“Apple’s new series of iPhone ads may hint at new features that were previously unmentioned. The ad entitled ‘Calamari’ shows a button at the bottom of the screen that reads ‘Directions To Here’ which would mean that the iPhone has GPS [Global Positioning System] capabilities,” LoopRumors reports.
MacDailyNews Take: Well, there’s another obvious posssibility here: the user could be required to tell the phone where it’s currently located in order to get the proper directions.
“A local trucking company also confirmed that an AT&T salesman pitched selling the company a large number of iPhones at a discount, as low as $249 for a bulk order of over 100 phones,” LoopRumors reports. “‘He promoted the iPhone as “a great way to monitor and track where the trucks were throughout the country by using its GPS functionality.'”
MacDailyNews Take: Not sure what’s going on with this bit, but if we had a nickel for every time a salesman pitched us something incorrectly…
Full article here.
Apple’s iPhone “Calamari” ad:
LoopRumors? I think Enderle, Thurott, and Dvorak have more credibility than that site. Sheesh! Have they gotten any rumor right?
If you guys listen carefully, I’ve talked a lot about how great the Google is on the iPhone. I’ve said many times that it has the most advanced version of Google maps ever made, so expect some very interesting things.
Yes the iPhone will know where you are, but it’s not GPS. At Apple, we try to use technologies that fits the job better, and in this case Apple and Google have been able to come up with something people will love.
By June 29, you will get the chance to see and feel what we have for you.
The GPS is embedded in your neck when you buy the iPhone so Steve ALWAYS knows where you are.
I have Google Maps on my Series 60 Nokia and I can do a business search, get directions to the business (as others have said, it works just like Google Maps on your Mac), even call the listed phone number from within Maps with just a click. No GPS, no tower triangulation (AT&T’s old mMode service had this… it was pretty slick), just Google Maps and an internet connection. Not to say the iPhone won’t have GPS but I think someone is reading way to much into this.
The AT&T wireless network supports as with most GSM service providers can roughly estimate where a user is calling from. That means the network can check out what cell tower you are currently registered with and of course, which towers you were roaming through in the past.
As you can imagine, getting your location information via GSM is definitely not as accurate as with GPS.
However, using GSM location-based services is not a bad approach for the iPhone: it will not add cost, size, weight or battery drain as would full blown GPS.
i started believing in the GPS rumor, until i thought about one major problem:
google maps works by pulling geographical data from a server over the internet.
all GPS receivers use built in maps.
if the GPS in the iPhone was to be used for directions, it would require built in maps, making google maps so much less useful.
Martin, you’re an idiot.
As someone said, GPS or something equivalent (e.g., triangulation from towers) is requirement for newer cell phones. Why SJ won’t discuss about it? If he did everyone will guess iPhone will have navigation capability (and I assume MS and others are working on similar capability for other smartPhones. At least one wireless company, http://getitnow.vzwshop.com/index.aspx?id=fnd_toolsApps_gps, offers navigation service already). I remember reading an article about Google working on GPS interface for their map software. I am sure they are still working on it and it will be part of iPhone.
@ Martin
Well why? I mean sure, that’s how GPS units work now, but once you have your coordinates, you could just feed them into Google maps. I can do that right now manually, why couldn’t you write an app to do it?
There is no reason they couldn’t make it work.
Last link did not work. http://www.vznavigator.com/
BTW, this capability is not new. When I used a cell phone in Japan at least 4 years ago, it was able to tell me where I was with a map.
I can’t understand all the hype for the iPhone.
It isn’t even white. What kind of Apple product is that?
I cannot believe that after so many years of GPRS in the US, practicaly nobody, not even the press people, has heard of the ‘Location-Based Services’ (LBS) using GSM signal strength and phase to determine location of the phone.
As someone said here, this is a mandatory feature for ALL phones in the US. They MUST be able to provide its approximate location (to about 30 metres – 100ft).
Apple used this feature to provide home location for Google maps. They worked with Google to build a site that would, instead of having user type starting location, automatically retrieve this location from Safari. This is very simple and effective. No GPS needed.
“all GPS receivers use built in maps.”
Uh, my GPS receiver does not have a built-in map…
Actually, this is one of my grouses about no third-party software development. My GPS receiver connects to my Mac via USB. There are also bluetooth GPS receivers. Give me a week or so and I’d have the connectivity working. Wait for Apple to get around to it? We’ll see it sometime in a couple of years.
I love the idea of turning my iPhone into a bike-computer/phone/internet communicator/wide-screen iPod.
If the iPhone had GPS, it would have to be in the FCC filing, which is public. Therefore, if the iPhone had GPS, the public would know about it by now. Goddammit, you gullible chumps.
Big Al: “It isn’t even white. What kind of Apple product is that?”
…looks at PowerMac.. hm… not white.. looks at Apple Cinamon (bun) Display.. hmm… not white.. previous G4 Tower and Cinamon Display.. weren’t white.. mom’s G4 Laptop.. hm… not white.. one before it was black.. my own MacBook Pro.. not white.. iSight camera? Nope.. not white..
Looks frantically around for something white..
Oh yeah.. the keyboard I’m typing on!
Phew!
hmm – you’re near a cellphone tower… that cellphone tower is near stores… so this requires GPS because?
@ ChrissyOne
what happens if u don’t have an internet connection ?
like i said, all the data displayed by google maps (including apples version of it) comes from google’s servers.
that just would not work reliably enough.
@ joe, yes maybe i’m an idiot, but why exactly ?
@ Peter
OK, it connects to your map, that has built in maps.
the bluetooth unit also requires some kind of map, doesn’t it ?
there are only two ways u can have the maps on the iPhone, download them, or store them.
downloading them just would not work, even if u have a data plan that allows free use of the internet (very very unlikely outside of the USA), u would still be subject to lost connections etc.
i’m not saying that the GPS would not be useful, even if u just have google maps, but just don’t count on it to give u directions while driving a car.
“‘Calamari’ shows a button at the bottom of the screen that reads ‘Directions To Here’ which would mean that the iPhone has GPS [Global Positioning System] capabilities,”
GPS is not required. In any other phone that runs Google Maps, you can set the start and end of the route and get directions between the points, without GPS.
But Google Maps is far from the state of the art as a navigation application. I suspect that the iPhone mapping feature is going to be underwhelming to anyone who’s used a real GPS based navigation device or phone with GPS.
“ITS CONNECTED VIA WIFI PEOPLE!!!”
Its not connected by anything. The screen shots are simulated.
@ Decrypt3
GPS receivers don’t require FCC approval, unless they contain some kind of transmitter (FM, Bluetooth etc)
+ some documents, including schematics, are to remain confidential until the day after the iPhone’s release
but, here is something else, why does google maps have two buttons, one labeled “directions to here” the other “directions from here” ?
i think those two buttons are used to set the destination and starting point of a trip.
(4 frames after the 24’th second of the “calamari” commercial)
check out this frame of the commercial:
http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=75703&d=1180994528
i meant
@ Peter
OK, it connects to your MAC, that has built in maps.
“but, here is something else, why does google maps have two buttons, one labeled “directions to here” the other “directions from here” ?”
Never used Google Maps on another phone? You can tell it your start and end points and get directions.
Google Maps is probably available for the phone you own already. The easiest way to understand what features it has would be to browse to Google with your phone, download it and give it a go.
From Google: Google Maps works with the following devices:
Most Java-enabled (J2ME) mobile phones.
Palm devices with Palm OS 5 and above.
All color BlackBerry devices.
Windows Mobile devices with Windows Mobile 2003, 5.0 and above.
And of course coming soon, the iPhone.
my point is that u can hardly see one button as a serious indication of the presence of a GPS, and discard the presence of another button that shows that it’s not necessarily true.
and, just explain how the iPhone could be used to give directions reliably (and for free) if u need an internet connection ?
in belgium that would cost over 5 dollars per hour.
i have a windows mobile phone, with a GPS, and google maps.
i still have to use the built in maps, the GPS is just a nice addition to google maps.