Sometimes a smartphone’s location tracking can fail its user during critical moments due to a lack of signal or, at times, by getting the user’s location wrong. Even when GPS is accurate, most location tracking systems are off by more than a few feet. Additional data is needed to improve upon that, which is where Trimble comes in.
Trimble RTX (not to be confused with NVIDIA’s latest-gen graphics cards) offers a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) service that promises accuracy down to a single meter, which is around 3 feet. This is five times better than what we have today, according to the company, which says this kind of accuracy will soon be under your fingertips, literally. Qualcomm and Trimble are taking their relationship to the next level and, as a result, Trimble’s RTX GNSS will soon be available on Android smartphones running the latest Snapdragon chips.
This isn’t the first time the companies have brought their technologies together. The partnership started years ago, but it initially revolved around in-vehicle navigation with the goal of bringing high-accuracy positioning to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and self-driving cars powered by Snapdragon silicon. Now it looks like you won’t need a smart car to enjoy those benefits.