GPS Cell Phones

by John Smithe

A few years ago the only way to use a GPS (Global Positioning System) was to buy an expensive device. Today it is easy to get GPS integrated into your cell phone because as of 2005 cell phone carriers were required to make it possible for a cell phone’s location to be traced. The increased need for a better system of emergency location while on a cell phone spurred this requirement and now all phones are GPS cell phones.

This doesn’t mean that you can automatically use the GPS capabilities of your cell phone however, but it does mean that even if you don’t have GPS features enabled on your phone it will still transmit your location if you make an emergency call to 911. If you do want to use GPS features form your cell phone it is possible but depending on which carrier you use and which network you’re on you may have different options. The major carriers, T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, Nextel and Sprint all have similar solutions to your GPS needs. You can download software or activate features on your phone that will give you driving directions, allow you to see the location of friends on your network, and gather other data about the area around you.

There are other ways to make your a phone a GPS cell phone. Web sites like Map Quest let you download software that works with any provider to give you real time driving directions using GPS. You won’t get all the tracking features that come with your cell phone provider’s GPS but you can use these programs with any web enabled phone.

The applications of a GPS cell phone are pretty obvious and some uses are a modern necessity while others border on privacy invasion. Having your location transmitted via GPS if you dial 911 is the most practical use for GPS on a cell phone and was the original reason tracking capabilities became standard on cell phones. Usually this tracking feature is not enabled unless you activate it but it is possible to track someone’s movements or find out their whereabouts if they have GPS enabled on their phone. This is great for connecting with friends as we’ve all seen in commercials but as you can imagine technology like this has some applications that can invade privacy as well. GPS cell phones are great for keeping track of your kids and giving driving directions. They can also save your life if you use them to dial 911, the reason GPS was integrated into cell phones in the first place.

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