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Just means “Not reliably available.” L1 is always there, using L5 is a bit of a crap shoot. It’s anticipated to be on 24 satellites by 2027, by which point it should be much more reliable.
Just to add to this, it’s currently operational on 17 out of 31 GPS satellites (https://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/modernization/civilsignals/#L5), and 24 satellites are necessary for GPS to be fully operational.

This is probably why Apple is only adding it now. Many Android phones had dual-frequency GPS support for years: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jXtRCoEnnFNWj6_oFlVWflsf-b0jkfZpyhN-BXsv7uo/htmlview#gid=0
 
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can Google Maps take advantage of this new feature?

I don't mind using Apple Maps, but it's been over a year and Apple Maps still doesn't show my home or half of my street.(new built homes.... the builder and everybody on my street have been sending reports to Apple on a regular basis)
The operating system automatically handles GPS (does all the calculations, switches constellations if needed, etc). Apps don’t need to be aware of the technical behind-the-scenes stuff, it just happens automatically. So yes, Google Maps automatically takes advantage of this feature.
 
Great upgrade. Navigating in certain cities was basically unusable before even always owning the latest and greatest flagship iphone or watch. I’ve had so many instances, even recently, where I can stand right next to someone with the same exact phone and our phones will tell us we are standing in different locations and give us different walking directions. Not talking about some middle of nowhere podunk town either. Right in the heart of Manhattan. Getting walking directions in the city was nightmarish before this. It was better to just look at the street signs to know where you were.
Kind of obvious that GPS doesn't work as well in cities with high buildings. But apart from that: Is it really easier to look at a phone in your hand than on a street sign? In - of all cities in the world - Manhattan, where streets are arranged in a grid and named chronologically. Did I just fall for some excellent trolling or can't some people find their own behind without a maps-app?
 
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I'm surprised to see that Apple still includes the iBeacon transceiver. I always felt like this was a privacy issue...that you can't turn it off.
 
Which begs the question: Is it really easier to look at a phone in your hand than on a street sign? In - of all cities in the world - Manhattan, where streets are arranged in a grid and named chronologically. Did I just fall for some excellent trolling or can't you find your own behind without apple maps?
I guess you’ve never been to Rome, Italy?
 
How many feet is the accuracy? This might finally be able to replace golf GPS device.
I don’t think Apple provides accuracy estimates but I recall Garmin’s GPSMAP series go from 12 feet accuracy in single band devices to 6 feet accuracy in multiband devices.
 
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Was wondering that, since they featured it for the ultra watch. Nice addition, nothing groundbreaking but nice especially when in big cities navigating to things. I've been bamboozled lots of times by my GPS in such situations.
 
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can Google Maps take advantage of this new feature?

I don't mind using Apple Maps, but it's been over a year and Apple Maps still doesn't show my home or half of my street.(new built homes.... the builder and everybody on my street have been sending reports to Apple on a regular basis)
Did you report the issue to Apple?
 
This new feature will be welcome by people who want to buy the iPhone 14 Pro but can't admit it's just because they want the latest new and shiny Apple device. I'm sure we'll soon have long screeds regarding just why they need this super GPS.
 
L5 is not new Macrumors, it’s been used for aviation and now offered for civilian device use. Higher power and lower frequency, easier to acquire.
 
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Did you report the issue to Apple?
Reporting errors in Apple Maps is nearly useless. I’ve had it take months before even getting acknowledgement of something I reported. I’ve reported things several times and get notifications that they have been corrected only to go check and see nothing changed.
 
Did you report the issue to Apple?

first, we had the builder report it. (the builder has built over 2000 single homes around town, so we figured that they would have more clout or know-how on dealing with this) when that didn't work, my HOA started a email campaign.... most of the 200+ HOA members kept contacting Apple on a weekly basis for over a year... that still didn't work. We also got the county and the state department of transportation involved... no dice.... we're looking into getting this resolved legally.
 
With this new GPS, my feeling is almost the same: I use my iPhone as a navigation/orientation tool, and I want this on my future iPhone. Sadly, it’s reserved for the most expensive model… we’ll see what happens with the iPhone 15

It will probably trickle down to the entire iPhone 15 line. Before that, and perhaps for a while longer, this L5 GPS tech will be a cutting edge, yet very sparsely available = not very useful.
 
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