Qualcomm supports dual GPS+GLONASS positioning

Qualcomm has just announced the support of GLONASS, a global positioning system developed and operated by the Russian government. GLONASS is a network of 24 satellites that basically perform the same job than the American GPS system. However, Qualcomm can combine the signals of both positioning satellites networks to get even better accuracy on the user’s position. This is particularly useful in places where the signal is faint, like cities or forests, where getting more signals can mean the difference between accuracy and wild guess.

Qualcomm announces that any device with a Snap Dragon S2 or S3 will be capable of using one, or both positioning networks simultaneously. That’s also true for the upcoming SnapDragon S4 processor. It will be up to the handset manufacturer to enable this functionality. For example, the T-Mobile Galaxy S2 is using a chip capable of using both networks. The official Qualcomm presentation video is in the full post.