Apple Adds Support for NavIC on iPhone 15 Models
Image Credits: Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch
Apple has announced that it has extended support for NavIC to some of its new iPhone 15 models. This move appears to be in compliance with New Delhi’s push to adopt India’s home-grown alternative to the GPS navigation system.
On the tech specs page of the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple states that the new models support NavIC. This marks the first time Apple has added support for NavIC to any of its iPhone models. However, the specific features included in the deployment have not been specified. Apple has yet to comment on the matter.
It is worth noting that the standard iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus variants do not support NavIC, according to their official tech specs.
NavIC, also known as Navigation with Indian Constellation, became operational in India in 2018. It is India’s ambitious attempt to build an independent standalone navigation satellite system. Developed by India’s space research organization ISRO, NavIC provides accurate positioning and timing information over India and the surrounding region.
With over half a dozen satellites, NavIC offers coverage across the entirety of India’s landmass.
The applications of NavIC are vast and diverse, ranging from transportation (terrestrial, aerial, and marine) to location-based services, personal mobility, resource monitoring, surveying and geodesy, scientific research, time dissemination and synchronization, as well as safety-of-life alert dissemination, according to ISRO.
Last year, India began encouraging smartphone manufacturers to add support for NavIC within a few quarters, as reported by Reuters. Many manufacturers were concerned about the potential increase in cost due to the necessary hardware changes.
Interestingly, the global iPhone 15 Pro models also support NavIC, according to their official specs pages. Additionally, other smartphones such as Xiaomi’s Mi 11X, 11T Pro, OnePlus Nord 2T, and Realme 9 Pro also support NavIC.
With Apple’s inclusion of NavIC support in its latest iPhone models, it is clear that the Indian navigation system is gaining recognition and importance in the global smartphone market. This move by Apple may encourage other smartphone manufacturers to follow suit and support NavIC, further solidifying its position in the industry.