Nokia Upgrades Its Mobile GPS

While GPS is one of the best new features currently hitting (high end) mobile phones performance can be ropey – something Nokia, in particular, is determined to fix.

Late last week it announced it will introduce 'A-GPS' (Assisted GPS) a GPS upgrade service designed to improve reception quality and reduce the Time to First Fix (TTFF): the period taken to lock onto enough satellites to tie-down a user's location.

In essence it works by compiling fragmentary or weaker GPS signals into a single powerful connection and can also anticipate orbital positions for GPS satellites allowing them to be found faster as well as interpret signals better based on atmospheric conditions.

This sounds like complicated stuff, but Nokia actually plans to introduce A-GPS into all its impending GPS featured handsets – the first of which will be the 6110 Navigator (above) – and will also provide it for the already released Nokia N95 via a firmware update.

Now if only the company could actually make an attractive handset which would look worthy of it...