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[Small Review] CoPilot Live is an interesting (in a not so good way) GPS app

When it comes to no cost, data-dependent GPS solutions, Android has a great app in the form of Google Navigator.
But as someone who travels fairly frequently and can go to all sorts of places in areas I've never even heard of (and not friendly to HSDPA), that sort of solution was simply not viable. I needed a GPS app that worked offline, had routing options, and allowed me to set advanced settings for it to work as I needed. Typically, my GPS app of choice has always been Tomtom, though I also liked Navigon, and considered iGo My Way/Roadmate to be viable choices. Unfortunately, as I'm sure many are aware, the major GPS manufacturers haven't released a single GPS app for Android...with none seeming to be on the horizon.
However, while browsing the Android Market, I did come upon one solution I'm also familiar with: CoPilot Live. I remember my experience with it (on the iPhone) as being rather iffy, but it seemed to be the only good choice on Android, so I decided to give it a second chance. Well, today, after a week or two of usage, and after coming back from a journey to yet another new place in another state, I think I'm ready to give my assessment of CPL.
I don't like it.
Frequently throughout the trip, CPL had me driving around in circles. Other issues include jumpy location fixes (it would frequently indicate I'm on a road I'm not or say I passed a road I didn't). In one case, it even completely listed the name of a road on the info bar incorrectly...despite having the correct name on the actual map. Other times, it would freeze after telling me to make a turn thus making me miss the next intended turn or, best of all, tell me to make a turn only to then afterwards ask me to make a U-Turn.
The funny thing was that even when it did work fine (which was about 60% of the trip), the routing it gave was baffling. Leaving my house, I asked CPL to give me the most 'economical' routing. This is actually one of my favorite routing options CPL has -- it gives you the routing that saves gas, yet does not increase the travel time by too much. It worked well too; the routing it gave me saved over 10 miles, but did not take too much longer than the normal route.
So the routing on my way out worked fine, but the routing for the way back? Not so much. Going back, I decided to ask CPL to give me the 'quickest' routing. Now, I had also asked it to avoid tolls if possible, so logically, it should have taken me back to the 'economical' route (which had no tolls) for a part of the way before jumping me out onto a faster highway.
Instead, it seemed to have done the exact opposite: It took me through the toll, then promptly jumped me back into the 'economical' route for the rest of the way home.
Afterwards, out of curiosity, I decided to look up the turn list for 'quickest' and 'economical' towards the location I went to. The routing were almost exactly the same with only small changes. I set CPL to allow tolls and tried again; same routing as before. It seemed as if one of the best (and very well known) interstate highways used for traveling was completely left out of CPL's routing. Why is this the case? Hell if I know.
I could go on all day -- but sufficed to say, it wasn't what I had expected. It's probably unfair of me to assess it the way I did considering it's less established and (probably) less well funded than the likes of Navigon, but that's the way I feel. It's a shame really. I've been using my handheld electronics for GPS since I first discovered that my Palm TX was capable of such a thing, but at this rate, I may have to end up buying a Tomtom GPS unit.

What are the odds that your location issues are from the faulty GPS drivers and will be fixed in the forthcoming firmware update?

CoPilot's maps are the worst. They use their own data instead of using Navteq or TeleAtlas and their maps are atleast 5 years out of date in my area.
So far, I haven't found a standalone GPS app I like in Android either.

I like and use waze all the time. Doesnt work too well with the crap gps on here but on winmo it was the best app.

I used the stock samsung one that comes on the european roms that works pretty well

fooldog01 said:
What are the odds that your location issues are from the faulty GPS drivers and will be fixed in the forthcoming firmware update?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Almost none, I'd say.
Unlike many here, I haven't experienced any GPS issues with my Captivate. Lock-on speeds are fairly quick (it seems comparable to what I experienced on the iPhone and HTC Fuze) and the GPS fix remains in all applicable areas and not in others (bridges, forest, etc). Aside from all of that, The problem doesn't appear nearly as much with Google Navigator.
smokestack76 said:
I like and use waze all the time. Doesnt work too well with the crap gps on here but on winmo it was the best app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that's the case, I wished I had tried Waze back when I had owned a WinMo phone, but the problem was that WinMo had fantastic GPS solutions, so I didn't bother using the less well known brands.

I would love an "offline" GPS App. Whatever happened to Navigon USA?

smokestack76 said:
I like and use waze all the time. Doesnt work too well with the crap gps on here but on winmo it was the best app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Waze is still an online solution like Google Navigation. It downloads the maps and data as you drive, so if you go out of coverage, you're stuck, unless it cached enough of the map to still work with no signal.

mindfrost82 said:
Waze is still an online solution like Google Navigation. It downloads the maps and data as you drive, so if you go out of coverage, you're stuck, unless it cached enough of the map to still work with no signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats why i like waze. Even in areas that i have no reception it still works ok. And still works ok with the crap gps on the captivate for now. So all good with me And i drive a truck so i use it alot. So far no issues that were too bad

I've been using Sygic Mobile Maps for about a month so far. It is an "off-line" Nav App.
I like it so far, was just up in Canada, on the north side of Lake Superior, with no cell/data service and it worked great. Has a pretty good POI database. Even allows you to navigate to Contacts.

Navigon for Android
Navigon actually makes an Android version now.
Not sure if they have any US maps for it yet though.

Video of Sygic
Found a video of Sygic Mobile Maps 10 running on a Galaxy S phone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfDodvbyl2w

ozone777 said:
Navigon actually makes an Android version now.
Not sure if they have any US maps for it yet though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah no maps yet for the US.... hopefully soon..

NDrive for Android
NDrive also has a version for Android.
http://www.ndriveweb.com/products/product/96/
US maps are available.
Get it with a 7 day free trial from the Market Place.

ozone777 said:
Navigon actually makes an Android version now.
Not sure if they have any US maps for it yet though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They don't. Aside from that, even if they did have it, the Android version of Navigon is not supported on the Captivate; the APK is available, but without a supported phone, registering appears to be impossible (as registering requires you to enter the last four digit of your phone number which then goes through Navigon's servers).
ozone777 said:
NDrive also has a version for Android.
Get it with a 7 day free trial from the Market Place.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll give it a try.

I also travel extensively. After trying every possible phone based GPS (iPhone, B-berry and Android), i came to the conclusion that, while some are better than the others, none of them are reliable enough to be used exclusively. So, I still carry a dedicated unit that always gets me from point A to point Z.

myx0mop said:
I also travel extensively. After trying every possible phone based GPS (iPhone, B-berry and Android), i came to the conclusion that, while some are better than the others, none of them are reliable enough to be used exclusively. So, I still carry a dedicated unit that always gets me from point A to point Z.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can understand your sentiment.
Even on the iPhone and WinMo (both of which had great GPS apps), I still felt the need to occasionally turn to Google Maps to supplement my driving. With GM plus whatever GPS app I was using, I never had trouble navigating regardless of where I was going.
Aside from that, as I said, my primary GPS software of choice is Tomtom. I'm not so sure about the other GPS companies, but Tomtom uses the same GPS software in phones as they do in their dedicated GPS units, so there really is no benefit to using their dedicated unit as opposed to their phone versions. In fact, I would actually dare claim the phone version is better due to more functionality from the integration with your phone.

I have TomTom on my 3Gs, but the problem is not with the software, which is fine, but with the phone that periodically loses the GPS lock.

I've used TomTom for 3+ years on my WinMo phone, and it has worked perfectly.
They only problem I have wiht TomTom is they don't 'officially' support my Tilt, and getting U.S. Maps was a pain. Due to that, I've been thinking of not going back with TomTom if/when they do come out wiht SW for Android.
But, if nothing else is available, or is not any good, I ultimately may go back with them. But only if my phone is supported, (which will be the Captivate).

myx0mop said:
I have TomTom on my 3Gs, but the problem is not with the software, which is fine, but with the phone that periodically loses the GPS lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Huh, that's strange. I'm a former 3GS owner and I would actually rank its GPS as among the best I've ever used. Extremely fast lock-ons in virtually every condition (including the inside of my home) and I've never experienced a lost GPS lock under normal conditions, even during the one time I used it when I had to drive 200 miles out of state.
Meh, but being the owner of the Captivate, I know fully well how much the experience varies with different owners. Aside from that, the ability to field phone calls and use the GPS at the same time must be nice.

AT&T Store Experience

Today as the first time I've seen a captivate turned on. It looks like an awesome phone. I talked to the sales guy for a while and he said it was the only worthwhile Android phone AT&T has.
I asked about the Bravo coming out and he didn't seem to stoked on it (plus, I've heard you can't get rid of MOTOBLUR).
Anyways, everything was great until the GPS. The sky was clear but we were indoors and it couldn't get a lock. We updated to the newest firmware (without a hitch, probably because it hadn't been modded) but the GPS did not improve.
I need with the phone because Apps rely on location services and having GPS on a bus or walking is really nice. I'm hoping this gets fixed
Has 2.2 improved the GPS at all? Is the consensus that this is a hardware issue? Is there a difference between newly manufactured phones and older ones?
I want this phone sooo bad and the AT&T lineup for Android phones is garbage (sans this one).
JOe K.

It's a great phone. GPS seems to be hit and miss. If yours is a miss switch it out for a new one. You will love this phone.

I must say, when I was using froyo the GPS worked perfectly. I switched back to stock recently but still have had a great experience with the GPS, its just that it takes about a minute to get a good fix on me instead of the 5 seconds froyo did. For me, it was either this phone or a blackberry torch. Then I remembered that I was considering choosing a RIM product over an android phone, and quickly bought the captivate.
I love it.
And if you have a problem with the phone, well, there's probably an app that fixes it. That's why I love this little monster!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using AT&T's awful network.

JOe K. said:
The sky was clear but we were indoors and it couldn't get a lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol GPS is not designed to work indoors. Most phones and standalone GPS units will not get a lock indoors. Next time you're at the store, go into settings and enable use wireless networks in location settings. Then you will get your indoor lock.

If you get your location by using wifi it is hardly a gps lock, is it now?

I returned my first Captivate because I wasn't 100% satisfied with the perfomance of the GPS. After flashing Froyo it worked better but not as good as to wait for a new fix.
Yesterday I received a new captivate, I flashed Cognition's 2.2 Beta 5.5 and the GPS is perfect. I did a test drive today and I am very glad I got it replaced. Now I am 100% happy with my Captivate!! It's an awesome phone!!!

pilot_xphile said:
I returned my first Captivate because I wasn't 100% satisfied with the perfomance of the GPS. After flashing Froyo it worked better but not as good as to wait for a new fix.
Yesterday I received a new captivate, I flashed Cognition's 2.2 Beta 5.5 and the GPS is perfect. I did a test drive today and I am very glad I got it replaced. Now I am 100% happy with my Captivate!! It's an awesome phone!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
waiting for my 3rd one to come in myself and i have to say its funny. ive had different issues that have caused me to have to return the phone but..somehow...i still think this phone is great! and im starting to think that maybe the best solution for people is to keep trading in their phone till you get one from "the perfect batch" so to say. maybe on this next one the gps will be just perfect as the first was terrible. my current one requires me to stick my arm out the window to navigate *but can lock instantly from standstill*...crossing my fingers and toes when i get the new one

gtg465x said:
lol GPS is not designed to work indoors. Most phones and standalone GPS units will not get a lock indoors. Next time you're at the store, go into settings and enable use wireless networks in location settings. Then you will get your indoor lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPS does work indoors, without wireless turned on. My stand alone unit does too. And I must be one of the lucky ones, bought my phone in July never had a problem with it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

JOe K. said:
Today as the first time I've seen a captivate turned on. It looks like an awesome phone. I talked to the sales guy for a while and he said it was the only worthwhile Android phone AT&T has.
I asked about the Bravo coming out and he didn't seem to stoked on it (plus, I've heard you can't get rid of MOTOBLUR).
Anyways, everything was great until the GPS. The sky was clear but we were indoors and it couldn't get a lock. We updated to the newest firmware (without a hitch, probably because it hadn't been modded) but the GPS did not improve.
I need with the phone because Apps rely on location services and having GPS on a bus or walking is really nice. I'm hoping this gets fixed
Has 2.2 improved the GPS at all? Is the consensus that this is a hardware issue? Is there a difference between newly manufactured phones and older ones?
I want this phone sooo bad and the AT&T lineup for Android phones is garbage (sans this one).
JOe K.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a Bravo (been testing it) and it is a decent phone, but it is not in the same league as the captivate. GPS is better, but that is the only thing better. It is more a midrange phone - slower, smaller, more plastic, etc.
As for MotoBlur - if you don't use it, it doesn't really bother you - so don't base to much on that.
If GPS is the number one thing you need in a phone - then wait for it to get sorted out or get a different phone. For me, the GPS works well enough. For walking, I can't imagine the GPS not working well enough - and you can generally see 100' in all directions to find what you are looking for anyway - even google maps is not that accurate as they always put stuff on the wrong side of the street or the wrong block.

cappysw10 said:
GPS does work indoors, without wireless turned on. My stand alone unit does too. And I must be one of the lucky ones, bought my phone in July never had a problem with it.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Poster said GPS was not DESIGNED to work indoors and he/she is correct. In most buildings it won't work indoors - especially commercial buildings.
If GPS were designed to work indoors it would use a different radio frequency. If it works indoors for you, it is because your house poses little interference - this is more an exception then the norm. In most houses, even standalone units don't work.

Im just wondering if anyone of you who said the gps works perfectly have tried the gps on captivate for several times. To me, the first time using gps whenever I upgrade new firmware or flash back to stock is very good. But after that it is very bad. I dont know if it is just bad using with google navigation, havent tried with offline gps yet. Maybe I should look for an offline gps apps.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

bamonkey said:
waiting for my 3rd one to come in myself and i have to say its funny. ive had different issues that have caused me to have to return the phone but..somehow...i still think this phone is great! and im starting to think that maybe the best solution for people is to keep trading in their phone till you get one from "the perfect batch" so to say. maybe on this next one the gps will be just perfect as the first was terrible. my current one requires me to stick my arm out the window to navigate *but can lock instantly from standstill*...crossing my fingers and toes when i get the new one
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How are you waiting for your third one? Are you still within the 30 days? Does the 30 days restart when you bring it in for a defect? Are you getting it from Samsung or swapping at an AT&T store? I can't afford to go without a phone for a day (which is sad).
Has there been a correlation between phone manufacturing date and GPS reliability?
Thanks,
JOe K.

GPS was never meant to work indoors. So don't bother to try and get a fix if you're sitting on your couch, that's just dumb.
I just drove to Morgantown, WV to go to WVU to see my friend. I used my GPS on the phone the entire trip. I did not use it as my sole resource for directions, I printed them out. But the entire trip (round trip 400+ miles from Baltimore) the GPS was pretty spot on. A few times it would go off onto the side roads that we're next to I-70 but it fixed itself pretty fast.
I don't believe there is any correlation between when the phone was made and it's reliability. Update to FroYo, and go for a long drive with Google Nav, you'll see a vast improvment.

How does AT&T's 30 day defect warranty return work?
If you get a new phone Does the 30 days restart when you bring it in for a defect? I've seen people get 3 and 4 phones.

JOe K. said:
How does AT&T's 30 day defect warranty return work?
If you get a new phone Does the 30 days restart when you bring it in for a defect? I've seen people get 3 and 4 phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its actually very painless. I am actually OUT of my 30 day warranty but the phone is covered for a year *i dont have the insurance btw...if you do just trade in store*
anyways call ATT and get to their tech support.. they will do some stuff that is required at the first level and then get you to warranty support. they will make sure your phone is still covered by the one year warranty..make you agree that your phone hasnt been put in a toaster or the like and then tell you a new one will be shipped and to send the defective one back in a prepaid RMA...oh this assumes you are in the states so they can send one out from a distribution center. so really no gap since they send you a new one first..just make sure you send the old one back in time or they charge you for a brand new phone
edit: i also wanted to note i bought mine USED off a random stranger..they still honored the one year warranty the very first time i had an issue

Did you have your phone rooted (with diff ROM's such as COG)? If so, did you restore it before sending it back (odin to stock, master clear)?
I'm wondering if Best Buy would have a better warranty policy. I'm gonna get a cap by the end of the week!
Thanks,
JOe K.

I've been messing with mine a bit and I've tried both the suggested settings as well as the stock ones and it hasn't been that great. Now I am running the stock rom right now. I'm going to update with the OTA one and see if it helps at all tomorrow. If not then I'll likely go ahead and exchange it at AT&T for another unit citing GPS issues while moving. It does get a lock while standing still. Usually once it sees 10 sats it decides to lock on half of them and hold that. It never really got a lock moving though. I had someone else drive while I kept it close to a window and nothing even with wireless assist.

JOe K. said:
Did you have your phone rooted (with diff ROM's such as COG)? If so, did you restore it before sending it back (odin to stock, master clear)?
I'm wondering if Best Buy would have a better warranty policy. I'm gonna get a cap by the end of the week!
Thanks,
JOe K.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The first one couldnt even power on after a failed flash so i couldnt do anything. on the second i just odin one click to stock and master clear. its possible best buy 'might' have a better policy but being they are still selling through ATT i imagine there is still the 30 day in store policy like most..
just ask about the instore before you buy. i went into this knowing how i would be covered before hand id say do the same here too

Gps broken forever? Hardware or software.

I really need to know because I drive an ambulance for a living is the GPS actually fixable? I love the phone but hate the GPS that locks up and is inaccurate, or just doesnt lock on.The tweaks I've tired. No luck. I called Samsung and asked and they have no clue and think the Sept patch worked. I think its a cover up and the first run is just plain defective. What's the probability its hardware and not fixable.
Thanks Travis

Call att and get it replaced. I got a replacement phone and so far the GPS has worked when I needed it. It locks pretty quickly most of the time. Sometimes it takes 20 to 30 seconds but always locks reguardless
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I'm pretty certain it is a hardware problem and Samsung is trying very hard to see if they can fix it, or 'optimize' it, in software to avoid a mass recall of millions of these phones.

Smallsmx - a quick lock is very different from reliable navigation. Driving around using Google Nav as well as analyzing using something like MyTracks is the way to go to see if the GPS is actually accurate.
Here's a track I just created with MyTracks. If you zoom in, you can see that the track jumps between the north-bound & south-bound lanes of the highway several times, as well as veers off of the road several times. These may seem insignificant, but they're the kind of things that play havoc with navigation software (constant re-routing, etc). Also note that I'm in a rural area; i.e. no interference from tall buildings to blame this on...

I'm pretty convinced it is a hardware problem.. I've been through 4 Captivates, and only 1 has worked. The Captivate that has the working GPS works on all ROMs, but works best after JH7 (or the froyo builds). The other 3 Captivates, the GPS doesn't work anywhere.
I wouldn't want to trust my life to the Captivate's GPS navigation! If I found out my ambulance was being navigated by a Captivate, I'd wait for the next one

tblindt said:
I really need to know because I drive an ambulance for a living is the GPS actually fixable? I love the phone but hate the GPS that locks up and is inaccurate, or just doesnt lock on.The tweaks I've tired. No luck. I called Samsung and asked and they have no clue and think the Sept patch worked. I think its a cover up and the first run is just plain defective. What's the probability its hardware and not fixable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please don't use the C(r)appy GPS for anything like that! It's just not up to it! Even if the GPS does work from time to time, you'll spend too much time second guessing it. Get a dedicated GPS that you KNOW works so you can concentrate on doing the important stuff like not hitting other cars and saving lives!
foxbat121 said:
I'm pretty certain it is a hardware problem and Samsung is trying very hard to see if they can fix it, or 'optimize' it, in software to avoid a mass recall of millions of these phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed 100%. If it was a simple software bug, it would have been fixed in JH7. They initially claimed JH7 fixed it... And then they contradicted themselves and said there was no GPS fix in JH7.
So Sammy is confusing us with smoke and mirrors and hoping they can still circumvent what is likely to be a recall only fix. Imagine the impact of a recall. Cost would be huge. PR would be a nightmare. Impact on future Galaxy S sales would be massive. See how cleverly and deviously Apple avoided an iPhone 4 recall with what was clearly a major hardware defect.
And for those of you that say your Cappy's GPS works perfectly, there is one of two conditions that apply:
1. You got a lock while stationary from > x satellites and assume from that alone that GPS works. A better criteria would be GPS tracking while driving in an urban environment with accuracy < 5m.
OR
2. The hardware defect is an intermittent assembly or fabrication issue that shows up in the majority but not all handsets.
So here's to hoping I am wrong and the official Froyo build is being held up while they correct the GPS problem once and for all. If not, here's to class action. In the meantime, Sammy and AT&T product managers, if you are reading this (doubtful) give us the source for 2.2 (kernel, hardware drivers and all) and let the XDA community have a crack at fixing it (and enable HSUPA, FM radio, native etx4, etc while their at it).

Before i flashed to the JPM and the reorinted 2.1 my gps would not get a lock after 10 mins after I flashed to the i9000 rom and shanged the gps settings to ms based I get a lock after 15-25 sec at 15m. its software related and att's reps are just dumb as dog **** and full of it too

tjsooley said:
Before i flashed to the JPM and the reorinted 2.1 my gps would not get a lock after 10 mins after I flashed to the i9000 rom and shanged the gps settings to ms based I get a lock after 15-25 sec at 15m. its software related and att's reps are just dumb as dog **** and full of it too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Share a GPS track with us then.....

Tonite I will take screen shots of my gps settings and post them

tjsooley said:
Tonite I will take screen shots of my gps settings and post them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No need. We have millions of threads for just that. We need the evidence that you actually use it for navigation while driving. That's where it all falls apart (for majority of the Captivate anyway).
I can get a lock no problem as well with no tweeks in settings. But that doesn't mean the GPS is anywhere near usable.

foxbat121 said:
No need. We have millions of threads for just that. We need the evidence that you actually use it for navigation while driving. That's where it all falls apart (for majority of the Captivate anyway).
I can get a lock no problem as well with no tweeks in settings. But that doesn't mean the GPS is anywhere near usable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Misread the forum. I have not used it for a gps on the road for navigation yet.
I have watched it on the way home from work and it was prittyy accurate.
funny thing.
I dont get a lock from my cup holder but i get a lock no problem and the gps works on the dash board.
maby
if it is any differance all the sgs varriants are having a bunch of gps issues.
and there are people that have had no problems.

ianwood said:
Agreed 100%. If it was a simple software bug, it would have been fixed in JH7. They initially claimed JH7 fixed it... And then they contradicted themselves and said there was no GPS fix in JH7.
So Sammy is confusing us with smoke and mirrors and hoping they can still circumvent what is likely to be a recall only fix. Imagine the impact of a recall. Cost would be huge. PR would be a nightmare. Impact on future Galaxy S sales would be massive. See how cleverly and deviously Apple avoided an iPhone 4 recall with what was clearly a major hardware defect.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sure the loss of future sales will cost Samsung more than a recall. My last 3 phones were Samsung and I sure as hell know if they don't fix the GPS issue, whether it be through firmware or a recall, Samsung will never see another dime from me ever again and I'm sure there's plenty of others feeling the same way.
There would probably also be about no PR. Samsung is no Apple. The media and general public really don't give a damn about them. The issue is not so controversial that the news will pick up on it, like the Toyota recalls. At most there would be a couple sentences on the news about it that most people will just ignore because they don't have the phone. Apple got worse PR by ignoring the issue than if they simply would have addressed it with a recall. They got away with it because they're Apple. 90% of the population worships them.

I was just thinking the same thing. My GPS does not work.
I don't understand people who think it's no big deal. It's a major feature and an Advertised feature...not some hack.
I would not have bought the device without GPS. What if you bought a new car that said it had air conditioning...but after you bought it...you realized it didn't work....no big deal or recall?
CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

yea its a cover up
My whole plan and philosophy was that hey Google maps is great and so is Linux so this should, be better than those goofy slow interfaced GPS units.... which always give you the wrong location....
Anyhow I ordered one more..to see if its a dud too.
1ST SAMSUNG AND MY LAST YOU HEAR THAT SAMSUNK.. BTW your customer service is so poor girl who knows nothing about phones and thought the update was "real".

Jupiter fix w/vibrant ROM. Seems like I tried everything. Plenty of sats and locks while stationary. Can't get this thing to maintain lock or be accurate while moving in navigation for the life of me.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

I'm hoping for a software fix, but I'm doubtful that we'll ever see one. This is the same GPS chip as used in at least one blackberry where it has no problem. Combine that with the fact that there's 5 different Galaxy S phones that have these issues, each with slightly different layouts of where the chips are on the board, it's more likely a software issue.
If it is a hardware issue, or if it's a software issue that they never get around to fixing, I could see a very nasty class action lawsuit pop up. Personally, I hate class action lawsuits, as the only people who usually benefit from them are the lawyers, but one can always hope for the best.
One interesting thing I did notice was that when in my vehicle (a Jeep Wrangler with a fiberglass hardtop) or on my motorcycle, the tracks are just about spot on... as long as there aren't any tall buildings right next to me. It stops when I stop, it turns when I turn... You know, pretty much what you expect out of a GPS.
On the other hand, when I'm in a friends vehicle (metal roof, no sunroof), my position wanders all over the place. We stop, but the icon keeps on going. We turn, it doesn't. And, of course, there's always fun times when it thinks your a block or two over from where you are. Oh, and can't forget the lag... sometimes it's as much as 5 seconds behind me.
That makes me suspect the filters Samsung has in place for when the signal is weak. Either that, or the antenna design they use might win the distinction of being the most craptastic one of the decade. Hell, maybe both might be the case.

This whole thing with the GPS has me baffled..after reading a bunch of threads...posts..and personal experience, I believe the problem with the Captivate's GPS is the delay in getting a lock. Once it's locked, the accuracy is excellent. Maybe the agps is not functioning properly...these devices really need agps to get a rapid lock. Is the supl server that is built into the device reliable? I believe this is the crux. Anybody having any inaccuracies is the exception to the rule once the device is locked. But a 3-4 minute lock time is fairly unacceptable

Same results as others. If I have the captivate high up in the windshield so it has a larger uninterrupted view of the sky, it will track almost as well as my Blackberry sitting on the center console. Seems the captivate is not nearly as sensitive as other GPS devices.
As for PR, a recall would not be in your nightly news but it would be all over the trade news. The Galaxy S brand has been in the trade news almost daily for the past few months. A recall would put a serious dent in all that positive momentum. That would have a serious effect on future deals with carriers, retailers, etc. Not to mention investors. And finally disaffected consumers.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App

Mine works with no view of the sky
My GPS is working good after COG Froyo version6. This track is from a mountain bike ride, phone was inside my camelback.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=e...16556845834261.00049360088f52c5ed399&t=h&z=16

nice looking track.. is your navigation app good too???
itsjustaphone said:
My GPS is working good after COG Froyo version6. This track is from a mountain bike ride, phone was inside my camelback.
[/url]
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Questions for ya if ya don't mind.
1. Did you have problems before with same phone?
2. Phone new or refurbished?
3. When was it made give or take? (maybe import in terms of factory runs???)
Hmm thats it far as identifying maybe some know how to timestamp/get ingo from imei or serial.
I'll post a track from mine in a little bit I Think that would be a great idea for this thread.. POST YOUR TRACKS RESULTS AND BASIC SPECS.
Believe program is called "mytracks"

i9003 just released - GPS is bad!!!!

Incredible reading:
http://www.techtree.com/India/Reviews/Samsung_Galaxy_S_LCD_GT-I9003_Review/551-114781-614-5.html
GPS locking with Google Maps was one of the early and crucial issues with the GT-I9000 and I hoped that it didn't exist in GT-I9003. But I was disappointed partially. Even this phone continues to have quick GPS locking issues. Whether I used the GPS or turned on data connection for A-GPS support, the accuracy level is still around 500-600 meters. It was the same with my backup phone Nokia E63. Apparently, the smartphone offers A-GPS support and is dependent on data connectivity to fetch the exact location.
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One year later, they release a new phone with a GPS that s**ks again...
Well, I'll be really waiting for guinea pigs to jump on the i9100 before moving....

My i9000 is awesome for GPS. Better than my iPhone 3g and my 2.3 nexus one.. I sold my navman. Different region's I guess.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

Can't say I am satisfied with the i9000 gps, my old glofish 500 beats it hands down but with a couple of tweaks the i9000 gps works ok.
The i9003 battery is 1650 instead of 1500 and it should also fit in the i9000.

The i9003 is the SAME PHONE as the i9000, just with different screen technology. Therefore, its perfectly reasonable to expect the GPS to function in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.
If yours sucks, then that's the perception you'll have of the i9003. Personally I don't think it's that bad, but it's not as good as the i8900; which goes to show that Samsung *DO* know how to do GPS; they just got the antenna wrong in the i900x range.

stuclark said:
The i9003 is the SAME PHONE as the i9000, just with different screen technology. Therefore, its perfectly reasonable to expect the GPS to function in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.
If yours sucks, then that's the perception you'll have of the i9003. Personally I don't think it's that bad, but it's not as good as the i8900; which goes to show that Samsung *DO* know how to do GPS; they just got the antenna wrong in the i900x range.
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Totally agree with this. Although since loading JV1 onto my SGS I'm of a somewhat different opinion - 3 days in and my GPS is working "great" and I'm getting an accuracy of between 8-16 feet every time, something which I never had with <= JPY. Makes you wonder why it's so hit and miss...

stuclark said:
The i9003 is the SAME PHONE as the i9000, just with different screen technology. Therefore, its perfectly reasonable to expect the GPS to function in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.
If yours sucks, then that's the perception you'll have of the i9003. Personally I don't think it's that bad, but it's not as good as the i8900; which goes to show that Samsung *DO* know how to do GPS; they just got the antenna wrong in the i900x range.
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no its not just the screen. different gpu(sgx530 instead of sgx540), different chipset(OMAP instead of hummingbird). And its thicker.

stuclark said:
The i9003 is the SAME PHONE as the i9000, just with different screen technology. Therefore, its perfectly reasonable to expect the GPS to function in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.
If yours sucks, then that's the perception you'll have of the i9003. Personally I don't think it's that bad, but it's not as good as the i8900; which goes to show that Samsung *DO* know how to do GPS; they just got the antenna wrong in the i900x range.
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Maybe you should do a little research before posting. Like someone has already pointed out, the hardware is quite different.
In any case I bought a GT-9003 last week and I havent faced any GPS issues like you mention, whether under open skies or inside a building.

Blaaargh said:
Maybe you should do a little research before posting. Like someone has already pointed out, the hardware is quite different.
In any case I bought a GT-9003 last week and I havent faced any GPS issues like you mention, whether under open skies or inside a building.
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Have you actually used it in the past week?

My i9000 GPS is ok, unless you drive in areas with high density roads. The issue is with accuracy, really uneven and sometimes just not enough to avoid jumping through roads while driving.
Fix in steady mode, no driving is a very bad way to test the GPS.
Actually, when driving in a city with many close roads, I pare it with my external Bluetooth GPS. Accuracy is unbeatable (3-16 ft all the time) and I spare my battery
PS: googoo Bluetooth GPS v0.5.9a works like a charm, no crash with JS7 (unlike Bluetooth GPS Provider v1.2.6 which crashes in froyo)

jonny_ftm said:
My i9000 GPS is ok, unless you drive in areas with high density roads. The issue is with accuracy, really uneven and sometimes just not enough to avoid jumping through roads while driving.
Fix in steady mode, no driving is a very bad way to test the GPS.
Actually, when driving in a city with many close roads, I pare it with my external Bluetooth GPS. Accuracy is unbeatable (3-16 ft all the time) and I spare my battery
PS: googoo Bluetooth GPS v0.5.9a works like a charm, no crash with JS7 (unlike Bluetooth GPS Provider v1.2.6 which crashes in froyo)
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Bluetooth GPS doesn't work anymore in some new kernels from Samsung

based on the specs... it's just a crappier version of the i9000. seems like what ended up with excess materials not used by i9000.
why the hell would it have better GPS then ?

herbert1 said:
Bluetooth GPS doesn't work anymore in some new kernels from Samsung
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JS7 is a very new kernel. I don't expect the soft not working on JS8 as no major differences
However, "Bluetooth GPS Provider" is another soft and yes, it doesn't work anymore.
On the other hand, Bluetooth GPS from googoo works

jonny_ftm said:
JS7 is a very new kernel. I don't expect the soft not working on JS8 as no major differences
However, "Bluetooth GPS Provider" is another soft and yes, it doesn't work anymore.
On the other hand, Bluetooth GPS from googoo works
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Would flashing a custom kernel help?

gothfebrio said:
no its not just the screen. different gpu(sgx530 instead of sgx540), different chipset(OMAP instead of hummingbird). And its thicker.
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is thiccker because of the bigger battery... the worst of this phone is lack of custom rom or kernel mod, is just a simple samsung phone with stock options... and no more. but performance is good and the screen is not bad.. i've got it couple of days,and i'm well impressed.

GPS not working on my i9003 also . Even tried GPS aids,GpsFix, GPS Status and FasterFix apps also for GPS but of no use. Any Idea how to get it working. Mine is an India version
FROYO.DDKB2
Kernel version 2.6.32.9
Baseband version I9003DDKA5
Firmware version 2.2.1
Please help me how to go about it.

My GPS on i9005 was terrible using Arabic JPKB1 Firmware.
Installing European XXKB3 Firmware solved the GPS issues. GPS now works great -- A Cold fix in under a minute and hot fixes in few seconds. Accuracy is very good.

Mine is i9000 manufactured in October 2010. I bought it as a secondhand one. For the first two months I was crazy with the GPS and I really wanted to sell it to buy another one (like Desire Z or Droid 2 Global). The reason is it was really hard to get fixed, If I were lucky, sometimes 2 minutes with maximum 3-4 satellites, but most of the times I had to give up after 5 mins without any locks.
But after I upgraded to the latest 2.3.3 European ROM AND installed GPSfix, now it's just easy for me to get fixed under 20s outside with at least 6 satellites, sometimes 9 or 10. Once the satellites get locked, if you restart the GPS even after a while, it takes only 5-10s to get them locked again. It works like a charm with all Navigation apps, such as the buit-in Nav, Google maps or Osmand.
The accuracy is normally 30m, but sometimes it goes up to 10m. I've been testing for 2 weeks and never had a problem since then.
I don't know what fixed the problems, the Gingerbread or the GPSfix, but now I don't dare to try anything, even uninstalling the GPSfix.
It's quite funny that I live in Vietnam and I flashed the European ROM via ODIN, and now my GPS is working flawlessly.
PS: my firmware is XXJVO

GPS accuracy

This weekend for the first time I had to use my Nexus 5 turn-by-turn navigation on Google Maps to get somewhere. I'm no stranger to the feature, as my previous Note 2 had a dashboard mounting bracket in my truck for this very reason.
Besides the speaker not being loud enough to hear the directions (one of my complaints with this devie), I found the GPS isn't very accurate at all. I have it set to High Accuracy, using GPS, WiFi and data network to find my position. The software often put the arrow about a block away from where I actually was and it kept falling behind telling me where I was supposed to turn.
I was driving at about 40-50 km/h at night with a cloudy sky. I reckon this was never an issue with my Note 2, both with stock TouchWiz and custom ROMs. My Nexus 5 is on stock 4.4.
So, what's going on here?

I honestly can't say I face this issue. My GPS is on point whether driving or just using it when I go hiking or camping.
A couple of weeks back I helped a buddy move into a new place and I loaded up my truck and he gave me the address and I popped it in the GPS, it locked within seconds and got me there just fine. No issues.
I also use it when I go camping. I'll find a nice place to pitch the tent and mark the campsite, then go exploring. Anything interesting I put a pin on it and can find my way back real easy. The speaker issue, sure. I use Viper4android (sound mod) and custom kernels to raise the output gain and make the speakers louder so that's a non-issue for me.

If you're rooted, check out FasterGPS (and if you're not rooted.. go and root).

Regarding sound loudness: try fauxsound (you'll need a compatible kernel and root). It boosts speaker, handset, and aux output significantly without adding distortion (although you can push it far enough to distort if you please).

Great, thanks for the tips.
Yes, it's rooted.
Regarding the sound boost apps, do they work on stock kernel, or do I need to flash a new one, like franco? I really don't want to do a clean wipe at the moment to install a new kernel.

GPS accuracy might be a loose antennae. As for speaker sound, not sure what to tell you. I had the phone resting on the seat beside me since I have no dock, with the radio going at highway speeds and had no problems hearing the voice directions. I didn't even have to max the volume, it was about 70%. No modifications.
Perhaps you have the extra glue around the speakers issue?

I've had the same GPS issues and they have just gotten worse over time. Have had the phone for 10 months. Finally called Google and a replacement is in the mail.

bionemesis said:
I've had the same GPS issues and they have just gotten worse over time. Have had the phone for 10 months. Finally called Google and a replacement is in the mail.
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Let me know if the replacement is better. My GPS has also degraded significantly, but I wasn't sure if that was related to using CM11.

I haven't driven much lately, so this issue alone doesn't warrant a return for me.
However, the disappointment is stacking up over time. It seems to me that the N5 does a lot of things, but none of them very well. It's basically a tinkerer's toy with an attractive pricetag for the specs. Maybe it's because I came from a former flagship Note 2 device, but I do sometimes miss it.

Ajfink said:
Let me know if the replacement is better. My GPS has also degraded significantly, but I wasn't sure if that was related to using CM11.
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Will do. I did go back to factory, unrooted and relocked the boot loader. GPS is much, MUCH, worse. It actually loses GPS signal now all the time. I'm convinced now more than ever that this is a hardware issue that gets worse over time combined with software that makes it worse. Hopefully the new, albeit refurbished, phone is better.

My GPS has never worked well, I have had mine for about 10 months as well. I've opened it up so the warranty is void but I don't care about that. I would fix it myself if I knew what exactly the problem was.

I use navigation at least a few times a week and I've never had a single issue with the GPS. It locks on right away, and is always accurate.

I had a nexus 5 from Sprint and the GPS was noticeably off, returned it and Sprint (terrible coverage). I got one from the play store and it's spot on.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

Got the replacement. Preliminary results...huge difference. Better than the phone originally was when I got it. GPS locks in immediately. And this is rooted stock with elementalx kernel. Will update again after a few days of use, but so far, so good.

Ultimate test passed earlier today. Wife and I went golfing and she dropped her phone somewhere. Loaded up Android Device Manager on my Nexus 5 and drove right to her phone. GPS was bang on.

bionemesis said:
Ultimate test passed earlier today. Wife and I went golfing and she dropped her phone somewhere. Loaded up Android Device Manager on my Nexus 5 and drove right to her phone. GPS was bang on.
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Gps set to always on? Or can device manager swtich on gps?

doctor_droid said:
Gps set to always on? Or can device manager swtich on gps?
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Device manager turns on GPS remotely.