Talk and Track: GPS Cell Phones

The recent increase in demand for improved 911 emergency calling capabilities has created a new crop of cell phones with GPS tracking technology. Consumer reports note that this leap was actually inspired by the events of 9/11. At that time, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) had released orders that required all cell phone carriers to provide the ability to trace cell phone calls to a location within 100 meters or less.

In order to conform to these requirements set by the FCC, most cell phone carriers have decided to integrate the GPS technology into their cell phone handsets. Many have opted for this move rather than overhauling the tower network.

However, the cell phone GPS tracking in most mobile phones is not like those in your handy GPS receiver which allows you to take hiking in the outdoors. Most cell phones do not even allow the user direct contact to the GPS data. There are also some units that accurate location data is only recorded if an emergency call is made or if special arrangements are made with a location-based service provider (LBS).

If you do wish to have access to GPS tracking services through your cell phone, all is not lost. There are now fully GPS-enabled phones that may be used in conjunction with location-based, third party services. Nokia, Motorola, and Beneflon are among the brands offering these phones.

Let's take a look at these cell phone GPS tracking devices one by one.

Nokia

Nokia recently announced plans to provide accessible Xpress-On GPS optional hardware for owners of Nokia model 5140 phones in North America. This Xpress-On GPS optional hardware provides location service applications over GSM wireless networks.

Motorola

You may already know that Motorola manufactures a series of cell phone GPS tracking units for Nextel. In particular, these cell phone GPS tracking units include the Motorola i205, i305, i530, i710, i730, i733, i736 and i830 iDEN(TM). According to Motorola, the programmability of these GPS-enabled cell phones allows the developers to create applications that make the GPS data much more readily available to the user, as well as the location-based service providers.

Nextel

Nextel now offers a number of cell phone GPS tracking solutions for use with the above mentioned Motorola phones. The Mobile Locater is one of the most notable cell phone GPS tracking solutions developed by Nextel, while additional solutions are supplied by Mapquest, Trimble and Nextel affiliates.

Beneflon

The Track Pro and ESC are two cell phones with GPS tracking devices developed by Beneflon. These solutions are high-end cell phones designed for use in professional security and personal safety applications. Users of these phones enjoy a fully-functioning GPS unit that provides accurate location data without network assistance. It's important to note that while these are not Internet-enabled devices, they do have a number of features that are perfectly suited for interactive communication between the user and the service center. Additionally, Beneflon itself is a multi-band GSM wireless network phone that can be used in a number of countries around the world, making it one of the best choices of cell phones with GPS tracking equipment.