A-GPS Service Enhances Nokia Mobile Phone-Based Navigation
Nokia phone-based navigation systems employ the Nokia Maps application for geographical data.
The Assisted GPS (A-GPS) service is currently available on the Nokia 6110 Navigator and the Nokia N95 smartphone, according to a press release. The company hopes to equip its full lineup of mobile devices with GPS with the new service, and current N95 owners can update their firmware to include A-GPS via the Nokia Software Updater.
The time it takes a GPS service to determine a user's starting location is called "time to first fix," according to Nokia, and A-GPS reduces this time for an improved navigation experience.
"By decreasing the time wasted while you wait for a first fix, we are increasing the enjoyment that Nokia Maps provides," said Ralph Eric Kunz, Nokia's vice president of multimedia experiences, in the release.
Third-party service providers, like cell phone carriers, also have the option of incorporating their own regional A-GPS services via a technical framework that works in tandem with Nokia's service, "making fix times even faster in certain areas."
A-GPS operates via users' cellular data networks, and data transfer fees vary based on service provider.
In related news, CIO.com recently reviewed the Nokia E62 smartphone, which includes built-in GPS.
More information about Nokia Maps is available on the company's website.
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