04 February, 2010

GPS on the HTC Magic

During my recent holiday I had the opportunity to test the GPS capabilities of the HTC Magic. In summary:

  • the GPS works without Internet access, although you can't get any maps
  • the GPS can be used to geotag photos, but it's hard to tell when it's working
At first, I thought the GPS would not work without Internet access, but I found it worked after disabling location by wireless networks, leaving only GPS (fine location). It is VERY poor at finding signals though, so good luck if there are any tall buildings nearby.
This was the best way I found to geotag photos:
  1. Start camera application
  2. Press power button twice. You should see the locked screen. At the top, the GPS indicator should be flashing.
  3. Once the GPS indicator remains steady, your position has been determined and you can unlock and take photos.
It's best to try this first if you're travelling.

If you're using the GPS, I recommend GPS Speedo and Compass, both of which will display your coordinates. GPS Speedo will also tell you your speed, max speed, average speed and distance travelled. Both are free and do not require Internet access.

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