iPad 3's GPS function

[toffee]

Newbie question here.

Does all iPad3 comes with GPS chip that can access satellite or it will need a receiver? I understand iPad use cell technology but does it has GPS chip?

Thanks

[Ads]

[Gabriel1]

Wifi only iPads don't have GPS built in, all other iPads do have GPS.

The Archangel

[MikesTooLz]

The reason for this is because the cellular chip has a gps receiver built into the same chip. Cellphones these days use cellular chips with built in gps receivers because they can make the phones more compact and the cost is also less.

[toffee]

So other than wifi ipads, I do not need a GPS receiver? That would be great!!! How does it work? ipad will have GPS chip, cell triangulation and wifi GPS all build in the same package?

[twerppoet]

This may help you understand.

iOS 5: Understanding Location Services

[kensteele]

It is my understanding that the wi-fi only ipad does not have a gps antenna within and only the 3g/4g ipads have a gps antenna. that means, gps is unavailable on a wi-fi only ipad. does this mean that a 3g/4/g ipad where you do not currently have an active wireless carrier subscription, can it still take advantage of the gps network? iow, do you have to have a cellular plan turned on in order to use gps?

[KevinJS]

It is my understanding that the wi-fi only ipad does not have a gps antenna within and only the 3g/4g ipads have a gps antenna. that means, gps is unavailable on a wi-fi only ipad. does this mean that a 3g/4/g ipad where you do not currently have an active wireless carrier subscription, can it still take advantage of the gps network? iow, do you have to have a cellular plan turned on in order to use gps?

No, you do not. If location services is turned on for an app, GPS is active. Easy to test using Maps. If it finds your current location, whether on wifi or tethered to a cellphone, it is working. You will need cellular data to update the map but that is a different thing. Hope this makes sense.

Sent from my iPad using iPF

[Gabriel1]

It is my understanding that the wi-fi only ipad does not have a gps antenna within and only the 3g/4g ipads have a gps antenna. that means, gps is unavailable on a wi-fi only ipad. does this mean that a 3g/4/g ipad where you do not currently have an active wireless carrier subscription, can it still take advantage of the gps network? iow, do you have to have a cellular plan turned on in order to use gps?

You don't even need a sim card, they just piggy back the chip with the GPS so no subscription is required for the GPS to function.

The Archangel

[kensteele]

pardon me but i read the article in the link posted just before mine (it's the apple support website) and in the notes, it says:

1. GPS is available on iPhone and iPad Wi-Fi + 3G models.

Why doesn't it include the wi-fi only model?

I understand you can get location information on wi-fi only models. i also understand the wi-fi model can be fed location information and coordinates from all kinds of assisted features via wi-fi. however, if the device has no physical gps antenna, the device cannot look up into the sky, connect directly to the gps network of satellites, and use the very, very accurate location coordinates....correct? and then my question went on to basically say, if you don't active your LTE ipad, are you essential "brought down" to a level equivalent to a wi-fi only ipad? can an unactivated LTE ipad still use the gps antenna hardware and connect to the gps satellites without aid from the cellular carrier?

i recently upgraded (stepped down?) from my ipad2 3g to a wi-fi only ipad3 and during the setup, i saw "use location preference" but i had a couple of apps that would NOT transfer over during the backup-from-itunes and i went back to the app owner's website and that app is not compatible with wi-fi only ipads. am i just missing a certain measure of accuracy by stepping down?

i apologise for not being more specific in my earlier post but when i said "gps", I meant THE global position system....not generic location based services.

[Gabriel1]

There is no GPS in the wifi only models as the GPS circuitry is contained within the 3G/4G chip. If you have a 3G/4G iPad then GPS functionality works regardless of activation of the 3G/4G service.

The Archangel