GPS does not require the phone to be powered up to send its location, whereas an older phone does. However, a destroyed smartphone may not transmit location. Essentially, the GPS does not require battery life, and the "pinging" on the older models do.
Do you have a reference or link where I can read more about this? I don't believe this information is correct (how could an electronic device without any power communicate with GPS satellites?) but I've been wrong before. The link you posted does not support your statement: the relevant quote there is, "This means that in instances where a fugitive or other missing person has a GPS enabled cell phone (and that the phone has power when being polled, or pinged) that the cell phone can be located within a reasonable geographic area- some say within several feet of the cell phone." (emphasis mine)