I've never owned a dedicated GPS unit, mainly because I've never understood the difference between one of those and the GPS maps on my phone? I assume that the OS maps would show all of your footpaths? I personally use the app Backcountry which displays OS maps and to date, I've never had a problem with it. Your entry interests me because I know nothing about these items and hope that some other Forum members respond to you. If you learn something so will I.
Sorry to bring up an old thread like this, but I have downloaded the free/starter version of Back country navigator on to an old tough phone at home on my broadband. The phone has no sim in it.
I am presuming you cannot download Ordnance Survey maps for use outdoors, without purchasing the next level up of B C N.?
But is it possible to cache them some way in the phones memory & then use the OS maps that way, just to confirm my position, & better still, a GPX route too.At the moment I use a printed out screen shot of OS mapping from Walk lakes along with a GPX route on my E trex 20x GPS.
I love the fact that B C N uses OS mapping via Bing which is free to use when I am at home on broadband. It is superb. Up until a few weeks ago I had an annual subscription of OS mapping & found it to be pretty good but I`m just looking around at the moment for other ways of using OS mapping , especially if it is without cost.
I do not want to use my other phone as I keep that just for calls and text etc. It would be too much of a faff for me to use the one phone for all.