Does iPad mini Wifi come with GPS

BR ~ Welcome to the Support Communities.

harmvdploeg wrote:

i do not want to have a 2nd subscription service for cellular data transmissions.

One journalist's experience of using Apple's Maps app without cellular service:

"...the vector graphics used in Apple Maps don't require extra downloads. You can confirm this by loading a page (choose your own location, for simplicity), and then turning the data connections off. Now try scrolling across the page: it will load. You'll be able to see detail in your surrounding area. You'll be able to zoom in and out. If you're in a car or train, you should find that you can track your travel - even plan your route, to some extent - with zero extra data. The whole of the UK is encapsulated in less than 200MB, according to data from CoPilot.

That was certainly my experience earlier this week in Korea, where on a visit to Samsung I had an iPhone running iOS 6 which had no data contract. One evening I looked at the overview of North and South Korea (it turns out Apple’s Maps offer more detail than Google does for North Korea; the latter’s is just a white blank). The next day, with zero data coverage, we were taken on a coach trip to a Samsung production facility. The phone tracked our entire journey, with street-level data including the names of shops, all the way. And all the way back. And then, later, out to the airport. All that, without getting a single extra drop of data. (...) this is all done by the vector data that came with the original download the night before." (Source)

I'm a tad confused.......Heres my question. I was thinking of buying an Ipad mini with cellular and GPS, 64g. I primarily will be using it as a GPS nav unit in my car. The portable I have is just a little small for my old eyes to see properly, same with my Iphone. I was under the impression that the built in GPs makes wi-fi and data not required. I should be able to use this device as a GPS without using my data plan or Wi Fi. Am I correct? Can I use the map function app built in or do I need a special app. If anyone is familiar with "Waze" will this work without my data or Wi Fi. Thanks guys, Noob question but important to me.

GPS signals are separate from and completely unrelated to both the Internet and the cellular telephone network. GPS signals come directly from the GPS satellites. No data plan is required. They provide signals that allow GPS receivers to calculate latitude and longitude information. Navigation software then takes that latitude/longitude info and converts it to land mass, roads, bridges, highways, buildings, etc.

Most navigation software stores the maps right in the iPad/iPod/iPhone but a disadvantage is that the maps must be periodically updated (perhaps once every two years). The Internet is not required to use the system but it is required to update the maps.

Some navigation software gets the maps from the Internet and requires an Internet connection to function but an advantage is that the maps are always up-to-date.

The WiFi+3G/4G iPad and the iPhone both have a GPS receiver. The WiFi-only iPad and the iPod do not and these devices require an accessory.

Have you guys really try to verify before posting? I have an ipad mini wifi. Just now i wanted to go to an adress so i loaded up Maps at my house (using wifi). I drove to the place i wanted to go and opened up my ipad mini to doublecheck the road, suprise suprise the blue icon came alive... I did not turn off wifi however i dont have any wifi signal on the road of course. Yes the blue icon followed accurately and precisely my actual location. Explain this guys... I will test again later maybe with some other gps or map app...

afieznb ~ Welcome to the Support Communities.

afieznb wrote:

Have you guys really try to verify before posting? I have an ipad mini wifi. Just now i wanted to go to an adress so i loaded up Maps at my house (using wifi). I drove to the place i wanted to go and opened up my ipad mini to doublecheck the road, suprise suprise the blue icon came alive... I did not turn off wifi however i dont have any wifi signal on the road of course. Yes the blue icon followed accurately and precisely my actual location. Explain this guys... I will test again later maybe with some other gps or map app...

It has been repeatedly explained above:

Your iPad mini, in addition to its Wi-Fi chip, contains an appropriate subset (cache) of crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot data with which it can triangulate its location. With this data already loaded on your iPad mini, it doesn't need an actual Wi-Fi connection to triangulate its location — just the presence of nearby Wi-Fi signals. Read more in these Apple docs:

Apple Q&A on Location Data

iOS 6: Understanding Location Services

You need to do less re-posting and actually do some testing. I was completely surprised that both minis I had with me on a trip today did accurately follow me and help me navigate on interstates, state routes, and public streets - with no wifi (it's an interstate) and while traveling at highway speeds. I believed the posts that there was no GPS in the wifi-only mini, but that is obviously incorrect, times at least two. I will be playing with the rest of the minis I have access to over the coming week but I can bet that they all have GPS.

So afienzb, above has one, and I have at least two wifi-only minis with GPS.

You're incorrect.

Whatever makes it easier for you to sleep, Philly_Phan. Let me know when you actually take a mini on the road and try it that it is magically doing wifi position approximation...at 80 MPH.

Just go try it and then explain it. "You're incorrect", "But the holy spec page says so", and "You're imagining it" aren't explanations. Help me understand what's really going on, and design an experiment so I can test it and confirm the results one would expect. I have four minis sitting here. So far I've tested two of the four and both behaved as if they had GPS, not like my ipod touch does, which clearly does not have GPS.

I'll post what I find out tomorrow when I try another unit.

I have an even better idea. Tomorrow I'm going out to God's country - where there is no wifi because there is quite literally nothing anywhere around for miles. On the completely off chance that the interstate was somehow all wifi all the time<sarcasm/>, we'll see what happens. Does anyone have a test they would suggest running?

diveFreaks wrote:

Whatever makes it easier for you to sleep, Philly_Phan. Let me know when you actually take a mini on the road and try it that it is magically doing wifi position approximation...at 80 MPH.

Just go try it and then explain it. "You're incorrect", "But the holy spec page says so", and "You're imagining it" aren't explanations. Help me understand what's really going on, and design an experiment so I can test it and confirm the results one would expect. I have four minis sitting here. So far I've tested two of the four and both behaved as if they had GPS, not like my ipod touch does, which clearly does not have GPS.

I'll post what I find out tomorrow when I try another unit.

Do you think that I really care?

You're incorrect and there is nothing else to say.

Philly Phan is correct. The wifi only does not have GPS. Please look for yourself under location. The cellular model has GPS AND GLONASS. GLONASS is the Russian version of GPS.

http://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/specs/

divefreaks:

Go to your settings and turn off wifi (on your wifi only ipad) so that the unit does not try and aquire any wifi connection. Test it by opening up safari and trying to browse. If it inidicates it can get a web connection, then you can be satisfied it does not.

Also be sure you don' t teather your wifi only IPAD to a wifi receiver (e.g., iphone) via bluetooth.

Then drive around and see if you wifi only ipad can find its location. Many of us will bet that it can't.

However, if Apple was really clever with their motion sensing systems, they might have introduced some sort of dead reckoning that would keep track of compass direction, time, and velocity. Those of you old sailors out there would recall how this is done. With dead reconing, a rudimentary and much less accurate running position can be kept.

For some reason I cannot edit my reply -

Correction to testing for wifi connection:

Test it by opening up safari and trying to browse. If it inidicates it can NOT get a web connection, then you can be satisfied it does not.

Sorry I did not proof read this more thouroughly.

My iPad Mini (wi-fi only) can't "find" my location on any mapping app if my wi-fi is turned off. But I am truly amazed at how accurately it can find and track me around home (moving from one side of the house to the other) when on my wi-fi. I live in a very rural suburban area and there are NO other detectable wi-fi signals within a 1/2 mile. So I am skeptical about it "triangulating" my position by using "hotspots." The closest hotspot I have ever found is over 3 miles away. My home wi-fi is based on a landline dsl from the phone co., and it would seem unlikely that its signal contains any positional information. With only one router/transmitter in my home, I'm amazed it can detect me moving around.

The "dead reckoning" suggestion (inertial navigation) IS a possibility--the military has had super accurate I.N. for decades, but I'm stunned to think my iPad has it? The inputs ARE there however (accelerometer &amp; 3 axis gyro compass), so maybe that's contributing? But how does it initially "find" me when I turn my wi-fi on??

willyjp wrote:

But how does it initially "find" me when I turn my wi-fi on??

Because your IP address is registered in a database with the coordinates of your router.