MacSailing.net

I am finding the iPad 3G GPS receiver much more sensitive than iPhone 3G or 3Gs. Not sure if its a software improvement (OS 3.2 versus 3.1) or better hardware.

Quote:GPS
The GPS results surprised us in a different way. We compared the iPad 3G to an iPhone 3GS via Google Maps, for the most fair possible comparison. First, standing outside, and then racing downtown in a cab at 30MPH.

While the iPad was much slower to pull a final GPS lock than the 3GS running iPhone OS 4.0 Beta 1—20 seconds to around 5—the relative turtle wins the more important race in the end. During our 15 minute drive, the iPad's GPS was more accurate and consistent, tracking our progress totally smoothly and nearly instantaneously, while the iPhone occasionally fell behind, and jumped forward to catch up (not to mention losing a lock entirely a couple times). The conclusion we came to is that the iPad is slower to lock, but the lock is stronger. And when the iPad gets its own firmware update this fall, the GPS enhancement featured in the latest OS will hopefully benefit this as well.

It's not a totally indicative test of the iPad's GPS in some ways, because when it comes to navigation the iPad will obviously be used in completely different contexts than an phone—and because we don't have our hands on a true navigator app for the iPad yet—but it's interesting to note nonetheless. Still, this big tablet is as roadworthy as it needs to be, good news for when iPad car mounts go mainstream.

http://gizmodo.com/5528240/ipad-3g-test-notes

I wonder if the iPad form factor allowed Apple to put a bigger, more sensitive antenna into the iPad. There have been times driving and having Maps open and the dot insisted I was in Puget Sound - quite a feat for a car that's not designed to be a boat!

Turns out it is a hardware difference:

"The iPad 3G has a Broadcom BCM4750UBG Single-Chip AGPS Solution, whereas the iPhone 3GS uses an Infineon Hammerhead II package."

http://www.tipb.com/2010/05/01/ipad-wifi-3g-tea/

Hopefully iPhone 4 will get the new improved GPS chipset.

Also note that the iPad without 3G is (we assume) relying on the GPS reception soley for a GPS fix, while the iPad 3G (we assume)receives GPS ephemeris from the cellular network, therefore the iPad 3G may be faster to lock. That might explain why iPhone 3GS showed a faster time to aquire a position than the iPad, which (again we assume) was not the 3G model.