GPS Test

Summary

Location, location, location! Only in this case the context isn’t real-estate, it’s your actual, physical location as well as accessing information relevant to it. That’s what GPS Test promises to do for you.
GPS Test displays the usual information such as speed altitude, as well as precise details about satellites or just the basic coordinates.
Read on to find out how well the app performs!
 

Section rating:

Test device: HTC Desire
Android version: 2.3.4
Mods: Root, CM7 Custom ROM

There are five tabs that harbour quite a few functions. GPS Test is a very well set-up and layed-out app on the whole, the same is true for these tabs and the way in which the functions are displayed.

The first tab is all about basic information relevant to your current GPS connection. There’s a GPS receiver status, as well as the satellites’ signal strengths which are display as bar charts. A legend beneath displays the single number rating value (SNR).

You will find the same functions in the second tab, the difference being that the satellite is displayed via compass instead. The compass can be set to go by the internal magnetic compass or by GPS, and allows users to estimate where a satellite might be positioned.

The third tab displays the current coordinates as well as your current location on a map of the world and which part of the planet is currently getting sunlight.
Hit the fourth tab to get information relevant to altitude, velocity and direction. The display can be changed by tapping on the details; you could for instance have the velocity displayed across the entire screen.

The final tab harbours information related to the UTC date and time, the local date and time, as well as what time the sun rises and sets.
The AGPS data can be updated under settings, where you can also make other adjustments and changes related to the app’s functionality and display. Select whether the display should remain switched on permanently and if the status bar should remain visible. There are different designs and patterns to choose from, and you can decide if you want a dark or light messaging display. The coordinate format can also be altered, and you can pick measuring units for altitude, direction, etc.

I personally am most impressed by the functions that can be found under the first tab where you can see the connection to satellites, because it helps you understand what the current GPS fix is. It also lets you anticipate how long it’ll be before you can expect to have a decent connection.

Bottom line:
GPS Test can give you a lot of relevant information regarding the current GPS connection, and the manner in which this information is displayed is logical and well-structured thanks to the five tabs. There is also a ‘help’ button in the main menu if ever you get confused.
 

Section rating:

Controls for GPS Test are very easy to use and everything seems very accessible thanks to the sub-categorization system of the five tabs.
The app’s design is relatively subtle and sleek. The app is preset to a navy and black design but a lot of colour options are available—check the settings.
 

Section rating:

GPS Test runs smoothly and hasn’t crashed on me thus far. The only hang-up is that it can sometimes take a few moments for the GPS fix to kick in, but the app can’t be held accountable for that.

Section rating:

GPS Test is available for free and – get this – free of commercials. It can be downloaded from the Android Market. A pro version with more functions is available for EUR1,70.