Is this the GPS issue Answer? New Radios. - Captivate General

Just ran into this article on Engadget. Is this solid proof that Samsung Galaxy S devices i.e. Captivate have hardware issues with the gps and will not be fixed by firmware update, Froyo, or settings.....I think it will not be resolved until newer devices.....This is proof to me....New Radios all around.
Samsung Devices new radios

Yeah, im betting this is a hardware issue as well. It's seems fishy that we've had updates to adress the issue, and it's still not working. ATT tries to deny there's a problem until you ask them to replace your phone. Once you want a replacement, they admit to the problem, and tell you to **** off.
I'm going to be switching providers soon as this has pissed me off beyond belief.

Uhh... the title of this and the OP are misleading. The article (and FCC letter) mention new antennas (not new radios) and the change is from the original Nexus S to the production model.
Our phones may very well have a hardware issue, but these FCC docs are not the smoking gun.

Yes I do agree that radios will be changed for carriers and different frequencies but they have changed specifically the GPS which tells us that they have looked into the issue and the only resolution is to change the hardware.

I thought it was hardware as well until i tried the Axura 5 rom that has jupiter tweaks.
i have tested 50+ miles about 25-30 turns and the turn by turn navigation is working very well now (never did before)
I never had a problem with locks. Usually took anywhere from 12-30 seconds with good accuracy when stationary but turn by turn navigation was not even an option.
With Axura i ran gps test and my average lock time was 4.9 seconds with accuracy within 25 meters.
Only missed 2 turns so far in turn by turn navigation and it corrected itself within 3 seconds to proper location which it would never do before. Axura has convinced me its not a hardware issue.

gmanunited said:
Yes I do agree that radios will be changed for carriers and different frequencies but they have changed specifically the GPS which tells us that they have looked into the issue and the only resolution is to change the hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not seen the full specs on the new Nexus S - please show what GPS radio they are now using. We know the make and model of the current Broadcom chip in the Captivate.
The articles title "Samsung Nexus S reappears at the FCC with a pair of new antennas" says nothing about radios.
The text of the letter says that the previous Nexus S, has a different antenna from a new Nexus S that was retested:
"The device is identical to the previously certified Cellular/PCS GSM/EDGE and AWS WCDMA Phone with WLAN and Bluetooth except for the BT/WIFI antenna and the GPS receiver antenna."
Again, they are comparing one version of the Nexus S to another version of the Nexus S.

My gps works so well. I'm on the ROGERS version though.

I just went back to stock from the Axura 5 rom as I couldn't get the gps to work at all. With jh7 it like partially works(kinda works while driving but always says searching for gps).

With the millions of devices sold and the identification of a serious defect that prevents advertised features from working this seems to be moving further into class action territory. Lawyers have picked up smaller cases...
Of course, if we get anything out of it it'll probably be a $5 coupon towards our next Samsung 2 year commitment phone purchase.
What's amazing to me is that Samsung knows of the problem and were all ready to ship out a completely new phone with (Nexus S) the defect until Google cried foul. Really shows you how much Samsung cares about their customers.

epoplive said:
I just went back to stock from the Axura 5 rom as I couldn't get the gps to work at all. With jh7 it like partially works(kinda works while driving but always says searching for gps).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search for Jupiter GPS fix, install that and see if it works better. I went back to JH7 from Perception 4 (never had luck with I9000 roms) and installed the JM9 CWM fix from the op in that thread. Works better than stock ever has even while driving. Of course, I also have a windshield mount. YMMV
I see DG removed the zip because it's baked in Perception 5. Added for your pleasure.

Jupiter for me just increased confidence, but not accuracy.
It was really sure I was a block laterally, as opposed to having a big fat blue circle without the Jupiter tweaks. Both sucked.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

My GPS was crappy with 2.1 with 2.1 update 1 it improved a nice amount. With the leaked 2.2 for the cappy. ( the stock Samsung froyo leak) my GPS now works verrrrry well even when driving. Locks instantly starts at 25 meter acurracy then goes to 10
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Related

[GPS] The Unofficial GPS COMPLAINT/NAG/EVIDENCE Thread

Post all your nag/complaints/evidence of GPS problems here.
All investigation works goes here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=789383
I just finished doing a one hour GPS test drive with the new OTA JH7 and guess what!!
The GPS is still unreliable.
I did a 30 minute drive before the JH7 OTA fix and it was terrible. It would lose GPS signal easily. The GPS would rarely get a fix and when it did, it wouldn't refresh for another 20-30 seconds.
With the new JH7 OTA, positioning while stationary is quick. You can get indoor GPS (probably from AGPS). Now, I was using it and I'm starting to believe we will NEVER see a real fix.
My reasons:
The hardware GPS has an accuracy of ~10 meters (~30 feet).
The hardware GPS has slow processing speed.
I believe this "fix" is just software code trying compensate for the poor hardware. It seems to take the bearing and speed to estimate where you will be. This won't work all the time but it gives the illusion of a reliable signal. You can see the device doing this when you make a quick change in speed or direction.
For example:
If you break quickly, the GPS will tend to position you further than your actual position. You might see GPS position "travel backwards" after you do.
If you accelerate quickly, from rest/full stop, the GPS will lag completely. It might lose the signal or not update until it gets a new "position" later (probably an amalgamation of speed, bearing, and [inaccurate] position).
If you make a sharp turn, the GPS will keep traveling that path and then slowly work it's way back to where you are. For example, if you make a 90 degree right turn, you'll see the GPS plots a semi circle arc to your new position.
I currently recorded my data with a custom written application I wrote but I had the logs set to write every 30 seconds and I didn't have a reference GPS unit to compare.
The next time, I'm going to drop it 1 second frequency and run the application on my G1 and Rhodium (TouchPro/Tilt 2).
What are you experiences with this new GPS "fix"?
I completely agree.
I just came into this forum to post the same thing.
I have some terrible My Tracks screenshots to take, but now my Captivate isn't detected when I try to plug it into my computer
This is using Cognition v2.1. The GPS locked very quickly right after flashing, but just tonight, it wouldn't get a lock to save my life. After repeatedly entering the LbsTestMode and changing settings, it went to getting a lock again... but had me ~100 feet off.
I do not think the GPS will ever work as good as any other modern smartphone. The GPS in this device just sucks, and no software will save it.
I agree with pretty much all that you wrote. It is very "laggy" and I too can see it estimate your path. Re-routing also takes very long and sometimes may not be in time.
I tested it with my Garmin side-by-side and there is no doubt the Cappy is worse. I know it's a phone and not a fair comparison with a "real" GPS, but it is a letdown.
FYI, Cognition improves the GPS significantly from my stock version (JP6)
Same here. I would not consider this as a fix for GPS.
The captivate is my first android phone. Im stuck with att so i made the switch from iphone to the captivate because it was thr first phone that was not crippled. I love android. Period. Im never going back. With voodoo and oc this phone beats the crap out of an iphone.
But today is the last day i can return it to best buy. I was waiting for a gps fix/improvement. But it didnt help. So im returning it. Im going to buy my friends aria for $100. Once samsung fixes thr gps i will buy this phone again.
Ps. Android. My new best friend.
is this the first Samsung android phone? Im pretty disappointed. Their other products are top notch
I have the opportunity to swap out my cappy for an HTC Aria phone but it's my last opportunity to exchange it because they're extending my 30 day warranty. I had to talk Wirefly into letting me because of the bad GPS in the phone. They can either give me another Cappy which would be a brand new (but another defective GPS phone no doubt) or they'll just give me the Aria which has a decent working GPS but not anywhere near as nice as the Captivate in every other way.
What would some of you suggest? I'm leaning toward just getting the Aria and maybe upgrading to a better phone later on.
galaxyjeff said:
I have the opportunity to swap out my cappy for an HTC Aria phone but it's my last opportunity to exchange it because they're extending my 30 day warranty. I had to talk Wirefly into letting me because of the bad GPS in the phone. They can either give me another Cappy which would be a brand new (but another defective GPS phone no doubt) or they'll just give me the Aria which has a decent working GPS but not anywhere near as nice as the Captivate in every other way.
What would some of you suggest? I'm leaning toward just getting the Aria and maybe upgrading to a better phone later on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My wife has an Aria, pretty good phone, verry poor battery life. Great GPS lock in 10 sec no matter where are you. Small screen but perfect size for holding.
I would have to disagree. No it's definately not as good as my garmin. However compared to stock...lol.. Its no contest. The Ota update is definately an improvement. It makes it at least usable. Before it would take anywhere from 10 min or more to lock. On several occasions i got half way to home before it would lock. Tonight i tested it and got a lock within 10 secs.
Thats not to say this update is without its issues. You can definately tell there is some anticipation of where you are going by about 10 to 20 feet. However rerouting happens quicker for me than it did before.
There is also the issue of wifi and 3g being on at the same time. Of course ill have to reenable tethering too if possible. Other that that though it is more positive than negative for me. At at least i can bring up bars and restaurants without waiting 20 minutes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
kaczu said:
I would have to disagree. No it's definately not as good as my garmin. However compared to stock...lol.. Its no contest. The Ota update is definately an improvement. It makes it at least usable. Before it would take anywhere from 10 min or more to lock. On several occasions i got half way to home before it would lock. Tonight i tested it and got a lock within 10 secs.
Thats not to say this update is without its issues. You can definately tell there is some anticipation of where you are going by about 10 to 20 feet. However rerouting happens quicker for me than it did before.
There is also the issue of wifi and 3g being on at the same time. Of course ill have to reenable tethering too if possible. Other that that though it is more positive than negative for me. At at least i can bring up bars and restaurants without waiting 20 minutes.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem with comparing the Captivate's GPS performance to stock is that stock was just garbage. Almost anything is an improvement from a stock Captivate's GPS.
We need to compare the Captivate's GPS performance to other phones -- the Aria, Droid, iPhone etc. The Captivate's GPS just simply sucks compared to these phones, even after Samsung's "fix".
I wish I could return it, but there are no other decent options with AT&T
I have to disagree also. I just drove from Illinois to Texas and my captivate got me to my destination with only a couple dropped GPS signals. Was a 12 hour drive and it did what it needed to. Just saying this was a "real world" test and it passes in my book.
Dropped w/ my Captivate XDA App
My captivate is every bit as good as my aria was and better than my iphone 3g was. I'll agree its not the best. But this fix is working and if that's the best it can do I'm satisfied. I took a 6 hour trip the other weekend and it did loose signal in cloudy conditions, but when the sky was clear it never steered me wrong it even redirected me quickly, my friends vibrant also got him to where we were meeting. Now with the new firmware it gets a fix in overcast conditions. It may not be perfect but its what we have to live with. And I don't think I'd give up my samoled screen and good graphics processor for a better gps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk
johnyhoffman said:
I have to disagree also. I just drove from Illinois to Texas and my captivate got me to my destination with only a couple dropped GPS signals. Was a 12 hour drive and it did what it needed to. Just saying this was a "real world" test and it passes in my book.
Dropped w/ my Captivate XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It boils down to how much you expect the GPS to work.
If you expect it to work with a few dropped signals, a few random wanders, but still generally get you to your destination -- then it is OK.
If you expect it to work as good as other modern phones, it sucks.
phr00t said:
The problem with comparing the Captivate's GPS performance to stock is that stock was just garbage. Almost anything is an improvement from a stock Captivate's GPS.
We need to compare the Captivate's GPS performance to other phones -- the Aria, Droid, iPhone etc. The Captivate's GPS just simply sucks compared to these phones, even after Samsung's "fix".
I wish I could return it, but there are no other decent options with AT&T
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try the Sony Xperia 10a. I have one and it's a nice phone. Lot's going on in that forum also. GPS works nicely and it's an 8Mb phone. Only A-droid 1.6 w/2.1 coming.
Unfortunate for me, I had a deal with AT&T to sell 50 of these devices ($15,000 down payment) with a custom app I wrote for this company. It's not going to happen now because the GPS is borked. Highway driving is one thing, but in the city, where you would be making turns left and right, it's counter productive. The GPS will be misleading you.
My project hasn't completely fallen through, but I would have to resort to the much smaller HTC Aria. I would say the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 but their OS is a joke. It runs 1.6 and has no Exchange support. SE said they'll make 2.1 (seriously!?) available end of october (meaning November). By then Gingerbread (2.5 or 3.0) will be out.
I just don't want to return this Captivate I got for free to develop the application...
Yea here's mine... Thx samsung, GREAT FIX!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
CLShortFuse said:
The GPS is still unreliable.
...
What are you experiences with this new GPS "fix"?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've gotten what I would call good performance from the GPS today, but I only use it for driving and I probably don't need better than 10m precision. Prior to updating today to JH7, my phone would take 3-5 minutes for an initial lock (which usually required prepping with the Ulysse Gizmos' GPS app), after which it would stay relatively on-point. Today, post-JH7, my phone gets a spot-on lock with 5+ satellites within 10-15 seconds.
Pre-JH7, Google Navigation would trail my actual position slightly, as determined by the very unscientific method of glancing over at the phone while driving and noting that I would be passing a street intersection and Google Nav would still have that street roughly 10-20 feet forward of my position.
Post-JH7, again very unscientifically, the map would have me passing intersections at the exact moment I was actually passing through those intersections. Your comment about it estimating your next position rings a bell, but I could just be "remembering" a non-existent hiccup during one of my rides. Of course, I could also have missed a few dozen hiccups, because I was keeping my eyes on the road. =)
I live in the 'burbs north of NYC and, although I have no immediate plans to head into Manhattan, I will install MyTracks tomorrow and do some more testing along curvy suburban roads with and without extensive tree cover (I'd also be happy to use your custom application, if those logs would be more helpful to you).
Can you give me some specific ideas of what scenarios would help you get more useful test data? Things like:
1) Proceed straight at 30mph. Take 90 degree right turn at 20mph. Expectation would be that MyTracks would continue straight for at least a few feet before correcting itself.
2) Proceed straight at 30mph. Come to abrupt and complete stop. Expectation would match above.
I have a GPS in my car and use it for road trips. The Captivate GPS works well NOW for what I want to use it for, location based services like gowalla and such. It also works well for me using Google Nav's Walking feature.
The update is definitely an improvement for me. Before the update, unless I had wireless network assist turned on, my GPS would NOT get a lock. Now it does in under 20 seconds.
I too just joined the android community after having an iphone for 3+ years now... captivate being the first powerful hardware based phone that i saw (and that ATT had).I'm probably never going back to the iphone even if i never get gps working cause it is still so much better imho.
But the only thing that makes this so dang frustrating is the fact that... was there ANY product testing!?. I mean i can understand if it was a bad "batch" of phones that made it out. Or even if gps was "subpar", and had an OCCASIONAL incident of what we are experiencing (Like once every 15-20 min, then would reset and work fine). But the fact that it has not worked since product launch on EVERY phone (captivate, fascinate, vibrant, epic 4g, i9000) Even the ones that claim to unaffected still have accuracy/lag issues. I mean how did this get past field testing? I just hate the negligence .
I mean atleast the iphone 4 reception issue was only conditional to how you were holding the device. But no one GPS has correctly worked -_- just frustrating
I agree with this thread so far. It's insanely frustrating.

GPS: Samsung Captivate vs Samsung Focus

Just picked up a Samsung Focus and the GPS in the device is spot on. I tested inside the AT&T store before I purchased the device and got a lock within 5 seconds inside the store and the accuracy was spot on. I used the navigation feature all the way home and it didn't miss a beat. Does anyone know if this is the same GPS chip that is in the Captivate?
Why dont you try to read the settings and maybe we can emulate them in the Cap
Lol, now samsung gets it right I guess. Frustrating, unless it is the same chip, then hopefully it is just drivers.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
No idea but I always change the SUPL settings to Google's servers on my Captivate and the GPS works fine then.
Isn't the Samsung Captivate (Rogers) a better comparison?
GPS Chip
Don't think it's the same if this is correct:
http://www.intomobile.com/2010/02/1...-with-media-playback-and-recording-functions/
EDIT: Sorry, I may have jumped the gun. I can't confirm that the Focus actually uses the chip mentioned in the article.
pretty sure they have different hardware, at least gps wise. no way samsung is that dumb.
I just bought an ATT nexus one. Im sick of the non-working gps and horrid filesystem.
From what I have read, and experienced, a new Captivate's GPS, and perhaps a new Focus' GPS, will work just fine for a couple of weeks and then deteriorate. Also, when I installed the leaked version of FROYO 2.2, the GPS worked fine for about a week and then deteriorated. Tell us what the FOCUS is doing in about two weeks.
I don't believe it's a hardware problem. If it was, the GPS would not work properly right out of the box. The fact that so many people, including me, report that the GPS worked fine for a week to two weeks, tells me that the hardware is okay. It seems as though, the more the software is utilized, the worst the problem becomes.
From what I have read, and experienced, a new Captivate's GPS, and perhaps a new Focus' GPS, will work just fine for a couple of weeks and then deteriorate. Also, when I installed the leaked version of FROYO 2.2, the GPS worked fine for about a week and then deteriorated. Tell us what the FOCUS is doing in about two weeks.
I don't believe it's a hardware problem. If it was, the GPS would not work properly right out of the box. The fact that so many people, including me, report that the GPS worked fine for a week to two weeks, tells me that the hardware is okay. It seems as though, the more the software is utilized, the worst the problem becomes.
glio1337 said:
No idea but I always change the SUPL settings to Google's servers on my Captivate and the GPS works fine then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I finally did that a few days ago and ever since, it's been great. Locks in seconds rather than minutes-which was really the only problem..accuracy has always been fine
Yeah i should have mentioned it but a few weeks ago i was having the same problms as everyone so i kept trying diff options untill i somehow hit gps jackpot and now i get an accurwte lock in under 10sec every time. I just figured that everyone else had dpne the same and just never reported their fix cause i know i am not certain exactly what i did to fix it..but it works great now
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
glio1337 said:
No idea but I always change the SUPL settings to Google's servers on my Captivate and the GPS works fine then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where can i find the SUPL settings at? and what do I need to set them to?
My little brother returned his Captivate and picked up a Focus.
Hopefully it's indeed fixed. I might switch at some point. Dunno.
The problem is an insensitive GPS antenna. The Galaxy Tab has no problems with GPS. The best test for increased sensitivity would be to take it into a big supermarket and get a GPS fix albeit a poor one (Galaxy S phones should fail miserably here). The GPS chip is the same. The weak link is the antenna. It's garbage, easily fixable though for Samsung.
For me the GPS is only poor on extremely cloudy days and inside of buildings with thick walls. Otherwise it's OK now.
Qualcomm's Snapdragon (QSD8x50) platform comes integrated with their own gpsONE chip. It's pretty much a rock solid performer, as it was with the MSM72xx devices also. The Captivate uses a Broadcom BCM4751. Completely different GPS chip.
XGX5309 said:
Qualcomm's Snapdragon (QSD8x50) platform comes integrated with their own gpsONE chip. It's pretty much a rock solid performer, as it was with the MSM72xx devices also. The Captivate uses a Broadcom BCM4751. Completely different GPS chip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No
http://www.isuppli.com/Teardowns-Manufacturing-and-Pricing/News/Pages/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-Carries-$205-Bill-of-Materials-iSuppli-Teardown-Reveals.aspx
It has the SAME receiver.
heygrl said:
No
http://www.isuppli.com/Teardowns-Manufacturing-and-Pricing/News/Pages/Samsung-Galaxy-Tab-Carries-$205-Bill-of-Materials-iSuppli-Teardown-Reveals.aspx
It has the SAME receiver.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. You have linked a iSupply for a Galaxy Tab, which is a larger version of a Galaxy S. ?
The Samsung Focus is a WP7 device, and therefore has a SNAPDRAGON chipset, with the Qualcomm gpsONE.
XGX5309 said:
Yes. You have linked a iSupply for a Galaxy Tab, which is a larger version of a Galaxy S. ?
The Samsung Focus is a WP7 device, and therefore has a SNAPDRAGON chipset, with the Qualcomm gpsONE.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
gpsOne is A-GPS, it's not standalone GPS which the Focus has.
So let's correct a few problems in this thread:
1) Some of the signal hardware may be shared between the Focus and the Captivate, but they are running different SoCs (system on a chip). Therefore, even if they have similar/same antennas, signal boosters, etc on board, the chip actually doing the gps signal processing is different. For example, in the focus, the Qualcomm MSM chip has something called "GpsONE" which is their trade name for the aGPS system used. In the Galaxy S, the GPS is handled by a separate chip (not the SoC), which I believe is the Broadcomm BCM4751.
2) The Captivate DOES NOT have an insensitive antenna, at least by phone standards. I've owned a Kaiser (Tilt) and a Rhodium (Tilt2), and the Galaxy S has a MUCH more sensitive GPS receiver. The problem lots of people are having with GPS reception is due to software (in particular the radio/kernel/rom combination).
And finally, I had horrible problems with the GPS in my Captivate. It shipped broken from Samsung (aka, until I flashed custom ROMs, I rarely if ever got a solid lock). However, ever since 2.2, reception/quality has gotten much better, and ever since switching to an i9000 radio/rom/kernel (see my sig for details) I've had ZERO problems with the GPS. I get a solid lock in under 5 seconds, I never lose that lock, and the actual GPS accuracy (not as reported in GPS Status, but what I actually see on the map) is much improved. If it was a hardware problem, how come mine was broken, and now works perfectly?
There's a simple answer for that, your Tilt2 and even older Kaiser has awful GPS.
The DROID X/Various Moto's/Flip phones I have can lock GPS inside of a building with no problem and the Galaxy S will fail to see any sats to lock on. This is the same for FroYo.

Problems with location (GPS, cell, wifi, ...)

I've had the NS (i9023 on stock 2.3.3) for a few days now and I must say I'm generally rather impressed ... if only the GPS and other location sources didn't suck so much.
GPS (outside, on my top floor balcony):
With mobile data and wifi on it more often than not won't get a lock for tens of minutes, if at all. Even if it has a lock it'll lose it every few seconds. With both off it's actually somewhat usable - takes a while, the accuracy isn't too good (10 m does seem to be the best it can do), and the lock's rather erratic, but still, better than nothing. Makes the thing bloody useless for navigation, though.
For comparison: A Galaxy S (i9000 on stock 2.2.1) locks within 3-10 seconds, gets about a third more satellites and gives me 10-5 m accuracy. Almost no fluctuation in either accuracy or number of sats. A Desire S locks as fast if not faster and shows 8-3 m accuracy even, even though it generally shows the fewest sats.
Wifi- and/or cell-based location (indoors)
Even my trusty old i5700 (Galaxy Spica) puts me within 100-20 m of my true location even when GPS is disabled, using just cell towers, or that and wifi. Even more importantly, it gauges the accuracy correctly, that is, I'm always within the blue circle.
The Nexus S (and, to be fair, the Desire S) on the other hand puts me in a 1000-400 m circle - and I'm not even near that, it's a couple of kilometers off. What's with that?
Compass
Well, it's not strictly about location and the horse has been beaten to death but it still needs to be said: It doesn't work. At all. Instead it spins wildly, even when the phone's perfectly stationary.
On to the questions:
Is this a sw bug, a hw bug or just a defective unit?
If it is a sw bug, is there anything known about the eta of an incoming hot fix?
Are there any known workarounds?
I really hope there's a solution to this because I really like the thing generally.
+1
roughly the same here.
Same problem. We need help.
Enviado desde mi Nexus S usando Tapatalk
Yes .. I just don't know if I should return it over this issue or not, and I'm running out of time as today's the last opportunity.
Does anyone know if the GPS, network location and/or compass work flawlessly under CM7? That would at least tell us that a fix is possible.
yep, and i'm guessing as it's on stock it's not a software issue. it's a major issue for me as i want to dev augmented reality stuff and having the visual jump around when you're stood still is not cool.
Same thing here. Acquiring a lock can sometimes take forever. I think it's Samsung's crappy hardware, so we may all be stuck.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA Premium App
I am also facing the same problem with my SNS here in Bangladesh.
Peculiarly the sets gets location data using Cell tower in some areas while it doesn't in many of the areas. As for example, I dint find any problem in checking in Facebook places ot Google Place in my Work.
But have never been able to do the same same in my Home. :-S !
This flaw is giving some hard time.
Is it bcz I've rooted my SNS and using CM7 ?
MarkusPO said:
i'm guessing as it's on stock it's not a software issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's dire news ... You'd think with all the problems the SGS's GPS had and all the attention the early reviews of the NS gave to the issue someone would have spotted it - yet most were quite positive the GPS was fine.
Unfortunately reports on this and other forums are very mixed on the question if and when the NS GPS started acting up.
I guess I'll just have to send it back for now, after all I can always get another one if there's an update that fixes GPS and the rest of the location providers.
like i said in my own thread: exactly the same problems. really sucks. especially GPS and Compass are pissing me off, really doesn't work at all..
bought this new phone and expected a perfect device but got a device full of bugs, i even had a HW problem and had to give it to the support here..i thought i have a completly defective device but since others got this problems i have a little more hope.
and i really hope for a fix soon and really hope this is a SW and no HW bug.
Has anyone with a sucky GPS tried this trick (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1043034) or a similar one on the Nexus S?
I haven't had any issues with my GPS, however sometimes it may take 30sec-1min to find a solid signal. My experiences have been with stock rom and also SupeAosp 6.2 (which I'm currently using).

Infuse's GPS issue?

Anyone who is using GPS on Infuse, please let me know how GPS performance is. I used to own the Samsung Vibrant and had horrible GPS performance. Thinking about buying the Infuse but afraid that it would have the same GPS performance as the Vibrant. Thanks!
I had a captivate and had HORRIBLE GPS performance, unusable. I tried about 10 different ROMS in an effort to improve GPS performance. It was only fixed by getting a hardware replacement (refurb).
I have had my Infuse for about a day now. And GPS performance is on par with my refurb captivate. Meaning it locks fast (within 10 seconds) and it tracks well while driving. I am satisfied with the Infuse's GPS performance, it seems they have resolved the GPS hardware problem.
That being said, i did some serious research regarding the captivate's GPS problems, and it seems certain batches from Samsung worked well and some didn't. Hopefully that is not the case with the Infuse.
So far, so good. Locks within a couple of seconds. I'll post again if I find otherwise.
Werent those GPS issues due to Skyhook being yanked right before distribution? I wouldnt expect GPS issues on future models.
the gps has been fixed on the infuse and sgsII
the phonedog review says it and so does engadget i believe
GPS locks quickly even in my house. A lot better than the Captivate. Although a little slower than my Atrix. Just a few seconds though
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA Premium App
bigballa said:
the gps has been fixed on the infuse and sgsII
the phonedog review says it and so does engadget i believe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, the gps has been fixed!
i used to have galaxy s2, gps locks in quick and never lose gps signals!
just got my infuse yesterday, gps locks in quick too! need to do some driving to test if it loses gps signals or not.
just wanted to say, my captivate never had any trouble locking. it was the tracking that was horrible. anyway, infuse works fine. Larger screen is nice for navigation too.
I went to check out the infuse yesterday at AT&T ...
Really liked the screen and overall feel of the phone..
I went to the maps to see of I could get a lock on my location...
It would only triangulate my location.
I thought since I was indoors it may be a fluke so tried the atrix that was on display right beside it...
The atrix locked on my location instantly...tried the inspire on display...it also locked my location..,
Just for kicks I went over to the captivate..."unable to determine your location"....
I tried over and over on the infuse to get a lock...but it was a no go..,,
I hope it was an isolated incident...
Would be a shame if samsung didn't learn from the captivate....
Mine locked in a matter of seconds in my house. It basically pointed directly at the window I was sitting near.
My captivate want too bad either once I started flashing roms with it. It was a 1007 model. Never had an issue with it that wasn't my own fault.
Sent from my huge infuse (ladies does size matter)
Great GPS
I can honestly say Samsung has fixed the GPS issue with the Infuse. I have been using the phone for almost a week now and I have had 0 issues with GPS are far as locking or jumping around Google Maps. It's right up to par with the Atrix which in my opinion has a great GPS as well.
AllTheWay said:
It's right up to par with the Atrix which in my opinion has a great GPS as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, that's saying a lot. The Atrix's gps was the best I've ever used. Simply phenomenal.
Sent from my HTC Inspire
I hate to say it but I've had mixed results with the GPS performance on the Infuse. I've run into an issue with it not being able to find a satellite signal, and it doesn't track 100% accurately (shows me as being ~15 feet off the road, albeit in the right direction). It's leaps and bounds better than the Captivate - at least it doesn't randomly think I'm going the opposite way - but, in my experience, the GPS performance in the Infuse is not up to par with the Atrix or iPhone.
good static locks, very precise, under 10meter accuracy, bad tracking, not great under cover either. the secgps.conf file is still not written to correctly from the lbs test mode. it was showing msbased while the lbs screen was never changed from standalone.
even a captivate can track adequetly if setup right, the comunity is still convicend that is not true but i can post my tracts from my captivate, you wouldnt believe how good it does.
i havent gone as far as replacing jupiter.xml yet. i have turned off dynamic accuracy, it didnt do anything for the captivate so i started there. i turned it off in both lbs and secgps.conf set it to controlplane supl and turned off secure socket and fixed mismatches in secgps.conf to lbs screen and got rock solid locks after it eventually got the data it needed. before the edits it would be all over the place when i was indoors. will try tracking tomorrow, but this made a world of difference on the captivate.
this does have better hardware and drivers than the sgs though. the accuracy in lbs test mode is repoted to 2 digits after the decimal. the captivate seems to work in multiples of 5 meters. it also seems to do better with the altitude.
I am coming from my Samsung epic (sprint) and the GPS was terrible. I am now on the Infuse, the gps is perfectly fine. The speaker could be louder though.
I've had mostly good locks...today though, it has been bad...just not locking in.
Tried it out today at ATT store. The screen was bright and beautiful. Camera is better than the Streak but GPS still not working properly. Inside ATT store, the Infuse got a lock for a few seconds, lost the lock, and not able to re-gained the lock again. Doesn't looks like Samsung knows how to implement GPS function correctly. My Dell Streak, the Atrix and the HTC Inspire next to the Infuse were all able to get GPS lock.
briansj said:
Tried it out today at ATT store. The screen was bright and beautiful. Camera is better than the Streak but GPS still not working properly. Inside ATT store, the Infuse got a lock for a few seconds, lost the lock, and not able to re-gained the lock again. Doesn't looks like Samsung knows how to implement GPS function correctly. My Dell Streak, the Atrix and the HTC Inspire next to the Infuse were all able to get GPS lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah samsung has some funky settings but this hardware is very acurate. just needs some tweekage.
The GPS works like a dream. Usually it takes no more than 15-30 seconds to get a lock.
When I was at the launch i was able to lock in on my location in 30 seconds, INSIDE.
The GPS is good now.
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bragOS said:
Werent those GPS issues due to Skyhook being yanked right before distribution? I wouldnt expect GPS issues on future models.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No - It was a hardware issue.

[Q] To return or not to return (GPS problems)

As you may know by now I've been having problems with GPS on my Nexus S (i9023, bought factory unlocked from Amazon Germany, carrier code EUR, running rooted stock 2.3.4 AKA GRJ22). A quick search of the Nexus S forums will tell you that I'm not the only one who complains about GPS issues - I always assumed that the GPS was just sub-par on the model and I'd have to live with it.
Only now a few helpful souls over in the accessories section said it was probably defective and I should exchange it. (I've already exchanged it once for this and the new unit I got performed exactly the same.) So I'm just going to tell you the current situation and I'm hoping you'll tell me if that's within the normal tolerances for the model: [All tests done outside in suburbia]
"Network location" (geolocation, wifi / cell triangulation) is fine since 2.3.4 [just to get that out of the way]
Time to First Fix (TtFF) is decent now, usually 15-30 s cold and < 15 s hot. I've seen much better (yes, on a phone), but that doesn't bother me.
Accuracy however, is still bad. GPS Status shows 20-10 m mostly, but it fluctuates wildly going from 5 to 30 in a heartbeat even when it's just stationary. Other phones don't show this behavior. This translates into real-world problems in Maps (checked via sat view): The blue circle goes from large to enormous and back and while my true position is somewhere within the circle most of the time, the center dot is way off. Most other implementations manage to guess the location correctly even when the accuracy is bad (as tested side-by-side).
Stability is my biggest concern. The lock'll be fine for a few minutes, especially if the phone was just rebooted, but then the GPS will lose it every few (say 5-10) seconds and take time to reacquire it. Additionally, it doesn't pick up movement very well. I did a few tests watching my position in Maps while on the tram (in a window seat) and basically it would register an (approximately correct) location every now and then but then just hang there for a while. Usually it wouldn't register that the tram had left a stop before it had arrived at the next one or even just left it again. All other phones trace the tracks almost perfectly and in real time. There goes any kind of usable navigation and - in concert with the compass issues - all augmented reality apps.
Again, this isn't meant as a complaint or even a request for a fix (though if you have one I'll gladly take it) - I'd only like to gauge if my particular phone's have been bad or if "that just how it is".
Thanks for listening.
I have a nexus s4g from sprint and my gps was working great and then one day it just stopped. I can never pick up a signal and if out does it takes about five minutes our more. I have a gps radar app that shows me signal strengths and stuff and our barely picks up give signals and they are always really weak I have to refresh the agps status all the time to even get a lock and like I said it still takes about gives minutes or more if it even locks at all. I am looking for a fix my epic had the same problems and then with the latest update for it, it was amazing and fast accurate locks. And help with the nexus s4g would be great
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
Get your msl, go to your dialer and dial *#*#gpsclrx#*#*, then put in msl and it will clear gps for you. It will reboot on its own
snandlal said:
Get your msl, go to your dialer and dial *#*#gpsclrx#*#*, then put in msl and it will clear gps for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's an msl and what does "clear gps" mean? Also, way to derail a thread ...
I tried that before on my epic and it messed up my gps but I will give it a shot
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
nice post. finally some oen who get it.that there are just failts in phones and thats just how it is.
thougfh.yes try returning it in the hope to get a proper nexus s xp
I did the clear gps code and it seemed to fix mine so thanks I would recommend people try it.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
whats an msl? can't find that on google so what is it? would like to try out that code...really have problems with GPS on my nexus s
floomat said:
my GPS does just not work at all, it can't get a fix for hours even if there are 10 sats.
but sometimes I'm lucky (really rare) and it gets a fix but the longest time it hold it was 5minutes, then lose GPS fix can't get one again. it's even not while i'm moving, phone lays on the table and outside to test.
really disappointing for me, second thing is my compass does not work after reboot and is really inaccurate and unstable (jumping around)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your GPS sounds even worse than that on my NSs, the compass doesn't work for anyone. Out of curiosity - where did you get yours?
for msl: http://goo.gl/x3IKR
i'd like to ask if this code is good for Nexus gsm or cdma??
freakness51 said:
for msl: http://goo.gl/x3IKR
i'd like to ask if this code is good for Nexus gsm or cdma??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to the article you linked: "This program reads your Master Subsidy Lock (MSL) code for your CDMA Android phone."
In other news, I'd really appreciate some on-topic replys
fallenguru said:
Your GPS sounds even worse than that on my NSs, the compass doesn't work for anyone. Out of curiosity - where did you get yours?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I even think my GPS is the worst of all the Nexus S.
Mine was bought from Ebay-UK and since it was on a repairing-tour to samsung germany i know its from CPW. Its a I9020 not I9023. BTW there was nothing repaired because they said "The discribed issue cannot be found" or something like that..
what do you mean with compass does not work for anyone?? does it really not work on any nexus? thats interesting, isn't it a little bit illegal to sell a device and say it has compass and than compass does not work at all?
freakness51 said:
for msl: http://goo.gl/x3IKR
i'd like to ask if this code is good for Nexus gsm or cdma??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mh sounds like this will not work for GSM-Nexus
the GPS on my NS behaves similar (but better) to what you describe in the first post but overall it seems to have better accuracy and stability.
Have you tried recording a track while in a car? The results should be better. At least with mine it's mostly accurate and rarely looses signal (unless you go under a bridge/tunnel)
abrcrmdl23 said:
I have a nexus s4g from sprint and my gps was working great and then one day it just stopped. I can never pick up a signal and if out does it takes about five minutes our more. I have a gps radar app that shows me signal strengths and stuff and our barely picks up give signals and they are always really weak I have to refresh the agps status all the time to even get a lock and like I said it still takes about gives minutes or more if it even locks at all. I am looking for a fix my epic had the same problems and then with the latest update for it, it was amazing and fast accurate locks. And help with the nexus s4g would be great
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
I have the same phone, NS4G from Sprint, and the same symptoms. The GPS worked fine for a week or so, and now I'm lucky to get it to work at all. Sometimes I can get a lock after 5+ minutes (while not moving), but other times it never occurs.
I just tried resetting the GPS as is described in the post above. It says "it will reboot automatically" - does that mean the phone or the radio?
In any case I just pulled my device battery after GPS reset - I'll post back with results in a few minutes. In the meantime can you explain what you did after following the reset with dialpad/MSL?
Also attempted return...had to send in for repair
I also got a bad GPS Nexus S i9020 from Amazon.com USA site. The GPS would not lock without a wifi signal. I eventually caved in trying to get it working with rom flashes, drove me nutz, but tried to return for cash and missed the date. Had to send in to Samsung then and get the repair. I have been somewhat satisfied, having gone from no GPS to finally getting it to lock, but its a poor excuse for a gps chipset. The SiRFSTAR from my old WinMo days kicks this gps in the arse.
I also get the bouncing sensitivity and wandering location circle, but accuracy hovers around 5-10m now, but the location is never fixed solid, its wobbly, even outside with clear skies above. The compass is another huge weak spot. Samsung dropped the ball on this device, I wish I could return mine and grab an HTC unit. Google should learn from this and drop them for the Nexus Prime. I think this is unacceptable as location services are whats hot now and this device fails as a flagship product.
I like the gps on my sgs2 more (it has a sirfstar IV) but, i have to say, it's not that much better.
What i gained in stability i lost in TTL. Sometimes you need one more than the other.
The SGS2 has taken me up to 10 minutes to get a lock and if conditions aren't good (cloudy sky, tall buildings) it can easily take 5 minutes. Sometimes you just want to get some signal to get you going.
I did a trip of more than 2000 miles with my Nexus S, using the GPS most of the time, and it worked ok enough for navigation for most of the time. The only times it failed me were, as i mentioned earlier, in old parts of cities with narrow streets.
You are right when you mention HTC, because usually their devices have better working GPS.
Overall i wouldn't say it's a bad device, you have to keep in mind this is not a dedicated GPS device, it's a smartphone that does a lot of things, some better than others, it's still a good developer phone, which i think was the main goal of the Nexus.
After upgrading to the SGS2, the main differences i noticed were not the GPS but the speed and extra memory! The Nexus S is not slow and has average memory (512mb but with only around 380 free) but if you have a lot of apps running (and it's easy for this to happen) it will get sluggish and begin to close the launcher when you start a heavier app. I found this had a lot more impact on usability than the GPS weakness.

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