Did the iPod touch 5th gen get the gps like everyone said? It doesn't seem to be on the spec list on apple.com
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iPod touch Did the touch 5th gen get the gps like everyone said?
- Thread starter whitedragon101
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And yet it's listed as supporting turn-by-turn navigation alongside the 4S, 5 and iPad 3 (see footnote):
http://www.apple.com/uk/ios/maps/
http://www.apple.com/uk/ios/maps/
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That is VERY interesting! I just read the footnote and it didn't mention wi-fi needed for ipod touch 5 gen turn-by-turn navigation... Although, it did mention it for use with SIRI. Wonder if it is built-in but Apple opted not to mention it during the conference. I personally don't care since I use my Android for GPS, but would be a nice option.
J
That's an eagle eyed observation. Good on you! The skeptic in me is saying that it's just a mistake in editing, but I can't help but feel hopeful that it will include a gps chip. Guess we'll have to wait until someone gets their hands on one.
It probably does turn-by-turn navigation when connected to wifi. A few higher end cars coming out now (from BMW in particular, I think) have a wireless hotspot built in. Or it could just be a mistake.
Sweet, spend another $70,000 on a new 5 series to have this. What a deal, on my way now to order a new 5 right now.
Here's the reason why they did that.
The iPod touch doesn't have a GPS, it uses geotagging location services to determine where you are, and it determines that by nearby wifi networks. So unlike with Siri, you don't need to be CONNECTED to WiFi in order for turn by turn to work, there just needs to be WiFi networks AROUND. This method results in directions that are far less accurate than GPS, making the feature nearly useless unless you're always connected.
Also, as all the map data is pulled from the Internet, you need to be connected to Wifi to load the route information beforehand.
I'd love to believe it has GPS, but it also states on the Tech Specs page, "Photo and video geotagging over Wi-Fi". Wouldn't it mention geotagging with GPS if it was in there? 
http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/specs.html
http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/specs.html
I'd love to believe it has GPS, but it also states on the Tech Specs page, "Photo and video geotagging over Wi-Fi". Wouldn't it mention geotagging with GPS if it was in there?
http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/specs.html
It has no gps. Gps will be added in two years I'm guessing.
I'd love to believe it has GPS, but it also states on the Tech Specs page, "Photo and video geotagging over Wi-Fi". Wouldn't it mention geotagging with GPS if it was in there?
http://www.apple.com/ipod-touch/specs.html
There was an idea once that using a tethered device would also share gps info. Meaning my iPhone's gps data could be shared with iPod. Does this work?
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
We have noticed that our mifi makes maps work very accurately when in use. As we drive about, the arrow stays right on our position while the mifi is active.
It's not going to be accurate enough for turn by turn like it is on a phone.
See post #9:
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=15700012#post15700012
The alternative is this device (has GPS and supports Google Maps offline navigation):
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/mp3-players/YP-G70CWY/XAA
(the only thing i do not like is the screen-non retina)
Or if you have the money, buy the iPhone 4S or 5. Why should you wait for the iPod touch 8th generation?
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to say. What if the mifi has GPS in it? Would the iPod then be getting very accurate positioning? The maps arrow stays right on us when we are using iPod + Mifi. If there are "inaccuracies", we don't experience that.
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We haven't tried turn-by-turn, but why would this be true? If the mifi does have GPS in it, wouldn't the maps wifi location feature be using the GPS location information in the mifi? It's not snooping around for nearby wifi and guessing our location from that (it's using the mifi wifi that is moving around with us).
Maybe the mifi doesn't have GPS and it's using triangulation based on cell tower locations.
What I can say is that we were quite surprised when this worked as well as it did. The arrow stayed right on us. We didn't feel it was estimating and we didn't experience it losing our position as we moved about.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
I'm just posting an actual observation relevant to the discussion here. I'm not putting down the iPhone or it's GPS capabilities. Someone asked a question and I contributed what I've contributed.
How can an iDevice communicate with external GPS receivers? How does an iDevice figure out it's location with a wifi connection? What within the wifi signal tells the iDevice where it is? What if the wifi router is moving around with you (like mifi wifi moves around with you)? Whatever is in the wifi that the iDevice uses to know where it is needs some kind of location information. If a mifi device has GPS, maybe it is getting that location information from the GPS technology within itself? If so, whatever location data is in it's wifi feed to an iDevice, maybe that is dynamically adjusting as the mifi is moving about.
Consider, you have your wifi router set up at home. Put your iDevice on your wifi signal and it can figure out approximately where you are. Now, unhook your wifi and take it with you on a trip. Hook it up there. Fire up your iDevice on your wifi signal. Does it still think you are at home or does it figure out that you are away? Mifi is a mobile router.
I appreciate the ongoing discounting of the claim but again, I'm not putting down the iPhone at all. I'm just offering that this does seem to work well for us in reality (no multi-thousand dollar cellular contract required). If I am putting down something related to the iPhone, it's not the iPhone itself, it's the AT&T, Verizon or Sprint toll. If there is a way to get the benefits of an iDevice without the cost of those tolls, we should be happy with such information rather than spinning fault with it... unless we genuinely love the 3G/4G providers too.
I also appreciate post after post like #21. I don't want to spend a total of several thousand dollars to "just buy an iPhone" when I can spend a few hundred on an iPod and have 3G/4G via mifi only when I need it... and maybe a GPS-based map assist functionality to boot.
How can an iDevice communicate with external GPS receivers? How does an iDevice figure out it's location with a wifi connection? What within the wifi signal tells the iDevice where it is? What if the wifi router is moving around with you (like mifi wifi moves around with you)? Whatever is in the wifi that the iDevice uses to know where it is needs some kind of location information. If a mifi device has GPS, maybe it is getting that location information from the GPS technology within itself? If so, whatever location data is in it's wifi feed to an iDevice, maybe that is dynamically adjusting as the mifi is moving about.
Consider, you have your wifi router set up at home. Put your iDevice on your wifi signal and it can figure out approximately where you are. Now, unhook your wifi and take it with you on a trip. Hook it up there. Fire up your iDevice on your wifi signal. Does it still think you are at home or does it figure out that you are away? Mifi is a mobile router.
I appreciate the ongoing discounting of the claim but again, I'm not putting down the iPhone at all. I'm just offering that this does seem to work well for us in reality (no multi-thousand dollar cellular contract required). If I am putting down something related to the iPhone, it's not the iPhone itself, it's the AT&T, Verizon or Sprint toll. If there is a way to get the benefits of an iDevice without the cost of those tolls, we should be happy with such information rather than spinning fault with it... unless we genuinely love the 3G/4G providers too.
I also appreciate post after post like #21. I don't want to spend a total of several thousand dollars to "just buy an iPhone" when I can spend a few hundred on an iPod and have 3G/4G via mifi only when I need it... and maybe a GPS-based map assist functionality to boot.
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I know where you are coming from, the thing is if your solution works for you that's great. Its just not practical to tow around a mifi device just to use gps that will locate you approximately. Not really that useful. Then you say the mifi has a gps chip in it, if it does it may just work.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Right, this is an iPod (section) thread, not an iPhone (section) thread. The thread exists because OP is hoping that maybe they built GPS into the new generation iPod, presumably looking for GPS-assisted functionality in support of an iPod rather than spending several thousand dollars over the next few years by "just buy an iPhone".
I'm not trying to push my solution on anyone- just chiming in a possible option for those interested in the subject of this thread which is poorly remedied by "just buy an iPhone" (poorly being both figurative and literal at the relative total cost differences).
I carry around a mifi device only when I am uncertain about having access to wifi but I expect I'll need it. Then, it's fairly cheap, on demand 3G wherever I am, whenever I need it (and works with all of my devices). That it appears to come with this bonus of GPS is just that... an apparently nice bonus for the iPod Map application.
Is it practical to carry around a mifi? To each his own. I don't constantly need 3G/4G or GPS. I travel occasionally. When I do so, I may need cell-phone like functionality and GPS map-like functionality. Getting by with a mifi (and VOIP app for voice) saves me thousands over "just buy an iPhone". The mifi is smaller than just about any accessory I have to take along for keeping my Apple stuff charged (about half of a deck of cards).
For those in this thread in a similar boat, explore it for yourself. Or just buy an iPhone and you'll definitely get GPS functionality in a like-sized iDevice (and pay a few more thousand over the next few years). From a practicality standpoint, I'll gladly tow around a half a deck of cards-sized device rather than spend a couple of thousand on AT&T, Verizon or Sprint service and get much of the same benefits when I need them.
I'm not trying to push my solution on anyone- just chiming in a possible option for those interested in the subject of this thread which is poorly remedied by "just buy an iPhone" (poorly being both figurative and literal at the relative total cost differences).
I carry around a mifi device only when I am uncertain about having access to wifi but I expect I'll need it. Then, it's fairly cheap, on demand 3G wherever I am, whenever I need it (and works with all of my devices). That it appears to come with this bonus of GPS is just that... an apparently nice bonus for the iPod Map application.
Is it practical to carry around a mifi? To each his own. I don't constantly need 3G/4G or GPS. I travel occasionally. When I do so, I may need cell-phone like functionality and GPS map-like functionality. Getting by with a mifi (and VOIP app for voice) saves me thousands over "just buy an iPhone". The mifi is smaller than just about any accessory I have to take along for keeping my Apple stuff charged (about half of a deck of cards).
For those in this thread in a similar boat, explore it for yourself. Or just buy an iPhone and you'll definitely get GPS functionality in a like-sized iDevice (and pay a few more thousand over the next few years). From a practicality standpoint, I'll gladly tow around a half a deck of cards-sized device rather than spend a couple of thousand on AT&T, Verizon or Sprint service and get much of the same benefits when I need them.
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It might be handy when planning a trip on wi-fi, or on foot in a city using hotspots, but I personally don't see the point of GPS navigation while driving. Never needed one, doubt I ever will.