My Windows Mobile phone doesn’t have built-in GPS (actually, some argue it does, but just disabled). Based on the new version of Google Maps for Mobile that was announced today I may not be missing it nearly as much. You see, it now features “My Location.”
The “My Location” bit is how the mobile version of Google Maps determines where you are without using GPS. Instead, it uses cell towers to approximate your location. Pretty cool, since that should give it a fighting chance of working indoors where GPS doesn’t do so well.
If only it would work on my HTC Mogul phone. Unfortunately, all I’ve seen so far is “Your current location is temporarily unavailable.” Fiddlesticks.
I’ve tried from four different areas today covering a large swath of the south side of the greater Denver metro area and have had no luck. Wonder if my phone has a problem?
I’ll have to spend some time tomorrow finding the obligatory support forum and see what’s what.
Anyone else got it working — and if so, how accurate does it seem?
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November 28th, 2007 
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That is so cool! Do you know if it works with certain providers better or not? I am also wondering if it works here in Canada as well. Better try it out!
Actually, for the most part that feature is a hit and miss. I haven’t been able to get it to work with my iPhone, dad’s blackberry and a standard Nokia N80. From what I’ve heard and read, that much touted feature is likely still an alphaware. Partly because it relies on the wifi/cell tower to figure your location out. Unfortunately, this feature was similar to what Microsoft’s Street maps GPS software/receiver solution had. It didn’t work 80% of the time either.
To make bold claims like do I really need a GPS, is something that is fairly misleading for Google.
This might become usable in a few months down the road, with more updates, but for the moment, I’ll keep my TomTom
Hey Trent, I don’t know beans about it yet.
Looks like Ahmed does though!
@Ahmed – dang. that’s depressing. Have you got it to work with any phones?
Didn’t work for me. Looks like it has built in GPS integration, but alas my Moto Q on Verizon didn’t work.
@Chris: Nope, none so far. So far 4 OS’es have been ruled out, Blackberry, MacOSX (iPhone), Windows Mobile (Mogul), Symbian S60(N80).
I’m going to look around and see if anyone else got this to work at all.
I’ll check back with you guys on this. Although, that one thing still stands – time and time again, I look/buy a convergence device, but sadly phones were better off working as stand-alone phone * sigh * , be back for more.
Interestingly enough, I carry both Blackberry and HTC Smartphone (2125 from ATT).
Both on the same AT&T/Cingular network, and I installed the new software on both.
However, Blackberry consistently works fine, and on the Smartphone I keep getting the same error.
Since they both using same exact network and I am in the same location, I have to conclude that somehow Google Maps smartphone edition has this feature disabled….
Or are there other theories?
@Shawn – out of curiosity, who’s your carrier?
@Ahmed – I wonder if it is more a carrier issue than a phone model issue? For instance, I’m Sprint — what are you other guys that don’t have it working?
Oops, I just re-read Adi’s comment. He kind of shoots holes in my little theory…
@Adi – I had a theory but you just clobbered it
Hmm…
Adi – What version of the blackberry OS and phone are you using. I’m on T-mobile, so used the regular mobile data connection and wifi – no go on either. My iPhone is AT&T, still no go. Tried out in several locations, Twin Citites downtown, uptown, and a few suburbs. We ought to send this to Google for slapping at their QA’s hands
Hi, didn’t mean to clobber anything
I have Blackberry 8700, running v4.1 – It’s from work and mostly used as a pager, but Google Maps seems to run great on it.
Both seem to be on Edge Data network, so I would think they should be getting same data from the network provider, but who knows….
I got the Nokia N80ie (a Symbian S60) to work. I had to backup, hard-reset (formats it clean), then install Google Maps fresh on the phone (not on the SD Mini), turned up Wifi and it works great, switch to Edge, slowpoke (* kick punch hue cry *), and yes it still works, granted very slow. The only difference that I can think of was perhaps the clean slate on the J2ME setup (no previous caches, config hacks, etc). This is no doubt a J2ME app, so thats one arena to look at. Although, I don’t think I’ll be hard reseting the iPhone or blackberry
, but I’ve read on the Google maps discussion group that iPhone is not supported yet (ok, that explains it). As for the BB Curve, I am still scratching my head over it.
Gluck guys!
I’d like to clarify some more:
The version I installed on my 2125 AT&T smartphone is a Windows Mobile edition, note J2ME edition.
And while it works fine, the My Location doesn’t work.
What is probably a fun experiment is to try to install J2ME version of Google Maps on that same smartphone of mine, since it has Java also. It’s probably non-trivial since the thing detects my pone is smartphone and tries to force the smartphone edition on me, instead of J2ME edition. But, if I get some spare time I may still try it…
I am trying to get it to work for my iphone still no luck I hope they come out with a new version soon
knowing google and their resources they should have a working version soon
[...] Google Maps — Damned handy to have with me, just wish the “My Location” stuff would work with my phone. Rumor has it the next flash for my phone will unlock the built-in GPS unit… [previous mention] [...]
THE MOGUL NOW HAS BUILT-IN GPS!
WooHoo, the original poster said of is HTC Mogul, “My Windows Mobile phone doesn’t have built-in GPS (actually, some argue it does, but just disabled)…” and as it turns out, it *does* have built-in GPS.
A recently leaked Radio firmware update enables this feature, along with also enabling EVDO Rev.A. HTC and Sprint will be officially releasing this update soon, but the leaked version has already made its rounds at ppcgeeks.com and xda-developers.com, and found its way into countless custom ROMs.
I’ve been using this firmware on my Mogul since the day after it was leaked (early-mid January), and I have to say, the GPS is too cool. I do not have Sprint service, but instead, I unlocked and reprogrammed my Mogul to work with Cricket service, which offers unlimited calls/data/text for ~$50/mo. In my Denver market, Cricket also has EVDO, and in side-by-side tests was faster than a verizon data card. (repeatable and consistent speedtests of about 1100+kbps downstream, 350+kbps upstream at speakeasy.net/speedtest)
Sorry for such a long post, when all I wanted to say, was that the HTC Titan rules now that it has built-in GPS, and has to be the best CDMA phone on the market. This phone is also known as the Sprint Mogul, Verizon XV6800 and Telus P4000.
Don’t even get me started on the Windows Mobile 6.1 firmware upgrade that was leaked literally 4 or 5 days after the GPS update. January was a *good* month for cdma pocket pc enthusiests.
Jay – great news, indeed!
I guess I really need to be haunting the xda-devs board more often. I had NO idea any of this was going on!
Hey, I’m in Denver market too