Does apple allow other vendors to use the gps hardware in iphone
Are other vendors allow to use the gps hardware in apple devices or dom they have to rely on cellular date.
Andy
Any app can request location information from the iOS location services module. iOS location services determines location using GPS satellite signals, aGPS using cellular network data, wifi node estimated street addresses in Apple’s wifi locations database, and bluetooth iBeacans. Location services uses any of those, as available or needed, and then will provide location information to apps that request it. But it is iOS itself, via its location services module, that provides apps with location data.
And location services does not need any cellular or wifi connection if it has access to an open sky and direct GPS satellite data. You can still get a location (use compass to confirm this) when outside and the device is in airplane mode. If inside, where GPS signals are blocked by a structure, then you would need to have wifi and/or BT on for location services to get an approximate location without the use of GPS/aGPS.
The App Store has an entire section devoted to navigation and GPS apps. Some, that only stream map image data, require an internet connection to work (wifi or cellular data). Some allow caching of map data (google maps can cache data for offline use). Some are sold with downloaded maps that are stored locally on the device and so work all the time when offline (e.g. City Maps 2Go).
