[Q]gps signal and google maps - Nexus S Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

the only way i can connect is if im having free sky above me....
however if im in a mall whit 70% glass rooftop i cant get a gps signal going
is this a general problem or should i go try another device
also is there any way to make the screen not switch off wile ur in google maps(not navigation)

Gps needs direct line of sight to the sky. The mall side walls surely will block the necessary satellites on the mid to low horizon which is why you can't get a lock.

And glass is a solid substance, the same as any other roof, so it has an attenuating quality. The light has no idea that it is transparent to human eye.
And yes, it needs atleast three satellites to triangulate your position somewhat accurately, so there's more to it than just a line of sight upwards.

Am I the only one that thinks that must be a ginormous mall in order to need GPS while inside it?
As far as leaving the screen on while google maps is on the screen....the only thing that immediately comes to mind would be to go into your display settings and set a longer timeout.

even in a car with the phone sitting on the dash you can have issues getting a signal. The only sure way your going to get a super fast lock is outside with clear lines of sight to the sky.

knytphal said:
Am I the only one that thinks that must be a ginormous mall in order to need GPS while inside it?
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LOL.
But seriously, many apps use location services as a big part of the app (Yelp, Foursquare, etc), or as an added feature (any twitter app), and even Google's browser app uses location for Latitude and for location-based search results.
Or maybe he's a mall walker for exercise and needs his GPS enabled tracking app (RunMaster Pro is free this month on the Market instead of the usual $9.99 by the way) to track his progress.
You may not need GPS for those to work if there are enough mapped wifi spots to get a fix, but there's plenty of reasons to want your GPS to work inside a mall.

dude i dont need gps in the mall but compared whit my old htc touch hd the gps signal is alot harder to get; just wanted to know if its a issue whit my phone or its a general problem
Gps, wifi and network conections all are ****tyer on this phone then on my 2 year old htc touch hd....i expected a bit more from the latest google phone

funstuffalex said:
dude i dont need gps in the mall but compared whit my old htc touch hd the gps signal is alot harder to get; just wanted to know if its a issue whit my phone or its a general problem
Gps, wifi and network conections all are ****tyer on this phone then on my 2 year old htc touch hd....i expected a bit more from the latest google phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well in that case it might just be the problem with the nexus s. many people do seem to say it's GPS is weaker than other phones. and if you have other phones that can get a solid gps lock in the mall, but your nexus s cant, then it just must be weaker.

search for GPS status in the market. run the app. go to tools and manage a-gps.
reset the gps then download a-gps data. you should see an improvement in GPS reception. for me it is a BIG difference compared to before.

Related

Whats the point??? GPS and the Tilt

What the hell is the point to have GPS on the tilt when it has the worst reception in the world? I have to have the phone either touching the window or on the dash to even get a signal in my car. And if I am in a wooded area, dont even think about getting a signal....is there any way to boost the signal? seems just like a waist of battery life when it dosent work half the time.
Damn i cannot wait until there is a manual on off switch for GPS, then my battery will last a little longer
Um, what? Not sure how to say this nicely, but you need to read some on the GPS in the Tilt. GPS isn't on unless you are using a program that accesses it directly. And, other than being a tad slow to initialize, it's been rated as a rather good GPS device. At least I have zero problems with it. You might try using the QuickGPS program next time before you try the GPS out on anything. What program are you using for the GPS?
GPS isn't running unless you're running a program using it, so there goes the battery savings. Obviously you're not going to get the performance of a $500 GPS unit in a $300 phone with GPS. Agreed though, I couldn't even pick up a signal until I came to a stop today and held the phone out the window! I pretty much just plan on using it on the golf course...
You guys are nuts, it's working beautifully for me, even out in the mountains... It tracks perfectly via Live Search (although it was disconcerting to have it a bit off while driving over a bridge! )
I actually get pretty good signal, i keep the phone in the center console under the stereo and still get almost full reception. Question i had about quickGPS is when you update it do you have to keep it on to get the benefits of using it? or can you just update and then close it?
You can update it and you are good for 6 days. I too have to say that my Kaiser's GPS works really well, even gets a few birds indoors.
I'm using TomTom 6. I've never owned any kind of GPS but I can often get a signal inside my home if I'm close to a window. As I understand it it, this is actually quite a sensitive GPS.
Add me to the list of satisfied owners.
-James
My GPS works great also... something else you may want to realize is that with anything that utilizes a signal from a satellite then it needs to be line of sight... It is possible for the signal to penetrate some structures but its going to be best used when it has a clear view of the sky.
Am also very satisfied with the GPS-reception although my old E-ten Glofiish X500 was a little better at this (but worse on all other stuff... ;-)
Also be aware of the fact that GPS-units in cars with embedded sun-protection in the windscreen (not sure how you call this in English, it is basically this blue-ish thin layer of foil over the whole windscreen) get much worse reception than in cars without this. Usually French cars have this by default.
The QuickGPS (assisted GPS) tool usually does not improve things for me btw.
Edward
I think its quite likely the people complaining has anti-frost layers on their screens.
Surur
surur said:
I think its quite likely the people complaining has anti-frost layers on their screens.
Surur
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Didn't think about it before, but my Land Rover has the heated windshield with wires running throughout. Probably doesn't help. I'm thoroughly satisfied with it overall though.
Many cars now have a vaporized metal layer in the glass for whole window defrosting, it makes a great shield for blocking satellite signals...
Can't complain about the GPS, its not as good as a dedicated device (Garmin Nuvi). But nice to have with Live Search if traveling without the nuvi.
Performance is not bad in the car. It helps if you're stationary to acquire sats. Anyone know if there is an app to check the sat tracking?
Actually I find it better than a Nuvi (assuming you load a good Nav app on the phone) because you get nav and things like Live Search and Google Maps which together, are pretty awesome.
You can search for GPS viewers but here's one...
I don't have a problem with using any GPS app TT, Copilot, iGo etc and the reception on my unit seems to be peachy, i get sats in my house as well as in cars with front demisters and sun shielding foil (i must just be lucky).
Not had it cut out on me except in tunnels that are too long to keep the signal (although through the Alps I kept full signal for 17 km in a tunnel through a mountain thanks to their internal antenna).
Very happy with the GPS built in its worth the money for the phone on its own for me.
Russ
QuickGPS
I have been using it in my car via Google Maps "Track Location" command from the menu and it has worked like a charm for me. I agree with initiallizing it while stopped, it takes about 30 sec - 1 min to initialize then works great. My car is old and doesn't have any new advances that may interfere.
I was showing it to a friend indoors after using the QuickGPS program (Start -> Programs -> Tools -> QuickGPS) and he suggested that it uses a combination of cell towers vs it's GPS info it downloaded. Don't know if you can use this info to help you out but it may explain a bit.
The GPS works great on the Kaiser. That you don't have to mess with it, i.e. it turns itself on and off completely on its own only when needed is awesome. If you think its onl all the time, you are either running a GPS prog constantly or just confused.
It picks up a signal very very well. The onyl thing I will say is it is n't the most accurate. I mean it isn't quite as accurate as a true Sirf III chipset unit. So, it isn't the best for using for golf (i.e. it can still be a few yards off, enough to matter). But for driving, directions, routing, etc. it works nearly perfectly.
RemE said:
Actually I find it better than a Nuvi (assuming you load a good Nav app on the phone) because you get nav and things like Live Search and Google Maps which together, are pretty awesome.
You can search for GPS viewers but here's one...
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the cab I'll give it a try. I like to keep things lean on the phone... still trying to make it a phone first, before anything else... So I try to keep apps to a minimum.
In a pinch, MS Live is great! I do prefer the larger screen on my Nuvi for driving... and it seems to do a better job tracking when I'm speeding down the highway.
I am surprised how well it works, I have a Garmin 2610 (yes its old, about 4to 5 years old) I put the Kaiser with TomTom 6 side by side on the car dash and they both perform great, the garmin a bit faster in aquaring Sat signal, but as I drive acuracy and speed its about the same. I still prefer the Garmin due to larger screen but its a dedicated GPS unit the kaiser is a Phone with GPS, but over all I think the GPS on the kaiser is great.
My $0.02 cents (Canadian)
GPS and Tilt
Actually I have a Dell bluetooth GPS receiver and I can confirm that the Tilt GPS works way better than Dell. It takes only few seconds to lock onto the satellites. I am more than satisfied.

GPS Problems? Yup everyone

http://free-pc-guides.com/news/first-att-samsung-captivate-owners-report-problems-with-gps-02887
This is such a sensationalist article. There aren't any problems with the GPS. You're supposed to use a GPS outside, and even inside, mine got a signal fine.
This article also says that T-mobile is expected to get the Captivate, which is false. It already has the Vibrant.
What GPS Problem??
No problems for me, thus far...
Mine has locked once. After that it refuses and just triangulates using cell towers and accurate within 2600 meters.
I'm not sure I would call it a "problem", but the GPS chip in these things is definitely not as good as the GPS chips in most other newly released phones. It could be a software issue, but I doubt it. The Aria would consistently lock onto twice as many satellites as this thing. When driving near large buildings and under bridges I sometimes lose a lock and Google Nav jumps around, which never happens in those same places with the Aria.
It seems to be working fine for me, but then I saw that someone had posted a fix for it when you dialed into the GPS settings, so I did that, and now.... it's still working fine!
gtg465x said:
I'm not sure I would call it a "problem", but the GPS chip in these things is definitely not as good as the GPS chips in most other newly released phones. It could be a software issue, but I doubt it. The Aria would consistently lock onto twice as many satellites as this thing. When driving near large buildings and under bridges I sometimes lose a lock and Google Nav jumps around, which never happens in those same places with the Aria.
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Click to collapse
I've recently used both an Evo and an ATT-band Nexus One. I do have to say that the GPS on both of those seemed to acquire signals from satellites much faster than the Captivate, and give a more accurate location. Even standing outside, in the open, this one never appears to lock in on my precise location as well. I realize that's only anecdotal, but I no longer have access to either of the other devices.
Maybe its just mine, but I traveled over 300 miles today using Google Navigation, the phone up in the dash, with a clear view of the sky keep on having issue finding me.
I have an N1 and Aria, neither of these have these issues.
Do the specs indicate which GPS chip is being used? Some are better than others. Is it SirFStar III, IV, or MTK or what? This can certainly make a difference but costs about the same, so why get a cheapo chip? Hope Samsung did not do that.
GPS is definitely poor. From watching GPS Test I'd wager it's a firmware issue. No reason to have satellites popping in and out of view in the middle of a field on a clear day...
I've had many GPS units (>10) and the GPS in the phone is the second worst I've ever had. Very flaky. It looks like they also tried to mask the problem by averaging a bunch of the last fixes. I say this because the speed indication trails reality by quite a bit!
And I did try the proposed settings elsewhere but it didn't seem to improve much.
Hopefully they'll get this fixed. It's not the way GPS should be working on a top tier phone.
AJerman said:
It seems to be working fine for me, but then I saw that someone had posted a fix for it when you dialed into the GPS settings, so I did that, and now.... it's still working fine!
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Okay, so to change my stance a little, the GPS has been a little off tonight. Locking has been slower than I like, but it has been locking, and I saw it lock to at least 7 satellites earlier so I know it has no issue with handling that many at once.
The bigger annoyance that I'm having now is that my AGPS is off by quite a bit, telling me I'm in the next town over until it gets a full GPS signal. Not only is this annoying, but it also throws off every app that uses the cell data for coarse location, and I wouldn't be surprised if it has an effect on how fast it locks to the actual GPS satellites since it has the wrong location info to start which is the whole point of AGPS.
I actually did the GPS tweaks found in another thread, and I was navigating around my city. Maps was spot on for 98% of the time. Once or twice it put me about 30 meters away, but that was when i was surrounded by trees or concrete. Overall, I was very VERY impressed with the voice navigation, and the re-routing it did when i drove past a turn!
hmose said:
Do the specs indicate which GPS chip is being used? Some are better than others. Is it SirFStar III, IV, or MTK or what? This can certainly make a difference but costs about the same, so why get a cheapo chip? Hope Samsung did not do that.
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Click to collapse
I'm starting to think that the processor and screen on this phone cost so much that Samsung had to cut corners in other areas to keep prices competitive. So far we've seen widespread evidence of crappy chargers (take forever to charge), GPS chips (slow and not very accurate), compasses (all over the place), internal memory (slow memory is causing the stalling issue / lag), and lack of camera flash. Hopefully not all of those are hardware issues and some can be fixed with software, but I'm just saying, they might have cut some corners to keep this thing reasonably priced. Personally, I would have rather paid $100 more to have the best phone ever made hands down. Oh Samsung.
I got it to lock like one time outside. Then I found this http://androidforums.com/samsung-captivate/128026-everyone-who-having-gps-problems.html and now it locks on inside my house. And this is actually GPS I'm talking about not wifi/cell tower triangulation. Hope it helps some of you.
I picked mine up the 19th in the burbs of Chicago. Drove up to Milwaukee with it the same day and did a side by side comparison with my Garmin GPS after my friend sent me the article.
Besides 2 minor hiccups, they worked very similar.
*the first hiccup shouldn't even be credited as a hiccup because it was an alternate route, I knew from experience it was slower but my Garmin and my Magellan of past never recognized it as the faster route.
*the second hiccup was when I was driving down 294 to merge into 94. Both had about the same instruction but out of nowhere my captivate's nav system said to take a left into a random road. It "recalculated" after a quick flicker and went back on course with my Garmin.
Recently I noticed there was an update for the Maps application which gave me "Navigation" and after installing it, I prefer my phone to my Garmin because:
1. It now gives you a picture of the destination in "street view" which you can touch and scroll around when you've arrived or pretty much arrived.
2. It shows traffic (green is good, red is bad)
3. I'm not sure if this was before the update but you can scroll through the map using the touch screen rather than just zooming in and out.
I'll do a few more runs driving between Milwaukee and the Chicago burbs before I completely set aside one or the other, but my experience has definitely met my expectations of a GPS
Why not download GPS NMEA MONITOR App and watch the data sentences. If they keep coming then it is a software problem, not the GPS Chipset. If those data sentences are stopped, then you got a hardware chipset reception problem. Try getting a clear view of the sky.
Zero GPS issues here, faster then backflip, tilt, & tilt2 for me. Grabs and maintains connection just fine.

Google Map update effect GPS

I was wondering if anyone else experienced EXTREME improvements today after updating Google Maps?? I am to 10-20 meters of accuracy compared to the normal 400 meters. It actually shows me at my house which is WAY WAY in the country!
Most of the time I'm at 10 meters, sometimes it'll get to 5 meters. Maybe it's improved, maybe not.
Mines still off by 5-6 miles. Odd because when i first got it my location was only off by 1/2 mile.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I didn't get to drive but I did get a very fast navigation lock that never happens for me. Also I got a lock inside my house within 10 meters. And the navigation lock was also inside.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Well I tried it with GPS off, here in australia, and my location was only 2 houses off. This is a massive improvement. But that's just based on cell phone towers i guess.., dunno about actual GPS improvement but that would also be nice
Noticed this as well. Was in Orchard Supply earlier and tried out the GPS because my brother was asking about it (he's been thinking about getting captivate). Was able to get a very accurate lock INSIDE the store showing in about 20 seconds where I actually was in the store which was nuts (actually it was pipe fittings aisle ). Tried navigation home from class during the afternoon and it took about 10 seconds to get a lock and never lost me the whole way. My GPS was working fine before but now it's even more accurate/faster.
I second this. I tried with the GPS at home. Locked very quickly, and about 10 meters. Navigation seems working fine too.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Sounds like GMap finally defaults to use A-GPS mode which means faster lock. Accuacy? Not affected.
TRY THIS
Referring to INDOOR accuracy with GPS module off.
I'm noticing that if I have WIFI AND USE WIRELESS NETWORKS ON, the indoor accuracy has improved massively. If I turn WIFI OFF but leave Use Wireless Networks ON, I seem to get standard cell tower location of 500 - 1000 meters.
So, Im assuming this update has enabled Google's version of Skyhook in maps.
Im pretty sure thats what it is since I dont have to be connected to an access point for it to work. Just have WIFI ON.
Nice.
Everyone should disable Skyhook from the LBSmode. I had it disabled since my phone got updated to JH7 but for those how don't...
My settings from factory are:
Skyhook OFF
GPS plus OFF
I to see a improvement. I drive 80 miles one way to work and never lost lock. This has never happened before.
What is GPS plus?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
drfubar said:
Referring to INDOOR accuracy with GPS module off.
I'm noticing that if I have WIFI AND USE WIRELESS NETWORKS ON, the indoor accuracy has improved massively. If I turn WIFI OFF but leave Use Wireless Networks ON, I seem to get standard cell tower location of 500 - 1000 meters.
So, Im assuming this update has enabled Google's version of Skyhook in maps.
Im pretty sure thats what it is since I dont have to be connected to an access point for it to work. Just have WIFI ON.
Nice.
Everyone should disable Skyhook from the LBSmode. I had it disabled since my phone got updated to JH7 but for those how don't...
My settings from factory are:
Skyhook OFF
GPS plus OFF
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wi-fi location fix has been in Google Maps for a long time now. It is not new.
Here's my opinion on this. I have nothing to back this up other than what I interpret from behavior I have seen, so it is strictly my opinion/guess.
Ignoring any GPS hardware or software issues there may or may not be, I think that Google Nav has issues from time to time. I don't know if it is because it relies on 3g data to paint maps and determine routes or whatever, but I think it seems to "lag" sometimes. And if it gets a bit off track, it takes too long to recover. Maybe it does it more on a system that struggles with GPS accuracy a bit more, I don't know.
So, my guess would be that an update to Google maps would not contribute anything to a faster GPS lock or more accuracy from GPS, since I guess this happens at the OS level.
However, what we see when navigating, is Google NAV(maps) interpretation of the GPS. So, when it teleports you off the road maybe it's because it isn't smart enough to think, "Hey, a car doesn't just teleport off a road, so I'll wait a couple more seconds to see if it returns before I show it off the road". It already does this to some degree since your accuracy under good conditions can be 10 or 15 meters which could easily put you on a lawn or sidewalk but NAV continues to show you on the road.
So, maybe, Google Maps updates can help make the Nav experience better by being smarter about interpreting GPS data and showing your position within the context of driving a car down the road.
My $.02
Bob
foxbat121 said:
Wi-fi location fix has been in Google Maps for a long time now. It is not new.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So do your maps show better accuracy or not? Since that is the topic of the thread you might as well refer to the topic. Or are you just trying to show everyone you know better?
One thing is that the feature was there, another is if it worked properly.
Now it works. Before it didn't.
My navigation isn't the best but I am thrilled to have a quick lock in the boonies where I live... GPS worked decent but lagged in little rock our biggest city.... but I haven't been to the city since the update... I'll let everyone know if it can now navigate there. ... I know my location contributes to the issues!!!! But again I was thrilled to be getting locks!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I updated Maps yesterday and the AGPS sometimes says I'm in Georgia now(I live in PA), lol, in the middle of a highway no less. However the GPS is working better. I got my first lock ever as well as the first time my GPS has ever seen more than 3 satellites(saw 6).
All I can say is that I would be VERY surprised if an update to Google Maps helped GPS locking, how many satellites it sees, or accuracy at the GPS layer on the device.
However, I would not be surprised if a Google Maps update helped with navigation use or even placing you on a map, since it Google Maps can modify it's interpretation of the GPS position.
If your GPS was spotty before, then thinking you are seeing more satellites or better accuracy, using something like GPS Status, is just a placebo.
However, this is pure speculation on my part. I suppose it's possible that Google have modified something at the device layer that controls the GPS chip, but I'm thinking not.
My feedback would be to exchange your phone if your GPS is spotty. I did and my new phone has pretty much perfect GPS.
Bob
How can you tell the actual accuracy in ft or meters in google maps?
If anything for me GPS lock is take longer than before update.
mudfarmer said:
Mines still off by 5-6 miles. Odd because when i first got it my location was only off by 1/2 mile.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it is of by that much it is only giving you a network provided location...not a gps position. Turn off use wireless networks to see a gps location
Sent telepathically using vulcan mind meld app.

Nexus S GPS problem?

I bought a T-Mobile nexus s to try out at best buy before committing to dish out 600$ on the att version and noticing that my GPS is having a difficult time locking a signal. Could this be because I'm on edge signal or it shouldn't matter?
I had that captivate before and I had the same issue, does this problem also exist on the nexus s also? It's a great device but I don't think its worth it to me if the GPS isn't reliable
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
If the GPS is having trouble finding your location, then it's not your network's fault. It's your GPS's. Anyway, 2.3.4 should fix that, so just manual install 2.3.4 and you should be good to go.
i do note though, i have problems around areas densely populated with buildings and trees.
Not trying to be an ass, but do you even know how gps works? There's nothing to do with edge cellphone towers or anything... The phone receives signals from satellites that orbit earth and by comparing the time delay it takes to receive the signal from at least 3 different satellites it locks your location.
Now, because the signal is very weak you need to have a clear view of the sky. Buildings, trees, clouds, anything aside a blue clear sky can prevent your phone from getting a gps signal.
So every phone first use radio strength from cellphone towers to triangulate your position faster, but again it has nothing to do with 3g or edge stuff since it just compare the strength of radio signals from differents cellphone towers that have know locations.
So try out getting a gps fix in a clear day, if even in perfect conditions you don't get squat than replace the phone.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Well I was trying to use the gps on the express way with nothing but blue sits and I wasn't able to achieve a lock until half way to my destination. As much as I like the nexus s if I have to update my rom to get the gps to work then im thinking about returning it. Plus I bought the attic 4g and the gps works wonderfully!! And even though its not as open to run the latest roms I find it far smoother then the nexus s aside from the screen im really impressed with the phone.
gratti said:
Not trying to be an ass, but do you even know how gps works? ...anything aside a blue clear sky can prevent your phone from getting a gps signal.
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Click to collapse
Not trying to be an ass, but do you even know how gps works? it also works if the sky is black.
doug0365 said:
Well I was trying to use the gps on the express way with nothing but blue sits and I wasn't able to achieve a lock until half way to my destination. As much as I like the nexus s if I have to update my rom to get the gps to work then im thinking about returning it. Plus I bought the attic 4g and the gps works wonderfully!! And even though its not as open to run the latest roms I find it far smoother then the nexus s aside from the screen im really impressed with the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the GPS lock time is decreased when you try to get it whilst moving. So if you were on express way, then that explains it. Just try to get a GPS lock in the park or standing still in an open environment. See if that helps.
MarkusPO said:
Not trying to be an ass, but do you even know how gps works? it also works if the sky is black.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You had to try hard to make that joke, eh?
There are 21 satellites up there sending signals at any giving moment, and yeah, that includes night time
Now back to topic, I don't think that you speed effect lock time since no matter how fast you are moving in your car it won't make a difference since area covered by a satellite is huge and the time stamp on those signals are in the order of 1x10^-6 seconds. And ofc a electro magnetic wave move practically at the speed of light.
There's always a visible delay when you are moving, like the position on the map is always a bit behind of where you really are, but that's because the phone only reflash your position each 2 to 4 seconds to save some battery.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Oh, ok gratti, thanks for the input. It was just a thought. So then what would be his problem ?
i'm gonna recommend you download gps status, go to the menu / tools / manage gps, and download the gps data - which is the location of the satellites. and this will help you get lock faster.
you're welcome.
lambda30 said:
Oh, ok gratti, thanks for the input. It was just a thought. So then what would be his problem ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, hard to say. Most likely it's software related. He can try download "gps status" from market and use it's tool clear and redownload gps data. That seems to work most of the times... even tho I'm not sure it actually do something or if it's more like a placebo effect. If his phone can never get a location than better replace it and be done with it.
I had gps issues with all my phones at one point or another and most of the time it resolved by itself. One day it didn't worked the next worked like a charm.
As an electrical engineer it piss me off when my phone's gps simply can't locate me even with ideal conditions. It should work. Period. But like Lewis CK says "the ****tier cellphone is a god damn miracle" sooo...... yeah
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Please, watch here : http://forum.frandroid.com/topic/52821-fix-gps-full-speed/
It's my topic (in french :/) but it's a fix full speed gps.
8/8 satelites in 15s !

[Q] Is my GPS chip defective ?

Hello,
I'm encountering some issues with my Samsung Nexus S GPS. I got the i9023 (Europe/SLCD) version of the phone, which is running default rom (stock), freshly updated to 2.3.4 (via official OTA!).
I couldn't figure why, when using Maps, my position would usually be around 1 km away from where I am. I found out later, this time using Navigation, that it is desperately searching for a GPS signal, that it can't find. Sometimes I manage to get a lock, when I keep it running for like 30 - 40 mins, but it immediately disappears. GPS Statuts keeps showing 0/5 sats.
I was convinced that my GPS chip was defective.
But today, I was hanging out in the city and tried running Navigation. I got a lock, for the first time, within a 15 sec delay. That was the first time that I managed to get live GPS tracking. I've walked a bit around, and the tracking was really, really accurate.
Back home, in my apartment, again I can't get any signal. I live in the 3rd floor, walls aren't that thick and, as for an anecdote, in the same room, my iPhone 3Gs instantly finds my position.
I've bought this phone 6 days ago and therefore still under warranty. Question is, can we say my GPS chip is defective ? Is it worth requesting a replacement ?
Thanks !
1st) You cannot expect to get gps reception inside even with professional equipment. When your iPhone gets a fast fix it's most likely WLAN triangulation. As Apple uses a different database than Google, it may work on on your iPhone and not on your Nexus for a paticular place and vice versa.
2nd) It's unlikely that your gps is broken if you can connect to GSM/UMTS/CDMA2000 networks as gps is processed using the same chipset.
3rd) That 1km-off-fix might be celltower based location, 1km sounds quite plausible.
4th) Try _NOT_ to move until you get GPS fix.
5th) Keep internet access while trying to get a fix. The Nexus S as most phones on the market use assisted gps, where your phone contacts a server that provides data which enables your phone to track its position more easily.
6th) Good luck.
Yes, well, I had 2 friends which came to my place, in my room, and just activated GPS on their iphones and it located them straight away, to our exact position. So it was definitely the GPS tracking and not triangulation.
Indeed, when MY phone locates me off 1 km, this is definitely triangulation or cell-towers.
Of course, when I try to get a fix in my apartment or on my balcony, I just put it on a table and must wait for at least 30 mins to get a lock, and it disappears quickly. Doesn't seem normal to me ...
Finally to answer your 5th point, I got 3G, so a perfect fast & smooth inet connection.
GPS testing should always be done outside, you are not supposed to use it indoors.
What is probably happening there is that the other devices are more sensitive and can still get a lock. You might be able to get a lock if you place your phone very close to the window.
I got a Nexus S recently and noticed that the GPS is quite weaker than the one on my old HTC.
Although the Nexus is faster to get a lock (if you let it use 3G) the GPS itself is less sensitive and accurate.
It looses signal easier, for instance, if i go under some trees, and it takes more time to get signal back after loosing it, for example, if you go under a bridge, the old HTC would get the lock back in 2 seconds after leaving the bridge, the Nexus took half a minute.
Having said that, i think it's good enough for driving navigation, i have done some tests and on the road it behaves well enough.
You shouldn't be surprised, this phone is very similar to the Galaxy S and that had terrible GPS issues, this nexus is better, but still weak.
Thank you for your feedback, temp9300 !
I guess the Nexus S can't compete with iphone's. But it's ok, as long as it works fine outdoors, this is what matters.

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