Apple Adopts India's NavIC as GPS Alternative in iPhone 15 Pro

On the technical specifications page for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple has included support for NavIC, India's indigenous alternative to the GPS navigation system. This marks the first time Apple has incorporated NavIC support into its iPhone lineup.

However, the specific features included in this deployment have not been detailed by the company, and an Apple spokesperson has not yet responded to requests for comment.

It's worth noting that the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus variants do not offer support for NavIC, as indicated in their official technical specifications.

NavIC, short for Navigation with Indian Constellation, has been operational in India since 2018. It represents India's ambitious endeavor to establish an independent and autonomous navigation satellite system. Developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), NavIC delivers precise positioning and timing information over India and the surrounding region, covering the entire expanse of India's landmass through a network of more than half a dozen satellites.

The applications of NavIC are diverse and encompass terrestrial, aerial, and marine transportation, location-based services, personal mobility, resource monitoring, surveying, geodesy, scientific research, time synchronization, and safety-of-life alert dissemination, as outlined by ISRO.

Last year, India initiated efforts to encourage smartphone manufacturers to incorporate NavIC support within a few quarters, a move that some companies were cautious about due to concerns about potential hardware cost increases, as reported by Reuters.

Furthermore, the global iPhone 15 Pro models also feature NavIC support, as confirmed by official specification pages. Numerous other smartphone models, including Xiaomi's Mi 11X and 11T Pro, OnePlus Nord 2T, and Realme 9 Pro, also offer compatibility with NavIC.