WeyounDS9
Thread starter
The phone/app based Nav systems I am well aware are dependent on cell service.Don't take this the wrong way, but your haphazard terminology makes me think you don't fully understand how GPS navigation works
Best brush up on it, never hurts to learn
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...units/techops/navservices/gnss/gps/howitworks
As for your day to day usability questions, most of not all factory GPS systems are completely offline (if you will), relying on locally stored map data (be it CD, Hard Drive, flash storage, etc) and the ability for it's GPS antenna to see the sky
Same goes for your (these days rather old school) suction cupped Garmin/TomTom (I don't miss those days)
It's offline locally stored maps, and GPS coordinates
Maybe some saved POI data, that's usually out of date
For these two navigation solutions, no cellular service is required, as long as you're coordinates are somewhere the map covers, and your antenna can see the sky well enough to get a lock, you'll get something
God knows how useful, efficient, accurate, or up to date it'll be, but it'll be something
For the older, maybe tech illiterate, or those in rural areas who need steadfast reliability, these are the safe and easy options, but kinda limited
You mentioned OnStar Navigation, that's a different beast
For people who couldn't be bothered/figure out how to work a GPS system, OnStar offers a boomer friendly navigate me to XYZ service
You'd tell the advisor an address, or ask for a POI, they'd generate a route, then transmit it (over cellular) to your GM vehicles DIC or radio, where it would give you turn by turn instructions on screen and in spoken work
I remember my grandmother making use of it in the '04 DeVille, '08 DTS, and '12 SRX
It worked, well enough I guess
This system is dependant on an OnStar subscription, and decent cellular coverage
Newer cars (past 5 years or so) are bringing app integrated navigation solutions on board, most popular is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Which is really just recasting your smartphone on the dash, in a car friendly interface
Navigation is powered by Apple or Google Maps, A few other map apps are available
These services are at their best with a cellular signal, but Google Maps let's you download offline areas so you'll have basic mapping + turn by turn, even with no coverage
They've all come a long way in the past 5 years, but you may not get 100% perfection all of the time
Now I'm a city boy, and I know my way around my locale, so a temporary loss of cell service or turn by turn hand holding isn't a big deal
But I am aware there's large swaths of inhospitable land in this country that may not be the case
I have used them with my iphone on multiple rentals.
I have both a personal iphone and a work issued iphone (for work outlook) however I do not relish the idea of carrying apocket computer around with me all the time.
I only mentioned ONstar (which I have never used) because it is clearly a connected to corporate system which I wish to avoid.
based on the answers here does appear that Garmin and/or hard wired Nav systems in the car offer better privacy and no dependence of cell phone towers.
I am willing to sacrifice update maps for a bit more privacy.
Lets face it 90% of all drives happen on roads that havent chnaged in the past 10 years or more.
