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darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
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darcilicious to TamaraB

Premium Member

to TamaraB

Re: iPad Air theory question -- GPS?

said by TamaraB:

I really don't understand why Apple has not included GPS hardware in their WiFi only iPads

Because the GPS "hardware" is not separate from the cellular chip.

Octavean
MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY

Octavean

MVM

I suppose that makes reasonable sense.

In the iPad and other iOS devices there is an endless quest to make them smaller and lighter. Therefore the convergence of components taking on double or triple duty just makes sense in such an SoC based device.

TamaraB
Question The Current Paradigm
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join:2000-11-08
Da Bronx
·Verizon FiOS
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TamaraB to darcilicious

Premium Member

to darcilicious
said by darcilicious:

said by TamaraB:

I really don't understand why Apple has not included GPS hardware in their WiFi only iPads

Because the GPS "hardware" is not separate from the cellular chip.

Thanks! Makes sense. Apple should make this clear on their site. I bought a WiFi Retina iPad, and was shocked that GPS was not available. It was very clear Cellular was not, but no mention that GPS was also not included in the WiFi only device.

I know better now.

darcilicious
Cyber Librarian
Premium Member
join:2001-01-02
Forest Grove, OR
·Ziply Fiber

darcilicious

Premium Member

I posted this earlier, you must have missed it:
said by darcilicious:

AGPS is embedded in the cellular chip -- no cell no assisted GPS.

Scroll to the bottom of the specs page: »www.apple.com/ipad-air/specs/ under Location.

Under Location it's pretty clear -- there's no mention of GPS under the wifi only model(s).

robbin
Mod
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX

robbin to TamaraB

Mod

to TamaraB
said by TamaraB:

Apple should make this clear on their site.

It has always been clear since the original iPad in the specs for the device. I have never understood since the beginning why everyone only discussed whether they needed cellular when discussing the $130 difference in price. That was one reason my first (original) iPad was 3G. Turns out that I have really used the cellular but I knew from the beginning that even without it being enabled the GPS was still worth spending the extra for.