Most cell phone users have a cell phone feature that they didn’t even know they’d. Not everybody knows that their phone is equipped with a GPS tracking device. However, the question that arises is that does that sound scary or cool?

To most people, it sounds both good and bad. While many people are scared that a GPS function on cell phones brings us one step closer to a ‘Big Brother’ type of society, many others are excited for the features it offers users.

In addition to the features that benefit consumers, such as maps, directions and restaurant and Movie Theater locating devices, the GPS enabled cell phone provides emergency call centers with information vital to saving lives.

Unfortunately, it’s quite often that someone calls 911 to report an accident, fire or other emergency, and when asked where they’re, they have the ability to only say the name of the town they’re near, or the highway on which they’re driving.

In such cases, the location information is insufficient. This is why cell phones are now GPS enabled; call centers can trace your location through GPS just like they’ve been able to trace calls from land-lines for so many years.

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What’s In It for Consumers?

While the above-mentioned safety feature is designed for use for emergency purposes, cell phone companies have taken the GPS cell phone far beyond this basic 911-enhanced phone.

In order to make GPS appealing to consumers, cell phone providers have created many ways that cell phone users can use the GPS feature on cell phones for themselves, regardless of whether or not the 911-enhancement is ever used.

Most cell phone service providers have made directions and maps available as part of the GPS feature of their phones. Before you get too excited about this, you have to know that this service isn’t an added bonus on your existing service; using your cell phone for maps and directions requires and additional service plan that averages around $10 per month.

If you’re averse to yet another monthly subscription to be paid, there are software programs that, for a one-time-only-fee of buying the software, can bring the same features to your GPS cell phone.

As technology advances, some of these GPS cell phones can even be used as handheld GPS devices simply to be used while walking or biking.

The earlier and less expensive versions require an antenna on your automobile as well as a console in your vehicle, but the wave of the future is upon us, if consumers are willing to pay the price for it. It seems that already many consumers are buying into the navigation generation of cell phones.

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