Google Maps now supports GPS on Verizon BlackBerry Storm
The pain you must have all felt; Google Maps not being able to take advantage of the built-in GPS chip in your Verizon BlackBerry Storm. What was worse, if you unlocked your Verizon Storm, Google Maps worked fine on any other carrier — something totally weird. Well, good news. Google has just released an updated version of Google Maps for BlackBerry which supports GPS right out of the box, and it also includes Latitude so you can get your stalking on. Of note: Google politely told any other Verizon BlackBerry user (Curve 8330, 8830) to go screw themselves since the Storm is the only device with a third party-accessable GPS chip. For any other BlackBerry addict, don’t get too excited as this isn’t a new release of Google Maps for you, it’s just bringing the Storm handsets up to date with what you already had.
@ Verizon Guy -
This is a Verizon issue. Stop blaming it on the chips. Verizon specs out the phones are are fully responsible.
If you are a software vendor writing location-based applications, you need to find/start a class action lawsuit. Verizon is unfairly generating revenue with VZNavigator, and not letting you earn $$ since your application can’t leverage the locked GPS. There are plenty of lawyers out there. This is easy money. Millions of $ are on the table.
Take it.
Clarification: Google Maps for Mobile 3.0.2 is the newest version with GPS and Latitude support for the Storm. 3.0.0 for the Storm did support Latitude, but not GPS. Check your version if your having issues.
Anyone know how to get the keyboard off so map will show on entire screen?
Thanks for any help!
Verizon sucks ASS. Their phones are more crippled than the American government.
How do I get it ???
Downloaded it last night and it works perfectly. I’m running .103 which is the best build I have used to date. So does this mean that Verizon wasn’t disabling the device? All Google had to do was make and update for it to work on the storm? I think if Verizon really didn’t want it to work they could have made impossible for Google Maps to get a GPS signal necessary.
don’t confuse 1) tower triangulation with 2) a(ssisted)GPS vs 3) Standalone/Autonomous GPS with 4) user accessible GPS 5) carrier anvigation services.
1) Tower triangulation is an old method. It has some utility in situations where no ability to get a satellite is present
2) aGPS is a faster method of getting positon from satellites, using information from carrier towers with normal satellite GPS to get a faster fix. It requires both towers and satellites.
3) Standalone or Autonomous GPS works like your dedicated portable GPS. ON a phone it specifically means there is no dependence on carrier to get a fix. It gives you extremely accurate location using satellites only. It can take from 10 seconds to 2 minutes to get location.
It is always better for a device to have standalone and aGPS. aGPS can be faster getting a fix, but is limited to carrier signal, Standalone GPS works everywhere.
4) User accessible GPS is a different issue altogether. It about whether the device will hand-off GPS information to user and user applications. Some of those applications like Google maps require a live data connection, some like user installed TomTom, or simply the ability to see your GPS location require no live connection
5) carrier services are navigation services provided by carrier.
Examples of handsets with aGPS working AND standalone GPS working AND user accessible GPS working : Touch Pro, Treo Pro
Example of handset with aGPS working, and user accessible GPS working but Standalone GPS disabled: Treo 800w
Example of handsets with aGPS and/or Standalone GPS working but user accessibility disabled: Several recent Blackberries
Anonie, definition of Cell phone GPS is right but seems alittle confusing to me.
I can only talk from a CDMA prospective.
To my knowledge, cell phones have aGPS chips inside.
Which if I’m not misstaken from a CDMA prospective, that as well as other thing like bluetooth are all on the same qualcomm chip.
aGPS as whats it seems like it’s “assisted” GPS…
So whats “assisting” it? The carrier’s access points (or cell towers as we normally all them).
It works rather simple.
When your in a weak GPS satellite coverage area (ea. deep inside a building), then you get whats called a triangle fix meaning a fix from the 3 nears AP’s closest to your location.
When your CPE or cell phone in this case is in a stronger GPS coverage area (ea. outside, or in a building near doors, and or windows) you get a GPS fix.
I can be more technical, but basically thats how it works.
Now it’s believed that Verizon has been blocking the GPS portion of the “aGPS.”
Which I can beleive because why does VZ Navigator work on all vzw phones, that verizon supports the services on, but third party GPS software doesn’t? explain that “mr. Verizon guy.”
Now to clear up the confusion on the blackberry front.
All blackberries with 4.5, or higher handheld software have the GPS unlocked, not just the storm.
So this includes the Pearl, and Curve which run 4.5.0.77 vzw handheld software.
Now I can confirm with Google Mobile Map’s 3.0.2 on the storm I get a GPS fix, but on my pearl (8130) I don’t, now this is a google issue, and not a verizon one.
I even upgraded it to the Sprint handheld software which is 4.5.0.131 if I’m not misstaken, and yet and still no GPS fix in GMM.
Someone on another forum, (I think the google forums) confirmed that he is in fact getting a GPS fix on his curve (8330). Now I can’t confirm this for myself, because I nolonger have my curve.
-VH
@ilikephonesthatwork
Turn off compatibility mode for Google Maps.
@ vtechonda
You have it wrong. I work in GPS engineering and know CDMA implementation quite well also. Anonie has it exactly right in laymen’s terms and you have several errors from the get go..
For example I wonder what you mean by “agps chip,” since there is no such thing. There is GPS on the Qualcomm chip in addition to a separate receiver chip (not Qualcomm). The aGPS is merely firmware, driver and software implemented.
Also for example this is a completely incorrect description of agps: “So whats “assisting” it? The carrier’s access points (or cell towers as we normally all them).
It works rather simple.When your in a weak GPS satellite coverage area (ea. deep inside a building), then you get whats called a triangle fix meaning a fix from the 3 nears AP’s closest to your location.”
Trilateral fixes are not aGPS. They are eGPS and/or forward link.
aGPS is one of four or five modes of a) giving the device assistance in getting and holding sateliitles. This is done by sending any number of types f informaiton, from the basic like just the correct time, to more information on locating the satellites, like ephemris or almanac. or b) on dumb devices with GPS chips doing the calculations remotely.
@Anonie:
You have it perfectly correct when you write:
don’t confuse 1) tower triangulation with 2) a(ssisted)GPS vs 3) Standalone/Autonomous GPS with 4) user accessible GPS 5) carrier anvigation services.
1) Tower triangulation is an old method. It has some utility in situations where no ability to get a satellite is present
2) aGPS is a faster method of getting positon from satellites, using information from carrier towers with normal satellite GPS to get a faster fix. It requires both towers and satellites.
3) Standalone or Autonomous GPS works like your dedicated portable GPS. ON a phone it specifically means there is no dependence on carrier to get a fix. It gives you extremely accurate location using satellites only. It can take from 10 seconds to 2 minutes to get location.
It is always better for a device to have standalone and aGPS. aGPS can be faster getting a fix, but is limited to carrier signal, Standalone GPS works everywhere.
4) User accessible GPS is a different issue altogether. It about whether the device will hand-off GPS information to user and user applications. Some of those applications like Google maps require a live data connection, some like user installed TomTom, or simply the ability to see your GPS location require no live connection
5) carrier services are navigation services provided by carrier.
Examples of handsets with aGPS working AND standalone GPS working AND user accessible GPS working : Touch Pro, Treo Pro
Example of handset with aGPS working, and user accessible GPS working but Standalone GPS disabled: Treo 800w
Example of handsets with aGPS and/or Standalone GPS working but user accessibility disabled: Several recent Blackberries
michael, thanks, that worked though I did have to take the battery out to get the full screen to work (its possible a restart would work, didn’t try it).
If I download goggle maps to my storm an it works am I going to be billed by vz and if so is there a way around it
Don’t wet your pants just yet Boy Genius. I have long suspected some shady practices at the big V, and recently read articles about Verizon disabling the GPS mapping. I’m not sure what the deal is with my Storm 9530, but I loaded Goggle Maps and checked Blackberry maps and they both have my location off by at least a mile. So I bought a Keychain GPS 2000 to try as an alternate source. Once I finally got my Storm to pair with it–Blackberrys don’t seem to want to pair with anything, makes me wonder how they keep procreating.–I set it as the GPS source. It still was a mile off. Could this be Verizon F-ing with me, or bad software from Blackberry? I wish I knew.
Yes, mine is working just like that too.
just installed google maps version 3.0.2. Blackberry 9530 version 4.7.0.181. Google maps has me within ~2 meters (my location). If I walk away from the marker the marker is following me on the map. How cool is that ! I am standing in a business district parking lot.
** no fate **
dracman