What I need to do is get my GPS coordinates every now and then when I'm upcountry. I don't need navigation. When I went to by a smartphone today the salesperson told me that without 3G it would be extremely slow. Is this true? Maybe she didn't understand that all I want is to get coordinates. I don't really have any need for 3G at present.

Also, I'm wondering exactly how geotagging of photos works.

The salesperson obviously doesn;t know what they are talking about.

Why would you need be online at all to get GPS co-ordinates?

What ever you need to do, sounds like EDGE will be fine.

The EDGE aspect may be only be relevant for something called Assisted-GPS, which uses cell data to obtain a quicker lock.

You can use Google Latitude to keep an ongoing record of your movements stored on google servers.

I use my iphone for navigating and it seems to be adequate for most purposes. This isn't a GPS service, you are using the internet to find out where you are. I have to buy 100 hours internet now and again when I am going on a trip to exotic parts. You can 'drop a pin' on any location that you wish to keep.

I would much prefer a navigator that used GPS.

Geotagging:

In short it is that your Phone or Camera (with a GPS built-in) writes the GPS Latitude and Longitude of where you took the picture into your Picture Exif data, and thus by looking at the picture at home on for example your computer, you can find out "exactly" where that picture was taken.

http://en.wikipedia....ordinate_system

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Geotagging

http://en.wikipedia....age_file_format

Edited February 4, 201313 yr by MJCM

What mapping application(s) are you using?

For a simple map view, say using Google Maps, then EDGE is fine, GPRS less so.

That said, I've hacked Nav. on Google Maps and it works fine, even with the satellite/Earth view. The auto icon moves at pace, same/better than on my nuvi, but the "countryside" fills slowly on EDGE. With 3G it fills instantaneously. (This assumes I haven't cached these areas previously.)

Note the "E" in the "Action bar" representing an EDGE (~ 180 Kbps) connection on DTAC/Happy.

Assuming your phone has built-in GPS, and all you need is longitude/latitude then there should be some apps. that can present this information - you would not need any data connection for this application. There are a ton in the Android Play Store. If you want to see your location on a map then you need a downloadable (off-line) map, or a data connection to access on on-line map, like Google Maps.

Edited February 5, 201313 yr by lomatopo

There are several things I don't like using my iphone for navigation on long trips. Navigation discharges the battery pretty quickly so you have to fix up a way to keep it under charge. Both functions heat the phone, one time it just switched itself off as it was overheated. Could be interesting in Bangkok traffic for instance. Secondly the turn by turn guide requires that I reach over and push the tiny ''next' button. Sometimes this happens 10 times over a few hundred meters. Can't be done and has led to me going wrong a few times as I was just using the small scale map. I am usually on Edge, being in Isaan, and it works ok.

I can't see much point in using the satellite view for navigation, I have done Buriram - Kanchanaburi, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Lampang, but it took me some time to get used to the bloody thing, Android for me next time I think.

There are several things I don't like using my iphone for navigation on long trips.

Yes, the iPhone does have quite a small screen, which might make using it as a nav device challenging, in addition to the other negative issues you are experiencing.

The satellite view looks cool but I do agree that it perhaps does not increase the functionality or capability of the navigation "experience". It is easy to switch back to the boring, simplistic nuvi-like map view. Or whip it into Earth, or Streetview!

My Garmin nuvi needs to be plugged into a power source, at least for longer trips, so that does not present some huge complications using my Android phone, nor is heat a problem assuming the AC is functioning, and you can provide a mobile AP for other devices in the car. I have voice-assisted, turn-by-turn navigation with re-routing (hacked) on my Android phone and find that it works as well or better than my nuvi. The nuvi does have lane assist, which can be helpful, as are the POIs.

So far I've just played around with Google Maps. What I want to do is place locations I've visited on a Google map, so I just need to have the locations' latitude/longitude stored on the phone, either in a text format or embedded in photos, whichever is easier to use. Viewing the exif data in a bunch of photos sounds a bit of a pain but it might help me remember the locations more easily. The other thing I might want to do is embed the location data into web pages. As I understand it, this is easy to do with an html code snippet.

So far I've just played around with Google Maps. What I want to do is place locations I've visited on a Google map, so I just need to have the locations' latitude/longitude stored on the phone, either in a text format or embedded in photos, whichever is easier to use. Viewing the exif data in a bunch of photos sounds a bit of a pain but it might help me remember the locations more easily. The other thing I might want to do is embed the location data into web pages. As I understand it, this is easy to do with an html code snippet.

Assuming you want to do this "on-the-fly" (in the field), and create a custom Google Map to share, then I think you'd be advised to get a mobile data plan. Lower-speed (GSM: 2G:EDGE/GPRS) will suffice, but I would always recommend a volume-based plan.

If you just want to record your lon/lat then a data plan is not required, and you can use an Android app. to determine/record that info. for later use.

Can you share any details re: your exact phone/make/model; current service provider; budget

I don't need to do it on the fly. To be honest, I don't really want a smartphone because I find them too big to carry around, especially when hiking around upcountry. I currently have a small Nokia dumbphone with DTAC prepaid SIM that does everything I need and costs very little. For that reason I'm looking at smaller and cheaper smartphones like the Sony Xperia Miro, LG Optimus L3 and Samsung Galaxy Pocket/Y/Mini/Ace. 3500 baht for the Pocket sounded interesting but I found I couldn't type on it accurately in portrait mode, so I'm leaning towards one of the Samsung Ace models. I'd rather not spend more than 10K.

I use my iphone for navigating and it seems to be adequate for most purposes. This isn't a GPS service, you are using the internet to find out where you are. I have to buy 100 hours internet now and again when I am going on a trip to exotic parts. You can 'drop a pin' on any location that you wish to keep.

I would much prefer a navigator that used GPS.

unless you have turned of the GPS function (location services: off) then you are using GPS. It could be supplemented by cell tower triangulation but it's GPS.

It is posible to get an approximate location if the cell towers or wifi stations are mapped.

sorry, I obviously have memories of the early days of internet navigation (triangulation).

So far I've just played around with Google Maps. What I want to do is place locations I've visited on a Google map, so I just need to have the locations' latitude/longitude stored on the phone, either in a text format or embedded in photos, whichever is easier to use. Viewing the exif data in a bunch of photos sounds a bit of a pain but it might help me remember the locations more easily. The other thing I might want to do is embed the location data into web pages. As I understand it, this is easy to do with an html code snippet.

Many ways to do this without any phone data connection or even a phone? (Garmin GPS with camera also works). Just take a photo with the GPS data embedded in exif tag of photo on your device (any GPS phone should do this) then drag and drop the photo onto Google Earth for example as one way.

Dtac and True do not have good coverage upcountry or in remote places from experience. I have found that AIS has the best coverage outside of built up areas.

I have bought SIM cards and packages from all three and the only one usable and reliable is AIS. You might find it slower in som areas, but at least you will have an Internet connection.