In a notable development, Apple has expanded its support for NavIC, India's indigenous navigation satellite system, to its new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. This move is seen as Apple's response to New Delhi's push to embrace NavIC as an alternative to the GPS navigation system.
On the official tech specs page for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple confirms the inclusion of NavIC support. Notably, this marks the first time that Apple has integrated NavIC support into any of its iPhone models. However, the specific features and capabilities that will be enabled by this deployment have not been disclosed by Apple. As of now, there has been no official response from Apple regarding this development.
It's important to note that the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus variants do not include NavIC support, as per their official technical specifications.
NavIC, short for Navigation with Indian Constellation, was made operational in India in 2018. This ambitious project, developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), aims to establish an independent and self-reliant navigation satellite system. NavIC offers highly accurate positioning and timing information across India and its surrounding regions.
NavIC's applications are diverse, covering various domains such as transportation (terrestrial, aerial, and marine), location-based services, personal mobility, resource monitoring, surveying, scientific research, time synchronization, and safety-of-life alert dissemination, according to ISRO.
India had initiated efforts to encourage smartphone manufacturers to incorporate NavIC support into their devices last year. This move was aimed at promoting the use of India's own navigation system. While many smartphone manufacturers were initially concerned that hardware adjustments would raise the cost of their phones, several brands, including Xiaomi, OnePlus, and Realme, have already embraced NavIC support in their devices.
Notably, the global models of iPhone 15 Pro also offer NavIC support, as confirmed by their official specifications pages. This expansion of NavIC support to a renowned brand like Apple is a significant step toward establishing India's navigation satellite system as a reliable and widely adopted alternative to GPS. It reflects India's commitment to fostering technological innovation and self-sufficiency in the field of navigation.
