How do I improve iphone GPS accuracy

[bigqid]

I get annoyed that the dot on my iphone is so often so far off. Is there a trick or a peripheral to get it to be reasonably accurate?

[tokenuser]

Originally Posted by bigqid

I get annoyed that the dot on my iphone is so often so far off. Is there a trick or a peripheral to get it to be reasonably accurate?

You are SOL. The antennae for the gps is small, and unable to pull in weaker signals - especially indoors, between tall buildings, and unless you are close to a window in a moving car. The iPad has the same hardware, but a bigger antennae and is real accurate.

If you want an accessory, I'd suggest getting a standalone gps. Mount it permanently in the car... And let the phone be a phone.

[tehboris]

Originally Posted by tokenuser

If you want an accessory, I'd suggest getting a standalone gps. Mount it permanently in the car... And let the phone be a phone.

Try and get a GPS with an external antenna socket, in case it's internal antenna is not satisfactory.

[davmoo]

This is the problem with phones that try to be everything, and a perfect example of why I prefer separate devices. Instead of having a good phone and a good GPs receiver, the iPhone gives you a sorta okay phone and a so-so GPS receiver, along with a whole bunch of other "almost usable but never the best" features.

There are very few, if any, situations where a Swiss Army Knife is the *perfect* tool for the job.

[revision3fan]

• Make sure the iPhone has the correct date and time (check all computers the iPhone syncs with).
• Stand outdoors with as much of the horizon as possible or as few obstructions as possible; preferably, in a place with good cell phone reception, too.
• Turn the iPhone off, then back on. Maybe try holding the iPhone with just two fingers - to try out different GPS antenna grips - above your head.

The assissted GPS on the iPhone will use cell tower and even Wi-Fi data when GPS data is not obtainable.

[masherscf]

I think that Smart Phone based GPS software is still pretty undependable. I've been using the navigation Software in my DROID for a few months now and I'm pretty disappointed that I haven't been able to complete one long journey without having to use a stand-alone GPS unit for at least part of the trip. The advantage of the Android based navigator is the traffic info and the updated maps. However, it eats the battery and when I travel outside a data cell (frequent in the NE), I lose all capability to reroute.

My advice is to get a stand alone unit with a big antenna. if you can't justify getting a stand-alone, you probably don't need that kinds of accuracy anyway.