Does iPad mini Wifi come with GPS

There's a lot of misinformation floating around in this thread. I'm going to stick to facts.

1. The Apple website clearly states that the Wi-Fi only version does NOT have a built-in (hardware) GPS.

2. I had an unexpected opportunity to test this on my iPad mini w/ Retina Wi-Fi only version while traveling through rural North Carolina this week. I had the hotspot activated on my Android phone and the iPad was successfully passing data in both directions. At no time during my trip, could the iPad determine my location.

2.1. An internet connection is required to load the map imagery when using Google maps on the iPad. This is also the case for the included maps/nav app which is actually some cooperative with TomTom. The included app does seem to cache map data that you have previously downloaded. I'm not sure how long it holds it in cache.

I've recently converted to iPad and assumed the class leader would include a hardware GPS capability. Much to my disappointment, it does not. I need the hardware GPS capability and agree with many here that it should be included in the Wi-Fi version. I don't care that Apple chooses to employ an integrated GPS/Cellular chip.

As a result, you'll find this iPad on eBay before the night is over. I'll be picking up an Android tablet, today, that DOES have an integrated hardware GPS without requiring me to purchase the much more costly cellular hardware to get it.

So happy to hear that your found a resolution to your problem, Good Luck!

I'll watch for your ebay listing, I could use another pad. 😉

Welcome to the Support Communities.

Aero9k wrote:

I'll be picking up an Android tablet, today...

So these recent articles should be of interest:

Android and Java top security targets for malware and hacks

Android is target for 98 percent of all mobile malware

Aero9k wrote:

1. The Apple website clearly states that the Wi-Fi only version does NOT have a built-in (hardware) GPS.

Maybe you'll first check the specs on your next purchase then.

Since Adroid is an OS, not hardware, and there are several manufacturers that make tablets running Android be sure to check this time and be sure that is does have a hardware based GPS chip. Not all of them do.

Leaving the issue of # of devices carried aside (which is NOT an insignificant issue I concede), IF GPS location is the ONLY issue (since you have a wi-fi hotspot phone, I assume is is), you can hardly say that an auxilliary bluetooth GPS added to your iPad isn't a viable option.

The Bad-Elf Pro only costs about $20 more than the EXTRA cost of the iPad with cellular/GPS capability. It is noticeably superior in GPS performance, has logging (may or may not be of value depending on your usage) and will provide simultaneous GPS data to 5 bluetooth devices at once. If, in the interests of "having it all" in one device, you actually subscribe the iPad with a celllular carrier, you'll make up that cost difference in a blink! You probably don't have to have the subscribed cellular coverage to utilize the GPS part of that unified chip, but I'd make sure about that with any tablet before jumping.

If you've got multiple persons &/or devices deployed, the utility of separate BT GPS (and hotspot for that matter) quickly makes that the superior method, IMHO. When my wife and I travel, we typically have 2 laptops and 2 iPads, along w. 2 iPhones, in use at various and sometimes simultaneous times. We use an AT&T Elevate mobile hotspot for our data acquisition. It works wonderfully in the car and, with accessory antenna, provides a usable celluar data signal when our phones (on the same carrier) are having a hard time staying "in service" at all. Recently verified this again on a road trip down the W. Coast on I-5 where the phones were in and out of service in remoter regions but the Elevate w. antenna had a usuable cellular data signal MOST of the time! The antenna option really makes a separate mobile hotspot clearly superior to a phone hotspot.

We add a Bad Elf Pro to that mix and we've got a super accurate, logged GPS location service available to all our devices (including laptops).

So, it really depends on how you're going to use it. If you want to travel as light as possible, probably one of these big screen phones with everything in one is the simplest way. Rumors kind of suggest Apple's going to fill that niche pretty soon I guess.

I did. However, my source was inaccurate. The Best Buy website shows it having built-in GPS. I should have checked the Apple website instead. That said, all other Android devices I've owned or looked at, had GPS built in. It seemed reasonable to assume that a device with a mapping/navigation app would have the hardware to support it. I was mistaken; common sense did not prevail in this case.

But of course, deggie. I'm grateful that you took the time to articulate the nuances of hardware vs. OS. I wasn't trolling here. Rather, I was just stating that Apple almost had me, but due to lack of this feature, I'm gone. I'm not alone, obviously, since this entire thread is dedicated to those desiring built-in hardware GPS without having to pay for the cellular version.

Sorry to have ruffled feathers. I should have kept Android out of it.

Alancito wrote:

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

Thanks for this.

Perhaps this explains why I can set my destination and route at home using my wifi only Mini then get in the car, start driving and 3kn from home my navigation is still working (without wifi, tethering etc). Win.

SO, In answer to the OP's original question...
Does iPad mini Wifi come with GPS?

NO, the ipad mini Wifi does not have a specific GPS chip.

BUT, it does have limited GPS capabilities using a cache of crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot data which can triangulate your position. I presume this would only work ok in more heavily populated areas.

Stuckster wrote:

NO, the ipad mini Wifi does not have a specific GPS chip.

BUT, it does have limited GPS capabilities using a cache of crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot data which can triangulate your position. I presume this would only work ok in more heavily populated areas.

It's not clear why you're resurrecting this thread after almost a year. Did you need further clarification?

In addition to Meg's comment, your statement about GPS capabilities is incorrect. The WiFi-only iPad does NOT have GPS capabilities, limited or otherwise. It does have an ability to determine location.

Meg St._Clair wrote:

Stuckster wrote:

NO, the ipad mini Wifi does not have a specific GPS chip.

BUT, it does have limited GPS capabilities using a cache of crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot data which can triangulate your position. I presume this would only work ok in more heavily populated areas.

It's not clear why you're resurrecting this thread after almost a year. Did you need further clarification?

HI Meg. I "resurrected" the thread because firstly I've just read it and secondly IMHO after reading all 7 pages I didn't feel the answer to the OPs question had been concisely summarised taking into account the many varied and technical contributions. So that's what I was trying to do because I thought it would be helpful for anyone reading it for the first time... a full year later. Hope that's clear.

Philly_Phan wrote:

In addition to Meg's comment, your statement about GPS capabilities is incorrect. The WiFi-only iPad does NOT have GPS capabilities, limited or otherwise. It does have an ability to determine location.

Perhaps instead of saying "limited" I should have said GPS-like capabilities. I was simply trying to say that although the Wifi only model has no GPS chip you can still use it to navigate, albeit in a limited capacity, in more densely populated areas, as I do with mine.

Stuckster wrote:

Meg St._Clair wrote:

Stuckster wrote:

NO, the ipad mini Wifi does not have a specific GPS chip.

BUT, it does have limited GPS capabilities using a cache of crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot data which can triangulate your position. I presume this would only work ok in more heavily populated areas.

It's not clear why you're resurrecting this thread after almost a year. Did you need further clarification?

HI Meg. I "resurrected" the thread because firstly I've just read it and secondly IMHO after reading all 7 pages I didn't feel the answer to the OPs question had been concisely summarised taking into account the many varied and technical contributions. So that's what I was trying to do because I thought it would be helpful for anyone reading it for the first time... a full year later. Hope that's clear.

You quoted Alancito's post from December 2012 which summarized it quite nicely and then garbled the information. That's why I assumed you need more assistance.

Meg St._Clair wrote:

You quoted Alancito's post from December 2012 which summarized it quite nicely and then garbled the information. That's why I assumed you need more assistance.

Alancito provided some really great information about the Wifi being able to determine location which is why I quoted it. But the other important aspect of the conversation (not covered in his post) was the lack of a specific GPS chip, which folks like SportsDew helpfully explained. Hence I felt both bits of information should be included in my summary of the answer. So I don't think I need any more assistance at this point.

Do you feel that summarising 7 pages of conversation and technical discussion is somehow unhelpful for new or less technically proficient readers? That is all I was trying to do.

If you are concerned about the accuracy of my interpretation of the information (since to you it is clearly "garbled") then by all means please post some helpful corrections. If on the other hand you are done with this thread and would rather not receive any more posts after which ever arbitrary date you feel the thread is "dead" then simply unsubscribe from it.