Buying a smartphone, we purchase a multifunction device. This is a phone, a mini-computer, and a photo / video camera, and a flash drive, and a player, and a voice recorder, and a clock, and a fairly accurate navigator. As for the latter quality, we are already used to the GLONASS and GPS systems that this device supports. But Beidou - what is it in a smartphone? We will devote an article to the answer to this question.
Introducing Beidou
So, you bought a brand new gadget. Among other things, in its technical characteristics you find: support for the Beidou satellite system. Sometimes in the section devoted to navigation parameters, it is also called the acronym BDS. But what is it?
Beidou is a navigation system of Chinese origin. It is similar to the American GPS and domestic GLONASS. Named after the constellation Ursa Major. It is not so new - in test mode it was launched back in 2000. However, it took inventors more than a decade to finalize it to the modern state. What is Beidou in a smartphone, a circle of Chinese users learned only in 2012
"Beidou" is a navigation system not only civilian, but also military. According to tests conducted in 2014, its greatest error is only 1 meter!
Operating principle
To understand in more detail what it is in a smartphone - Beidou, a brief acquaintance with the principles of the system will help us. They are, in general, the same as those of GLONASS and GPS.
The whole system is two structures:
- Space - several satellites orbiting in near-planet orbits.
- Ground - stations on Earth that increase the accuracy of navigation, the speed of the entire system.
How is the location in Beidou determined? It’s very simple - by measuring the time it takes for the radio wave to pass from the receiver (in your case it’s a smartphone, tablet, car or tourist navigator) to the satellite or ground tower. It should be noted that before indicating where you are, Beidou will check information from 3 sources.
Radio wave measurements are used due to the fact that its speed is static - always equal to the speed of light.
Beidou today
Having learned what it is in a Beidou smartphone, the reader will ask a logical question: "But will the Chinese navigation system replace the usual GPS and GLONASS in the near future?" As for the current year, Beidou is not a full competitor of these systems. After all, most of its ground towers are concentrated only on Chinese lands.
But if we look at a number of Asian countries (China itself, Thailand, Laos, Brunei), then the Beidou and GPS navigation are popular on the same level. In addition, Beidou intends to expand.
It is known that in 2013 the tower of this system was installed in Pakistan. The authorities of this country fear that in the event of a conflict with the United States they may be left without navigation at all. Therefore, they gladly responded to the proposal of the Chinese developers. In 2015, the first station was installed in Europe - in Belgium.
And as for our country, will the Beidou be useful in a smartphone? For the most part, no, so her work is unstable. Without ground towers, due to space satellites alone, it is difficult for the navigation system to show the exact location of the receiver. After all, the fact is that satellites do not stick all the time over the territory of Russia, but revolve around the Earth.
Future Beidou
If we look at measurements taken in the past, 2017, we will see that the signal from six Beidou satellites in Eastern Europe is already quite stable. Studies also confirm that in the Baltic states, the European part of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, Beidou is now operating quite well.
The developers themselves assure users that by 2020 their offspring will become a worthy replacement for the usual GPS. This will happen due to the increase in coverage - the number of space satellites is planned to be increased to 35 units. In addition, since November 2017, the Chinese began to launch into orbit devices with improved characteristics in many respects - Beidou-3.
As for you and me, it is very likely that the Beidou will replace the good old GPS in our smartphones in a couple of years. After all, it is already known that from 2015 between Russia and China the possibility of a mutually beneficial exchange is stipulated: neighbors install 3 Beidou ground stations in our country, and 3 Russian GLONASS towers will operate on their lands.
Which smartphones support Beidou?
What is it in the smartphone - Beidou, today can appreciate the owners of those gadgets that were released mainly for the Chinese market. Among the major world flagships, one can distinguish Samsung here.
We also list the world-famous smartphone models that support the Beidou module:
- Meizu M6 Note is a Chinese novelty that is gaining popularity in the world and collecting a lot of positive reviews from experts.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 8 - the most modern and functional model of the South Korean manufacturer, supporting the stylus S Pen.
- Nokia 8 - a symbol of the revival of the legendary corporation, a metal camera phone with Carl Zeiss optics.
- Xiaomi Redmi 4A is the most affordable of all the devices listed in the list, which also supports Beidou (its cost today does not go above the bar of 5 thousand rubles).
- Huawei P10 is an excellent model, which, in addition to supporting the new navigation module, is known as an excellent camera phone with Leica technology.
Does my smartphone support Beidou?
If you want to check whether your gadget supports Beidou, then this is not difficult - download the AndroiTS GPS Test app. Go to the satellite list. If there will be items with red flags (as the satellites of China say), then we can talk about the support of the Beidou smartphone.
Beidou (what it is in a smartphone, we've sorted it out) is an actively expanding navigation system that a number of popular Chinese smartphones already support. Perhaps in a few years it will become a full replacement for GPS in Russia and in the world.