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ovrlrd

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 29, 2009
1,384
146
Looks like it has finally been confirmed that the iPhone personal hotspot gives the iPad 2 it's GPS information when paired together. This is great news for people who went for the Wi-Fi model and gives yet another reason to save the money and not buy the 3G version of the iPad.

Still not sure if this works with the 1st gen, and I had my doubts about this when I first read about it, but the video shows quite clearly that it is true GPS (though at slower intervals) and not just Wi-Fi location mapping.

http://www.cultofmac.com/wifi-only-ipad-2-gets-gps-when-tethered-to-iphone/86642
 

ovrlrd

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 29, 2009
1,384
146
After I posted I did some personal testing and remain a little skeptical still. Direct side by side comparison in maps showed the pins were not exactly the same location, but once I walked down the block it did seem to follow pretty closely and was more accurate.

The only thing about the video that makes me question it is that they were in "navigation" mode or whatever in Google Maps, which draws a line over the route you are taking. What might happen then is it might just narrow your location down more to assume you are close to the road you are on and "snap" the pin to that road.

I will have to do some better testing when I am a passanger in a car sometime soon.

Either way the bigger question is if full blown navigation apps will work or not. That is really the real test.
 

Angel841

macrumors member
Jul 29, 2010
30
0
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148a Safari/6533.18.5)

I have a first gen ipad and with an iphone 3gs with mywi the gps works. Since day one.
 

Consultant

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,314
34
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148a Safari/6533.18.5)

I have a first gen ipad and with an iphone 3gs with mywi the gps works. Since day one.

But slow.

I don't remember whether it works with tetherme or not.
 

Angel841

macrumors member
Jul 29, 2010
30
0
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148a Safari/6533.18.5)

Yeah sometimes its slow or not gives the location. But most of the time it works. I have not tested while moving, like in a car.
 

jreuschl

macrumors 6502
Dec 31, 2008
302
20
There isn't any new info here. It is not updating real time, meaning, it is getting location via Wifi triangulation and not real GPS info.

If you have a 3G iPad then you'll get real GPS info.

What good is a "GPS" if it only gives you updated info every few blocks?
 

ovrlrd

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 29, 2009
1,384
146
There isn't any new info here. It is not updating real time, meaning, it is getting location via Wifi triangulation and not real GPS info.

If you have a 3G iPad then you'll get real GPS info.

Yeah it doesn't seem like it will work with navigation apps that require GPS, but it still seems to act differently than the normal Wi-Fi triangulation, but again I haven't personally tested it extensively.
 

kvizzel

macrumors 6502a
Jan 15, 2011
559
6
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148a Safari/6533.18.5)

I have a first gen ipad and with an iphone 3gs with mywi the gps works. Since day one.

I just tested it out with my brothers iPad 2 and it does NOT work.

It keeps trying to find my location, but after a while it says "Unable to find location" or whatever.

FYI, T-Mobile iPhone 3G with EDGE, newest MyWi (Works perfectly browsing the web.) Testing it out on Google Maps, it loads up the maps, but will not find my location.
 

timlopez

macrumors member
Feb 12, 2009
38
36
Doesn't work for me.

iPhone 4 (4.3) and iPad 2 Wifi.

I have the ipad connected to the iphone through the personal hotspot wifi connection, and the maps still can't tell the location.

Sounds like a fake. :-/
 

Kadman

macrumors 65816
Sep 22, 2007
1,216
0
I have a j/b iPhone 4 with MyWi and this absolutely works. We carpooled with some friends to a soccer game on Saturday and I was essentially the "navigator" in the passenger seat. I have Navigon on my iPhone but the directions were simple enough that I thought I'd see how well Maps picked up our location. It had us pretty much dead on for a very high percentage of the time. There were moments here & there where it would "warp" our location off the road but it was rare.
 

Warbrain

macrumors 603
Jun 28, 2004
5,702
293
Chicago, IL
I must be the only person who thought about this the day they got the iPad and tried it but didn't feel the need to blog about it...

It worked for me but it was not an instant update of the location. I teleported from spot to spot on the iPad.
 

netnothing

macrumors 68040
Mar 13, 2007
3,806
415
NH
Just tried this on my iPhone 4 with AT&T tethering plan and 16GB iPad 2. iPad tethered via WiFi.

Works perfectly in Google Maps. The blue dot is definitely getting GPS info from the phone. I'm in NH, and there aren't that many hotspots around where we just drove from/to.

In fact, I closed Google Maps about 1/2 way before our destination. When we parked I went back into Google Maps.....it got the location, but the dot was in the middle of the building (I was still in car)....and then after about 2 seconds, it updated as it fixed in on the exact position in the parking lot.

I'd say it's a great option for those with an iPhone 4.


The only thing about the video that makes me question it is that they were in "navigation" mode or whatever in Google Maps, which draws a line over the route you are taking. What might happen then is it might just narrow your location down more to assume you are close to the road you are on and "snap" the pin to that road.

Even though they "mapped" there directions to get the blue line.....no way would the dot have followed like that with just WiFi positioning.

-Kevin
 

netnothing

macrumors 68040
Mar 13, 2007
3,806
415
NH
Also want to update on my test with the iPad 2 connected via iPhone 4 WiFi tethering:

I streamed a MLB game from spring training....worked fine.

I did a Facetime call to my Mom from the iPad 2....worked great. Couple of pauses, but that's when I dropped to 1-2 bars.

-Kevin
 

DickvdW

macrumors newbie
Aug 23, 2011
1
0
Amsterdam, NL
Does not work for me. What did I do wrong? I have Personal Hotspot on my iPhone 4 on. I have my iPad 2 (wifi only) connected with my iPhone. Should be working like magic, if I may believe Tabletmonsters. My iPhone gives excellent gps position, yet my iPad only gives a very inaccurate one, about half a mile off and probably taken from a wifi hotspot.
Please advise
Dick
 
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