iPhone Maps queries

[Katharine]

I am now the proud possessor of a very new iPhone, so new that when it rang today, the first time it had rung, I did not know it was mine ringing, I hadn't checked the ring tone!

While in town, the map showed my location very precisely, but now I have come home it shows me floating out in Cardigan Bay! We have Wifi at home, and it is set up for that. John tried to help and started entering our postcode, just the first half, there is now an annoying red pin in the map over in the next valley. So my questions are why am I floating in Cardigan Bay, and how do I remove the red pin, please.

Ta

[Jo]

I haven't got an iphone but my impression is that GPS on phones generally is not as accurate as satnav. Google Maps on my phone frequently shows my location only to an accuracy of a mile or so. My guess is you were just lucky in town. If you can find whichever button on the iphone corresponds to the right click of a mouse, that might remove the red pin.

Not much help really, I'm afraid

[eucsgmrc]

I haven't got an iphone but my impression is that GPS on phones generally is not as accurate as satnav.

Apologies in advance for geekery, but ...

GPS on phones is every bit as accurate as satnav, but only when it's working. Phones have several ways of finding out where you are. If they can't use GPS, they'll try one of the others, and that will be less accurate - sometimes much less accurate.

Satnavs are generally in situations where GPS can work well - in the open air, with a clear view of plenty of sky so that they get signal direct from at least four satellites. Phones, on the other hand, are often in places where GPS can't work, such as indoors.

So, for a lot of the time, your phone has only a vague idea of where you are. But if you go outside and let the GPS work, it'll be accurate to within a few metres.