I bet that you have at least a couple of apps that have geo location feature (Uber anyone?). But have you thought how mobile app development companies implement this feature? There’re several methods of doing so, let’s take a look at their advantages and disadvantages.

GPS

All mobile devices have GPS (Global Positioning System) module. To locate your position, your mobile device needs to receive signal from at least 3 satellites (better from 4).

Pros:

-          High location speed

-          High precision under good weather conditions. For example, you can get pretty precise altitude above sea level, which can be critical in some applications

Cons:

-          Battery drain. Today, the situation is not so critical, but still active GPS drains you battery

-          Under bad weather conditions its precision worsens

-          You may have problems establishing connection with satellites in a thick forest or a tunnel

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi geo location is similar to that with GPS. It works in two ways, either by using RSSI, detecting location from data bases, or by using Google Maps.

Pros:

-          Convenience. Switch on Wi-Fi module, get your location and you’re done.

-          Works quickly

Cons:

-          Covers smaller territory as compared to GPS

Cell ID

Cell ID uses cellular communication towers to detect you location. Any mobile device know which tower it has connected to. And with the help of tower coordinates it can show your location as well.

Pros:

-          This service works even if GPS is unavailable

-          Works well in large cities.

Cons:

-          Pretty inaccurate and can show wrong location by up to several hundred meters

A-GPS

A-GPS service combines information from a satellite and a server and sends information to your device via Internet.

Pros:

-          High speed

-          Saves battery life

-          Works better in problematic zones, such as tunnels, forests, etc.

Cons:

-          There’re certain usage limitations, as some A-GPS functions won’t work out of cell coverage

-          Service uses Internet when connecting and reconnecting, which can cost you a pretty penny, specifically in roaming

Conclusion

Taxi services and bars are not the only apps where geo location feature can be useful. You need to analyze what routine user action are connected with geo location and how automation of this process can make users’ life easier. The choice of certain technology will always depend on the goal of a certain mobile app and on critical requirements. And your main characteristics for the choice will be speed, precision, convenience and battery usage.