dedicated GPS device but I don't see the frequency of those issues actually being a problem. Sometimes I have to reboot my phone in the field, rarely though. Battery life is easily augmented in the field with airplane mode, not certain why that's still an issue for so many people my guess is they have other phone apps running in the background that hog the battery (happened to me once so...)
The deal is, I have long felt that the dedicated GPS devices are way overblown expensive for what they are and the new phone technology proved that. Let Garmin die off for that reason they (and others) have been and continue to rip us off with their gadgets for years. A dedicated device doesn't need to be so complicated as they are, I can see spending maybe $100 for one tops, maybe $150 to $200 for one with a built in 2 way radio (which Garmin has some kind of monopoly on...). But I have no sympathy for Garmin with the prices they have charged over the years.