Nokia Bluetooth GPS Module LD-4W review

The launch of the N95 signaled a new trend in Nokia’s portfolio of mobile devices: integrated GPS.  Since the launch of the N95 I can count no less than 13 devices with integrated GPS: N95-1 Classic, N95-3 NAM, N95 8GB (N95-2), N95 8GB NAM (N95-4), E90, N810, 6110 Navigator, N82, 6210 Navigator, 6220 Classic, N78, N96 and N830. As GPS slowly turns into a mainstream feature it also slowly becomes available in an ever growing amount of devices. And with Geotagging, Nokia Maps 2.0, Location Tagger, Sports Tracker and even events like the Nseries Urbanista Diaries and Stavro’s Position Art you can clearly see that Nokia firmly believes in GPS and that GPS is here to stay. 

When they send me Nokia’s latest LD-4W Bluetooth GPS receiver I honestly had to stop for a moment, scratch my head thinking how I was going to handle this one. I was so accustomed to devices having the GPS module built-in, that my mind kind of neglected the concept of having an external GPS receiver.  After this the questions started pouring in: “If I had a N95 8GB why would I need this?” “Aren’t all the newest Nseries devices coming equipped with GPS built-in?”   I thought about using it with the N800, which of course would be perfect but then I thought: Won’t potential buyers interested in a tablet go for the N810 or N830, devices already equipped with an internal GPS?”  Then I finally thought: “Aren’t these external units supposed to be more sensitive and faster?” It was this last question that would form the basis for my review. I knew that external units could be handy as they could add the functionality to non-GPS devices, but how would an external one like the LD-4W perform against a built-in solution? It is for this reason that this review will concentrate on how much better or not the LD-4W is compared to my test unit: the N95 8GB.

The Nokia Bluetooth GPS Module LD-4W

The LD-4W is basically a receiver that uses GPS technology to determine the current position and direction and then uses Bluetooth wireless technology to communicate the positioning information to a compatible device. In case you didn’t know Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed by the United States Department of Defense and was officially called NAVSTAR GPS.  As Wikipedia describes it:  “GPS is a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Utilizing a constellation of at least 24 Medium Earth Orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals, the system enables a GPS receiver to determine its location, speed, direction, and time.”

The Nokia LD-4W page indicates that it uses the SiRF Star III LT GPS chip, which is a mini version of the regular SiRFStar III which uses half of the power the SiRFStar III chip uses. To be more specific it uses the SiRFstarIII GSC3LT, which puts the SiRFstarIII architecture on a small, wireless application-friendly chip and integrates a range of power management and control functions to help lower power needs, complexity, and BOM. It includes a self-sufficient power management, power-on reset circuitry, low noise amplifier control, and temperature-controlled crystal oscillator voltage supply and control.

Nokia’s decision to use the SiRFStar III architecture is a very wise one as it’s currently one of the best in the GPS industry. The N95 and N95 8GB in contrast use an inferior solution from Texas Instruments: the NaviLink 5.0 single-chip GPS solution: NL5350 which is said to be equivalent to older SiRFStar II technology.

LD-4W vs. LD-3W

To show the differences between the newer LD-4W and LD-3W I made a chart that clearly shows that the two GPS units are very similar. I kind of expected the LD-4W to be superior in specs when in reality it’s not, you could say it’s like the  LD-3W in a smaller, thinner and stylish package. While the LD-4W might be smaller (although slightly longer), thinner and more fashionale, it sacrifices Operating Time and Standby Time to achieve this. Compared to the LD-3W its Operating Time is lowered by about 4 hours (11 vs 15 hours) and its Standby Time is decreased by 3 days (4 vs 7 days.) It’s difficult to call one or the other the winner here as it’s a matter of longer battery life vs smaller size and more stylish product. Personally I’m willing to sacrifice the battery life to get the thinner unit which will fit more easily in my pocket. On top of that the LD-4W can work in more extreme conditions as indicated by the better Operating temperature performance. Another handy plus of the LD-4W comes from the fact that it’s water-resistant (although it should never be submerged in water.), something that cannot be said about the LD-3W. The LD-4W also packs a more complete package with the inclusion of such helpful extras like the Belt clip, Suction cup and Keyring.  The LD-3W doesn’t come with any of such acessories.

In the end it’s safe to say that most potential buyers will be happy with the LD-4W, whereas current LD-3W owners have no convincing reason to upgrade to the newer LD-4W. The LD-4W does have slightly less battery power, but makes it up with a smaller package, more accessories and its ability to bare the elements with its superior operating temperature specs and because it’s water-resistant. I do have my concerns as to how long that beautiful glossy black front will keep that shiny look as it seems as if it will scratch easily.

What’s in the package?

The GPS module contains the following parts: power key (1),GPS indicator light (2),Bluetooth indicator light (3), battery charge indicator light (4), and charger connector with cover (5).

The package is almost complete and includes:

-Nokia Bluetooth GPS Module LD-4W

-Nokia Mobile Charger DC-4

-Foldout User’s guide for Nokia Bluetooth GPS Module LD-4W

-Belt clip

-Suction cup

-Keyring

Due to the small size of the unit and the fact that the GPS unit already has an opening at the top, why don’t they include an accessory to carry the GPS unit as a fashion accessory. This concept is not unknown to Nokia as they have included such a necklace with Nokia the BH-800 and BH-803 Bluetooth headsets. They could easily include such an accessory in the package and it would surely not add much to the overall price.

Design

The LD-4W is the follow up to Nokia’s previous external GPS unit: the LD-3W which in turned followed the LD-1W. Compared to these earlier devices the LD-4W is thinner, smaller and can now actually be called stylish. It looks like one of those luxury car key fobs, well  that’s at least until you see the Nokia logo after which you’d be left guessing what it really is. Most people I showed it to had no clue what the device could be.

The unit is thin, oblong with rounded edges and is characterized by the glossy, almost mirror-like black front and the complete lack of any buttons. Due its design it should perfectly match the look of the N81 or upcoming N96. On the front we can find three lights: battery charge indicator light .GPS indicator light and Bluetooth indicator light. There’s also an opening at the top to accommodate the included Suction Cup accessory. While I’m certainly a fan of the minimalist design approach I do find the glossy finish just asking for trouble. Within minutes of me using the unit I’m sure the FBI could have easily identified me as the owner of the GPS units by the countless finger prints left on the unit. And as a GPS receiver it will get quite a bit of an abuse from falls, stepped on and scratched. It is for those reasons that I think using a shiny material wasn’t the best idea. The unit is trimmed with a metal-like silver outer edge and on the back they use a black rubbery material. Having this very same material on the front would have been better. No complaints about the charger connector with cover: it’s very solid and integrates well into the body.

The thin design makes for a unit that easy to carry around. The minimalist design makes it easy to use also decreases the chances of something breaking of. I love the rubbery material on the back as it provides a lot of grip and hides those finger prints. My only complaint comes from the glossy front that I think will get scratched way too easily. Next time I think they should use the rubbery material on both the front and back.

Performance: Internal vs External

When it came to performance I wanted to give both the internal and external GPS units a bit of a workout.  I could have gone outside where I had a clear shot of the sky, but instead I decided to do my testing indoors, near the middle part of my house. The Internal GPS unit of the N95 8GB got a GPS lock from a cold start in 3:33 minutes,  the LD-4W managed to do it in 23 seconds.  To show the difference  between the internal GPS and the LD-4W I’ll let the following screenhots make my point.

Notice the LD-4W’s higher accuracy in “Position” and I don’t think I have never seen such a strong signal in Nokia Map 2.0. With the LD-4W the signal indicator the highest possible signal strength, the N95 8GB’s internal could only manage to achieve a signal strength of half of the bars.

Conclusion

Nokia’s LD-4W leaves no doubt that it’s a superior solution when compared to Nokia’s built-in offerings on the Nseries. The LD-4W uses the SiRFStar III chip which is better than theTexas Instrument’s NaviLink 5.0 single-chip GPS solution: NL5350 used on devices like N95 8GB and E90. Putting the internal and external GPS solutions against each other on the N95 8GB indicates that the external one gets a GPS lock in a dramatically less time and is a whole lot more accurate. For basic GPS usage in ideal conditions most users will do fine with the built-in GPS. But those looking to add GPS functionality to a multitude of devices or are planning to use GPS in areas where it’s difficult to get a signal should seriously consider the LD-4W. I know from experience that areas with tall buildings like Manhattan it will be almost impossible to get a reliable signal with the built-in GPS and it’s in those situations where LD-4W is a must.

By itself the LD-4W is a product with very few faults, with the usage of a material that’s easily scratched on the front being my main complaint. It would also be nice if they could add necklace to carry the LD-4W around your neck.

When compared to the LD-3W I can conclude that most potential buyers will be happy with the LD-4W, whereas current LD-3W owners have no convincing reason to upgrade to the newer LD-4W. The LD-4W does have slightly less battery power, but makes it up with a smaller package, more accessories and its ability to bare the elements with its superior operating temperature specs and because it’s water-resistant. The LD-4W gets a well deserved 9.5 out of 10.

 

Comments

[sasha Wessitsh]

It's my understanding that the big difference with the external and internal is that the internal costs you money to use. I can't use my n95's gps full potential unless i subscribe to the service. 10 bucks a month or 100 a year! I purchase a phone that is supposed to one of the best around but can't even use my gps without getting charged! Maybe I am missing something, if so please let me know.
Thanks

[Viktor]

Во мне N95 я не могу соединить Bluetooth с LD-4W, на N95 находит, что LD-4W, и на LD-4W не присутствовал?

[Viktor]

At me N95, I cannot connect the Bluetooth to LD-4W, on N95 finds LD-4W, and on LD-4W was not present?

At me N95, I cannot connect the Bluetooth to LD-4W, on N95 finds LD-4W, and on LD-4W was not present?

[Muhammas]

Hi everyone!
I would like to purchase the nokia gps bluetooth but i am wondering that is it free or my service will charge me to used it please let me know thanks

[Dennis Markham]

I'm not so sure about the battery life benefits of using an external GPS unit. The extrenal GPS uses Bluetooth to communicate with the phone and that should be a huge drain on the battery.

[Devin Balentina]

Preston,
the Oficial N800 navigation kit:http://www.nokia.co.uk/A4806291
includes the LD-3W so, the newer LD-4W works.

[Preston]

While you mentioned the possibility of using the LD-4W with the N800 Internet tablet, is it fully compatable? would appreciate your advice as I would like to purchase the LD-4W for my N800

Thank you

[Devin Balentina]

Hey guys I'm doing a part 2 of this article to answer all these questions, stay tuned!

Regards,

Devin

[Alex]

I am looking to get one of the Nokia GPS receivers for my E61i. From the review its clear it beats the built in receivers. How does it compare to the built ins with A-GPS turned on ? Time should be comparable or faster for A-GPS, but how about accuracy ?

Thanks

[N95]

very nice review :)
could you also do a comparison when walking and/or jogging while recording the track with sports tracker? you then can upload the tracks to the sports tracker site, or export the track file to google maps and/or google earth to visualize it for the blog. google earth might be the better variant for this test, as it much better shows the flaws and irregularities of a GPS track.
i'm especially interested in the difference of "smoothness" and precision of the resulting tracks. usually, when walking or jogging, the resulting tracks looks extremely "jumpy" and irregular with the internal GPS. thanks!

[Devin Balentina]

Dennis,
that is what I'm exactly thinking of doing :)
Stay tuned!

Cheers,

Devin

[Dennis]

One further point about an external GPS unit vs. the internal chip is the fact that the external GPS unit doesn't drain the phones battery. An interesting test would be this: Track your position using the N95 8GB with the internal GPS - measure the time until the battery dies. Recharge the battery and repeat the same with the external GPS unit (switching the internal GPS off).
I bet you'll see a dramatic better battery performance when using the external GPS. And an added bonus is that even if the GPS units battery dies, you can still continue using your phone.