[Sprucegoose]

Originally Posted by manim

I am not an expert but I thought that GPS communication was only one-way, that is, info is received from satellites but no info is sent to them by the phone itself? (like Satellite-Television)

Originally Posted by bhp_maniac

There is no ping activity between phone and a satellite. Satellite broadcasts time signals (like a radio station) and phone receives it like a radio (there is no communication back to satellite). Then GPS chip on phone calculates the position on XY axis by calculating the time signal and the time it took to travel from satellite to phone.

Yup, you are correct...
and they are not Geosynchronous satellites as i thought they were.
Each satellite broadcasts it's current location along with a timestamp.
when you can recieve signals from 4 or more satellites, you can caluclate your position basis the position of the satellites and the time taken for each signal to reach.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by Sprucegoose

No. For about 4K more you will get a Nexus 4. Which is hands down a far superior phone.

The screen is smaller, but still has better resolution and three is no SD card support.
The nexus 4 beats the N7000 in every aspect apart from those 2 I've mentioned above.

Experience of using Note and Nexus 4 are entirely different comparison based on just hardware specification is not very useful always.

I would say the following.

1. Biggest plus of Note is the sPen Stylus and note feature and if you like this go with eyes closed there is no perceptible difference in performance of Note and Note 2 with stock JB images.

However if you are not bought in by the Note experience then any Android phone will do and in that case Nexus 4 is best available of the lot.

2. Note is dual core 1.4 GHz and is good performer with latest JB image.
JB update should be last official image and don't expect any further updates as originally device was launched with GB and has already received major updates.

Nexus 4 on other hand will continue to get updates at-least 1 year or so until the next Android update outgrows the hardware.

3. Functionality wise :

If you are going to use for games / entertainment and want to experiment with custom ROMS go for Nexus 4.

If you are going to use for productivity / Office usage with persoanl usage limited to browsing and movies and lightweight gaming go for Note.
Note has good active sync support and email client then stock Android
also VPN support is better then stock Android. It comes with Polaris office and Note app is very useful in office scenarios.

As a navigation device Note is better as Note as both Gallelio and AGPS and big screen.

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by Top-Gear

Did you check out www.androidlost.com?

I tried pushing the app from play store, but the site(androidlost) is still reporting 'waiting for registration'. Either the phone is switched off, or, reset. I pray hope it is the latter.

I did enable 2 stage google security option though.

Originally Posted by Sprucegoose

I've just downloaded Sygic for my phone and that gives me a much more accurate GPS location than Google Maps does.

Try using a different map software.

I had the same erratic GPS behavior in my LG Optimus one. Sometimes it is about 6 seconds and sometimes it doesn't lock with a location at all. I installed GPS search & fix, deleted GPS data, and tried again, got a fix within 10 seconds. Sometimes i have to restart the phone.

Having said that, Motorola phones are superb with respect to this. Instant or near instant lock even when i am sitting inside the home(closer to the window) and thereafter no drops in the lock/satellite count.

Most Micromax phones don't have a compass, so it is a serious deterrent for someone who needs a GPS capable phone.

[Top-Gear]

Originally Posted by Sprucegoose

No. For about 4K more you will get a Nexus 4. Which is hands down a far superior phone.

The screen is smaller, but still has better resolution and three is no SD card support.
The nexus 4 beats the N7000 in every aspect apart from those 2 I've mentioned above.

+1 to that. I love my Nexus. Nothing comes close!

Regarding the display, for instance, I find that the display is so much more realistic, as compared to the over saturated colours on a Samsung (typically).

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by Top-Gear

Regarding the display, for instance, I find that the display is so much more realistic, as compared to the over saturated colours on a Samsung (typically).

This is actually a software setting.
On Samsung devices to get natural look go to settings-> display-> screen mode choose "natural" radio button. Default setting is "standard" which looks over saturated.

[bharanidharang]

Which would be a good battery for s3. I love the phone and use CM10. Do 3rd party batteries ship to India ?

[goandude]

Originally Posted by ramzsys

Most Micromax phones don't have a compass, so it is a serious deterrent for someone who needs a GPS capable phone.

You are right, my MMX doesn't have a compass sensor, but what does that have to do with GPS capability? When I do get a gps fix and using an app like speedview, my heading is indicated on the app.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I think that nav software using compass and velocity sensing to help with fixing when satellite signals are weak or unavailable. It does some dead reckoning to fill the gaps. So, yes, GPS navigation will work without a compass, but it it one of the helpers.

To me, a compass is invaluable, because when I am lost I usually have lost my sense of direction. A compass tells me immediately which way is which (which usually tells me which way to go), without having to wait for a GPS fix, and without being moving. GPS can only tell you direction if it able to compare where you are now with where you were a few moments ago.

I guess it one of the things that the makers of cheaper phones feel they can economise on, but a phone without a compass would not be for me.

(Come to think of it, I could, on the other hand, live with a compass without a phone! )

Originally Posted by mayankk

For the led, try blink on the play store.

Oh, thanks: I thought there might be an app for it!

[oxyzen]

Looking to buy an Android smartphone within 10K. Lower the better.

What I need is a Big screen and decent performance. The two options that seem good are Lava Iris 458Q (VFM) & Xolo Q700 (Good battery, 1 GB ram). Need some suggestions before putting money on these brands.

I have heard that GPS cant get a lock in these budget smartphones. Is it true. If so, that are my options.

[kumar2007]

Originally Posted by oxyzen

Looking to buy an Android smartphone within 10K. Lower the better.

What I need is a Big screen and decent performance. The two options that seem good are Lava Iris 458Q (VFM) & Xolo Q700 (Good battery, 1 GB ram). Need some suggestions before putting money on these brands.

I have heard that GPS cant get a lock in these budget smartphones. Is it true. If so, that are my options.

http://www.flipkart.com/huawei-ascen...BDJ8JQP7QNWRZA

[kap04]

You should try Cerberus. https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...cerberus&hl=en

Yesterday it was free , don't know about today.

Its the best app for tracking your phone, and it works.

I tried pushing the app from play store, but the site(androidlost) is still reporting 'waiting for registration'. Either the phone is switched off, or, reset. I pray hope it is the latter.

[Raccoon]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I think that nav software using compass and velocity sensing to help with fixing when satellite signals are weak or unavailable. It does some dead reckoning to fill the gaps. So, yes, GPS navigation will work without a compass, but it it one of the helpers.

To me, a compass is invaluable, because when I am lost I usually have lost my sense of direction. A compass tells me immediately which way is which (which usually tells me which way to go), without having to wait for a GPS fix, and without being moving. GPS can only tell you direction if it able to compare where you are now with where you were a few moments ago.

I guess it one of the things that the makers of cheaper phones feel they can economise on, but a phone without a compass would not be for me.

(Come to think of it, I could, on the other hand, live with a compass without a phone! )



Oh, thanks: I thought there might be an app for it!

Not just makers of cheap phones. Even the likes of HTC think they can do away with the sensor. The HTC One V didn't have one, for eg. And though cheaper now, IIRC it was retailing around 18k or more just about a year back.

The magnetometer isn't useful just as a compass. You'd also need it for detecting magnetic fields, etc.

When Sony released the ICS update for my phone, one of the many bugs in their 1st release was that the magnetometer stopped working. Google maps just stopped reorienting itself after turning, and gave me some tough time. I had to figure out the streets and the map and then figure out the right way to rotate the map myself.

Even very low end phones have magnetometers, so the cost must be definitely very less. Frustrating that some phone makers suddenly get bright ideas and pull something out while you are looking the other way just for a few cents...

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by Raccoon

Not just makers of cheap phones. Even the likes of HTC think they can do away with the sensor. The HTC One V didn't have one, for eg. And though cheaper now, IIRC it was retailing around 18k or more just about a year back.

The magnetometer isn't useful just as a compass. You'd also need it for detecting magnetic fields, etc.

When Sony released the ICS update for my phone, one of the many bugs in their 1st release was that the magnetometer stopped working. Google maps just stopped reorienting itself after turning, and gave me some tough time. I had to figure out the streets and the map and then figure out the right way to rotate the map myself.

Even very low end phones have magnetometers, so the cost must be definitely very less. Frustrating that some phone makers suddenly get bright ideas and pull something out while you are looking the other way just for a few cents...

I agree, my inexpensive spice android phone which cost less than 4k also has the magnetometer. Works very well and is pretty useful for navigation, but not exactly necessary.
But in a phone that costs over 10k, its absence is unacceptable.

[oxyzen]

Originally Posted by kumar2007

http://www.flipkart.com/huawei-ascen...BDJ8JQP7QNWRZA

Well the specs are similar to Lava 458Q except the processor is dual core & not quadcore. Even the Camera is 5MP where as Lava gives 8MP.
And then it is 2.5K more expensive.

Infact Lava iris 458q has very good specs atleast on paper.

1. 1.2 Ghz Quadcore
2. 4.5" display
3. 8 MP camera
4. JB 4.2

Anyone has any experience with it?

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by oxyzen

Well the specs are similar to Lava 458Q except the processor is dual core & not quadcore. Even the Camera is 5MP where as Lava gives 8MP.
And then it is 2.5K more expensive.

Infact Lava iris 458q has very good specs atleast on paper.

1. 1.2 Ghz Quadcore
2. 4.5" display
3. 8 MP camera
4. JB 4.2

Anyone has any experience with it?

512 mb ram on jb 4.2, that is a little too less. Try 1GB at least. No problems otherwise, at least on paper.