Do all cellphones have gps?

Hi.
I am wondering if all cellphones now have something called a gps chip? My understanding is that it gives one's location. Does it do anything else? What does it look like and where is it, should I need to adjust it, etc.
Thanks alot.
Sheena

 

My phone doesnt have any gps chip...
Any cell phones location can be determined by pinging or triangulation
http://pursuitmag.com/locating-mobile-phones-through-pinging-and-triangulation/

 

Some smartphones do have GPS chips, I'm not sure that all of those so equipped can be fully-utilised by the user, much will depend on whether there's any software available and even then there may be limits on what you can do - things like turn by turn navigation may be impossible.

 

ASUS,
How can you tell? As I asked, what would it look like, where is it?

Sheena:confused

 

Thanks for this post, Digitalocksmith.
I was under the impression from what I have heard and read, that all cell phones come with gps. As a jewel 'repossesser' I find this upsetting.
Seriously, what does the chip look like, where is it?Does no one know this, then how would one know if it is there, and working? [You geeks keep all the good stuff to yourselves. Selfish.]

sheena

 

More likely most geeks here dont know, unless they have designed a particular phone model and in that case wont share that privileged info for fear of loosing there job. So many possibilities for the gps in a small phone, and so many different ways to make the circuit.

 

It was my understanding that all phones made after 1997 (or there abouts) were mandated by fedgov to have GPS tracking in them. The tracking may/may not only be accessable by law enforcement.

Since all gps really consists of a hyper accurate clock and a fancy antenna, you are pretty much screwed if you think you are going to remove it from your phone.

Most phones, the GPS preference is only for the most basic of location stuff provided to you. Where you are at and the like, maybe it will tell a browser where you are at for local stuff. It won't turn off law enforcement location. And even if it did, the cell provider could just turn it back on in a couple of seconds.

 

Digitalocksmith, By coincidence just printed out the 'freakishly small tracking chip' before I went to this site. It's at www.gps.fortoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/freakishly... Quite a bit of info, like I am finding about most tech advances, the more they do the more you have to learn about what and how many ways they can do it. What I don't understand about that site is when they said the gps chip simply analyzed the information from tracking satellites, but for it to transmit the information one needed to be in a network. That didn't seem clear to me, so little does in techno land. For some reason the entire url I gave didn't completely go thru, but the first part should get one there and then they can look for it. Sorry.
Sheena

 

It was my understanding also that GPS was legally mandated in all cell phones. I don't understand how the cell provider could get a really accurate location without the gps chip. They could get some info by triangulation, but the chip analyzes data from location satellites, which would be much more accurate I would think. So maybe they'd have some info if you remove the chip, but it wouldn't be accurate enough to pinpoint?
By the way, hope taking the chip out isn't wrong as I am not renting my cell, I bought it. If I want to take it apart, that should be my call. I don't see how that could be a problem. People have reasons they don't want to be tracked that have nothing to do with trying to break the law.
Sheena

 

Time for a tin foil lined wallet or purse?

 

Cell providers can triangulate by using what cell towers you are near and get a pretty good location of you.

When I said you where screwed if you thought you were going to remove the GPS chip, I wasn't saying it in a legal sense. I meant it as you ain't going to find it on the board ever. And even if you did find it, I would lay money that the phone didn't work at all after you messed with it.

If you don't want to be tracked, don't take a cell phone with you. Or get one that predates 2000 or there abouts.

 

RF blocking wallet? I know those are out there. For the foil hat wearing crowd.

 

When I said you where screwed if you thought you were going to remove the GPS chip, I wasn't saying it in a legal sense. I meant it as you ain't going to find it on the board ever. And even if you did find it, I would lay money that the phone didn't work at all after you messed with it.[/QUOTE]

Oh, I know you didn't mean it in a legal sense. I was just mentioning that.
Sheena

 

People build their own computers. Why can't one build their own cell phone?
Sheena

 

You could build one, the issue comes down to trying to actually make a call. With out various things you can't even detect the cell towers from what I understand.

I looked into programming my own smart phone a while ago and it came down to it would be worthless as a phone, but okay as a tiny touch screen underpowered computer.

 

I feel like one could capture a signal leaving a cell tower effectively, but how would you transmit to it what with all the controls they have to make sure only certain users get thru? Especially in times of emergencies, this might be an important thing to be able to do, should some communications be knocked out. There are signal boosters available on the open market for those living in hills, etc.
Sheena

 

Yes, they have all kinds of codes and id nos. that the tower asks for before it does any receiving. One could steal sim cards and counterfeit nos. I guess, but that would be clearly violating the law. They are protecting their right to profit from radio waves, a natural occurrence. However, in times of emergency such as an attack, this could create problems as there would be a need for communication, but no one might be around to unlock the codes, give the numbers and so forth, so we'd have an extensive network of towers that we couldn't use.