Member Contributer Solomoto Posted October 10, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 Yes I think it's true. I've had a Garmin Zumo 550 for a few years now and it has been a great tool. Unfortunately, the latest in smartphone designs have trumped the single purpose GPS units by offering technology and so many forms of functionality that it no longer makes much sense to carry a relatively heavy Zumo any longer. I just purchased the latest Motorola Droid Bionic which has the futuristic 4G LTE broadband data technology. With one lightweight device, I get an 8MP camera, 1080p HD camcorder, GPS receiver, WiFi plus local hotspot, Bluetooth, MP3 player, endless web applications, email, voice mail, and of course voice with legacy 3G technology. All this for less than the price of a Zumo with a 2 year service contract. Amazing! I'm about to depart on a modest moto vacation which motivated me to buy this smartphone. I down loaded a free app called GPS Essentials but there are many other choices as well. It appears to do most of what the Zumo does and more. The only major difference as far a I can is that there is no companion PC software to create routes and manage tracking data, but who knows, maybe it is compatible with Garmin Mapsource or other routing tools. I know there is a common gpx format that allows exchange of data. So there you have it. Anyone interested in a Zumo 550? Ha! I think I just undersold it my self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer 2thdr Posted October 10, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 I would be interested to replace my zumo 450...no bluetooth. However, my droid X isn't waterproof...don't know about yours...also hard to operate with gloves on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud786 Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Yes I think it's true. I've had a Garmin Zumo 550 for a few years now and it has been a great tool. Unfortunately, the latest in smartphone designs have trumped the single purpose GPS units by offering technology and so many forms of functionality that it no longer makes much sense to carry a relatively heavy Zumo any longer. I just purchased the latest Motorola Droid Bionic which has the futuristic 4G LTE broadband data technology. With one lightweight device, I get an 8MP camera, 1080p HD camcorder, GPS receiver, WiFi plus local hotspot, Bluetooth, MP3 player, endless web applications, email, voice mail, and of course voice with legacy 3G technology. All this for less than the price of a Zumo with a 2 year service contract. Amazing! I'm about to depart on a modest moto vacation which motivated me to buy this smartphone. I down loaded a free app called GPS Essentials but there are many other choices as well. It appears to do most of what the Zumo does and more. The only major difference as far a I can is that there is no companion PC software to create routes and manage tracking data, but who knows, maybe it is compatible with Garmin Mapsource or other routing tools. I know there is a common gpx format that allows exchange of data. So there you have it. Anyone interested in a Zumo 550? Ha! I think I just undersold it my self. Only problem is the coverage, especially in remote area, you cant trust a phone for that. City life, I guess it will work. I had wide band area rural coverage, for lab top, it worked not bad, but still alot of dead zones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tightwad Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Does the GPS receiver work independent of the cell service? I think the auto GPS still has plenty of life left. Phones have smaller screens and less ruggedness....waterproof is an obvious one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Solomoto Posted October 10, 2011 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 Only problem is the coverage, especially in remote area, you cant trust a phone for that. City life, I guess it will work. I had wide band area rural coverage, for lab top, it worked not bad, but still alot of dead zones. Yes, but that's true for any cell phone. GPS is independent of cell service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 My Zumo 550 continues to be an asset. I've had an iphone for several years but it doesn't even come close to replacing the convenience of the Zumo when tearing it up; rain or no rain. I do have a tankbag amp and ER6is that seperates the 8500 and MP3s from the Zumo. I have trouble seeing the screen on the iphone when I'm sitting at a table, let alone in the saddle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Solomoto Posted October 10, 2011 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 I would be interested to replace my zumo 450...no bluetooth. However, my droid X isn't waterproof...don't know about yours...also hard to operate with gloves on. I'm not sure of the water resistance of the Bionic, but that and non-glove friendly are minor trade-offs for the added benefits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Solomoto Posted October 10, 2011 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 My Zumo 550 continues to be an asset. I've had an iphone for several years but it doesn't even come close to replacing the convenience of the Zumo when tearing it up; rain or no rain. I do have a tankbag amp and ER6is that seperates the 8500 and MP3s from the Zumo. I have trouble seeing the screen on the iphone when I'm sitting at a table, let alone in the saddle. No doubt the 550 is still useful, just because it is obsolete (as a product) doesn't render it useless in absolute terms. It is rugged, probably why it's so heavy in comparison. I'm guessing that display technology has move forward also, the Bionic appears quite readable in daylight with a larger display than the Zumo. If I want to travel light, it's the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted October 10, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 Plus, I'm not sure if the phone will have the actual maps on internal memory. It will probably use location information from the nearest cellphone mast to identify where you are and start downloading map data. It will continue to download more map data as you travel along/based on the destination you entered. So if your subscription includes unlimitted data, you are good to go. Just stay away from any border as you may pick up a signal from a cellphone mast on the other side. You will get hit with roaming charges.... Kerching!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 My Zumo is mounted just in-front of my tankbag. it doesn't feel heavy at all.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Solomoto Posted October 10, 2011 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 Phones have smaller screens and less ruggedness. Smartphones have larger displays than the Zumo 550. The newer 660 has a comparable display size to smartphones, probably the same display element. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tightwad Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 How big is the screen of the Bionic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Solomoto Posted October 10, 2011 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 Plus, I'm not sure if the phone will have the actual maps on internal memory. It will probably use location information from the nearest cellphone mast to identify where you are and start downloading map data. It will continue to download more map data as you travel along/based on the destination you entered. So if your subscription includes unlimitted data, you are good to go. Just stay away from any border as you may pick up a signal from a cellphone mast on the other side. You will get hit with roaming charges.... Kerching!!!!! Good point, the mapping is downloaded via mobile data connection as you move along. In that sense, the GPS application is dependent on cell coverage. Makes me wonder if I pre-load a route, can I down load the mapping via WiFi ahead of time? I'll also have to check to see if maps are available to be installed in memory just as they are on standalone GPS devices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Solomoto Posted October 10, 2011 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 How big is the screen of the Bionic? It's 4.3" on the diagonal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 Will the smartphone give you verbal commands and have seamless satellite reception? i live in NH and AT&T/Verizon have they're moments of nothingness. Although 4.3 sounds pretty good. The Zumo is 3.625" diagonal. But, i don't need to watch it: I just listen, most of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Flightar Posted October 10, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 I use my Droid Incredible in the car but on the bike my handlebar mounted Zumo 220 is the ticket... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Dutchy Posted October 10, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 or get one of these and your passenger can do the map reading.................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer thereisnospoon Posted October 10, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 you can get a stylus that will work with the gloved hand/capacitive (if capacitive is the right word..) screens. not the most elegant but will work. need to research but I think a bluetooth gps receiver will pair with a phone and use gps that way rather than relying on cell tower service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 or get one of these and your passenger can do the map reading.................... The way it is here in the North East USA, you'd have to get a new helmet every year... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Solomoto Posted October 10, 2011 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 Will the smartphone give you verbal commands and have seamless satellite reception? i live in NH and AT&T/Verizon have they're moments of nothingness. Although 4.3 sounds pretty good. The Zumo is 3.625" diagonal. But, i don't need to watch it: I just listen, most of the time. Not too sure about the verbal commands, but that would be a function of the application itself, not the smartphone. I would think a competent app would provide audio since after all it is an audio device. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 10, 2011 Share Posted October 10, 2011 I use my Droid Incredible in the car but on the bike my handlebar mounted Zumo 220 is the ticket... I use my iPad and google maps in the truck...Good Stuf! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Solomoto Posted October 10, 2011 Author Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 or get one of these and your passenger can do the map reading.................... With that map, Columbus did indeed fall off the edge of the earth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer NorthernVFRDave Posted October 10, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 Plus, I'm not sure if the phone will have the actual maps on internal memory. It will probably use location information from the nearest cellphone mast to identify where you are and start downloading map data. It will continue to download more map data as you travel along/based on the destination you entered. So if your subscription includes unlimitted data, you are good to go. Just stay away from any border as you may pick up a signal from a cellphone mast on the other side. You will get hit with roaming charges.... Kerching!!!!! Good point, the mapping is downloaded via mobile data connection as you move along. In that sense, the GPS application is dependent on cell coverage. Makes me wonder if I pre-load a route, can I down load the mapping via WiFi ahead of time? I'll also have to check to see if maps are available to be installed in memory just as they are on standalone GPS devices. No I've looked in to it, you need the data connection to keep the map display active. I had a free trial of the Garmin App for my BlackBerry. In a week of normal GPS use, I was amost 300megs of data. Oh ya, Zumo is IPX7 waterproof rated, your smartphone warnty goes poof if you get one drop of water on it. I can't see smartphones replacing full time GPS units anytime soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted October 10, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 Plus, I'm not sure if the phone will have the actual maps on internal memory. It will probably use location information from the nearest cellphone mast to identify where you are and start downloading map data. It will continue to download more map data as you travel along/based on the destination you entered. So if your subscription includes unlimitted data, you are good to go. Just stay away from any border as you may pick up a signal from a cellphone mast on the other side. You will get hit with roaming charges.... Kerching!!!!! Data roaming can be disabled. There are also some true GPS apps for phones now - 16GB of storage is common so there is no need to rely on assisted GPS (downloaded maps). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer TomG33 Posted October 10, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted October 10, 2011 Interesting, Solomoto, HOWEVER................ I'll wait till you have used it for a year or so to see how you feel about it then. I may be a little old fashioned but when dealing with electronics, it NEVER pays to put all your eggs in the one basket. Issues, mentioned above, such as Waterproof, working outside the cellular network, using it with gloves on, are all valid, however I have worked with electronic gadgets ever since the first HP35 Calculator (yes, way back in 1980) and they are ALL prone to just quitting when you need them the most. Just this weekend I destroyed my Apple MacBook Air, when I hit a disguised pothole at 100 Km/h. Lucky for me I still had my trusty Strike genius sitting there working away like nothing had happened. It may be dated and the features not as extensive as some of the more modern wizardry offers, however a slightly dated working model, is far more useful then a broken one with ALL the gadgets included. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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