Repurpose old android phone (without cell phone plan) as cycle computer with GPS tracking?

Question

I upgraded my cell phone and now have a Droid X2 without cell service that I'm not using for anything. Can I utilize my old Droid X2 phone (or any android phone without a cell phone plan) as a basic cycle computer, GPS Router Tracker, or Navigation tool? How will the capabilities stack up against a dedicated cycling GPS such as a Garmin 800?

I would be using this on the road completely data free. However, I think the GPS functionality should still be functional, even without data service. I should be able to access an internet connection at home to upload or download data to the phone as well as install apps.

Answer 1

I have a background in developing consumer GPS systems...... There is no doubt that a Garmin is a much better device for the job. On cell phones, GPS and associated functionality is the side dish - as in "would you like fries with your burger", on a Garmin, is the Raison d'être.

Hardware wise, its a no brainier.

First, as already mentioned in @armb answer, is battery life - Cell phones start small with the smallest battery they can get away with, ever seen a Cellphone with battery life specified - with GPS turned on - there is a reason for that.

Robustness - cell phone - robust not... There are few slightly rugged ones (I have a Motorola Defy) - but they don't match a Garmin. My defy is supposed to be water proof (IP66, 1/2 hour 1 meter under water). I don't worry about rain, but sure as anything ain't going to put it under water - it has one tiny O ring to seal it, I bet an IP66 Garmin has 2 decent sized ones.

Another issue to think about is that phones have tiny GPS antennas (Remember the fries). Cell phones use assisted start - where the cell network provide key information on start up, allowing them to find the satellites easier. Its easy for a GPS to track where you are once it knows where (and when) you are. If it doesn't know where you are, it doesn't know where to "look" for the satellites, and needs to search for them. Think of looking for a buoy on the water. If you get told, "Find the buoy" it can take forever to find it. With training and binoculars, it's easier, but if I say "The buoy is over there, keep watching it" - anyone can see it (that assisted start). With no data connection, no assisted start - think minutes to get a fix every time you turn it on, even in perfect conditions, and never in marginal conditions vs Garmin taking a few seconds and nearly always. Research "GPS TTFF" (Time to First Fix). A Garmin with its better GPS front end, will hold the fix much more reliably, if you ride "urban canyons", forests and such like its important.

Software - I mostly use my Defy when on the bike these days - there is a range of Android software probably as good as Garmin has, but you need to find the right one from the hundreds of most rubbish available, install it, jump though hoops with your right pinky finger in you left ear...... Garmin will work out the box.

Sim Card - most cells need a sim card to get past the startup screen.......

Summary - a Cell phone will probably work - with a bit of shagging around, you might even find it acceptable. Garmin will work out the box....

Answer 2

Mobile is the way to go. Forget cycling computer.

• Cycling computer can't connect to computer wirelessly, your mobile can. I've stopped logging my rides on my mac, my mobile do this for me automatically and I can access the logs from anywhere.
• You get maps for free on your mobile from the internet and you don't have to update your map.
• You don't need cellular connection if you have wifi at home to upload ride log.
• Mobiles use wifi to for positioning. When starting a ride, my mobile can lock its position faster because it listens to wifi stations in the neighborhood. My gps can't do that.
• Main issue with mobile is mounting. I find them expensive, although in reality i still save money compared to upgrading my gps.
• You can get ANT attachment for some mobiles.
• If weather is an issue, just cling wrap your mobile.
• There are many apps on mobile, they only get better.
• Battery life could be an issue because you get bigger display. I think it's easier to just plug a mobile to charge than connecting gps to computer to download data.
• You will be more social with mobile, easier to share ride with friends.
• The only thing a cycling computer really wins is when it has barometric altimeter, nice if you like climbing.
• Generally, cycling computer is easier to read under sunlight.

Answer 3

The Garmin is waterproof, and has a resistive touchscreen that works with gloves. It has an ANT+ receiver for use with cadence sensors etc., and most phones don't. Battery life will be better than most phones. I suspect the Garmin will be easier to load maps onto than a phone with no plan, but many mapping apps do allow you to load data for later use without a connection.

You might need a SIM with some sort of basic pay-as-you-go plan just to get your phone to work at all, even if you don't have a data plan and use wi-fi to loads new maps and apps. Sometimes only 999/911/your local equivalent calls work with no SIM at all. That might be provider/network specific as well as phone specific.

Also see this question: Are there advantages of dedicated bike computer instead of smartphone apps?

Answer 4

There is one use case I think will suit you greatly if you get your phone to work AND get some app that saves GPX files (I think most GPS-oriented apps do that):

• When you go out for a ride, you turn the phone on, get a GPS position, throw it in your back pocket and forget it.
• When you get back home, you transfer the GPX file to some service (Strava and RideWithGps are my favorite sites) or application, and analyze it (I find it very very entertaining).

Now if you want on-the-fly use of orientation, routing, navigation, I think it would only be possible if your App has map caching (from openstreetmaps, for example), since the app should just display the cached image centered on your current position. I believe some nerdy fellow riders around must have done something like this, but it's just a hypothesis.

Eric's additional though on this post:

Or turn this around another way: go without the GPS just have a map in the phone. That's enough for me to find my way. Surly you can find a map app that can cache today's route?

I'm looking at putting maps into my Kobo E-reader. The advantage of that is that it's battery life is measured in weeks instead of hours. So far, I have to convert each map to PDF format.

Answer 5

You have nothing to loose by trying out your old redundent phone as a bike computer. The only slightly tricky bit is sorting out a mounting solution. You may find it acceptable for your needs you may not.

With the right phone and the right app I belive you can have a cyceling computer solution equiverlent to the top of the line bike computers at a significant discount in terms of cost.

Phone wise an Xperia Active is still the best bet with built in ANT support plus pressure sensor all in a rugged waterproof case. Alternatives also with pressure sensor include the popular S3. The new Sony Z looks interesting as well also having the pressure sensor and being waterproof but you loose the built in ANT. You can get ANT support using a USB dongle on a modern phone and Google may eventulay sort out BTLE support opening up another option for sensors.

App wise for Android there are two styles of apps. Those from the big website players e.g. Strava, MapMyFittness, Endomondo, etc. These in my opinion have being a cyceling app as a second priority although they are getting better. There are then more dedicated cyceling apps lots of simple gps only apps with just simple online only map support which want be any use with no sim. There are a number of apps with off-line mapping support though which is what you want to look at with no sim. If you want pressure sensor support or full ANT sensor support then the picking are getting thin but there are a number of more sophisticated apps with these features.

This is an area where things are changing quickly app and phone capability wise. Modern phone gps solutions are a lot better than they used to be. GOLLANSS support improving bad reception sensrio accuracy on modern phones. The battery consumption compared with 2 or 3 years ago has also come on leaps and bounds. The apps are constantly evolving feature wise with far easier update capabilities than a standard bike computer and the possibility of features that just are not possible with a stand alone computer like direct upload to your favorite website.

Answer 6

I've helped many people use an old iPhone to use the Strava app to record a ride. The key (with Strava app) is wifi connection at the beginning and end of the ride. The GPS does work without cellular data, but many apps require a connection either for maps or uploading to a website. Meaning, you won't get updated maps while riding, so you can use it for recording a ride, but not as a navigation tool.

One friend even got his iPod (without GPS) to work using wifi Location Services, which seemed to only work for him while in a city (more densely populated with many wifi's along his commute).

I have the Edge 500 and it records my rides, never used the map, but it is not really a map, but a line showing where you went, the next models up Edge 800 and 810 do have street maps that you can purchase from Garmin, but all cost more than your old cell phone.

Answer 7

I do this already - I have a cheap android phone where the screen broke after 2 months. It still works but its a bit flakey.

So I use it without a sim, and its set up for wireless at home. Downside is that you can't get any maps or synch any routes or results while you're out and about, but the strava app does cache map tiles which helps.

Some of the functionality will depend on the app you choose to use.

Battery life - its fine for 4 hours, but any more than that and I use a USB battery as well, also known as a powerbank.

Sure a garmin would be nice, or a flash phone, but for my purposes this is adequate, and if I lose it or break it completely then its a minimal loss.