Does iPad 2 WiFi Really Have No GPS???

Now, what is the signal flow for A-GPS? I'm thinking that the DGPS ground station transmits not only the GPS error information but also its own location. >This is received by the cell towers and, after signal conversion, is retransmitted out to the cell phones and similar devices

As soon as I turn my device on, it takes the A-GPS information to use as a "ballpark" estimate of its own location. That, in turn, makes it easier to locate the visible satellites. Close?

According to several web sources, the iPhone and iPad do indeed support cell tower triangulation, or at least they did.

Michael Black wrote:
To be fair, the NASA article simple states:

"Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) data – provides data and information about the GPS orbit and clock states that allow cellular phones to pinpoint their location on phone map applications and when making emergency 911 calls"

It does not say that aGPS is a feature of the DGPS system. aGPS was developed by communications companies and (Lucent and Qualcomm being amongst the biggest players in it's development, as well as companies rapidly bought up by Qualcomm). aGPS is a feature of the cellular carrier network, not the GPS infrastructure per se. The "assisted" in aGPS has meant a number of features implemented over the years since the early 2000's that improve the speed and accuracy of a location fix.

Hersco wrote:
The real question for me is: If I buy a Wi-Fi-only iPad (no 3G) and tether it to my iPhone to gain 3G access, will the iPad use the GPS on the iPhone for the apps that requir Location Services?

they use technology from SkyHook (or at least they used to)

You're all wrong.

Apple monitors all cellphone conversations on the iPhone, and the microphone on the iPad.

An Apple employee listens to ambient sounds and when you use the Apps application he/she plops a pin in your general location.

Now we can put this one to sleep.

Here's what I can't figure out: when I first asked my wifi iPad to find my location, it couldn't do it. That led me to this forum, where I was a little disappointed but had my answer. But now it can find it. That, despite the mapping app thinking that my house is not quite in the right place on my street. How does it do it? I'm going to have to walk down the street and see what it does...

THANKS Elenex for your post! I was about to buy the 3G version of iPad but now I see that I can simply tether to my cell phone for the GPS part. THANKS to Apple for adding Personal Hotspot to iOS.

So to be clear, the Wi-Fi only version of iPad 2 does NOT have the GPS chip, but it can still use GPS apps when connected through your 3G phone. The phone gets the GPS signal and sends it to the iPad. Life is good :)

Just as a heads-up for people who watched that video showing a WiFi-only iPad tethered to an iPhone and getting the GPS information......while it IS true that it does work, it still does not work the same way that you would come to expect with the way that the iPhone.

Where you have the iPhone and its A-GPS, it constantly tracks you as you move in real time. I have tethered my WiFi-Only iPad and have done the "trick" in the video shown. As you hear him mention, it updates randomly about once a minute. I tried mine again last night and noticed it update between 10 seconds to 60 seconds. A co-worker of mine has a 3G iPad and I personally verified that it does it fact behave just like the iPhone's A-GPS does in the native "Maps" application.

This might not be an issue for most....and if you're simply using your iPad as a Navigation System with the "Maps" application, then you'll find it is "good enough". However, if you are expecting it to be able to track your EXACT location, and small movements in small detail, (such as through a parking lot, or open feild), then you will definitely want the 3G model. What this also means is that turn-by-turn Navigation applications are rendered completely useless. I have one that doesn't even show maps, but shows lots of GPS data such as MPH, distance traveled, trajectory-heading, etc. and is not even useable when it only gets information every minute at most instances.

I have the first iPad 64GB WiFi-only model....I'll be updating to a 3G model for sure when I go to the iPad2....or 3.

Hi,

unfortunately it seems to be fact that wi-fi only Ipad 2 does not have GPS capabilities.

I don't see any technical reason for this and it is pretty dissapointing if one needs to sign up for a mobile phone contract just to get GPS. Especially as the iPad is usually not primarily used as mobile phone (haven't seen to many people recently holding an iPad to their ear).

Even cameras have GPS built in today which work fine without a phone line. Assist-GPS (a.k.a. A-GPS) is simply a method to speed up locating GPS sattelites by pre-loading sattelite position data. This is optional and can also be achieved by using a wi-fi link to the web. Usually you update the A-GPS data every 2-7 days. Or not at all.

As far as maps go: there is no contineous data link required either. One can download map data through wi-fi and us it offline for navigation.

Well, if the device has GPS, of course. Which gets me to my first sentence.

I like my iPhone 3GS, and I will eventually get an iPad 2. Most likely the wi-fi only model. But it leaves a bit of an 'its not as complete as it could be'- feeling.

Sorry, Apple. This is a decision I don't understand. But why would you care ?

Cheers

Reinhard