GPS features/performance on Android phones

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esuhl
esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
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I want a new Android phone that will QUICKLY tell me where I am when I'm on foot, in the middle of nowhere. I'm not looking for phone recommendations (necessarily). I just want to understand the technology better, so I can make an informed choice. :)

I read that location features are determined by the chipset. But what else do I need for fast location pinpointing? A fast CPU? Lots of RAM?

Are there phones with identical chipsets where one is really good at identifying your location, and the other really bad? Or is the chipset all that matters?

Some phones connect to Galileo (EU) or Beidou (China) satellite networks, whilst others can't. And the Galileo website shows some devices are "single frequency" and some are "dual frequency". I guess dual is (much?) better...? Maybe faster...? And the more networks, the better...?

Is there much difference between all the phones/chipsets on the market? Do I need to be concerned about all these issues, or will any modern phone be equally good at guiding me through the remote(ish) fields and forests of the UK? :o

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  • Neil_Jones
    Neil_Jones Posts: 8,913 Forumite
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    The phone to an extent is irrelevant, This is dependent on whether you have decent signal and where the satellites are in the sky in relation to where you are. IIRC it's three or four satellites that cover the entire globe for GPS purposes and if you happen to be in a particular point where the nearest satellite is just this side of unreachable (it happens sometimes) then it won't know and will just have to guess.

    Of course a more pertinent question could be how often do you expect to find yourself in the middle of nowhere and why are you in the middle of nowhere in the first place?
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
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    Neil_Jones wrote: »
    The phone to an extent is irrelevant, This is dependent on whether you have decent signal and where the satellites are in the sky in relation to where you are.

    Surely the phone matters to some extent, depending on which (and how many) satellite networks it can connect to, and whether it's single or dual frequency...? :-/
    Neil_Jones wrote: »
    IIRC it's three or four satellites that cover the entire globe for GPS purposes...

    Apparently, GPS (the US location service) requires a minimum of 24 satellites to function, with 31 currently active. Glonass, Galileo and Beidou are alternatives to GPS with their own satellite coverage.
  • Dime_Bar
    Dime_Bar Posts: 584 Forumite
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    My phone uses GPS, Glonass, Galileo and Beidou., Currently it's using a mix of all but Galileo for its lock.

    You do not need to be able to "see" all of the satellites to be able to get a location, once you have 3 locked you will get a location but it will not be accurate, 4 will make it accurate.

    What your looking for is the cold or warm start up time, this is something most GPS devices will tell you, but phones don't.

    It's also worth remembering there are GPS augmentation systems which help devices lock on quicker.

    The best method for you to get a quick location is to have the GPS lock constantly updating so your not waiting for it, this would require a bigger battery so that would be the most important thing.
    The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
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  • wongataa
    wongataa Posts: 2,628 Forumite
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    esuhl wrote: »
    Is there much difference between all the phones/chipsets on the market? Do I need to be concerned about all these issues, or will any modern phone be equally good at guiding me through the remote(ish) fields and forests of the UK? :o
    There isn't much different between any phone. If you have internet access the phone will download satellite ephemeris to speed up the GPS lock as that is quicker than acquiring the data from the satellites. If there is not internet access then any GPS device will take a similar amount of time to acquire your location due to them having to receive the data from the satellites which you can't speed up.


    If you have not had a GPS lock for a good few hours or have moved a long way since the last lock it will take longer to get your location as the GPS device will have remembered the satellite information but it will be out of date.


    GPS lock where there is not a good view of the sky will be harder to achieve and be less accurate due to reduced satellite signal strength being observed on the device.


    The above is the same for all of the GNSS services available - GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Gallileo, etc. The more you use at one the accuracy of your calculated location can improve.


    Don't worry about it. Any phone will be fine.
  • Peter999_2
    Peter999_2 Posts: 989 Forumite
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    Even the cheapest phones that I've ever used have very quickly pinpointed my location with GPS, literally a couple of seconds at the most. The cheapest phone I've had was £102 and the GPS was as quick on that as my £790 phone.


    I use the GPS all the time for every car journey and when I'm walking somewhere new.
    The traffic information on google maps is great, even for short journeys.
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
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    Dime_Bar wrote: »
    It's also worth remembering there are GPS augmentation systems which help devices lock on quicker

    Thanks. I've just been reading more about augmented GPS (A-GPS) and cell tower multilateration and the wifi positioning system (WiPS) on Wikipedia. :)
    Wikipedia wrote:
    A regular [non-assisted] GPS unit may need as long as 12.5 minutes... to provide a correct location.

    With an old phone and unfavourable conditions, maybe that explains the problems I've had...?
    Peter999 wrote: »
    Even the cheapest phones that I've ever used have very quickly pinpointed my location with GPS, literally a couple of seconds at the most. The cheapest phone I've had was £102 and the GPS was as quick on that as my £790 phone.

    I was given a pair of Samsung Galaxy S2s many years back. They work well when I'm near wifi signals (WiPS), but have NEVER been of much use when I'm off-road in the middle of nowhere, even with a mobile data signal (for A-GPS). :(

    Maybe my GPS usage is unusual. I don't drive, and don't need to track routes. I just occasionally find myself off-road in the countryside, turn on GPS, and want to know where I am.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0 Newbie
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    esuhl wrote: »
    Thanks. I've just been reading more about augmented GPS (A-GPS) and cell tower multilateration and the wifi positioning system (WiPS) on Wikipedia. :)



    With an old phone and unfavourable conditions, maybe that explains the problems I've had...?



    I was given a pair of Samsung Galaxy S2s many years back. They work well when I'm near wifi signals (WiPS), but have NEVER been of much use when I'm off-road in the middle of nowhere, even with a mobile data signal (for A-GPS). :(

    Maybe my GPS usage is unusual. I don't drive, and don't need to track routes. I just occasionally find myself off-road in the countryside, turn on GPS, and want to know where I am.
    the app what.three.words might help in an emergency.
  • Chino
    Chino Posts: 2,029 Forumite
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    Deleted_User wrote: »
    the app what.three.words
    And how do you imagine the app determine's a phone's location? By reading a collection of words left on the ground?
  • wongataa
    wongataa Posts: 2,628 Forumite
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    esuhl wrote: »
    Maybe my GPS usage is unusual. I don't drive, and don't need to track routes. I just occasionally find myself off-road in the countryside, turn on GPS, and want to know where I am.
    You will just have to wait until you get a lock. There is nothing else you can realistically do.
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409 Forumite
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    Just wanted to thank you all for your help. I bought a Xiaomi Pocophone F1. I turned on GPS INDOORS and about 8 satellites were detected in 2 seconds, and the location was locked in less than 10 seconds!


    The phone doesn't use Galileo, but it doesn't look like that will be a problem. :-)
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