Does iPad 2 WiFi Really Have No GPS???

Jun 14, 2012 11:51 AM in response to Dah•veed

How about not?

lat·i·tude/ˈlatəˌt(y)o͞od/

Noun:

The angular distance of a place north or south of the earth's equator, usually expressed in degrees and minutes.
Regions, esp. with reference to their temperature and distance from the equator.

Two T's. Not 3 as rockmyplimsoul said.

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Dah•veed

Level 9

65,521 points

Mar 2, 2011 4:48 PM in response to Stasis88

iOS devices with GPS use what is called assisted GPS because there are situations when GPS devices cannot connect to a satellite. A-GPS uses cellular towers as part of the system. A wi-fi only iPad does not have this capability.

Dah•veed

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Aepple

Level 1

22 points

Mar 3, 2011 2:03 AM in response to Stasis88

Why put GPS on a WiFi only iPad, at face value it's not a mobile operational device, GPS Apps are available if you have a hotspot cell phone/device. The downside to hotspots is GPS will use a ton of data during your trip, and most people who need GPS will use their cell phone, or a 3G iPad which will allow a larger data allotment.

WiFi only iPads are for stationary use, I use my cell as a hotspot if I need to check my email or use the Internet in a pinch (no wifi available).

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Mar 3, 2011 2:52 AM in response to Dah•veed

Hi David
Do you know if GPS is used it will be charged for the services through 3G account?

I do not own an iPad. I very much want the GPS and happy to pay the extra to obtain 3G version but would not likely to use paying 3G access/services to surf my mails or net.

What I want to know: Is GPS access free on a 3G device?

Regards

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Rudegar

Level 10

174,834 points

Mar 3, 2011 4:21 AM in response to snowshine

"Hi David
Do you know if GPS is used it will be charged for the services through 3G account?"

3g is a landbased service with antennas located in towers and on buildings

gps is a satellite 1 way receiving connection which can't be charged for by anybody unless America change it and encrypt the signals rendering all gps devices out useless so doubt that will happen

but if you don't have a gps program with offline maps you will be charges for all the maps you download over 3g as you drive

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Tinmania

Level 1

10 points

Mar 3, 2011 1:33 PM in response to deggie

He is simply another one who doesn't know that "WiFi+3G" means the iPad with both Wifi as well as 3G.... not the 3G iPAD and WiFi iPad. So Apple did not show "both" have GPS recievers: just the 3G version.

And Apple wasn't going to find a place on size-critical device to shoehorn in a separate GPS chipset when it is already contained in the 3G radio. And they surely weren't going to figure out a way to do it for only the WiFi version, when it was intended to be less expensive.

Finally, if you want GPS but not 3G you can buy the 3G iPad and never activate data. The GPS will function just fine if you have either onboard maps (e.g., Navigon app) or have Internet access via tethering or some other mobile means (personal 3G hotspot).

Michael

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Mar 3, 2011 1:48 PM in response to Dah•veed

I only received this information from a helpful girl at 800-my apple, who said that she had special information about the iPad 2 available to her section. Try a call yourself, perhaps, and Apple may decide to modify the specs page.

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Mar 3, 2011 2:08 PM in response to deggie

I have an iPad1 without 3G and even though it has not GPS chip, the location service it gets is amazingly good.

If, however, you want to do navigation outside the range of cell towers then you would need the 3G model so it can look at the GPS satellites. Its like the iPhone. The iPhone has assisted GPS, which uses cell towers to help the GPS find its location, but if there are no cell towers available it will still use the GPS to find the location. It just takes a little longer.

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Mar 3, 2011 10:13 PM in response to robphoton2

I believe that the iPad 1 had a GPS chip only in the 3G+WiFi model, and not in the only WiFi model, but since the iPad 2 is not yet available for examination I don't understand how one can declare the information from the girl at 800-my-Apple to be wrong, especially when she says that comes from special materials regarding the iPad 2 available only to her section and not on the Apple website. Call yourself and see if you get this same special information. Yes, the "Find My iPhone" application and similar programs used WiFi features of iPhone-iPod-iPad devices to detect a WiFi signal location which was interacting with a device to give an approximate location, a WiFi area reasonably projected in relation to the identifiable hot spot, but the GPS chip, if functional, can give a much more focused location. The girl pointed out that for either system's GPS to be functional the device had to be connected to the internet--for the WiFi only iPad 2 this would mean connection to some WiFi hot spot, either fixed or mobile (such as the MiFi). I infer that the internet connection affords the involved iPad 2 necessary data additional to the satellite information coming to the device to generate a meaningful display of GPS information.

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Dah•veed

Level 9

65,521 points

Mar 4, 2011 12:41 AM in response to Wallace Mac

The fact that the wi-fi had to be connected to the internet pretty much gives it away, it is not GPS.

I trust the Apple website more than the folks who answer the phone unfortunately. They make mistakes so often that I will be ordering the 64 GB model next week for the price of the 32 GB model because last week both an Apple Store employee and an Apple Care employee so badly informed me about a question, Apple decided to send me a coupon code for US$100 off any purchase at the US online Apple Store of $300 or more.

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deggie

Level 10

167,393 points

Mar 4, 2011 5:33 AM in response to Wallace Mac

I'm not going to call and bother someone at Apple just to ask a question that I can wait until after the 11th and get a definitive answer, it is just rude. I really don't see Apple one year later ordering a completely isolated chipset with a GPS radio on it just for putting it in the WiFi version, this move alone would raise the price of that model, but as we know the price did not go up. I do trust the website specs.

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Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,731 points

Mar 7, 2011 4:58 PM in response to Dah•veed

David.Austin.Allen wrote:
iOS devices with GPS use what is called assisted GPS because there are situations when GPS devices cannot connect to a satellite. A-GPS uses cellular towers as part of the system. A wi-fi only iPad does not have this capability.

Dah•veed

That is incorrect. Satellite access is required. A-GPS uses ground stations (cell towers) to "assist" the satellites in order to improve both the precision and the accuracy of the end result.

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Dah•veed

Level 9

65,521 points

Mar 7, 2011 5:51 PM in response to Philly_Phan

Señor Pedantic Statesonian, you interpret this however you wish, perhaps it is my faulty English, but this is from Apple itself regarding AGPS and my comment was an attempt to give a synopsis of the last point.

*Improving GPS Accuracy (iPad Wi-Fi + 3G)*
• GPS accuracy varies depending on the number of GPS satellites visible to the iPad. Locating all visible satellites can take several minutes, with accuracy gradually increasing over time. Use these tips to improve GPS accuracy:

• Ensure the date, time, and timezone are correctly set on the device in Settings > General > Date & Time.
Important: Incorrect settings on your computer can sync to your device. Verify the date, time, and timezone on any computer that syncs with your device.

• Verify that you have a cellular or Wi-Fi network connection. This allows the Assisted GPS (A-GPS) on the device to locate visible GPS satellites faster, in addition to providing initial location information using the Wi-Fi or cellular networks.

*• Maintain a clear view of the horizon in several directions. Keep in mind that walls, vehicle roofs, tall buildings, mountains, and other obstructions can block line of sight to GPS satellites. When this occurs, your device will automatically use Wi-Fi or cellular networks to determine your position, until the GPS satellites are visible to the device again.*

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Chris CA

Level 10

82,488 points

Mar 7, 2011 6:37 PM in response to Philly_Phan

That is incorrect. Satellite access is required. A-GPS uses ground stations (cell towers) to "assist" the satellites in order to improve both the precision and the accuracy of the end result.

To be correct, A-GPS uses the cell tower locations to assist the iPad/GPS device until it can get good GPS satellite reception. It does not improve accuracy or precision.

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Philly_Phan

Level 7

20,731 points

Mar 7, 2011 7:14 PM in response to Dah•veed

David.Austin.Allen wrote:
• Verify that you have a cellular or Wi-Fi network connection. This allows the Assisted GPS (A-GPS) on the device to locate visible GPS satellites faster, in addition to providing initial location information using the Wi-Fi or cellular networks.

This is one characteristic of Assisted GPS.

David.Austin.Allen wrote:
• Maintain a clear view of the horizon in several directions. Keep in mind that walls, vehicle roofs, tall buildings, mountains, and other obstructions can block line of sight to GPS satellites. When this occurs, your device will automatically use Wi-Fi or cellular networks to determine your position, until the GPS satellites are visible to the device again.

The GPS (Global Positioning System) is a satellite system. If you're not using the satellites, you're not using GPS. Apple is describing a mechanism that enables location determination when GPS is not available. This mechanism does not "assist" GPS; it replaces it when the GPS (the satellites) can not be accessed.

I do not consider The Apple Company to be the authority on satellite communications but I do put faith in this organization:
http://sideshow.jpl.nasa.gov/mbh/series.html

Related trivia... The world's first communications satellite, Echo-1, had no electronics. It was an aluminized balloon, inflated while in orbit, and it functioned as a reflector in the sky.

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