The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and upcoming iPhone X include
support for Galileo, Europe's Global Satellite Navigation System. While this
information has been listed on Apple's iPhone technical specifications page
since the devices debuted earlier this month, it's a feature update that's
received little attention.
Galileo joins existing support for the Global Positioning
System (GPS) operated by the U.S. government, the Global Navigation Satellite
System (GLONASS) operated by the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces, and QZSS,
the regional Quasi-Zenith Satellite System used in Japan.
According to the European Global Navigation Satellite
Systems Agency, Galileo support in the new iPhones will allow users to benefit
from more precise positioning that's able to combine GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo
signals. Galileo, says the agency, has a modern signal structure that's able to
help users better maintain their position fix when navigating through cities
worldwide.
Multi-satellite support also increases signal availability
in urban areas where buildings can obstruct the sky and limit the number of
visible satellites. Galileo has 15 operational satellites in orbit and three
that are in testing, compared to 31 GPS satellites and 24 GLONASS satellites.
By 2020, Galileo is expected to have 30 satellites operational.
Worldwide support for QZSS is also new in Apple's 2017
iPhone lineup. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models sold in Japan previously
supported QZSS, but now all iPhones offer the feature. QZSS, unlike Galileo,
GPS, and GLONASS, is limited to three satellites and is receivable only within
Japan.
