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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
Cellular Handsets not Ready for Software GPS Revolution Just Yet
Wellingborough, UK – Despite software-based GPS performance improving significantly over the past two years, hardware implementations will dominate the cellular market until 2010, according to IMS Research’s new report entitled, “Worldwide market for GPS in Cellular – 2006 Edition”.
In the report, IMS Research provides market forecast on each type of GPS implementation for each major geographic region. Hardware GPS implementations are currently the technology of choice for cellular handsets. This is largely due to falling prices, high sensitivity, relatively good performance and ease of implementation.
Patrick Connolly, Senior GPS analyst at IMS Research said that companies such as NXP, RFMD and Nordnav have taken software GPS implementations to new levels of performance. Software GPS addresses two of major design barriers to large-scale uptake in handsets, namely size and cost. Not only is it possible to reduce the silicon footprint, the bill of materials (BOM) is greatly reduced to a level where GPS will proliferate in handsets.
However, software GPS implementations are not without their problems. GPS signal processing requires a high CPU load and interrupt rate, which is only exacerbated by the demand for faster TTFF with greater sensitivity. While processors in handsets are improving, they are still not powerful enough to execute GPS software efficiently. As a result, current solutions cannot approach the level of sensitivity, TTFF or power consumption that are associated with advanced hardware solutions.
Another major inhibitor is handset manufacturers’ reluctance to add anything to the baseband processor, as it involves much longer development cycles and can result in interference with voice communications.
However, IMS Research believes that software GPS is not technology for technology’s sake, there is a long term market there. Currently, the high processor specifications of laptops and dedicated sat-nav devices will overcome many of the problems currently associated with handset implementation. Furthermore, more and more high-end handsets will be designed with a dedicated applications processor that is free of the cellular protocol stack and runs off a non-RTOS. These processors will give handset manufacturers more confidence to implement software GPS away from the baseband processor. As a result, IMS Research has forecast that software GPS implementations will begin to significantly impact the cellular market from 2009 onwards.
If you wish to discuss the findings of IMS Research new report in greater detail, Patrick Connolly will be attending LBS 2006 in London, 20th-23rd November, 2006.
About IMS Research
IMS Research is a specialist supplier of market research and consultancy services on global electronics markets. Information from IMS Research is used by major companies worldwide to assess market trends, solve marketing problems, and improve the efficiency of their businesses. IMS Research is an international company, selling in more than 35 countries around the world and is supported by headquarters in Wellingborough, UK and offices in Austin, Texas and Shanghai, China. IMS Research regularly publishes detailed research on Cellular, digital consumer and broadband markets
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