iPhone sporting GPS is 95% certain

[The Feedster]

The next generation of the iPhone, the most poorly kept secret in all the known Apple-y universe, is likely to sport GPS due to FCC ruling that 95 per cent of new devices must be trackable to within 150 metres by the end of 2008.

The ruling has been around since the 1990s, but as the deadline approaches, the interest in the technology shows it has been pushed rather than requested.

Modern mobiles can be traced to within 500m roughly by triangulating broadcast mast position, but only GPS can really provide the accuracy the FCC has stated.

Mapping the future

Given the iPhone’s popularity, especially with Google Maps, the addition of GPS would help cement the phone as a fan favourite.

According to gigaom.com, the contract for the GPS has been won by Broadcom, which is fairly new to the GPS industry.

The possibility of such an inclusion (and to be honest, given the capabilities of the core chip the 3G iPhone will be using it’s almost a no-brainer) would help push location-based services to the next level, especially social networking with embedded location information.



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