Chips will use data from both US and Russian satellites
Qualcomm has planned to boost location detection of its Snapdragon S2 and S3 mobile processors. Currently, the chips use the 24 satellite GPS network to get a fix on a device's location. It will soon be adding support for the 27-satellite GLONASS network Russia uses.
Smartphones today require a line-of-site fix from four satellites in order to determine the device's location. The satellites are spread out above the Earth and are constantly moving. Getting a signal from four, especially in urban areas, is complicated and often time consuming. By adding the 27 GLONASS satellites as reference nodes, site determination is quicker and more accurate. With the dual network, a phone's location can be found with an accuracy of within two meters (six feet, six inches).
A collateral benefit is extended battery life. The GLONASS service is only activated when the Snapdragon processor can't find a location using the default GPS satellites. This leads to faster detection with less power consumption.
