Smartphone vs. consumer-grade gnss for field studies: a statistical comparison

Abstract

Smartphones have replaced not only the telephone but also most other devices such as camera, computer, torch, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) devices etc., used in our day-to-day activities due to their multifunctionality. However, the accuracy of the inbuilt GNSS receivers on smartphones can be ambiguous and has concerns when used in field investigations due to internal and external factors. Despite the fact that these factors are well known, the degree of influence of these factors on the accuracy of components of location data provided by smartphones is unexplored. This study aims to statistically assess the influence of three factors (time of the day, landscape characteristics, and ability to track signals of multiple GNSS constellations) on the accuracy of spatial data provided by smartphone GNSS. The horizontal and vertical accuracies of smartphones are within 40 m and 15 m, respectively. The results reveal that the ability to track multi-constellation and landscape properties, respectively, has a significant influence on the horizontal and vertical accuracies of smartphone location information. Further, this study also provides insights to improve the reliability of spatial data collection using smartphones in outdoor environments.