Are there any Android smartphones that have an actual GPS chip in them instead of A-GPS which only works if cell service is available?
Here we go again... Don't overlook search -- I know I've posted this before here on this site.
aGPS is "actual" GPS. GPS means that the GPS satellites are used to determine location. If they're not then it's not GPS. Tower triangulation is not aGPS (extremely common mistaken assumption). WiFi locating isn't GPS. It seems common for people to use "GPS" to mean any method of determining location but GPS has a very specific meaning.
All aGPS means is that the GPS receiver contacts assistance servers for a faster initial GPS fix. Without the assistance data it takes much longer to obtain a GPS fix. Most aGPS receivers can fall back on standalone mode if the assistance servers are not available.
The other extremely common GPS misunderstanding is that people don't seem to realize that the GPS receiver and the GPS app(s) are entirely separate entities on smartphones (not just Android). Some clarification below:
The
GPS receiver (whether aGPS or not) does not require data or even cellular service. It just needs to pick up signal from the GPS satellites. The only thing the GPS receiver does is determine your location. It provides latitude, longitude, altitude and time. Everything else is provided by the
GPS app.
It's your
GPS app that may or may not have data requirements. Your GPS app provides maps, routing, prompts, POI's, logging, or whatever is needed to make the location data provided by the receiver useful to you. If you need to not rely on data then you need to look into GPS apps that don't require data.
What type of GPS app are you looking for that doesn't require data? A nav app? A tracking app? Something else? What problems are you having? It's seems common for aGPS receivers to have problems obtaining a GPS fix. Apps like GPS Status can be handy as you can see what's going on with your GPS receiver. GPS Status also has a tool to clear aGPS data which has always resolved issues with my Droid's receiver not being able to obtain a GPS fix.
But if cell service is avaiable, it's faster to lock with the satellites
Assuming no problems with the aGPS receiver. I've had countless instances where I've had to clear aGPS data for my Droid to get a fix. I had a ROM or something that allowed me to disable aGPS but I think it was a GB ROM and I wanted to revert to a Froyo ROM. If I can disable it again, I'll do so and just force the GPS receiver to operate in standalone as it seems more reliable to me.
My BB's all had standalone receivers and they never had problems obtaining a fix. Granted, it's all anecdotal evidence but it works for me so that's what I'm going with.