Originally Posted by
Marcus_Ti
It is...then again, you're dealing with embedded OS GPS products with single-core CPUs, and storage memory chips in the single-gigabytes, and RAM measured in megabytes....hardware that was "new" on desktops 20 years ago. Barest minimum hardware to do the job.. And it is all done to lower battery draw, which reduces platform size/weight, and also lowers price to make....and increases margin.
A phone can do very slick GPS routing and tracking...but you'll zap a 4Ah battery in a few hours, compared to a Garmin/Wahoo that'll do the same thing and last an entire afternoon if not most of a day on a battery cell at least 90% smaller.
I get 4+ hours with the screen on, on my Huawei P10 Lite. Thats plenty for my pourposes, and if not there always a $10 powerbank. Im betting the same phone with Garmin type reflective screen would last all day (and have better visibility).
An other use of the phone, is voice-nav if you dont care for the screen. No recommended in the city with many frequent turns, as you might get confused if there is no supporting screen. But in the countryside its very nice and no issues, and can be combined with music if you are so inclined.