The Samsung GPS has worked good so far, I have downloaded a few maps to try this weekend on the trial version of backcountry.
I still love my little garmin e trex legend HCX.
Mainly use it for torque and music, still exploring the other options.
Since I live on a boat for 28 days at a time I am thinking of picking up a wifi hotspot so I can have wifi on all my devices.

 

I upgraded my head unit to a pioneer and it has 2 USB inputs. It neat to be able to use my phone for music or play a movie for the kids thru the stereo system.

 

I have a Toshiba Thrive and love it, it has both sd card slot AND usb drive (at time I bought it, it was only one with usb drive that would read thumb drives, think storage for music, maps, even movies). I downloaded two GPS apps (My Topo Maps and BackCountry Navigation) that display maps as good as stuff I've used in the Marine Corps. only downside to the Thrive tablet is it doesn't have a version on a cell plan, I wasn't worried about that in a tablet so wasn't a big deal to me.

 

I run a Samsung 7in tablet running Android. 7in is a perfect size because you can put it in front of the radio where it does not obstruct vision.

Main use is offroad with a map app called Orux Map, which is awesome. You can download Google maps and several others and save in the tablet for offline use with the GPS.

I also use it to play music and check manuals or other docs stored in the tablet.

I installed it with the e-dock and RAM mounts. I highly recommend the e-dock with the RAM mounts for almost anything because of its versatility.

 

OP: you haven't really detailed what you plan to use a GPS for. Is it for urban use or mostly off-road adventures? Makes a difference at least as to the software, but not so much as to the hardware if the choice is Android or Apple OS.

I will speak only to off-road 4x4 trail use, but my illustration will be a recent wilderness hike.
For several years, I have used the National Geographic State topo series software on a MacBook laptop with a tethered Garmin hand-held GPS that I would take on all off-road trips. I have the USGS maps for all of California, Nevada, Idaho and Montana, and with their use, I always knew exactly where I was.

But on a trip with another JKU owner, he had an iPad with cellular (which you need for true GPS capability) and we downloaded the Gaia topo app: Gaia GPS - iPhone & Android - Offline Topo Maps It's a $20 purchase. This app will give you the option of real-time transmission of 15' USGS maps if you're receiving cell signal, or downloading and saving the USGS maps with wireless in advance if you know that you will not be in cell range. We downloaded maps for the areas in the Mojave desert we knew we would traverse, and off we went. Great resolution; ability to drop and name waypoints; distance to destination; it worked flawlessly.

Last weekend I did a fishing trip into a wilderness area and decided to forego my Garmin GPS and rely on Gaia on my iPhone. Again, I downloaded the USGS maps that I knew I'd need, entered and saved some waypoints of the trail junctions, a 10,000' pass we had to crest, and the stretch of the steam I wanted to fish. Several miles into our hike, our eyes and our oxygen-starved brains told us the path was over a notch in a ridge that we could see. But as we pressed on, Gaia kept showing us drifting west off the poorly-marked trail. Another hour of this, and I knew something was wrong. I told my companion that we needed to trust the technology. I called up the waypoint for the pass and Gaia told us that we were 400' too high and about a half-mile too far west. We hiked to the waypoint and found the pass (and a USFS trail marker) right where Gaia said it would be.

The point is, these new GPS-enabled devices, with the right software, can be relied on as dedicated GPS devices for off-road trips, just as Google maps, etc, can be relied on for urban use. I had no trouble with reception under forest canopies, and even the small screen of the iPhone was sufficient. So imagine what a 7" mini or a 9" iPad (or similar Android device) will do in your JK.

I plan to buy the iPad mini when they update (hopefully) later this year, and it and Gaia will be my primary source of navigation in the JK. But Gaia also works with Android, so you have options. If you've already got the hardware, $20 for GPS software that works well is a bargain.

 

Thanks for all the info (very informative and to the point I was getting at) and the stories of your experience (says a lot about the product). I have been doing some research other than forum reading since I posted and found several products that I may check out if needed(due to the fact I don't really want to add a data plan to my tablet). So I'll probably get a wifi only and if the GPS signal is weak, inaccurate, or doesn't work at all I will invest in a bluetooth GPS device (Garmin GLO).

 

If you get an iOS device (iPad or iPad mini) you need the cellular model. You DO NOT need to activate the cellular, it's just that the wifi only model doesn't come with the GPS inside, only the cellular model. The wifi model can navigate ONLY when it is in the range of a known located wireless transmitter, then it only knows it is close to a known spot (the wifi location). There are many navigation apps you can use to download maps (lots free with free maps) before you head out and the GPS will work with the app without cellular enabled. I am sure you can do the same with devices running various versions of Android OS, just make sure you get a GPS.

Another option, for those that have wifi only, get a blue tooth GPS receiver and pair it with the device (Apple, Samsung etc) then use the same software you were going to. You just have two batteries to keep track of charging and have to put the GPS somewhere in the Jeep too.