The iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and upcoming iPhone X include support for Galileo, Europe's Global Satellite Navigation System. While this information has been listed on Apple's iPhone technical specifications page since the devices debuted earlier this month, it's a feature update that's received little attention.

Galileo joins existing support for the Global Positioning System (GPS) operated by the U.S. government, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) operated by the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces, and QZSS, the regional Quasi-Zenith Satellite System used in Japan.

galileo
According to the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency, Galileo support in the new iPhones will allow users to benefit from more precise positioning that's able to combine GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo signals. Galileo, says the agency, has a modern signal structure that's able to help users better maintain their position fix when navigating through cities worldwide.

Multi-satellite support also increases signal availability in urban areas where buildings can obstruct the sky and limit the number of visible satellites. Galileo has 15 operational satellites in orbit and three that are in testing, compared to 31 GPS satellites and 24 GLONASS satellites. By 2020, Galileo is expected to have 30 satellites operational.

Worldwide support for QZSS is also new in Apple's 2017 iPhone lineup. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models sold in Japan previously supported QZSS, but now all iPhones offer the feature. QZSS, unlike Galileo, GPS, and GLONASS, is limited to three satellites and is receivable only within Japan.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

luvbug Avatar
luvbug
109 months ago
This is such a catch-up phone. Still not even there.
Low res IPS, small battery, huge top and bottom bezels, still limited in all sorts of ways by the OS.

Not to mention the notebook and PC lines... Full of stupid.

The event this year was the most sad ever. They were clearly humbled and knew what they were offering wasn't good.
Get rid of the management. Catch up faster. Fix these idiotic decisions being made.
What, are you a speech writer for Trump, just slumming on an Apple board for the evening?

Sad ...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gusping Avatar
gusping
109 months ago
Great! Belgium is twice in that picture (the atomium - the large atom - and the city hall of Brussels) where large countries like France, UK and Germany are only once in the picture. :D
Not bad considering it is not a real country.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
reallynotnick Avatar
reallynotnick
109 months ago
Curious if anyone has tested this and seen a noticeable difference?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
campyguy Avatar
campyguy
109 months ago
This is the time of year for some of us to buy new iPhones, but I'm sticking with my 6S+ for now. I spent my money (about $700) on a one-day ticket to the yearly ION GNSS+ so I could go to one GPS-related seminar. Broadcom announced what I was looking forward to hearing about - a new chip that will likely go into smartphones and tap into the L5 frequency. I couldn't squeeze what smartphones will get this chip out of the reps. :mad: We're not down to a gnat's ass yet, but we're getting close…

Here's a summary over at IEEE Spectrum: Superaccurate GPS Chips Coming to Smartphones in 2018 ('https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/design/superaccurate-gps-chips-coming-to-smartphones-in-2018')
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Compote Avatar
Compote
109 months ago
This is such a catch-up phone. Still not even there.
Low res IPS, small battery, huge top and bottom bezels, still limited in all sorts of ways by the OS.

Not to mention the notebook and PC lines... Full of stupid.

The event this year was the most sad ever. They were clearly humbled and knew what they were offering wasn't good.
Get rid of the management. Catch up faster. Fix these idiotic decisions being made.
"Full of stupid" ? Are you the Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga villain, Fawful?



I agree that Apple is having an annus horribilis with its iPhone line. But the iPad Pro 10.5 sent the competition blasting off once again.

You should probably move to MacHaters.com
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jakebro Avatar
jakebro
109 months ago
Galileo really is a major improvement to existing positioning systems. There are only three such systems with global coverage: the United States' Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), and the European Union's Galileo. For comparison, the accuracy of GPS is 5 metres, GLONASS is 2 metres, and Galileo is 1 centimetre.

Also, Galileo provides a new global search and rescue service. Its satellites could relay a distress signal from an iPhone (if Apple supports it) to the nearest rescue centre (under the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme), which will then begin a rescue operation. Also, its the first positioning system that can return a message to inform the user that their distress signal has been received and help is on its way.

All new cars sold in the EU will be required to support Galileo from 2020.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
Read Full Article • 70 comments
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
Read Full Article • 65 comments
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...
Read Full Article • 54 comments
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
Read Full Article • 65 comments
Verizon New

Verizon Offering $20 Credit After Major Outage, Here's How to Get It

Thursday January 15, 2026 7:37 am PST by
Verizon today announced it will be offering customers a $20 account credit after a major outage on Wednesday, and action is required to receive it. The carrier said affected customers can accept the credit by logging into the My Verizon app, but it might take some time before this option shows up in the app. Affected customers will receive a text message when the credit is available. On...
Read Full Article • 50 comments