GPS is the future for mobile phones

TO MANY READERS the claim that GPS is the next big thing in mobile telephony won't come as a huge surprise.

Along with many others, this hack has had many dreams of GPS functionality in mobile phones for several years, and they're finally becoming reality.

The HTC P3300 (O2 Orbit), which has been on the market several months, has GPS built in, and so does the new Nokia N95. The majority of new Nokia hand-sets have GPS software and mapping capability built in, as seen in our recent review of the E65.

We've used various GSM-mast based triangulation software APIs with limited success - its in no way as accurate as a GPS signal. Wifi helps slightly, but you can't be assured of an unencrypted Wifi signal once out of a city, or even in the heavily populated suburbs.

There's a few caveats - GPS needs to be permanently on or you'll need to suffer several minute while the device aligns itself with satellite signals, but this would obviously cause significant battery drain. Thus faster signal tracking is still needed and so are lower drain GPS processors - plus the usual requirement of higher capacity batteries.

GPS is where it's at, make no mistake. GPS is slowly being enabled in phones and devices on a greater scale than ever before. If it's not built in, a quick purchase of a small Bluetooth dongle will allow modern phones andsmartphones to run fully featured mapping software - some of which is now provided free.

Consider meeting a friend for a quick pint. Where are they? A quick text from you friend with GPS coordinates (automatically picked up by the phone) brings up a map precisely pointing at their location, and the option of an instantly calculated best-fit route to them.

How about taxis? Instead of calling and waiting until the line isn't engaged for fifteen minutes on a rainy eve, text them with your GPS location, and the taxi driver knows exactly where you are, allowing them to be twenty minutes late instead of the usual thirty.

Most GPS devices are bulky and not fit for travelling in the pocket, especially not alongside your mobile. Having GPS included on the ubiquitous mobile, will allow people to have instance access to GPS mapping anywhere they travel without the need for additional unwieldy devices.

No more printing off Google Maps everytime you visit somewhere ten minutes from home - all the mapping information will be in your hand, alongside your exact location - no need to ever get lost.

It's been a long time coming, but finally the new mobile-phone killer application is here.

It's not 3G, it's not super-fast data transfer, it's not video calling, it's all about GPS. µ

See also
Here's a solid 3G phone for two-fingered typists
Nokia N95 close-up preview
HTC P3300 Windows Mobile reviewed
Nokia N800 examined up-close