GPS Enabled Phones Market 2009-2013

Global Positioning System (GPS) is a fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System that calculates the geographic position: longitude, latitude, and altitude (sometimes) by signal broadcast from a constellation of satellites, used by the GPS receiver. The receiver, with an antenna, is tuned to the frequencies of the transmitted signal. The received signal is then fed in the processor (which has a display screen) to map the location or calculate the time taken to reach the destination. The information can then be used by various systems (such as computer systems) and communication devices etc. for different functions.

Technological advances and demand for “do-it-all” cellular phones have led to the development of a variety of GPS enabled cellular phones, services & add-ons. This has propelled the GPS- enabled phones into a totally different plethora of market segments. They are now competing against a vast array of products such as Portable Navigation Devices (PND), Wi-fi gaming devices, Ipod, etc.

GPS is rapidly infiltrating the mobile phone market across the globe. Moreover, developments in user interfaces, software integration and improved hardware performance are making the handsets more competitive in comparison to PNDs.

Rapid technological innovation, consumer demand and competition is forcing the handset manufacturers to develop multifunctional GPS chip. These chips can be integrated with other functions and technologies such as in- dash navigation systems, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. Such integrated GPS chips, in turn, can be used for a variety of applications such as weather forecasting, real-time traffic etc.

This report highlights scope of the GPS enabled Phones market, along with trends, drivers, growth inhibitors and a few major vendors in the market.