AT&T provides a helpful resource for customers, showing instructions on how to activate the GPS option on your phone. There are a range of AT&T phones that support GPS including:

• RIM BlackBerry Pearl 9100
• Sony Ericsson Z525a
• Pantech Reveal (C790)
• Nokia Surge (6790)
• Motorola Z9
• HP iPAQ hw6925
• AT&T Quickfire

There are about a hundred AT&T phones that support GPS and can take advantage of AT&Ts GPS navigation software – AT&T Navigator (formerly TeleNav GPS Navigator). This application provides turn-by-turn directions to your destination.

The two steps involved in getting GPS on your AT&T phone are (1) enabling GPS and (2) installing the navigation software from http://att.telenav.com/nav if you don’t already have it.

You can extend the functionality even further by using the AAA Mobile application. This gives you nearby points of interest, weather and traffic information and automatic re-routing if you miss a turn.

Why GPS on your phone is a great idea

Getting GPS built-in to your phone is becoming a very popular option. In fact, there is talk that smartphones will replace standalone GPS devices but manufacturers like TomTom are arguing that there is still a strong case for standalone devices.

But for some consumers they just want one device that does everything, even if that means sacrificing some screen size or functionality that a dedicated device can offer.

AT&Ts range of GPS-enabled phones means people who want the flexibility of one device that does everything can take advantage of the built-in GPS to get them to their destination without having to purchase and manage a separate device.

The GPS experience on smartphones is improving all the time with applications becoming more user-friendly, screens getting bigger and purpose-built brackets that can be fitted into your car to hold the phone as if it was a dedicated PND.

3 things you should know about using GPS on your AT&T phone

There are three important things you should be aware of before enabling GPS on your AT&T phone to make sure you don’t get hit with any nasty surprises.

1. Data charges – Since map data is often off-board (which means it must be downloaded as it’s needed) frequent users of GPS can rack up expensive data charges, with each route using around 50Kb of data and the setup of Navigator uses about 200Kb. AT&T recommend subscribing to a data plan if you are planning on using GPS regularly.
2. A-GPS or GPS? – Some phone uses A-GPS (Assisted GPS) to find their location, which is helpful when line of sight to a satellite is not available (such as when in a shopping mall, covered car park or tunnel). This means the phone will calculate its current location by triangulating with the aid of nearby cell phone towers. The downside to this is it is less accurate than true GPS, sometimes up to a few miles where there are not many towers around, such as in remote areas. Some phones, such as the iPhone only use A-GPS.
3. Battery Life – Using GPS on your phone can drain the battery more quickly than making voice calls or sending emails, so it’s a good idea to have it plugged in or use it sparingly.

While the GPS functionality on your AT&T phone might not be what you need, and a dedicated GPS device or child-tracking service is more what you’re after, it can be a very handy backup device when you need directions to your next destination.

How does cell phone GPS work?

In times past if you wanted to know your exact location or get navigation assistance you needed a dedicated GPS device, like a Garmin or a TomTom. These days most cell phones have GPS receivers built-in, particularly those manufactured since February 2005.

In 2005, the FCC required that, for the purpose of locating cell phone callers in an emergency, when a cell phone user rang 911 it should automatically transmit information on the caller’s location to the PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point). Cell phone manufacturers responded to the new requirements (known as E911) by building phones with GPS receivers built-in that could provide location information, pinpointing a caller’s position to within 6 meters.

When a caller dials 911, the GPS-enabled cell phone sends the latitude and longitude information it has received from the GPS network to their cell phone company using their cell phone network. The cell phone company releases that information to the PSAP receiving the call, so they can pinpoint the caller’s location. This is particularly useful if the person is unable to communicate their address or doesn’t know where they are.

Can I use my GPS cell phone to get turn-by-turn directions?

Just because your cell phone has GPS it doesn’t mean that it can necessarily be used as a navigation device. As an aside your cell phone may also have GPRS; don’t confuse this with GPS as the two systems are quite different (see the box ‘GPS or GPRS – What’s the difference?’).

For your cell phone to use the information received from GPS satellites it needs software that can understand the information it receives from a GPS satellite.

GeoBase is an example of a software application (or geospatial mapping engine) that can translate GPS satellite data, converting latitude and longitude information into a point on a map. Many software makers, such as Telogis, develop fleet management software programs using GeoBase to convert information from GPS satellites into usable navigation information.

More and more phones, such as the iPhone or the Sony Ericsson Satio, are coming out with GPS-enabled applications that provide turn-by-turn navigation, linking directly to sites such as Google Maps. In addition to getting directions, there are many other location-based applications that can provide you with information on nearby points of interest or communicate your current location to another person, such as an employer or parent.

Does a cell phone with GPS invade my privacy?

With it now being compulsory for all cell phone manufacturers to build phones with a built-in GPS receiver some have voiced concerns about this information being misused for government departments to track civilians. Are these concerns warranted?

The FCC addressed privacy issues when it introduced the new requirements by explicitly requiring that cell phone GPS only be used for E911 emergency calls only. For any other situations, consent would be needed from the cell phone owner or a court order obtained.

Cell phone GPS tracking has been denied by the courts in several cases presented by law enforcement agencies wanting to track suspects. If there is no actual evidence of criminal activity, then courts have not permitted cell phone companies to release any GPS tracking information.