Michael
May 24th, 2007, 07:14 PM
<center><img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/may07/SiRF.png" alt="SiRF" /> <img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/may07/intel.png" alt="Intel" /> <img src="http://www.iphonealley.com/images/storyimages/may07/Apple_logo_grey_white.png" alt="Apple" /></center>
An interesting rumor popped up this Monday the 21st on <a href="http://www.appletechnews.com/news1/news29.5.21.07.html">Apple Tech News</a> that was just recently unearthed, and since then it has begun to slowly gain attention. The article states that by Macworld 2008 the next model of iPhone will likely be introduced, and, according to them, will <em>"…incorporate a GPS receiver chip closely matching the SiRFstarIII from SiRF Technology."</em> Apple Tech News goes on to explain that the power consumption for the SiRFstarIII is high, but they consider it to be superior in that it can communicate with and receive signals from 20 GPS satellites simultaneously and it has a super-fast Time to First Fix or TTFF. (TTFF is essentially the amount of time it takes for the GPS to find it's location based on the information from the satellites.)
Right now this information is all still just a rumor, and there are some issues with it that might be used to question it's validity and likelihood, such as the lack of a listed source for this information. However, I think I might have found a possible source, and it might help support their claim. There is some information on the <a href="http://www.sirf.com/PressRoom/Press.aspx?PressId=123">SiRF web site</a> from back in April from the intel Developer Forum in Beijing, China, April 17, 2007, stating that, at that time, SiRF was announcing a partnership with Intel to provide GPS capabilities for their intel Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) and Mobil Internet Device (MID) platforms. In that article, the chip they list as the one being used in these devices is the <a href="http://www.sirf.com/products/gps_chip4.html">SiRFstarIII-GSC3LT</a>, a low-power chip with power regulation. Since Apple has already teamed up with Intel for it's Mac computers, it's a likely bet that Intel will also supply the chip set for the iPhone, being that it runs OS X. This puts Apple in a good position to utilize Intel's SiRF partnership. If this is true, why even wait until 2008? With these key factors in place, there is the possibility that at WWDC, Steve Jobs might well introduce GPS as one of the big surprises they waited to unveil.
What exactly would this mean for iPhone owners if this proves true? Well, it means that, obviously, if you get lost, you can pull up a map with your location. But there are also possible uses for GPS in applications for an iPhone. One such possible application might incorporate Google Maps to find directions to a bus stop from your current location. In fact, why stop there? Why not also utilize GPS for all of the widgets? It would tailor the information on your iPhone to your immediate location at all times.
As fantastic as this would be, for now we all must keep in mind that this is just a rumor, and until at least WWDC, all we can do is wait and cross our fingers. Rest assured, though, we are doing what we can to look into it, just for you. Why? Because we just like you that much. Check back to see if we get anywhere.
An interesting rumor popped up this Monday the 21st on <a href="http://www.appletechnews.com/news1/news29.5.21.07.html">Apple Tech News</a> that was just recently unearthed, and since then it has begun to slowly gain attention. The article states that by Macworld 2008 the next model of iPhone will likely be introduced, and, according to them, will <em>"…incorporate a GPS receiver chip closely matching the SiRFstarIII from SiRF Technology."</em> Apple Tech News goes on to explain that the power consumption for the SiRFstarIII is high, but they consider it to be superior in that it can communicate with and receive signals from 20 GPS satellites simultaneously and it has a super-fast Time to First Fix or TTFF. (TTFF is essentially the amount of time it takes for the GPS to find it's location based on the information from the satellites.)
Right now this information is all still just a rumor, and there are some issues with it that might be used to question it's validity and likelihood, such as the lack of a listed source for this information. However, I think I might have found a possible source, and it might help support their claim. There is some information on the <a href="http://www.sirf.com/PressRoom/Press.aspx?PressId=123">SiRF web site</a> from back in April from the intel Developer Forum in Beijing, China, April 17, 2007, stating that, at that time, SiRF was announcing a partnership with Intel to provide GPS capabilities for their intel Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) and Mobil Internet Device (MID) platforms. In that article, the chip they list as the one being used in these devices is the <a href="http://www.sirf.com/products/gps_chip4.html">SiRFstarIII-GSC3LT</a>, a low-power chip with power regulation. Since Apple has already teamed up with Intel for it's Mac computers, it's a likely bet that Intel will also supply the chip set for the iPhone, being that it runs OS X. This puts Apple in a good position to utilize Intel's SiRF partnership. If this is true, why even wait until 2008? With these key factors in place, there is the possibility that at WWDC, Steve Jobs might well introduce GPS as one of the big surprises they waited to unveil.
What exactly would this mean for iPhone owners if this proves true? Well, it means that, obviously, if you get lost, you can pull up a map with your location. But there are also possible uses for GPS in applications for an iPhone. One such possible application might incorporate Google Maps to find directions to a bus stop from your current location. In fact, why stop there? Why not also utilize GPS for all of the widgets? It would tailor the information on your iPhone to your immediate location at all times.
As fantastic as this would be, for now we all must keep in mind that this is just a rumor, and until at least WWDC, all we can do is wait and cross our fingers. Rest assured, though, we are doing what we can to look into it, just for you. Why? Because we just like you that much. Check back to see if we get anywhere.