Mobile Map GPRS

A common mistake in the mobile map industry is the difference between GPRS and GPS. While many people believe that they are almost the same due to the similarity in name, they are actually completely different. There is no doubt that mobile maps make use of GPS technology the most, as this allows applications to determine the position of a handset. GPRS on the other hand is nothing at all related to this and is simply a method of communicating data.

The history of GPS is certainly interesting and it is only recently that the technology has been allowed to be used. Previously, it was only used in the military, with the technology providing navigation and tracking information. What’s more, it is only recent advancements that have allowed GPS to be prevalent in phones and before that it was just GPRS technology that was present.

Due to the limitations of GPRS technology, it will be no surprise to hear that no mobile map uses this as a primary satellite source. However, some applications do use GRPS in small doses and this article will discuss those pieces of software.

Google Maps

Being the most popular mobile map application on the market, it will not be a surprise to hear that Google Maps is inundated with features. Just like practically all mobile map applications, Google Maps uses standard GPS signals to run its main mobile map software although there are other elements that utilise GPRS. For example, Google allow their customers to access their review database and while parts of this feature will use a GPS connection, the main reviews and content will probably be retrieved using GPRS.

Bing Maps

The case is almost identical with Bing Maps as this is another application that will use standard technology to access map data. However, Bing also allow their users to tap into their review databases and just like Google Maps, this task is probably performed with the aid of GPRS technology.

Sygic Maps

Sygic Maps is slightly different from the previous two applications in that is a paid piece of software. While this will also mostly use a GPS signal, there are other features that will utilise GPRS. An example of this will be through traffic updates, as the user will have to connect to Sygic’s database to find the latest traffic information.

Mobile Map GPRS Summary

This article has highlighted that there is no mobile map application that specifically uses GPRS technology. Instead, the majority of software uses GPS technology, as this is specifically designed to find the location of a device. However, as the three mobile map applications above have highlighted, some software does use at least some elements of GPRS. Features such as review databases and traffic information have to be passed through like normal data and this is where GPRS plays a big part. However, for the most parts GPS is the preferred technology and really, GPRS is quite redundant in the majority of mobile maps.