GPS included in upcoming 3G iPhone confirmed?
Posted by Dave Merten 
Jun 1, 2008 at 12:33pm
Recent rumors have claimed that the new 3G iPhone will likely include traditional GSP functionality. Well, GigaOM is claiming that the new iPhone does indeed have Global Positioning System (GPS) built into it.
According to GigaOM, the contract to supply the iPhone GPS units has been nailed down by Broadcom, a relatively new entrant into the GPS market. The Irvine, Calif.-based chip company had acquired Global Locate in July 2007 for $143 million in cash and $80 million in incentives.
A recent report in Popular Mechanics outlines some of Apple’s GPS moves. Last year, Google’s Marissa Meyer said that the Google Maps usage from iPhone was off the charts. Now imagine that Maps feature married to the built-in GPS; the combo could give location based services a big massive boost. Pelago, an LBS social service has already received $15 million in funding for its iPhone application. Such applications could drive the demand for iPhones, which in turn could be a pretty good thing for Broadcom. I do wonder what impact it will have on standalone devices and if it will catalyze change and new innovation in that market.
Such applications could drive the demand for iPhones, which in turn could be a pretty good thing for Broadcom. I do wonder what impact it will have on standalone devices and if it will catalyze change and new innovation in that market, GigaOM went on to note.
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Dave Merten
Dave was one of the founding guides at ‘The Mining Company,’ now known as About.com, in February 1998. Dave was their ‘Focus on Mac Support’ guide. In 2004 he started ‘G5 Owners Support Group,’ and in 2005, renamed it ‘Mac Owners Support Group.’ In 2006, he started the ‘MacOSG Support Corner’ column here at Macsimum News.
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