GPS phones is quickly becoming a very popular gadget. Aside from being just a means of mobile communication, this wonderful gadget now allows people to use it as a tool to find their way in case they get lost. It becomes quite a useful tool especially for people who often get lost in a myriad of streets and for tourists unfamiliar with the different areas in a city they are visiting. Such an ingenious device are now available out in the consumer market for people to use.

GPS phones can provide its users with turn by turn directions to their destination in case they find themselves lost in an unfamiliar street. These phones are equipped with their own GPS receivers to pinpoint the exact location of a lost user. GPS phones actually combine GPS technology with the cellular phone technology in order to help locate one's location.

Basically, a cell phone gets its signal to transmit and receive calls by means of a series of towers and base stations. These are arranged in a network of cells that send and receive radio signals. The cell phones themselves contain low power transmitters that allow them to communicate with the nearest tower.

While moving from one cell to another, the base stations continuously monitor the strength of the cell phone's signal. The signal diminishes as one moves towards the edge of a certain cell. And at the same time, the base station of the next cell tower that the phone is going towards will detect the increasing strength of the signal. As the phone moves from one cell to another, the cell towers transfer its signal from each other.

Even without a GPS receiver, the technology that makes cell phones work may be able to pinpoint a user's location. In order to do this, the cell phone should be able to determine its location based on measurements of the signal coming from the network of cell towers and base stations. This usually involves calculating for the angle of approach to cell towers, the time it takes for a signal to travel to multiple towers and the strength of the phone's signal.

With this information, cell phones would be able to pinpoint its location. But certain obstructions such as trees and buildings can sometimes affect the accuracy of the signal information, this technology alone may not be able to provide users with precise location data. That is why most cell phones are now equipped with GPS receivers to allow for a more accurate position fix.

Most GPS enabled cell phones today provide additional features for its users. For one, there is a location tracking feature that allows other people to track the location of other people through their GPS enabled cell phones. These phones can also provide turn by turn instructions that can be viewed on the phone's display screen in case a user might need it. Others may also provide the instructions through the phone's speaker. These services are usually provided by companies that charge monthly fees to acquire such services.