All iPhones from the 3G model onwards and 3G iPads have what is known as assisted GPS

All iPhones from the 3G model onwards and 3G iPads have what is known as assisted GPS or A-GPS and this works in several ways. Firstly it uses phone mast triangulation and Wi-Fi hotspots to obtain a quick and dirty fix on your location, normally to within a kilometre or less, depending on the area. This is then used to help speed up the acquisition of GPS satellite signals, to provide a more accurate position, this time to within a few tens of metres. The GPS function does work without a network connection but it can take a minute or more for it to lock on to the satellites and work out your position.

The network connection is also used to update map information and provide extra detail, though clearly you are not too worried about finding the nearest McDonalds or Post Office bobbing around on the North Sea. As a matter of interest iPhones and iPads send details of your location to Apple. This is used to maintain a crowd-sourced database of phone masts and Wi-Fi hotspots, which is supposed to help refine the initial location fix. Apple is keen to make it clear that this information is encrypted and anonymous, though a bug discovered in 2011, now fixed, revealed that an unencrypted file on iPhones stored a year’s worth of time-stamped location data. This data is still retained, but now only for 7 days.

Nokia, Samsung, Sony, Qualcomm form alliance to improve GPS coverage

Finding out where you are located when inside a mall or in a sports arena using a smartphone is difficult today because of bad GPS coverage and to deal with the issue, Nokia, Samsung, Sony and Qualcomm have formed an In-Location Alliance, to improve the indoor positioning, which is the next façade of mobile services.
Apart from improving the indoor positioning in such locations, the In-Location Alliance will also prioritise low power consumption, making the technology both easy to implement and use.
The core technologies would feature Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. These technologies are already used in mobile devices and are therefore a good starting point for the Alliance’s efforts. Pilots will be deployed starting in 2012, while integration in smartphones and other devices and the first commercial consumer applications will happen next year.

Accurate indoor positioning will open opportunities for new services. For consumers this could include receiving directions to the right products and promotions in nearby shops or using real-time navigation inside a building to help find a friend, the companies said in a statement.
The In-location Alliance members include Broadcom, CSR, Dialog Semiconductor, Eptisa, Geomobile, Genasys, Indra, Insiteo, Nomadic Solutions, Nordic Semiconductor, Nordic Technology Group, NowOn, Primax Electronics, RapidBlue Solutions, Seolane Innovation, TamperSeal, Team Action Zone and Visioglobe.
Surprisingly, important companies such as Google and Apple are missing from the list. It may be noted that earlier this year, Google had launched Maps Floor Plan Marker for Android, which is still in beta and aims to show users their location more accurately within indoor venues.

iPhone 4S: Apple is no slouch in making good use of GPS functionality

Apple is no slouch in making good use of GPS functionality. In fact they’ve taken it a step further with the iPhone 4S offering a “personal assistant” in the form of Siri to make finding your way to your next destination a hands-free experience.

• Find my friends – Using its iCloud service you can use your iPhone to track your friends; ideal for meetups. Of course they’ll also need an iPhone and be signed up to the iCloud service.
• Siri – Simply speak your location requests for instant results e.g. where’s the nearest ATM, take me home, take me to the Eiffel Tower
• GLONASS – Not only do you get the American-owned GPS system but you also get assistance from Russian controlled GLONASS satellites (how’s that for post-Cold War cooperation?). This means you have a higher chance of getting a good location signal and faster service.