Android getLatitude() returns geodetic or geocentric latitude?

Question

Does Android's location.getLatitude() method give a geodetic or geocentric latitude?

If geodetic, is it based on the WGS84 or GR80 ellipsoid?

The API specification is surprising lacking, it only states:

public double getLatitude ()

Since: API Level 1
Returns the latitude of this fix.

http://developer.android.com/reference/android/location/Location.html#getLatitude()

Thanks for any help here.

Answer 1

Geodetic latitudes are used for most common purposes, e.g. maps. It would then be very strange for the API to report anything else. Geocentric latitudes have uses in more specialised and academic fields than mapping.

It's an interesting question (+1) and I'm curious to know if it was geocentric latitudes you were hoping for, and if so what lead to the question.

Your second question: The position is derived ultimately from GPS, whether made from the device itself, A-GPS or not, or trilaterated from the signal strength from the mobile carrier's towers, that in turn have precise GPS positions. And it is the WGS84 ellipsoid that is used with GPS by definition, and not the GRS80 ellipsoid, which differs ever so slightly from WGS84.

I can't prove it, but it's very safe to assume geodetic latitudes based on WGS84.