GPS doesn't cost anything if using just the satellite GPS unit alone and not
Assisted GPS.

Can take up to 30 seconds to get a satellite lock though. Doesn't work
inside very well due to low signal strength (same with most GPS units)

Assisted GPS sends a signal over the mobile network to identify position
using he mobile masts.

As such a data charge is applied, this helps speed up the lock but is not
required.

You can download all the required maps to the phone using the Nokia Maps
loader PC software as long as have you plenty of flash memory.
Only need to load the countries you will be in really rather than whole
world.

The camera is very good in good light (with auto-focus), the flash is quite
bright for an LED and in close shots in is pretty good.
Not that great for large landscsape shots more than 3m away in the dark but
better than most phone cameras.
In bright daylight, camera rivals that of a small compact dedicated digital
camera.

Web is very fast using built-in brower or downloadble Opera 4 Mini browser.

Note I have the N95-2 8GB version. Excellent phone (has all the features you
would ever need). The ability to install programs and customzie the way you
want adds more value e.g

Call Recorder
Full Screen Photo view for Caller Display
Voice to Text message system
Currency Converter
Calcium calculator (best interface on any small caculator app ever)
Games, Games, games....
+ plus thousands more apps and utils.

If you can get this over the orginal N95 I would go for that.

Hope this helps.

"Peter" <peter45ozNO_SPAM@yahoo.com.au> wrote in message
news:jER5j.21031$CN4.16098@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> Thanks NightStalker, that was just about all I wanted to know about the
> GPS. It is the Telstra version I will be buying.
>
> Just a few more questions. Does using the GPS overseas cost anything? (or
> in Australia for that matter) Is there a data download charge? Does the
> GPS require phone service to operate or is it 'only' relying on
> satellites. What is the battery life like, particularly when using the
> GPS. Does the camera take good pics - 5MP camera is one of the reasons
> for this purchase. Is the flash ok and are pics taken in the dark any
> good. Any other information you have would be great as I will probably
> buy this phone tomorrow as I go overseas soon.
>
> Thanks again
>
> Peter
>
>
> "NightStalker" <Nightstalker@somewhere.or.other> wrote in message
> news:MPG.21c2784ee72cd0a1989869@news-europe.giganews.com...
>> In article <O1I5j.20785$CN4.10395@news-server.bigpond.net.au>,
>> peter45ozNO_SPAM@yahoo.com.au says...
>>
>>> Telstra told me the GPS & maps work overseas, Optus said they only
>>> worked in
>>> Australia.
>>>
>>
>> Oops - sorry, forgot to answer this question. If you buy the phone in
>> Australia, it comes preloaded with Australia maps - that's probably what
>> the Optus guy meant. You download the maps for anywhere else on the
>> planet from the Nokia website (free) using their MapLoader software. It
>> works fine everywhere. We did a round-the-world trip visiting Italy,
>> Hungary, Luxembourg, France, UK, Canada, USA (East and West coasts) and
>> New Zealand. I preloaded all the maps onto a 2Gb MicroSD card before
>> leaving, and it just worked everywhere. No having to change areas or
>> anything - it just picked up the map it needed from the card as it
>> needed it. The updated firmware in the original N95 (which was the one
>> I took) makes GPS lock-on MUCH faster. It now locks on in 10-15
>> seconds, instead of minutes.
>>
>> Highly recommended.
>>
>> --
>>
>> NightStalker
>
>