Does iPad 2 WiFi Really Have No GPS???

ascotsgranny wrote:

is there any way I can get internet service while driving so I can use an App ly Sygic for GPS?

Your new phone will need to have a portable hot spot built in AND your phone carrier must allow you to use it for that purpose. NOT all phone companies allow this, so check first. I am using a LG Optimus T and it works great. You can also buy a separate portable hot spot device, but they usually cost about as much as a new phone once you figure in the rates.

Am I in over my head? What does an iPad2 16GB with WiFi only need in order to utilize a GPS app like Sygic while in UK ... ? Just an internet connection? If so, what can I add to this iPad to give it instant internet connection when not near a public wifi hotspot? Would a mobile hotspot thing work, like this: http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/broadband/mobile-broadband/buy/O2-USB-MODEM-169 -PU2G-PPUSB

Or would I need something in addition to this?

Or would I need to buy a phone that could be its own mobile hotspot and, if so, what do I need to look for in specs?

I want this not just for traffic directions but mainly for POI info.

118 posts so far, and the simplicity of the answer still cannot permeate.....

The wifi only iPad does not have GPS capabilities.

Feel free to discuss the complexity of this fact over the next few hundred posts..... 😟

You will need a GPS receiver which, out of the box, a Wi-Fi only iPad does not have. There is a chance that you can get a 3rd party GPS receiver module that you can physically connect to the iPad that may work with a GPS based navigation app. You should contact the apps support site to confirm this. You can also ask to what extent you can pre install maps and POI information for the app for possible offline use. Otherwise you will need a mobile Wi-Fi connection if you need to have on the fly map and POI data.

I shall not encourage your trolling after this post. Your screenshots unwisely identify your iPad as Apple Model MC770LL.

Submit an Apple link that defines this model as including full GPS ability, or stop trying to do whatever it is that trolls try to do.

Great Article!! Seems to explain everything. Even how GPS works on my WiFi only iPad. The time issue even explained how my location didn't work and when I set the correct time zone, it started working. Amazing piece of equipment.

trolling??? and unwisely??? wow such choice of words..... yea you doubting me.... i know my ipad does gps and thats the bottom line.... say what you want...... i know what i know and you're just speculating..... have fun doinf that....

richfromberkley wrote:

Great Article!! Seems to explain everything. Even how GPS works on my WiFi only iPad. The time issue even explained how my location didn't work and when I set the correct time zone, it started working. Amazing piece of equipment.

It appears you did not understand the article. The wifi only iPad does not have the hardware to do GPS. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Positioning_System

"Hi antiguangenius, can you please advise the program that you are using?"

He is using MotionX, which requires a 3G iPad (which has GPS) or an external GPS receiver (with Bluetooth, which he is using).

The Motion X app does not require actual GPS hardware. It will display that it is using internal/external GPS hardware if it is available but it is actually not a GPS hardware specific app. I believe antiguagenius was using several different apps, hardware devices and tablet systems. He may have been using the app for the Dual GPS device in addition to the Motion X app. Sorry for not going back through the thread. I am not sure if there are any Bluetooth GPS receivers available for the iOS devices. All that I am aware of connect through the dock port.

"The Motion X app does not require actual GPS hardware"

It does if you want to display satellite info.

"He may have been using the app for the Dual GPS device"

Which uses Bluetooth.

"I am not sure if there are any Bluetooth GPS receivers available for the iOS devices"

-> http://www.amazon.com/GNS-5870-Receiver-WAAS-Enabled/dp/B004289ZW0

-> http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=iPad+bluetooth+gps&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&clien t=safari&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=14724685693530186768&sa=X&ei=8fd3TqPMAaOtsQL y8PDbDQ&ved=0CFMQ8wIwAw

-> http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=iPad+bluetooth+gps&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&clien t=safari&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=889597409074197527&sa=X&ei=8fd3TqPMAaOtsQLy8 PDbDQ&ved=0CFUQ8wIwBA

I use the Dual GPS unit which is bluetooth. I also use the free Nav free, which works great, at times without the GPS unit when I either have wireless access or there is triangulation. I plan on purchasing the Navicon App soon,

My iPad 2 is a 32g wi-fi only unit. Make sure your clock is set correctly to have the gps work.

Hi Rick,

I'm in Latvia but i have my time set up from Portugal, do you mean that i need to have in Latvia time?

I don't have yet the GPS unit, but i have Nokia E71 with GPS. Is it possible to pair them via bluetooth and IPAD use the GPS signal from Nokia?

i find it hard to believe that ipad 2 wifi only version has no built in gps. i have 16 gb wifi only ipad2 purchased a couple weeks ago. i have installed mapquest app on my ipad, and loaded it using my work place wifi. i then loaded the directions to my house. the map from my work to home was now cached in the memory. on the way home, i stpped at a liquor and out of curiousity, i opened mapquest it locked into the position i was at where there was no internet connection available. i now use my dummy cell phone, sonyericsson tm506 to tether it via its bluetooth to my ipad. google maps does work and also does the mapquest. i now believe that it's not the iphone that's giving ipad the ability to use positional service. there must be gps unit on wifi only version of ipad, and if not, my ipad must be a defective unit in apple's sense because it seems to do more than what apple stated on their ipad specs page and lucky me. heh

I just tried this. I turned off wifi and bluetooth from the settings. left work, and came home. loaded mapquest, and it panned and centered to my current position. This could mean either, there must be a gps unit built in to wifi only ipad, or wifi setting does not really turn off wifi feature completely. Or better yet, I must be the lucky one to have purchased a non-3g model which apple accidently included a gps unit.

Try this for yourself. (if you have wifi only unit)

Install Maqquest on your ipad, load the directions from one place to another while on wifi connectiono so the maps from starting position to destination would be cached into memory. now you can locate yourself anywhere in between these two locations without having wifi or bluetooth turned on.

i'm not trying to be trolling or anything, but it really makes me wonder how ipad can locate itself without a built in gps.

the gps apps i have tested actually do locate my position on the map with or without network connection (if the map is cached) even with the wifi and bluetooth actually turned off in the settings.

Some apps do not install with message "your ipad is not compatible blah blah", but apps like waze, mapquest (for iphone), and GaiaLite do install fine and they do locate me at the position even with wifi turned off.