I have posted a few times about deciding on a handheld GPS.
If you check out the posts made
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=23646#p305162 in 2016. - it gives you pretty much a good idea on my thoughts if you are looking at a dedicated handheld GPS.
Since around 2015 or so, I started using both an Android smartphone as well as one of my Garmin Handhelds for bushwalking in earnest. For a few trips I bought a cheap 5" touchscreen phone to use pretty much as a dedicated hiking GPS and a spare phone for overseas travel, until I killed it with water
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=25128Initially I was using one of the Garmin GPS units first, then backed up with my Android smartphone, and then paper maps. Of late, I am using the Android phone first, the Garmin GPS second and the paper maps haven't come out of my pack - I usually have the exact digital version of the paper maps on my smartphone (either digital vector maps or scanned).
I was pretty much a horses for courses guy on handheld GPS for a few years, stating that there was still a place for dedicated GPS units. But the relatively small market for handheld GPS units has not seen much improvement/innovation for the expenditure outlay when compared with mobile phones.
For example:
PricingCurrent Garmin touchscreen Handheld approx costs:
- Garmin Montana 680t with topo maps about $890
- Garmin Montana 610 without maps about $680
- Garmin oregon 750t with topo maps currently about $675
- Garmin Oregon 700 without maps is about $600.
- etrex 25 $250 without maps
- etrex 35 $450 without maps
Garmin Topo maps cost around $100 if you don't get the ones with preloaded topo maps, but you can use free OSM maps.
In comparison there are some "tough" phones on the market I have been following with some interest. Eg:
There are other Chinese brand tough smartphones as well, but these ones I have been following the prices on.
If you consider the pricing on some of these units, compared to the top of the line Garmin touchscreen models, you will note that they can be similarly priced or cheaper. The touchscreen experience of a newer smartphone device is superior than on the Garmin handheld, the smartphone processor is quicker, the GPS chipset and the antenna can be as good as the Garmin handheld or superior (with newer phones also receiving other global navigation satellite system GNSS, not just GPS and GLONASS that the Garmin chipsets currently use).
The other upsides is that with these newer smartphones, you get a whole suite of useful sensors that might only be on the top of line Garmin Handhelds like tilt compensated electronic compasses, and barometric sensors, etc, and then some other sensors that you don't see in the handhelds. Coupled with appropriate software, these additional sensors can be quite useful bushwalking. And, of course, you can use them for calls, texts, internet access, and wifi/bluetooth applications.
Even if you paid for the Android software and topo maps (noting that there are free versions you could use out there, like Oruxmaps free and OSM maps) - you could be spending a similar amount, or less than a current generation Garmin GPS touchscreen handheld device.
DownsidesEasily replaceable power is one of the advantages of the handheld GPS units, you still can get AA/AAA batteries almost everywhere you might find yourself in the world, even when you don't have solar power or your lithium powerbank has depleted. Of course, with powerbanks, solar options and rechargeable batteries, this issue of power can be mitigated with smartphones.
There are some unknowns on the longevity of these newer smartphones as GPS, though. Smartphones have increasingly short product lifespans. I'm not sure if a new smartphone these days will last 20 years (either software or hardware). Built-in, non-user replaceable batteries are pretty much standard for newer smartphones these days, but with some, for those with expertise can crack the cases open and replace the batteries after a few years of use. For those without the expertise, you can pay for the battery to be replaced. However, with some phone models after a few years and the model has been well superceeded, the battery replacement option may be worth more than the phone itself.
To contrast, for example, Garmin Foretrex 101 from 1999 just needs new AAA batteries and it can still function today. One thing about older Garmin GPS devices, is that the internal battery might be also be dead after 20 years. This tiny battery is soldered to the board and is not meant to be user replaceable - it stores time clock memory when the GPS is off. When this battery is depleted, the usual result is that the GPS will not remember where it was when you last turned it off and replaced the AAA/AA batteries. It then takes a while longer to find and download GPS information and goes into Auto Locate mode. The internal battery can be replaced, but it does need someone with experience in disassembly, cleaning the contacts and soldering. Garmin used to have a service where they would replace this internal battery but i recall the cost was quite high. I don't know if they still do it for older models.
So the uptick of all this is that I reckon it is more than doable to use a newer smartphone as a GPS. I reckon when my Garmin 600 finally kicks the bucket, I might look at one of these tough android smartphones to replace it.
Of course, you could still use the same phone you would use everyday and a tough case for it that would solve the durability and waterproof issues, and then all you need to decide on is the software/maps.