GPS on Eink device?

Renate · 09-03-2021, 08:30 AM

I've always thought that GPS on an Eink device would make a handy hiking map.

I actually retrofitted a B&N Glow3 with an internal GPS module, but the signal capture was so miserable it was hardly worth it.

I have a Poke3 now which has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 which has the GPS/GNSS receiver built in, but I don't think it has an antenna and the software doesn't seem to acknowledge that GPS exists.

I thought that the Xiaomi InkPalm 5 (smart phone format) was pretty cute, but I don't know if that has GPS either.

To be really useful the device should have a magnetometer for orientation.

Does anybody know of any GPS enabled devices?

salamanderjuice · 09-03-2021, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renate

I've always thought that GPS on an Eink device would make a handy hiking map.

I actually retrofitted a B&N Glow3 with an internal GPS module, but the signal capture was so miserable it was hardly worth it.

I have a Poke3 now which has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 which has the GPS/GNSS receiver built in, but I don't think it has an antenna and the software doesn't seem to acknowledge that GPS exists.

I thought that the Xiaomi InkPalm 5 (smart phone format) was pretty cute, but I don't know if that has GPS either.

To be really useful the device should have a magnetometer for orientation.

Does anybody know of any GPS enabled devices?

Hisense A5 and the various other eInk smartphones.

j.p.s · 09-03-2021, 12:23 PM

It's a shame this one never saw the light of day:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=213065

hobnail · 09-03-2021, 01:33 PM

I feel like there are many devices that use a b&w LCD display would be better if they used e-ink. But those LCD displays are undoubtedly a lot cheaper than the e-ink display. Garmin's inReach Mini has a transflective memory-in-pixel display, which is always on. I didn't search for long about it and I don't know if it does grayscale or just b&w. Also, for the GPS market (e.g., Garmin's products), I'd guess that most buyers prefer a color display.

salamanderjuice · 09-03-2021, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobnail

I feel like there are many devices that use a b&w LCD display would be better if they used e-ink. But those LCD displays are undoubtedly a lot cheaper than the e-ink display. Garmin's inReach Mini has a transflective memory-in-pixel display, which is always on. I didn't search for long about it and I don't know if it does grayscale or just b&w. Also, for the GPS market (e.g., Garmin's products), I'd guess that most buyers prefer a color display.

So do most of their GPS watches. Some of them do mapping too. And most are color.

Quoth · 09-03-2021, 03:28 PM

There was a Russian smartphone with LCD on one side and eInk on the other.

rem736 · 09-03-2021, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.p.s

It's a shame this one never saw the light of day:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=213065

i invested in that and never got my money back. it was the last time i backed anything before it actually launched.

salamanderjuice · 09-03-2021, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

There was a Russian smartphone with LCD on one side and eInk on the other.

Yotaphone. They went bankrupt. Don't think they are making devices anymore. Hisense makes eInk phones right now.

tomsem · 09-03-2021, 11:49 PM

I still have a functional dedicated Garmin GPS with a reflective color LCD screen, readable in full sun. Must be 12 years old. It has the topo data on a mini SD card (mostly for hiking trails, but it also has some highways and roads for context).

I don’t really see why eink would be any better, it isn’t going to be able to pan and zoom very well. You can always find or make some shade to read a regular phone display, and that’s what the hiking map apps are designed for.

ottischwenk · 09-06-2021, 09:38 AM

I use both Osmand + (hiking, cycling) and Sygic (car) on my Boox Poke 3 (A2 Mode), with the GPS / Beidou / Glonass data coming from my Unihertz Jelly 2 via Bluetooth.
It works excellently and the map updates are carried out smoothly.

09-03-2021, 08:30 AM	#1
Renate Wizard Posts: 2,294 Karma: 9599999 Join Date: Feb 2012 Device: Nook NST, Glow2, 3, 4, '21, Kobo Aura2, Poke3, Poke5	GPS on Eink device? I've always thought that GPS on an Eink device would make a handy hiking map. I actually retrofitted a B&N Glow3 with an internal GPS module, but the signal capture was so miserable it was hardly worth it. I have a Poke3 now which has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 which has the GPS/GNSS receiver built in, but I don't think it has an antenna and the software doesn't seem to acknowledge that GPS exists. I thought that the Xiaomi InkPalm 5 (smart phone format) was pretty cute, but I don't know if that has GPS either. To be really useful the device should have a magnetometer for orientation. Does anybody know of any GPS enabled devices?

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09-03-2021, 12:23 PM	#3
j.p.s Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,278 Karma: 98804578 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: pb360	It's a shame this one never saw the light of day: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=213065

09-03-2021, 01:33 PM	#4
hobnail Running with scissors Posts: 1,552 Karma: 14325282 Join Date: Nov 2019 Device: none	I feel like there are many devices that use a b&w LCD display would be better if they used e-ink. But those LCD displays are undoubtedly a lot cheaper than the e-ink display. Garmin's inReach Mini has a transflective memory-in-pixel display, which is always on. I didn't search for long about it and I don't know if it does grayscale or just b&w. Also, for the GPS market (e.g., Garmin's products), I'd guess that most buyers prefer a color display.

09-03-2021, 03:28 PM	#6
Quoth the rook, bossing Never. Posts: 11,145 Karma: 85874891 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper11	There was a Russian smartphone with LCD on one side and eInk on the other.

09-03-2021, 11:49 PM	#9
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,475 Karma: 26425959 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	I still have a functional dedicated Garmin GPS with a reflective color LCD screen, readable in full sun. Must be 12 years old. It has the topo data on a mini SD card (mostly for hiking trails, but it also has some highways and roads for context). I don’t really see why eink would be any better, it isn’t going to be able to pan and zoom very well. You can always find or make some shade to read a regular phone display, and that’s what the hiking map apps are designed for.

09-06-2021, 09:38 AM	#10
ottischwenk Wizard Posts: 2,868 Karma: 3930097 Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Salzburg AT Device: Boox 6/14, Like-/Meebook 2/8, Tolino 1/10, Kobo 0/5, Kindle 0/3	I use both Osmand + (hiking, cycling) and Sygic (car) on my Boox Poke 3 (A2 Mode), with the GPS / Beidou / Glonass data coming from my Unihertz Jelly 2 via Bluetooth. It works excellently and the map updates are carried out smoothly.