Verizon to open up GPS on devices next year

For those of you still hoping for Verizon to change their minds regarding GPS on phones, don’t lose hope. Currently, Verizon is said to be working with Windows Mobile device manufacturers for a software update that would enable the standalone GPS chips inside phones while retaining their ability to support assisted GPS.

So in the future, not only will you be able to navigate with assistance from Verizon’s cellular network, but also with the use of your device’s standalone GPS chips. This is still a work in progress, but it’s good to now that Verizon is not ignoring the issue, which has been affecting a lot of their customers for quite some time now.

Verizon has confirmed this through an e-mail to users that have campaigned for them to open up said feature in phones, the full text of which is below:

Verizon Wireless, like all carriers, orders devices to meet certain specifications inclusive of features. Each of these specs is tested to determine if it meets our performance goals. There are instances when the phone will pass our extensive testing process but a specific feature may not meet the standard. We will often choose to introduce the phone without that feature but ask that the manufacturer come back to us with revised software that has to be tested to make sure the service works the same across our entire wireless footprint –from Maine to Hawaii. In the case of open standalone GPS, we are partnering with the Windows Mobile device manufacturers to provide a software upgrade that will add this capability to the existing assisted GPS capability. This is a complex development project to provide open standalone GPS while maintaining the assisted GPS capability with the level of performance and security that our customers expect. The recently introduced Windows Mobile devices including Omnia, Saga, and Touch Pro are targeted to add open standalone GPS in the 1st half of 2009.

Steve Schwed
Verizon Wireless
HQ Executive Relations Supervisor

So, Omnia, Saga, and Touch Pro owners should be the first to watch out for this software update to be made available. As well as owners of other Windows Mobile-powered and GPS-equipped handsets in Verizon’s line up.

Via WM Experts

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Posted on 17 Dec 08 - Filed in Software&Services, Wireless - Comments - Written by David Gonzales

  • shayne
    bout freakin time you clowns....welcome to 2009
  • Robert
    Would be nice to have this. So many cool apps like the new Google Latitude so I can keep track of where my teenage daughters are...
  • Walt
    We're getting close to the end of the first half of 2009. I hope Steve lives up to his commitment.
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