When you say "turn on navigation," do you know which "star" is guiding you? Today, we will delve into the landscape of global satellite positioning systems and reveal a fact you may not know: in China, the main engine for everyday navigation has long been replaced by the BeiDou system, which was independently developed by China.

Before delving into the current state of navigation in China, let's quickly review the basic landscape of the world's four major satellite positioning systems:

I. A Panoramic View of the Four Major Systems: A "Four-Way Battle" in Space

Key Information for Each System: GPS (USA)

🕰️ History: Launched in the 1970s, fully operational in 1995

🛰️ Current Status: 31 operational satellites

🎯 Characteristics: Long-term monopoly, civilian accuracy 5-10 meters. GLONASS (Russia)

🕰️ History: Launched during the Soviet era, revived after 2000

🛰️ Current Status: 24 satellites

🎯 Characteristics: Excellent performance at high latitudes, weaker performance at low latitudes. Galileo (EU)

🕰️ History: Launched in 2003, began providing services in 2016

🛰️ Current Status: 26 satellites (planned for 30)

🎯 Characteristics: Civilian control, high design accuracy (approximately 1 meter). BeiDou (China)

🕰️ History: Launched "BeiDou-1" in 1994, completed global network in 2020

🛰️ Current Status: 35 satellites

🎯 Features: Extremely high accuracy in the Asia-Pacific region (3-5 meters), with exclusive short message communication function📱

II. The Truth About Domestic Navigation: BeiDou Has Become the "Invisible Main Force"

1. 📶 Technological Reality: Your Phone Has Already Achieved "Multi-Satellite Integration" Since around 2018, almost all smartphones sold in the Chinese market have built-in multi-system positioning modules in their chips. A key fact: When you use Baidu Maps or Gaode Maps: the app does not directly select the satellite system. The phone chip simultaneously receives signals from all visible satellites (BeiDou, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo). Within China, BeiDou satellite signals are usually the strongest and the most numerous. The chip algorithm naturally prioritizes BeiDou data, achieving a "seamless" switch🔍 How to verify? Download apps such as "BeiDou Companion" or "GNSS Test," and test in an open outdoor area. You will see that the number of BeiDou satellites connected to 20-30 satellites, often exceeding the number of GPS satellites, usually displays the Chinese flag or the "BDS" logo.