Good Topic--

I have had a Samsung smartphone for about a year now and have been playing with it, especially with the GPS. Here are my observations:

In Normal daily use, (rather light in my opinion) I lose about 30 to 40 percent of my battery power during the day, maybe another 5% overnight. I think recharging is a key, and solar may be the way to go.

Different GPS programs come up with different locations; some right on, others several hundred feet away. I've switched programs at the same time and place and gotten these different results, so its is not the hardware (satellite or GPS chips). I assume software.

If you didn't download the maps first, and you lose the network, your still functioning GPS loses a lot (or all) of its utility.

Bottom line, IMO, is you need to be able to recharge at least once every 24-36 hours, and have planned in advance to have down loaded the maps of the area you will be in. Also, try out the different apps to see which ones give the best locations.

In my area, and on my phone, Google maps is consistently the most accurate (no association).

I am also still trying to find the best combination. . .Power seems key.