Nokia announce A-GPS Service

Nokia sent out a press release today, announcing that they are enabling the 6110 Navigator with A-GPS and all their upcoming phones with built in GPS will also support A-GPS. Most N95 users I know have already updated their firmware with the latest available and are enjoying A-GPS on the N95. I updated my N95 and I was impressed at how quick the device found current location compared to before. With the N95 previously, it could take a minute or so to get a lock on current location. The few times I used Nokia Maps after updating the firmware on the N95 lock on was almost instant. I was very impressed. Here's the full press release:

Nokia makes finding yourself faster with new A-GPS service

This Assisted GPS (A-GPS) service helps Nokia Maps users find their current locations faster and get to their desired locations quicker using their Nokia mobile device with built-in GPS.

Nokia intends to equip all of its future devices that have built-in GPS with this service. The first devices to use this service are the Nokia 6110 Navigator, which has begun shipping in select markets, and the most recent software release of the Nokia N95 multimedia computer.

Current owners of the Nokia N95 can take advantage of this free* service by using the Nokia Software Updater. http://www.nokia.com/softwareupdate This will update the firmware on the device to the latest version.

This service has the ability to reduce the time a connected mobile device with built in GPS needs to find its current position, known as time to first fix (TTFF) for most geographical locations worldwide. The reduced fix times can increase and improve the usability for all Nokia location-based experiences.

"By decreasing the time wasted while you wait for a first fix, we are increasing the enjoyment that Nokia Maps provides," says Ralph Eric Kunz, vice-president, multimedia experiences, Nokia. "Consumers now have the comfort of quick fix times which create a better navigation experience when using Nokia Maps."

The service operates in tandem with a technical framework that allows third parties, such as service providers, to provide their own regional A-GPS services, making fix times even faster in certain areas- to the benefit of their subscribers.

The Nokia Software Updater is a free PC application that enables people to update the device software on compatible Nokia devices. The Nokia Software Updater is available in almost 40 different languages. The link to Nokia Software Updater is also available in the most recent versions of Nokia PC Suite software. Nokia Software updater has been used over two million times to update Nokia devices since it was introduced almost one year ago.

* Assisted GPS (A-GPS) service uses the data network, data fees vary, to check the cost of data transfer services, contact your service provider