Tech giant Apple has officially introduced its latest high-end smartphones, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, featuring a sleek brushed titanium frame, different from last year’s shiny stainless steel design which not only enhances the visual appeal but also adds durability while reducing the overall weight of the phones, both modes maintaining the same screen sizes at 6.1 and 6.7 inches.
Considering the technical specifications of the iPhone 15 series, Apple has incorporated precision dual-frequency GPS, comprising GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, and NavIC. Notably, NavIC is a navigation system developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
Alongside these advancements, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max boast the formidable A16 Bionic chip and an upgraded camera system, solidifying their status as Apple's latest flagship smartphones. However, a noteworthy enhancement lies within the integration of precision dual-frequency GPS, including support for NavIC, the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
What Is NavIC?
NavIC is a regional navigation satellite system called Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) which was developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to meet the positioning, navigation, and timing requirements of the nation.
Previously known as the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), this system consists of seven satellites in geostationary and inclined geosynchronous orbits, it provides coverage over India along with a region extending 1,500 kilometers beyond its borders.
NavIC offers two services: Standard Position Service (SPS) for civilian users and Restricted Service (RS) for strategic users
- Standard Position Service (SPS) for civilian users
The Standard Position Service caters to civilians by delivering precise position and timing information within the coverage area. It ensures a positioning accuracy of better than 20 meters and a timing precision of better than 50 nanoseconds.
- Restricted Service (RS) for strategic users
Restricted service is a more precise service reserved for authorized users. It possesses an exceptional positioning accuracy of less than 5 meters and a timing accuracy of better than 10 nanoseconds.
Both of these services are available in both L5 (1176.45 MHz) and S band (2498.028 MHz). The coverage area of NavIC extends over India and is a region up to 1500 km beyond the Indian Boundary. The NavIC signals are carefully designed to provide position accuracy better than 50 nanoseconds. The NavIC signals are consistent with the other global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou.
Potential Benefits of NavIC Integration
Some of the potential benefits of NavIC integration include-
- Enhanced accuracy and reliability in challenging areas-
NavIC provides more accurate and dependable positioning information, particularly in regions with limited or unstable GPS coverage, such as densely populated urban areas, forests, or mountainous regions.
- Enhanced accuracy for location-based services-
NavIC offers its users an enhanced accuracy for location-based services such as navigation, mapping, and tracking. This intense precision turns out to be useful for a variety of applications like ride-hailing, delivery services, and fleet management.
- Increased resistance to jamming and spoofing attacks
NavIC exhibits superior resilience against potential jamming and spoofing attacks as compared to other GNSS systems. This is because it uses a distinctive frequency band that remains exclusive to the system.
- Enhanced independence from foreign GNSS systems
The incorporation of NavIC into the iPhone 15 Pro series grants users greater independence from foreign GNSS systems, such as GPS. This turns out to be important in situations where access to foreign GNSS systems may be restricted or unreliable.
