CODEWITHSUNDEEP
androidlocation
AndroidDev
AndroidDev

Reputation: 691

Android's most accurate Location API

In order to work, my app requires a location API. I intend use the Mapbox platform to customize its design (since Google Maps does not provide this level of customization, as far as I am concerned).

Documentation says that we should use Google Play API when building location apps:

The Google Play services location APIs are preferred over the Android framework location APIs (android.location) as a way of adding location awareness to your app. If you are currently using the Android framework location APIs, you are strongly encouraged to switch to the Google Play services location APIs as soon as possible.

My question is: Is Google Play API the most efficient API when it comes to GPS accuracy? Or should I use the LocationManager and LocationListener way of doing it?

I need accuracy. Which one should I use? Thanks.

Upvotes: 19

Views: 30672

Answers (4)

Dharvik shah
Dharvik shah

Reputation: 1989

In android also there are three types of location :

  1. GPS_PROVIDER
  2. NETWORK_PROVIDER
  3. PASSIVE_PROVIDER

So, as per my coding experience I came to know that if you use :

locationManager.requestLocationUpdates(LocationManager.GPS_PROVIDER, 5000, 10, new MyLocationListener());

you will get precision upto 14+ decimal places.

But if you use fusion of them like this :

LocationServices.FusedLocationApi.requestLocationUpdates(mGoogleApiClient, mLocationRequest, my_google_listener);

you will get precision upto 6 to 7 decimal places. try it !!! reference

But note few things here that, GPS Provider takes time to fetch location while Google Location is much faster as it gets data from API call to its google server database.

GPS works offline while google provider gets the location via mobile or wifi data.

Upvotes: 20

Levon Petrosyan
Levon Petrosyan

Reputation: 9625

FusedLocationProviderApi is deprecated.You should use FusedLocationProviderClient and you should add ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION permission,not ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION to get the most accurate location.

And read this article to understand why FusedLocationProviderClient is the best solution.

Upvotes: 3

sichevoid
sichevoid

Reputation: 21

In my experience, the Google Services Location API are preferable to use in following aspects:

  • they deal with user settings, choosing the best available location provider. If you choose to work with LocationManager directly, your code will need to handle that.
  • you might expect to get a better location with less power usage, as Google regularly updates their algorithms for determining location using WiFi, cell towers, etc.

In my experience, using Google Services, location with accuracy sufficient for a mapping application (that is some tens meters) in many cases does not require GPS data. That might also be the case with FusedLocationProvider, though, maybe with an exception for the battery usage numbers.

To conclude, if you don't have arguments to NOT use Google Services (such as - you target a country where they are not available, or want to distribute via alternative markets) you should use their Location API.

Upvotes: 1

NitZRobotKoder
NitZRobotKoder

Reputation: 1086

Use FusedLocationProviderApi and set LocationRequest priority to PRIORITY_HIGH_ACCURACY

This is newest API for accurate location fetch and google suggest to use the same.

Check Accuracy details here.

Basically Google play services API has intelligence to get accurate location by fusing GPS+NetworkProvider+passive providers.

Upvotes: 6

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