No GPS?

[anon(3399358)]

Looking at the specs the mini doesn't appear to have onboard GPS, is that confirmed? It would make a nice car/boating naviagtion system.

 

[kch50428]

Looking at the specs the mini doesn't appear to have onboard GPS, is that confirmed? It would make a nice car/boating naviagtion system.

Wifi ones do not have onboard GPS. As is the case with every iPad since the iPad1. Cellular ones will have GPS, because that's a part of the cellular radios.

If you have a wifi iPad now, or will get a wifi Mini... all you need is a bluetooth GPS puck, and you'll have all the functionality of a stand-alone GPSr as long as you have an app with full maps on the device.

Here's one: Bad Elf GPS Pro for iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad (High-performance Bluetooth WAAS GPS Receiver and Datalogger) - Bad Elf

 

[anon(3399358)]

Buying an external GPS receiver kind of defeats the purpose of having a compact portable tablet. For the price a GPS chip could have been included, even the most basic (read cheap) Smartphone has GPS.

 

[kch50428]

the GPS receivers in phones are built in to the phone radio chipset... and the FCC requires GPS in phones. A stand alone GPSr in a wifi iPad would have design implications and cost factors. After all, one could not put a crap GPSr chipset into an iPad, and give end users crappy performance now could you?

Bottom line: it is what it is. Deal with it. But don't go out and buy a wifi iPad and kvetch about it not having a GPSr in it.

 

[Eileen89]

If you need to have GPS in the iPad Mini, buy the "Cellular" version, as that one does include GPS.

 

[Shilohcane]

Buying an external GPS receiver kind of defeats the purpose of having a compact portable tablet. For the price a GPS chip could have been included, even the most basic (read cheap) Smartphone has GPS.

You can get a Nexus 7 that has a GPS with 16GB for $199 and has Google maps.


Nexus 7 with 32GB and 3G Cell Modem for $299.

iPad Mini Wi-Fi version lacks GPS found in similar tablets | Apple - CNET News

 

[kch50428]

You can get a Nexus 7 that has a GPS with 16GB for $199 and has Google maps.

Do you get paid to pimp the Nexus 7 ?? Seems like that's all you do here - is talk about anything BUT iOS devices.

 

[Shilohcane]

Do you get paid to pimp the Nexus 7 ?? Seems like that's all you do here - is talk about anything BUT iOS devices.

No I am retired computer programer and I have Apple iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Are you paid to pimp bluetooth GPS puck since I just gave out information the same as you did?.

 

[kch50428]

No I am retired computer programer and I have Apple iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Are you paid to pimp bluetooth GPS puck since I just gave out information the same as you did?.

No... I'm just a satisfied customer of BadElf. Nothing more. Or less. Your entire posting history has been to promote the Nexus7 - it begged the question.

 

[anon(3399358)]

I have a used Blackberry Playbook that I got off ebay for $90 that I currently use for offline mapping/navigation. I was hoping that the ipad mini would at least compete with the Playbook spec wise but it doesn't look like it. I'll take a look at the Nexus.