Yes, the Nexus 7 GPS will work without a mobile data plan. I have one that's WiFi only and I use it for in vehicle navigation quite frequently, although I use an iPad for flying because the EFB app I use (OzRunways) is iPad only.
The GPS chipset in these devices typically is what's known as "assisted GPS". What that means is the GPS uses cell towers or WiFi access points to get an approximate fix which it uses as a starting point for its calculations. This enables it to get an initial position fix more quickly than if it was only using the GPS satellites. If it can't see any cell towers it still can get a fix, it just takes longer for that initial fix because it has to start from the assumption that it could be anywhere in the world rather than starting from an assumption that it's within a couple of miles of a tower whose location is known. Once it has that initial fix, as far as I know it doesn't use the cell towers at all. As far as I can tell from my iPad (a cellular model but with no SIM) a SIM is not required to use towers for that initial fix, so the cellular models still benefit from the A-GPS functionality even though they're not on a plan. Hope that helps. Cheers, Tony On 14 March 2014 11:15, Mike T <mctaglieri at gmail.com> wrote: > So what you mean is that I can buy a Google Nexus 7 and the GPS aviation > software will work without having to make monthly payments to a cell phone > carrier? > > Going slightly off topic, what other features will also work without a > phone service and can you add one later? I'd like to buy a tablet without > signing up with Verizon, t mobile, etc., but I'm afraid I may want some > feature eventually that requires a phone contract, and then it'll be too > late to get one because I didn't do it when I bought the tablet. > > Mike Taglieri > > On Mar 11, 2014 12:22 AM, "Tony King" <tking58 at gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Watch out for iPads too. The WiFi only models don't have a GPS chipset - > > only the cellular models support GPS. The GPS will work without a SIM > > card, so the tablet doesn't have to be on a carrier plan, but the GPS > > chipset has to be there. > > > > Cheers, > > > > Tony > > > > On 11 March 2014 14:16, Michael Lineback <miclineback at gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Location Services is just Cell tower location it is not GPS. If you > want > > > GPS on a tablet you have to find one with an internal GPS receiver or > get > > > an external GPS receiver that connects bluetooth with your tablet. > Ipad > > > and some Android tablets have aGPS or assisted GPS which means that > they > > > have an internal antenna for GPS but use cell tower information to get > a > > > first fix so they don't spend so much time getting a fix from a good > > > signal. > > > > > > Everything I can find on the tablet you mention says NOTHING about an > > > internal GPS antenna. If you relay want GPS in the tablet then go > for > > > the Google Nexus, Ipad, Lenovo Yoga or something similar. Those > > > specifically mention GPS Antenna. Beyond that if you really want to > keep > > > the tablet you have then you will have to get an external antenna with > > > Bluetooth to connect to the tablet you have. > > > > > > HTH, > > > > > > Michael > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Mar 10, 2014 at 6:53 PM, Doran Jaffas <kr2owner at gmail.com> > wrote: > > > > > > > Hi everybody, I'm giving this one last ditch effort for some helpI'm > > > going > > > > to take these tablets back and say the..... With it. > > > > I have a Google premier 8 inch tablet. I can use Google Maps > with > > > this > > > > tablet but when I attempt to use the Avare Aviation moving map it > comes > > > up > > > > no GPS signal. I also tried installing a difference aviation program > and > > > > got the same thing. My location services are on and as I said the > Google > > > > Maps works. Does anybody know if the tablet needs an external GPS > > > receiver > > > > device plugged into it? > > > > I assumed from the discussions I read on this website it was > going > > > to > > > > act just like it does on my phone on which the site works great. But > I > > > have > > > > literally spent hours trying to figure this out the last few days and > > > > really need some advice or the heck with it and I'll just wait to > come up > > > > with the money to buy Aviation GPS seems like such a shame because of > > > work > > > > so well on my phone but I need a bigger screen so I purchased the > tablets > > > > and I can't get it to work out now. Like most people out there I do > not > > > > like throwing money away. Thank you for the rant is anybody has any > > > really > > > > buy some this I would really appreciate it! > > > > Doran > > > > N186RC > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Search the KRnet Archives at > http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > > > > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to > KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > > > > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > > > > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to > > > change > > > > options > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > > > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to > KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > > > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > > > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to > change > > > options > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to > change > options > _______________________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change > options >
