Time to ditch my Garmin and use the phone?
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    8 years
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I've got a 2689 that I've had for about 6 years, and in the beginning it served me pretty well. But lately it's sending me on wild goose chases. It's happened the last 3 or 4 times that I've used it, but this last trip a few days ago took the cake.
I was on a short trip to an area that I was only slightly familiar with, and had entered the address for a restaurant that I wanted to try. After getting off the exit that it told me to, it said to take a right turn, then go a few blocks and make another right turn. Already I could tell it probably wasn't sending me where I needed to go.
It then told me to proceed a few blocks and make another right turn ... into a neighborhood of homes. I dutifully followed directions, thinking maybe somehow there was a shortcut or something to my destination. After going through this tract of homes it had me take another right into another tract, then a left, and eventually back out onto the street that I had just been on, but going in the opposite direction that I had just come from.
It then told me to make a left turn and get back onto the freeway in the direction that I had started out from. I knew better, and instead continued straight and saw the area which looked like it probably was where I wanted to go. Thankfully, after listening to my own intuition instead of that Garmin, I found my destination.
It's done similar things some of them for a while now, to the point where I've turned off the Garmin and went with my phone for directions instead, and it's almost always been more reliable.
I've always leaned in the direction of using a stand alone GPS, but the latest frustration has really made me wonder if it's time to make the switch.
The answer is: Use Both !!!
We have a Garmin 1090 for our motorhome and love the size of it and a lot of the features like finding RV parks, etc.
Having said that, we find that it is a good idea for my wife with iPad and Google Maps to compare the routes chosen by each. Yesterday, on a trip through NE Oklahoma the Garmin took us on a curvy hilly route, especially for a motorhome with a 23 foot wheelbase, when we could have gone straight for an extra couple of miles or so, and accessed the main highway.
Sooo... I think you need both.
rvOutrider
Use both for interstate travel
As others have pointed out, there are advantages to each. Depending on traffic conditions, while using the Garmin, I also use the phone with different apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Wase.
Steve - 2 Nuvi 3597
I Use Both Too
It's quick to use Google Maps on the phone but I got stuck a few times when cell service was minimal or non-existent and really found myself in a jam. After that trip, I always take the Garmin as a backup. Even in areas that are supposed to have good cell coverage I've run into outages for whatever reason and then I'm stuck going in circles. My car at home has built in NAV along with Android Auto for maps but traveling (where I really don't know the roads), is when I take the Garmin as a backup to the phone.
Garmin: GPSIII / StreetPilot / StreetPilot Color Map / StreetPilot III / StreetPilot 2610 / GPSMAP 60CSx / Nuvi 770 / Nuvi 765T / Nuvi 3490LMT / Drivesmart 55 / GPSMAP 66st * Pioneer: AVIC-80 / N3 / X950BH / W8600NEX
North of the 49th parallel
For those living north of the 49th parallel the cost of cellphone plans is ridiculously expensive. We can only dream of a $ 20.00 a month plan including data to run a Cellphone GPS.
I, for one am not going to pay $ 50.00 or more to use my cellphone as a GPS when my GARMIN is free to use regardless as to where I am !
Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.
download maps from Google
No data required at all. I do that when I'm going through areas where no cell service exists.
nüvi 3790T | Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, will make violent revolution inevitable ~ JFK
I agree
For those living north of the 49th parallel the cost of cellphone plans is ridiculously expensive. We can only dream of a $ 20.00 a month plan including data to run a Cellphone GPS.
I, for one am not going to pay $ 50.00 or more to use my cellphone as a GPS when my GARMIN is free to use regardless as to where I am !
Since the latest iPhone operating system upgrade I have found a reasonable map exists through Carplay. Have to load the map while phone is connected via WiFi (voice prompt, "load Google map") but I am managing quite well without a data plan
Lives in Edmonton AB A volunteer driver for Drive Happiness.ca and now (since June 20 2021) uses a DS65 to find his clients.
A few years ago
I very naively used my brand new cell phones built in GPS and was surprised how well it did.
That only lasted until my next cellphone bill where I was hit with an extra $ 125.00 for date usage without having a data plan!
Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.
Cell Phone Plans
I very naively used my brand new cell phones built in GPS and was surprised how well it did.
That only lasted until my next cellphone bill where I was hit with an extra $ 125.00 for date usage without having a data plan!
That $50/month, now or a few years ago, doesn't sound so bad now does it?
"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams
Another Way...
I very naively used my brand new cell phones built in GPS and was surprised how well it did.
That only lasted until my next cellphone bill where I was hit with an extra $ 125.00 for date usage without having a data plan!
To run up a big data bill is to do a map update on your WiFi enabled GPS using your vehicles built in "hot spot". The download will easily exceed the basic data limit unless you pay for an extended data plan.
Nope
I simply used the gps function in my cellphone as if it were a Garmin GPS.
You also need to realize in the US you have real cellphone provider competition.
In Canada there may be several providers but the big ones ie Rogers, Bell and Telus own the so called competitors.
BTW: This was long before I had a WiFi cellphone.
Nuvi 2797LMT, DriveSmart 50 LMT-HD, Using Windows 10. DashCam A108C with GPS.
These days I have started
These days I have started using Waze more in Toronto area. I just bought new 7" screen with Apple carplay for my cars. I will still use Garmin on longer trips along with Waze.
Iphone XR, Drivesmart 61,Nuvicam, Nuvi3597
I'll probably use Garmin till I die
This thing is so handy. Stays permanently on my dashboard. Since they are became CHEAP - no more worries about theft. I picked a couple extra in brand new condition for $10 each.
That's Funny
You also need to realize in the US you have real cellphone provider competition.
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile. Those are the big three. TracFone and its subsidiaries (Straight Talk, Net10) are owned by Verizon. Boost is owned by T-Mobile. Mint I believe is owned by AT&T. I'm 100% certain I've missed a few. But even if a company is NOT owned by one of the big three it still has to purchase capacity from one of them. The industry term for this is "MVNO" (Mobile Virtual Network Operator), and you'd be surprised who is one. WalMart Family Mobile, Xfinity Connect, and Google Fi are all MVNOs. TracFone, before its acquisition by Verizon, was a MVNO and would actually purchase bandwidth from all three major carriers.
There's not as much competition in the US cellular space as you might think.
"Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." --Douglas Adams