The pilot programme, launched in collaboration with OPPO, Qualcomm Technologies and Swift Navigation, marks Southeast Asia’s first deployment of high-accuracy GPS in a mobile phone and app integration.
SINGAPORE, Nov. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Grab Singapore has launched a pilot programme that uses high accuracy lane-level GPS positioning to enhance the navigation experience for its driver- and delivery-partners in Singapore. The pilot, rolled out in collaboration with Oppo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc, and Swift Navigation, also marks the first deployment of high- accuracy GPS positioning on mobile phones and app integration in Southeast Asia, delivering unprecedented outdoor location accuracy for Grab’s partners.
As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the GrabMaps navigation experience, Grab continually explores new technologies to help improve accuracy and reliability for its driver- and delivery-partners. In dense urban environments such as Singapore’s high-rise buildings, multi-level roads, and underground networks can degrade standard GPS accuracy above 20 metres, complicating navigation between pick-ups and drop-offs, and reducing ETA accuracy.
By bringing together leading technology partners to create an advanced navigation system, Grab’s driver- and delivery-partners can now pinpoint their location with higher accuracy, improving navigation efficiency in GPS-challenging environments, while enabling smoother pick-ups and reduced cancellations.
The pilot taps on the individual expertise of the following partners:
- OPPO, which provides its Find N5 foldable phone with Dual Frequency GNSS capable of supporting the latest positioning technology.
- Qualcomm Technologies, which activates the Meter-Level Positioning for Mobile featured in the Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform that powers the OPPO Find N5, enabling real-time GPS correction signals.
- Swift Navigation, which provides its cloud-based Skylark™ Precise Positioning Service that uses advanced atmospheric modelling to correct GPS signal errors and deliver 10x greater positioning accuracy. Skylark is built on top of a network of ground reference stations operated in partnership with network operators around the world, including Singapore Land Authority (SLA). SLA operates the Singapore Satellite Positioning Reference Network (SiReNT) which provides Skylark with accurate GNSS data to enable precise positioning for last mile ride hailing and logistics in Singapore.
Together, these technologies power the pilot, with OPPO’s Find N5 foldable phone, Qualcomm Technologies’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, and Swift Navigation’s Skylark working in concert to deliver precision navigation experiences. Through learnings from this pilot, Grab plans to extend the enhanced positioning capability to its proprietary Karta devices in the near future — broadening access to precise navigation technology and ensuring more driver- and delivery-partners can benefit from it over time.
“Grab is the first to bring this level of precise positioning technology to ride-hailing in Southeast Asia,” said Nilofer Christensen, Head of Consumer Product, GrabMaps. “Driver- and delivery-partners will be driving with technology that is at the cutting edge — similar to high-precision positioning technology used in autonomous vehicles and even motorsports. With advanced devices and precision GPS corrections working together, our partners can navigate urban environments more accurately, improving efficiency and unlocking new earning potential.”
“At OPPO, innovation is always driven by our principle of Benfen – staying user-centric and understanding what truly matters to users, creating meaningful value for them, and enhancing their interaction with the world through technology,” said Gary Dong, President of OPPO, Asia Pacific. “Through this collaboration with Grab, Qualcomm Technologies, and Swift Navigation, we’re proud to extend OPPO’s mobile innovation into the realm of precision navigation. By leveraging the advanced dual-frequency capabilities of the OPPO Find N5 foldable, powered by the Snapdragon 8 platform, we are enabling Grab’s driver- and delivery- partners to navigate with confidence and accuracy, even in Singapore’s most complex urban environments.”
“This collaboration with Grab, OPPO, and Swift Navigation marks an important innovation in bringing high accuracy positioning to mobile devices,” said Francesco Grilli, Vice President, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are excited to see how this pilot drives innovation to enhance the driver experience and discover new possibilities for navigation and location-based services in dense urban environments.”
“This pilot with Grab, OPPO, and Qualcomm Technologies is a breakthrough for global mobility,” said Holger Ippach, EVP of Product and Marketing at Swift Navigation. “Grab is among the first in the world to successfully integrate precise GPS into a mobile app, making lane-level accuracy a reality for their users. While Skylark already powers more than 10 million ADAS-enabled and autonomous vehicles, outdoor robots, and digital mapping applications, Grab, OPPO, and Qualcomm are establishing the new benchmark for the next generation of mobile navigation—a standard the entire industry will follow.”
Improving navigation efficiency
To address GPS blind spots underground, Grab has also begun mapping basements and carparks across Singapore using its proprietary KartaCam devices and LiDAR technology. This ongoing effort will progressively cover more locations, to improve accuracy in developments where signals are typically lost. Grab’s improved positioning system delivers a highly accurate location as the vehicle enters these areas, enabling a precise handoff to the dead-reckoning system used in underground navigation. Combined with advanced map-matching algorithms, this system preserves turn-by-turn navigation underground, making pickups smoother and saving time. This ongoing effort will progressively cover more locations, to improve accuracy in developments where signals are typically lost. As of November 2025, basement carparks of hotels1, shopping malls2 around the Marina Bay area have been mapped out.
Above ground, this pilot is set to improve driver- and delivery-partners’ everyday experiences. With greater positioning precision, partners can maintain seamless service even in challenging locations.
The pilot, which began in October 2025, saw nearly 250 select driver- and delivery-partners take part — including around 60 partners who received Oppo N5 foldable devices through sponsorship by Grab and Oppo. Each phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform and Swift Navigation’s Skylark, which Grab has integrated to provide partners access to its high-precision GPS network. When driver-partners on the OPPO Find N5 foldable phone access the Grab Driver App and use GrabMaps for navigation, the app seamlessly receives high accuracy location, improving their navigation experience in real-world
“In the past, GPS signals could get quite weak in the CBD, especially around tall buildings where the signal bounces around. With this pilot, the location accuracy feels much sharper, more stable and navigation updates happen almost instantaneously. It really helps me get to pick-up points faster,with less guesswork and more confidence to meet my riders promptly,” said Santho Rudy Peter, 47 years old, Grab Driver-Partner.
Enhancing experience for consumers
For consumers, this translates into more accurate estimated arrival times, fewer delays, and fewer cancellations caused by missed turns or complex journeys. Whether it is a pickup from the correct entrance of a busy mall, or a food delivery to the right apartment tower, enhanced lane-level accuracy helps ensure services arrive exactly where they are needed, reinforcing Grab’s commitment to reliability and consistency.
This pilot is the first step toward Grab’s vision of lane-level navigation in Singapore and beyond. By working with technology leaders in hardware, chipsets, and correction signals, Grab is laying the foundation for smoother, faster, and more reliable journeys across Southeast Asia.
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About Grab
Grab is a leading superapp in Southeast Asia, operating across the deliveries, mobility and digital financial services sectors. Serving over 800 cities in eight Southeast Asian countries – Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – Grab enables millions of people everyday to order food or groceries, send packages, hail a ride or taxi, pay for online purchases or access services such as lending and insurance, all through a single app. We operate supermarkets in Malaysia under Jaya Grocer and Everrise, which enables us to bring the convenience of on-demand grocery delivery to more consumers in the country. As part of our financial services offerings, we also provide digital banking services through GXS Bank in Singapore and GXBank in Malaysia. Grab was founded in 2012 with the mission to drive Southeast Asia forward by creating economic empowerment for everyone. Grab strives to serve a triple bottom line – we aim to simultaneously deliver financial performance for our shareholders and have a positive social impact, which includes economic empowerment for millions of people in the region, while mitigating our environmental footprint.
About OPPO
OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone – “Smiley Face” – in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO also provides its users with the ColorOS operating system and internet services. OPPO has footprints in more than 70 countries and regions, with more than 40,000 employees dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world.
About Qualcomm
Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc and/or its subsidiaries.
Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks or registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.
About Swift Navigation
Swift Navigation is a global technology company pioneering reliable, affordable high-accuracy satellite positioning to unlock autonomy and automation at scale. Its SkylarkTM Precise Positioning Service improves the accuracy of standard Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS, from several meters to a few centimeters. Skylark powers more than 10 million vehicles and devices deployed by leading automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, robotics companies, and IoT system integrators. Skylark is available across North America, Europe, and Asia. Learn more about how Swift is building the infrastructure to enable a safer and more productive future at swiftnav.com.
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1 Hotels mapped around the area include Mandarin Oriental, Park Royal Marina Bay, Ritz Carlton
2 Shopping malls mapped around the area include Marina Square, Millenia Walk, Millenia Singapore.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b643d71c-7443-4826-89f1-a0e55892e211
