iPad - poor GPS on iPad according to Apple

[gilbertpark]

I was thinking of updating my elderly iPad for a new one with the cellular card so it has GPS and I can navigate with it if needs be. I went to the Apple Flagship store in Covent Garden London to find out more. A very helpful assistant said that the iPad, even with the cellular chip, shouldn't be used in confined waters because the GPS is not that accurate. I am better off with my iPhone for that purpose as the GPS is more accurate.

I thought about this for a while and then contacted Apple UK and spoke to a very helpful assistant. He went off to check and confirmed what I had been told in store, that the iPad (even he cellular one) shouldn't be used for navigation in confined waters, especially in poor visibility. Use an iPhone instead.

Of course this only applies to real time navigation not for just using the charts for passage planning and the like.

Bearing in mind the number of people who use iPads for navigation I think it's quite worrying. Any comments?

 

[Graeme Walker]

It is true, the GPS on latest large iPads is not good and a known issue when travelling slowly. We purchased a 12" iPad without GPS and a dedicated 'Dual Electronic XGPS160' which can support five devices via BlueTooth. Works great across our entire boat.

 

[DDW]

It is my understanding that few, or no cell phones or note pads have a differential GPS receiver. The newer iPhones have a dual band receiver, but as far as I can tell still no differential. So a cheap dedicated GPS (with DPGS) is going to outperform them. On an Ipad, I'd save the money for the cell version and use a dedicated BTE gps receiver.

 

[Insequent]

With my new iPad it seems to have improved a little after using it for a few days. Initially the GPS struggled to show my speed (travelling 6-8 kn). Strangely if i picked it up and moved it then it would be ok. Why moving it to my lap, or back to its stand would trigger improved reception I don't know But he last trip it was reading fine just sitting on its stand.

IMO the accuracy will be essentially the same asa an iPhone, provided its picking up signal. I'll need more trips to determine if its improved from the first day or so, or whether it "has bad days" from time to time.

 

[proudsailor]

Consider the Garmin Glo bluetooth GPS. I kept hearing about the less than accurate signals on an iPad, opted to by a new one w/o the cellular/GPS capabilities and spent $100 on the garmin. Easy BT connection, exceptional accuracy (something I appreciated in the skinny waters of the ICW in GA and NC) and you can bluetooth it to your phone or your iPad or whatever else you keep a chart on w/ bluetooth connectivity.

 

[MacPhid]

If you have a wifi enabled chart plotter you can connect your iPad to it's network and receive it's data, position, AIS, depth etc. Navionics, Aqua Maps TimeZero iBoat can all connect. I use my old iPads (Gen2-Gen5) with Navionics etc this way. basic wifi only iPad works perfectly and you get the accurate gps coordinates and data from the chart plotter or external N2K enabled GPS receiver. Select external gps as the source on the iPad.Port 10110 will enable the connection on the iPad.

James

 

[tiltrider1]

First, of course this is Apple’s position, they don’t want to be involved in the law suit when you hit the rock. Second, I wouldn’t depend on any gps device that didn’t have a clear view of the sky. Every time a signal passes through something it gets distorted. Granted the distortion is small but when it comes to avoiding obstacles small might be too much. However, you can install an external gps antenna to an IPad.

 

[CaptTom]

The problem with the iPad, at least back when I was using them, was that the software considered anything under like 8-10 knots as not moving, and turned off the GPS receiver to save battery power. That's why shaking it might "wake it up." Sometimes. Not fun when you're creeping along a narrow channel at night in the fog.

In theory an external GPS puck could resolve this issue. My solution was to buy an Android-based tablet.

 

[NoRain]

This is not accurate. I’ve used an iPad as primary nav device (Navionics, way better and faster user interface than my RayMarine MFD’s) for more than 10 years - ICW, Florida, Bahamas, Mexico and here at home. Works just fine, and I regularly transition many narrow dodgy sections of water.

 

[CaptTom]

It may be device dependent. But I can guarantee you I've seen this first hand on more than one iPad. And when I did the research, I found confirmation that the software turned off the GPS receiver under a certain speed. Above that speed you'd never notice. Again, I haven't tried recently, so that could have changed.

 

[NoRain]

I would be very interested in seeing any confirmation that the software “turned off” the GPS. As far as I am aware, the only way to disable the GPS is through Location Services, and that is not something that gets switched on or off by software. Always been this way as far as I know.

Questions that would interest me are: 1) what is the source and credibility of the confirmation? 2) what software? iOS? Navionics? Other? I’ve attached a screeenshot of a track coming out of a tight anchorage last summer. No room for error, especially with currents running, and that is hard rock bottom on both sides, not sand or ICW mud . I can confirm from visual orientation at the time this is correct to within a foot or two. I have hundreds of other examples and instances, dating back years to an iPad mini.

If you have some credible reports that contradict this, I (and many others I suspect) would like to see them. This is obviously a potential safety issue if so.

 

[DDW]

I don't think the GPS is turned off when an app is using location services. It might when nothing is using location services. Settings can affect this, for example if the app is set to not use location services in the background, and has been pushed to the background. The GPS receiver in them isn't the best, because of power and space issues. However these days, not the best means 20' accuracy rather than 5'. If you are running blind using GPS only and cutting it that fine, you are going to run into grief somewhere, sometime.

 

[NoRain]

Totally agree. eg I would never run that cut blind with just (iPad) GPS. I’ve also got two RayMarine plotters running, and if no visibility, radar as well. But most likely if it was that bad I’d be staying put.

 

[DavidM]

My iPad mini shows my position within 20’ of reality, whether it is on land with Google Maps or on the water with Aquamap. How close do you want it to be?

David

 

[Insequent]

I would be very interested in seeing any confirmation that the software “turned off” the GPS. As far as I am aware, the only way to disable the GPS is through Location Services, and that is not something that gets switched on or off by software. Always been this way as far as I know.

Questions that would interest me are: 1) what is the source and credibility of the confirmation? 2) what software? iOS? Navionics? Other? I’ve attached a screeenshot of a track coming out of a tight anchorage last summer. No room for error, especially with currents running, and that is hard rock bottom on both sides, not sand or ICW mud . I can confirm from visual orientation at the time this is correct to within a foot or two. I have hundreds of other examples and instances, dating back years to an iPad mini.

If you have some credible reports that contradict this, I (and many others I suspect) would like to see them. This is obviously a potential safety issue if so.

In my new iPad, Location Services for Navionics is set for "when using the app". I was about to change it to "Always" but will now test on next trip before doing that. Im curious to see if there is some power saving "turning off" going on because I'm only travelling slowly.

 

[PMF1984]

iPad GPS problems have been discussed ad naseum on a ICW related Facebook page (that pitched the iPad for navigation. There is an easy workaround (a bluetooth connected external GPS, a Garmin inReach mini, or less easy, connection to the NMEA network to access your MFD GPS).

No reported problems with a iPhone ( because folks use the phone for navigation and the nav programs want to know which lane you are in).

Or just get a Samsung tablet. Much cheaper.

I use an iPad Pro for the screen size and because I want to do other things that the iPad does well. But if I was just interested in a piece of hardware to hold my navigation apps, I'd buy a Samsung tablet.

As to the "Why?" - doesn't matter. It is not yours to wonder. It is yours to stay off the mud flat.

 

[kchace]

I use an IPad as a secondary source for navigation. I also use an iPad for an anchor watch. Normally when traveling even 7-8 knots the GPS location of the iPad is quite accurate. However it ALWAYS pauses updating of location when sitting in an anchorage. I have verified this with multiple different anchor position apps, with 3 different iPads and even with my iPhone. In addition this behavior has been reported by many many other folks on the ICW Facebook group. Simply moving the iPad a little causes it to start updating again. Supplying the iPad with external GPS data completely solves the problem. As a total guess I believe it is built in to the OS to help conserve power.

Ken

 

[Bmarler]

Does the movement at anchor cause the iPad to wake up? Or are you using external gps?

 

[kchace]

Does the movement at anchor cause the iPad to wake up? Or are you using external gps?

No. Lack of tracking movement at anchor is how I was alerted to this. I now use an external network GPS feed from my AIS and then it works perfectly at all times. Without an external GPS feed it ALWAYS stops tracking, usually within 30-45 minutes. And like I said, once I starred to understand what was going on I did experiments with 3 different iPads, 3 different anchor tracking apps, iOS 16 and 17 and my iPhone. All did the same thing.
I have not had a problem when actually traveling, but I still use the external GPS feed now.

Ken

 

[kernie]

It is true, the GPS on latest large iPads is not good and a known issue when travelling slowly. We purchased a 12" iPad without GPS and a dedicated 'Dual Electronic XGPS160' which can support five devices via BlueTooth. Works great across our entire boat.

I did the same thing. Have the 12" iPad on a mount and run the split screen to have navionics and aquamaps. the 5 device for my XGPS allows me to use my laptop and phone.