The iPad Mini WiFi Cellular GPS works without a data plan?

Nope... wrong.

I've also tested it on a car trip to the middle of nowhere... no wifi, no gps device connected to it, nothing. Just cornfields and very, very flat nothing. Nowhere close to a wifi signal. And it works.

Can I explain it, no. Do I like it, yes.

I'm an Electrical Engineer, so I'm not some half-witted noob to electronics devices. I can read specs... ****, I can even explain how gps computes location. I'm just giving my experience that mystifies me.

jspan wrote:

I'm just giving my experience that mystifies me.

And I'm removing that mystification. Honestly, I'm not going to continue this any further. I've explained how location services works with the non-GPS devices. If you choose not to believe me and, instead, believe in black magic, so be it.

Your EE claim does not impress me. You really don't want to hear my background.

I don't want to hear your background. I don't care. You sound like a very proud and important person who doesn't listen or want to listen. If you feel better by belittling people, then glad you can feel good about yourself.

The gps works for me somehow, so I'm happy. I'm also happy that you aren't going to discuss this either.

jspan wrote:

Without connection to a Wifi. EXPLAIN THAT!!!

Radio. You don't need a connection to WiFi, just the signal. As anyone with an iPad can attest, just because you have a signal doesn't mean it is strong enough to connect. However, just detecting the signal is sufficient to triangulate using the built-in WiFi location database.

Good answer, etresoft. Also here is a link to an article that is very helpful - it reiterates much of what has been said but IMO, "bottom lines" it a little better: http://gps.about.com/od/accessories/a/New-Ipad-Gps.htm

Basically, it is saying the Wi-Fi only iPads do not have an AGPS chip but still have some GPS functionality, just not as accurate or as reliable as the cellular models that do have the chip. And, by the same author a short article about GPS-enabling a Wi-Fi only iPad Mini: http://gps.about.com/od/accessories/a/iPad-Mini-Car-GPS.htm

While true that you do not need a cellular data plan to preload the maps, the Apple mapping system needs access to the internet if you decide to take a different route than the one originally loaded. I worked around this by purchasing and downloading the Navigon GPS app which stores map data directly on the iPad and tested it by trying alternate routes to see if the app would reroute me, and it worked. Your post was very helpful in my decision to buy the iPad mini with cellular capability and use it as a navigation system without having to also pay for a monthly cellular plan, but I thought others should also be aware that the apple mapping app won't do a reliable job alone.

I use the cellular iPad mini and purchased the Navigon GPS app which downloads maps to the iPad itself. This system can be used as a reliable GPS without a cellular plan. The apple mapping system needs to access the internet if you change your route, so I considered it worth the cost to purchase the Navigon app. The potential downside is that the Navigon software can take up a significant amount of space, so you may only want to download the maps of the locations that you use most frequently.

Thanks for that info, it's a great help.

If you preload the maps with an app like GPS motion x then yes it works. Otherwise your position is tracked but you don't have a map for display without wifi or cellular connection