Since I often travel outside areas where there is either wifi or cell reception, I'm wondering how useful an iPhone would be in those areas (just in case certain family members might be apt to get me an iGift for my birthday). In particular, is the mapping function completely dead if you are out of range, or can it cache and use a significant mapped area that you were recently looking at? What about other iApps? Does it cache recent data so that you can look at your calendar for example, or is it completely dead once it loses access?

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

Google maps don't work without an EDGE or WiFi connection. The Faux GPS fuction also depends on cell towers so no reception is probably going to = no GPS mapping too. That said you could always save a map at home, save it as a JPEG and then load it onto your iPhone. It wouldn't be interactive, but you'd have your map.

Calendar is not Internet dependent and will work anywhere as long as your iPhone works.

Let me just amplify and explain for everyone's sake:

"GPS Cell Phones" are NOT "Global Positioning System" cell phones. They use a navigation triangulation method that depends on a time signal and knowledge of the location of cellular phone towers, not a constellation of satellites in orbit.

Say "LORAN-like" navigation Cell Phones are you're more accurate.

I was actually kind of pissed when I discovered this little factoid. When my cell phone took me to an empty lot instead of the local Apple store. Because they hadn't entered the right location of one of their towers into their system.

[www.youtube.com]

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In much the same way, the "Satellite" view shown on Google Maps and the like does not use satellite imagery for anything except far out shots. Most of what people see in Google Maps is aerial photography taken from good ol' airplanes.

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

The last map is there until you try to load a new one. Directions and and Pictures, but do not try to zoom because that is updating. You won't loose it if you unzoom back to the resolution that you had. Where I work is out of service so I know what is there when there is no service.

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Staunton, Virginia

So Bernie, Are you stuck with the map on the area of the screen, or does it retain some additional area beyond the screen boundaries. Also, can you unzoom to get a larger view and then zoom back to the magnification you had when you lost the signal?

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

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In particular, is the mapping function completely dead if you are out of range, or can it cache and use a significant mapped area that you were recently looking at?

Yes.

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does it retain some additional area beyond the screen boundaries

It caches what you've viewed plus (possibly) some additional area.

You were right the first time. When you're out of range, the phone becomes an iBrick.

All functions completely cease, the device is no longer operable. The iPhone goes black, the Operating System returns to factory state, your account information is purged, the battery voids itself, and the iPhone locks down permanently. It will no longer turn on, respond, or function in any way, though some choose to keep it around, in hopes the next firmware update will restore some of the functionality.

This "self-bricking" feature has some users puzzled, but most accept that this is simply the price one pays for going out of range.

POMTL

Yes, I too thought the OP's choice of words was a 'bit' harsh...