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General discussion

tablets sensors and GPS accuracy : where is the real data?

Mar 22, 2013 10:48AM PDT

After a very, very long and exhaustive Google search (and I have a PhD in Google searches), here is the awful truth:
Impossible for the average customer to compare the quality, accuracy, precision, refresh rate, or any other characteristic of all the tablets on the market, android, iStuff or anything else when it comes to SENSORS and GPS.
(I mean: without having to search and download all kind of technical documents intended to be understood by a minority of specialist)

Of course, why would we need to know whether the GPS chipset in a nexus 10 has a refresh rate of 1hz, 5hz or 10hz? I mean, who cares? it has a GPS, period.

Who needs to measure the accelerometer, gyro, compass accuracy? It is good enough to play Angry Birds 3D, that's all we ask for.
But well, here I am, looking to use a tablet away from my couch, and needing to know this kind of information. So, who do I have to pay to steal this secret information and put it in a table somewhere, so people finally know what kind of performance they can expect from their tablet?

Before this topic takes an ugly turn, I would like to mention that I am not planning to discuss the fact that such tablet has a GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, such doesn't, yes it works without service or coverage, no it doesn't. What I am interested in knowing, backed up with figures, links, data, etc. is:
- what is the maximum refresh rate of the current tablets equipped with a GPS?
- Can this rate be modified, optimized, without looking under the hood? To be adapted to the speed of the activity?
- how accurate are these devices to record quick and sudden acceleration and deceleration?
- how and where can these performances be compared between tablets?

Hoping that you guys are smarter than I am and can answer some of these questions.

Discussion is locked

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Small world.
Mar 23, 2013 1:43AM PDT

I go to the developer and shows and one of the shows had a talk all about the sensors. The rate changes dramatically higher when you write a native app versus the usual java code.

The developer giving the talk supplied their tests and more which was very interesting to know.

Sorry I didn't take a lot of notes but did take pictures of the slides.

And in short, they measured the results of their testing.

Hope this helps,
Bob

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re: small world
Mar 25, 2013 12:09PM PDT

Thanks for the info. Do you know where you found this info? and about which tablet?
That's exactly what I'm looking for but I'll need more details.

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Click on my name.
Mar 25, 2013 2:57PM PDT

Email me and I'll look around for the pictures. Sorry, that's all I can offer beyond what I noted.

-> Again, if you don't go native, you won't get the speed. I don't think why is covered in the pictures so I'll write it as best as I can in one sentence.

-> For example, a sensor rate is normalized so that all tables give about the same samples per second for the JAVA API.

The only way to get more is to go native. As a developer you know what this means.
Bob