Now most of the mobile phones on market have adapted to China’s homegrown Beidou Navigation Satellite System, including those of Huawei, Xiaomi, HTC, Meizu and Nubia.

The reception of Beidou signal depends on the positioning chips of the mobile phones. At present, most of the chips simultaneously support the three major positioning systems, namely the US’s Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia's GLONASS, and China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System.

As a matter of fact, mobile phones are not the first field of application for the China-developed positioning system. China’s Ministry of Transport stipulated that all bus tour charters and vehicles carrying hazardous materials should install the Beidou system starting from the beginning of 2013.

According to Ran Chengqi, director general of the China Satellite Navigation Office and Beidou spokesperson, around 4.8 million commercial vehicles in China have been equipped with the Beidou system, making it the world’s largest collection of vehicles connected via the internet.

In addition, each local government in China has incorporated Beidou into their Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS). These stations were used to receive GPS signals, and now they have become more functional, economical and efficient.

For instance, Beijing is now home to over 20 CORS, realizing centimeter-level accuracy in positioning service.