samsung galaxy s 2 - Is there a way to get GPS to work without Google Location Service constantly enabled?

The GPS on my Samsung Galaxy S2 cannot find my current location whenever Google Location Service is disabled. I have it disabled most of the time because my battery drains much faster when the service is enabled. I disable the option via System Settings -> Location Services -> Google location service. In the figure below I'm referring to the top option.

Is there a way to do one of these things:

1. Somehow obtain my coordinates using GPS without Location Services enabled?



2. Intelligently switch on/off Google Location Service when I need it (i.e. like when I'm using my GPS)


3. Keep Google Location Service enabled, but somehow prevent it from draining battery.

In short, the problem I want to solve is to get my location coordinates without having Google Location Service drain my battery.

I'm running ICS 4.0.3 on AT&T's network.

Answer

You can still use GPS without having Google location services enabled. When you disable the location services you are opting out of sending data to Google. Google location services is actually an internet database (Google Location Server) that is made available to mobile device manufacturers as an application licensed by Google. This is the database that is updated with WiFi and cell ID data from devices running Android, and was initially populated with data collected by the Street View cars (up until 2010 anyway). It helps your device obtain a quicker initial fix by using WiFi AP or Cell ID information. It is used to augment the GPS, uses less battery life, and is sometimes used instead of GPS if you are indoors or do not have strong GPS signal.

As noted on Google's support site, for ICS 4.0+ Maps will still work with just the GPS activated. http://support.google.com/gmm/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=165333

In short, the settings you have above should allow you to use your GPS without the help of the cellular network or nearby Wi-Fi APs. You will have to be outdoors in order to use this feature though, and it can take up to 4 minutes to get a location. So if you are waiting on a fix and you have Google location services disabled, you'll have to be patient.

Let's address the battery drain--review the third-party location-aware applications you have installed. Some are poorly programmed and could be requesting GPS refreshes at a high rate, taxing your battery. Also if you are only using GPS to navigate, it is a battery hog.