ST-Ericsson claims to have one of the smallest receivers capable of picking up signals from both GPS and GLONASS positioning satellites.
The claim is this will make positioning of mobile phones more reliable.
The combination of GPS and GLONASS, will enable devices to retrieve positioning data from more than 50 satellites by the end of 2011.
“GLONASS and GPS technology dramatically improves positioning accuracy in dense "urban canyon environments", where tall buildings can obscure satellite signals, as well as significantly reducing the time it takes to initially determine a device's location,” said the company .
The firm’s CG1950 is the first GPS/GLONASS receiver will be fabbed in a 45nm chip which is designed to be integrated into mobile phones, camcorders, cameras and other mobile devices.
"This breakthrough will also mean more precise positioning, fueling demand for augmented reality applications and other sophisticated location-based services that depend on very accurate readings," said Thierry Tingaud, senior v-p entry solutions and connectivity division of ST-Ericsson.
"The frustration of waiting for your device to locate you will be a thing of the past once receivers can connect to both GPS and GLONASS satellites," said Tingaud.
Designed for low power the CG1950 enables continuous GNSS tracking for more than 30 hours with a standard 850mAh battery.
Set to be in commercial handsets by the third-quarter of 2011, the CG1950 will be available both as a standalone component and integrated into ST-Ericsson complete cellular platforms.