Yes, we absolutely need standalone GPS devices. A standalone offers many advantages over its mobile phone counterpart. A standalone GPS can be easily hung on the dashboard or windshield, has audible alerts and turn by turn directions that are clear. You can add points of interest to the GPS. And at a cost of less than $100 it is a great value.
Lets look at the troubles with a mobile phone for GPS. Speakerphone mode is absolutely terrible, scratchy voice and that is assuming you can make out what the voice is saying at all. You can't hang a mobile phone on the dashboard and I refuse to get in a vehicle with anyone who is holding one in their hand staring at it while they drive. That is an accident waiting to happen. No turn by turn directions spoken out loud. Battery life will be drained by the end of your trip, especially if you are going on a 3+ hour drive. And there is an ongoing $100 fee for the data plan on the phone and that doesn't include the $300 you have to pay for the device itself.
I think the choice is pretty clear on which one you should use.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
ZDNet Newsletters
Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox
