GPS service is dependent on the 3G network???

fleurya · Jun 14, 2008

In the keynote when Jobs was talking about 3G speed he said, "now, one other thing that benefits from fast data, of course, is GPS." To me, this sounds like the GPS feature will only work in 3G networks. I don't know much about GPA, but I thought the nature of GPA was that it would work anywhere, even on cell phone where there is no cell service. Isn't that why there is a separate antenna for GPS??

Someone help me out on this one.

j21m2293 · Jun 14, 2008

Um also not familiar in this area, but if I had to take an educated guess is that it will work when your out of 3g areas but just will be much slower dependent on your area. Apple sometimes makes things out to be that there not.

cwa107 · Jun 14, 2008

Maybe he misspoke. Most GPS phones that I'm aware of actually do have a GPS transceiver inside of them that works in a similar way to navigation systems in cars.

Dec540 · Jun 14, 2008

My understanding is that it should work similar to the A-GPS in my n95. it has a gps receiver but to lock on quickly it uses 3g to connect to towers to get a rough location which then helps the gps receiver. also if you go under a bridge etc and it drops out a-gps kicks in and can roughly tell where you are so that when your gps signal comes back it is easier to lock on. (Thats how its been explained to me anywho)

dakineyj · Jun 14, 2008

Because it uses the network to download the maps

walmartconnect · Jun 14, 2008

What Dec said is true as far as I know.

Using a plain GPS receiver can leave you awaiting signal for an accurate location for longer than someone would like. Having your phone know its rough location due to being registered with local towers helps cut down on that time significantly. As far as the user would know, it is instantaneous since he/she will start at a zoomed out view as it is while the phone acquires satellite signal.

If one were completely away from any tower reception, the GPS would work, but where would you get your maps?

fleurya · Jun 15, 2008

walmartconnect said:
What Dec said is true as far as I know.

Using a plain GPS receiver can leave you awaiting signal for an accurate location for longer than someone would like. Having your phone know its rough location due to being registered with local towers helps cut down on that time significantly. As far as the user would know, it is instantaneous since he/she will start at a zoomed out view as it is while the phone acquires satellite signal.

If one were completely away from any tower reception, the GPS would work, but where would you get your maps?

Makes sense, but where do regular GPS devices get maps then?

dakineyj · Jun 15, 2008

Depends on what kind of device it is. Some have them built in, other need to be hooked to a computer and have maps uploaded and some other have memory cards you can put maps on.

Dec540 · Jun 15, 2008

the maps are stored on the hard drive or in most gps's case an SD card. As far as my N95 goes i have to download maps. its about 200-300mb for the whole of australia i think.

oopscdaz · Jun 17, 2008

Looking at the AT&T 3G Map

Me thinks it will be the norm rather than the exception to be OUT of the 3G area.... O:)

walmartconnect · Jun 17, 2008

I don't believe that 3G service is required to triangulate one's location.

charliecrosslan · Jun 18, 2008

The faster the connection, the more you get out of the gps. On the old edge iphone, it took ages to get the maps downloaded, so the 3g makes the gps worthwhile.