Jack D
Well-known member
Cellular provider MetroPCS currently has the Kyocera Hydro Life phone on sale for $49.
https://www.metropcs.com/cell-phones/phonedetails.Kyocera_Hydro_LIFE.610214635860.html
I had to buy a micro SD card for $20. I also installed the Android GPS app Copilot Premium for $30. I have used this app for over a year with my Samsung Galaxy S4 which of course is not waterproof.
Copilot allows you to create a trip with via points to force the route to go the way you want. The Premium option gives you voice instructions and 3d maps. The non premium version is free. The trips that you define can be saved for future use and waypoints are also saved as My Places. You can select locations from a city, address, My Places, predefined and categorized POIs such as businesses, attractions, etc., Contacts, Photos, coordinates or pick from the map. The maps are all stored on the SD card so you need no internet access. It can be difficult picking locations on the map from a small cell phone so I have installed the free app on an old Android tablet and define trips on that and then transfer the trip file to the phone using Bluetooth. You can also get a PC version of the program but it is $100 and I think there is no free version for a PC. The program at this time does not accept GPX files.
The phone is smaller than my Samsung but has a much brighter display than either the Samsung or my Garmin Nuvi 765. I had NO problem seeing the display in bright sunlight even when the sun was behind me shining into the screen. You can use the app in Portrait mode, it shows more detail than the Nuvi as well as having a crisper display. The app runs much faster than the Nuvi. The phone is waterproof at the ports including the USB/charging port BUT NOT when the cables are connected. I did a test yesterday running the app with no charging cable connected and it ran over an hour without completely discharging the battery which was not fully charged when I started. My plans were to permanently connect the charging cable and seal it with silicone. I have no intentions of activating this unit for phone use, it will only be a GPS. The phone is mounted an a RAM X-mount.
Drawbacks
The phone screen is capacitive which means that you cannot use it with normal gloves on.
No GPX file support at least currently.
Learning curve for Copilot, though faster than switching from MapSource to Basecamp IMHO.
Positives
Faster program than a Garmin GPS, recalculations are instantaneous.
Much better display than Garmin
Portrait mode operation
Phone will run other apps including being a phone if desired
Free map upgrades
I have only tested this phone for 400 miles yesterday and did not have voice instructions as I was using the free version. Today I have installed the premium version and will be testing the voice instructions via Bluetooth to my Sena10 headset this week. I have used the voice instructions with my Samsung and was happy with it so this will really be a test of the phones Bluetooth.
More info as I do more testing. My goal is to get away from Garmin's high priced devices.
https://www.metropcs.com/cell-phones/phonedetails.Kyocera_Hydro_LIFE.610214635860.html
I had to buy a micro SD card for $20. I also installed the Android GPS app Copilot Premium for $30. I have used this app for over a year with my Samsung Galaxy S4 which of course is not waterproof.
Copilot allows you to create a trip with via points to force the route to go the way you want. The Premium option gives you voice instructions and 3d maps. The non premium version is free. The trips that you define can be saved for future use and waypoints are also saved as My Places. You can select locations from a city, address, My Places, predefined and categorized POIs such as businesses, attractions, etc., Contacts, Photos, coordinates or pick from the map. The maps are all stored on the SD card so you need no internet access. It can be difficult picking locations on the map from a small cell phone so I have installed the free app on an old Android tablet and define trips on that and then transfer the trip file to the phone using Bluetooth. You can also get a PC version of the program but it is $100 and I think there is no free version for a PC. The program at this time does not accept GPX files.
The phone is smaller than my Samsung but has a much brighter display than either the Samsung or my Garmin Nuvi 765. I had NO problem seeing the display in bright sunlight even when the sun was behind me shining into the screen. You can use the app in Portrait mode, it shows more detail than the Nuvi as well as having a crisper display. The app runs much faster than the Nuvi. The phone is waterproof at the ports including the USB/charging port BUT NOT when the cables are connected. I did a test yesterday running the app with no charging cable connected and it ran over an hour without completely discharging the battery which was not fully charged when I started. My plans were to permanently connect the charging cable and seal it with silicone. I have no intentions of activating this unit for phone use, it will only be a GPS. The phone is mounted an a RAM X-mount.
Drawbacks
The phone screen is capacitive which means that you cannot use it with normal gloves on.
No GPX file support at least currently.
Learning curve for Copilot, though faster than switching from MapSource to Basecamp IMHO.
Positives
Faster program than a Garmin GPS, recalculations are instantaneous.
Much better display than Garmin
Portrait mode operation
Phone will run other apps including being a phone if desired
Free map upgrades
I have only tested this phone for 400 miles yesterday and did not have voice instructions as I was using the free version. Today I have installed the premium version and will be testing the voice instructions via Bluetooth to my Sena10 headset this week. I have used the voice instructions with my Samsung and was happy with it so this will really be a test of the phones Bluetooth.
More info as I do more testing. My goal is to get away from Garmin's high priced devices.