GPS, Glonass, Galieo: What are the Different Mobile GPS

If there is something that is common to all ranges of mobile devices, it is the integration of a GPS antenna. We no longer conceive of a smartphone, which is launched on the market without this hardware element, since GPS is an important part of our daily life and an element on which a large number of applications depend . However, we see that our mobiles are compatible with various types of GPS, why and how do they work?

GPS, Glonass, Galieo: What are the Different

The so-called GPS or Global Positioning System, is a positioning system, developed by the United States that allows to determine the exact position of any object, person or route, with an accuracy of even centimeters. This system works with a network of 24 satellites that orbit around our planet and that receive signals that are returned to the transmitter, to determine factors such as position, speed, course etc …

Different “GPS” in our mobiles

Our mobiles integrate GPS antennas, but sometimes we also see other acronyms, which indicate compatibility with other standards, since orbiting space is not something that only the United States aims at.

AGPS

It is an assisted global positioning system. In this way, many apps rely on signals from telecommunications networks to determine our position. This saves energy although it may be a less accurate system than GPS. Our mobile constantly “ping” the telephone towers, which allows us to know our location and offer an accuracy of about 50 meters. In this case an active mobile data connection is required.

Galileo

We are facing the European satellite navigation system developed by the European Union together with the European Space Agency. In this way, the member countries of the EU have a technology independent of the US GPS.The system was launched on December 15, 2016, with the Aquaris X5 Plus being the first to be compatible.

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Glonass

This satellite navigation system was developed by the former Soviet Union and put into orbit in 1982, today it is administered by the Russian Federation and is the counterpart of the US GPS and the European Galileo. It is made up of 31 satellites (24 active, 3 spare satellites, 2 in maintenance, one in service and one in tests)

BeiDou

Beidou or BDS, is the Chinese satellite system, which since 2012 offers services to clients in the Asia-Pacific region . Unless our mobile has been imported from China, it is rare that this compatibility is integrated into devices outside the Asian borders.

NavIC

The most recent satellite network is the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), better known by its trade name NavIC. The government of India, through its space program, put this new system into operation in 2013. The first compatible mobile phone has been the Realme X50 Pro.