Apple's newest iPhone offers assisted GPS

GPS World, July, 2008

GPS will be a feature on the much-anticipated next-gen iPhone, according to information the company released during its WorldWide Developers Conference June 9. The iPhone 3G uses assisted GPS as its first choice for determining location. But, according to Apple, "If you're inside--without a clear line of sight to a GPS satellite--iPhone finds you via Wi-Fi. If you're not in range of a Wi-Fi hot spot, iPhone finds you using cellular towers."

Lower Prices. The low-end 8 gigabyte model will sell for $200; the high-end 16 gigabyte will be priced at $300, or $200 below the existing non-GPS units and competitive with low-end personal navigation devices (PNDs).

Apple's current production pace of about 1.8 million phones per quarter could soon double, thanks in part to the lower price. Apple CEO Steve Jobs, who delivered the keynote speech, noted that even now, the price may be too high for true mass-market penetration. iPhone 3G will be available in more than 70 countries later this year, beginning with 22 countries July 11.

Mobile-phone navigation continues to grow, with about 5 million to 6 million people now subscribing to mobile-phone navigation services. The move from PNDs to mobile-phone navigation is under way in earnest. Mio has introduced GPS phones much like the iPhone and Garmin has similar plans.

Who will provide navigation and traffic information to the iPhone was unknown at press time. An independent rumor blog on the web claimed that Broadcom would supply the GPS chip for the new iPhone, but neither company would confirm this. The new phone will initially have two location-based services (LBS) applications in addition to navigation with weather and traffic. Loopt's social networking will be available for free from Apple's AppStore when it begins operation. The Associated Press will offer a location-based news service.

The spread of LBS is expected to be aided by the iPhone and similar hardware offerings likely to follow from competitors such as Nokia, Samsung, and Motorola. Of course, users still need to find the offerings of value, but one developer sees the iPhone as starting a "new era in mobile." "We've developed for nearly every platform," said Loopt's Sam Altman, "and this one is the best."

Wi-Fi Positioning. In his June Military & Government PNT newsletter, editor Don Jewell takes a look at the positioning technology in the first-generation Apple iPhone and iTouch, which is not GPS-based but is a Wi-Fi-based technology provided to Apple users through Skyhook Wireless. Read more at www.gpsworld.com/wifi.>

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