[Swordmaker]

Is the iPad or iPhone able to use GPS with access to wifi and cell towers turned off?

The iPad needs the 3G version to even have GPS... but the iPhone will use it without the WIFI turned on, but accuracy is better with WIFI on... it uses the known public WIFI nodes to increase the accuracy.

[VeniVidiVici]

The iPad needs the 3G version to even have GPS... but the iPhone will use it without the WIFI turned on, but accuracy is better with WIFI on... it uses the known public WIFI nodes to increase the accuracy.

Thanks. Sometimes I'm in the backwoods far from towers and would like a tablet that can work with GPS without needing access to towers or wifi. That way I can do without the small, sized car GPS and use something bigger in the vehicle than a personal sized GPS.

[kevkrom]

IIRC, in addition to using WiFi for a more accurate fix, the iOS devices use it to generate a preliminary position estimate while it’s waiting for GPS, which can be relatively slow in comparison (up to 15-20 seconds or so).

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>The iPad needs the 3G version to even have GPS...

GPS can be added to wifi-only iPads, as well as the iPod Touch... via bluetooth GPS puck, or the BadElf device that I linked to above.