The expected release of chipsets integrating GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, and FM radios on a single chip will push mass adoption of GPS in mass market mobile handsets in 2009, says ABI Research. Companies Broadcom, Atheros, NXP and Texas Instruments are all expected to release combo chipsets next year, focusing on GSM handsets. As we know, mobile handset GPS, widely available on more expensive smartphones is a not yet a standard feature on handsets. Until now it’s been because the GPS chipsets available have had a footprint too large to be efficiently incorporated into mobile handsets, have used too much energy, have increased the price too much and without additional positioning technologies have had problems acquiring a satellite fix indoors and in so-called urban canyons. With more radios being fit on a single chip, even GSM handsets will soon have GPS as a standard feature at a mainstream pricepoint says the research firm.
via techon
