Where a Hand Held GPS Wins Over a Phone
- Battery life: Dedicated handheld gps units often run 40–180 hours on a set of batteries, while a phone battery tanks quickly in cold, wet, or all-day navigation.
- Signal hold: Better antennas and multi-band GNSS chips help a gps handheld keep lock in trees, canyons, and remote valleys where phones struggle.
- Durability: Waterproof, drop-resistant cases and glove-friendly buttons on the best handheld gps devices make them safer for real backcountry use.
- SOS & messaging: inReach-enabled handheld gps devices provide two-way satellite SOS and messaging far from towers or Wi-Fi.
Where a Phone Wins for Navigation
- Planning: Big touchscreens are perfect for route creation, downloading map layers, and making quick edits before and during a trip.
- Sharing: Easy screen captures, location sharing, and messaging with friends or family whenever you have coverage or Wi-Fi.
- Apps: Rich map layers, weather radar, avalanche forecasts, and offline map packs all in one place.
Best Practice: Use Both Phone and Handheld GPS
- Plan and cache offline maps on your phone using your favorite navigation apps before you leave service.
- Export and load GPX files to your primary gps handheld device for reliable on-trail navigation.
- Keep the phone warm and in airplane mode; wake it up only for quick visuals, photos, and on-the-fly planning.
- Rely on the handheld gps for recording tracks, managing waypoints, and handling satellite SOS or check-in messages.
Ready to pick a dedicated gps handheld for hiking, backpacking, or overlanding? Start with our in-depth handheld GPS guide to compare the top devices and features.