Related
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
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
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...
Click to expand...
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.
Complain if you are outside with a clear sky and you can't get a lock, not if you are in your parents basement, in the cab of your car (not on the dash in a car mount), inside your office cubicle, they need a clear view of the sky to work properly.
Sorry, read too many idiots saying the GPS doesn't work IN their house... Duh!!!
THanks but I will complain if I want to considering every Blackberry I owned prior to the Captivate got a GPS lock within a few seconds in pretty much every location "clear weather" or not. Expecting GPS to work in a basement is one thing but expecting it to work in your car...anywhere in your car, or even a normal house (unless you live in your parent's basement) is completely reasonable IMHO. My Boss' HTC Incredible's GPS locks in our office which is on the 1st floor of a 4 story office building as long as he is near an exterior wall. When I run the app GPS Status from that same office space I can see the GPS sats but they won't lock. Sorry if you are tired of hearing "idiots" complain about Samsung's suck ass GPS but you should pretty much just deal with it. It isn't too much to expect a brand new state of the art smartphone to have at least as good GPS performance as a freaking 3 year old Blackberry.
I am also am unhappy consumer related the poor GPS quality - I expected a high end phone to have an accurate GPS. With that said, I think everyone can agree that it could be better, however, the phone in my opinion is very great and boasts many other positive features.
I do believe the GPS will be fixed. Why may it be taking so long? - I think they are planning to roll out a large fix including a proper GPS update as well as Android 2.2. We may even have to wait as long as November for the release of Android 3.0 (Gingerbread) as I don't believe it would make sense for them to continue extensive work on Android 2.2 and update everyone to that and then weeks later force the switch to Android 3.0
For Captivate users, this wait may end up being for the better - Imagine being one of the first devices on Android 3.0; a completely redesigned and much better Android version.
More information gathered during research of Android 3.0:
This update would be limited to only the high end devices with recommended 1GHz processor, 512mb RAM and at least a 3.5" screen. Great news! We fit all of that criteria.
It has been rumored of a release date of Mid-October of 2010 - I would say at least November for us; with some luck maybe even October 15th!
The Android 3.0 system will incorporate a complete design overhaul and include a larger Android Marketplace - Basically no more TouchWiz, Motoblur etc.
Sources:
[http://phonereport.info/google-android-3.0-gingerbread-releases-in-october/]
[http://b4tea.com/information/review...3-0-gingerbread-features-release-date-review]
[http://thegadgets.net/technology-ne...gingerbread-details-and-release-date-leaked/]
Disclaimer - Obviously I am no expert, nor am i affiliated with Google or Samsung so I can not make any guarantee to the information provided in this less than extensive research. It is solely just for a moral boost!
My Nexus had no problem getting a GPS lock, even on the first floor of my house. Even if I stand by the window on the 2nd floor, the Captivate will not get a lock. So yes, the GPS is severely crippled
CougarBroker said:
Complain if you are outside with a clear sky and you can't get a lock, not if you are in your parents basement, in the cab of your car (not on the dash in a car mount), inside your office cubicle, they need a clear view of the sky to work properly.
Sorry, read too many idiots saying the GPS doesn't work IN their house... Duh!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to burst your bubble but GPS signals do penetrate light structures. Yes, you can get a GPS fix inside in many conditions.
The Galaxy S GPS is just terrible - why? We still don't know. But I can place it right next to any number of other GPS receivers and watch them work properly inside and out while the Galaxy S sits there wasting battery and my time.
CougarBroker said:
Sorry, read too many idiots saying the GPS doesn't work IN their house... Duh!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My crap Navigon unit gets a signal inside the house....Duh!!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
I'm with the original poster on this one. I have a variety of GPS devices, including a SPOT GPS messenger and a Garmin eTrek HC. While they can work in adverse conditions, the only way to truly compare one to another is under a clear sky, not even glass in between. There are SO many variables inside a building, in an alley or inside a car that anecdotal comparisons in varied conditions are useless.
Saying your GPS doesn't work indoors is like saying your shoes are uncomfortable when you're in bed. And saying you got a lock indoors is similarly unimportant. To test GPS properly, you should turn off all other triangulation services including Skyhook and AGPS and then get into a vehicle and drive.
A - B comparisons between different types of devices would be useful but really only with raw data taken under controlled conditions. Things like SNR for each bird, time to acquire lock, ephemeris and almanac data.
I don't think I am asking too much when I want the GPS to acquire a lock wherever my old iPhone and my old Nexus One can. I also don't think I am asking too much that the signal holds steady and doesn't throw me around on the map when I do have a lock.
I really don't understand why they don't just issue an actual fix. Samsung must have a skilled software team to deal with things like this. Or maybe not.
If you can get a lock indoors on other devices, the Captivate should have NO problem whatsoever
The BCM4751 is considered(by broadcom themselves...go figure) to be the "industry standard" in mobile GPS chipsets, it was designed to be able to find even the weakest signals whilst still being a power miser. That being said, its a little strange that ANY of my older GPS equipped devices have no (0, NONE) problem getting a lock indoors (waaaay indoors at that).
Im thoroughly convinced this is not a hardware issue, I should be getting more than one satellite indoors (the same one satellite I get outside on a clear cloudless day)
It's gonna be another "wait and see" game. Hopefully sooner than later
ianwood said:
Saying your GPS doesn't work indoors is like saying your shoes are uncomfortable when you're in bed. And saying you got a lock indoors is similarly unimportant. To test GPS properly, you should turn off all other triangulation services including Skyhook and AGPS and then get into a vehicle and drive.
A - B comparisons between different types of devices would be useful but really only with raw data taken under controlled conditions. Things like SNR for each bird, time to acquire lock, ephemeris and almanac data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sigh. I'm not even going to respond to this anymore. While I appreciate your desire to add more rigor to the process you don't seem to have much experience with GPS.
My sampling is 3 Garmin GPS units, Holux, iPhone 3G and Captivate. With the exception of the iPhone none of them have any sort of AGPS. The Captivate should handily come out on top thanks to AGPS, improved circuits/amplifiers, firmware and filtering. Especially when considering some of those GPS units are nearing 10 years of age.
There is no need for "raw data" and "controlled conditions". Side by side is enough here because the performance difference is glaring. We are not talking about marginal differences in performance. We're talking about working vs. not working.
Fact is, every single GPS I have bests the Captivate under *all* conditions. The Captivate is the second GPS I've ever had that I was disappointed with the performance. (I've owned many others in addition to the ones I listed.)
Yes, GPS works indoors. It even works if your shoes are uncomfortable while taking a shower in your bed.
yeah, gps doesnt suppose to work indoor. but when compare to other phones, samsung gps is garbage!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTOi82o56Tc
Sorry but your post sucks and so does the GPS on captivate. I used to have a Backflip before my Captivate and i could be in a bomb shelter and still get a GPS lock.
After applying cognition 2.1.5 & tweaking LbsTestMode, I could get a 8/8 satellites to lock indoors ~ its amazing! I'm so happy ^_^
honestly nokia phones are the best gps phones I've used. Downloadable maps, text to speech, voice navigation, personalize your own voice, accuracy is amazing! But on my captivate I can get a lock inside my home with 10m accuracy.
haydonxda said:
Sigh. I'm not even going to respond to this anymore. While I appreciate your desire to add more rigor to the process you don't seem to have much experience with GPS.
My sampling is 3 Garmin GPS units, Holux, iPhone 3G and Captivate. With the exception of the iPhone none of them have any sort of AGPS. The Captivate should handily come out on top thanks to AGPS, improved circuits/amplifiers, firmware and filtering. Especially when considering some of those GPS units are nearing 10 years of age.
There is no need for "raw data" and "controlled conditions". Side by side is enough here because the performance difference is glaring. We are not talking about marginal differences in performance. We're talking about working vs. not working.
Fact is, every single GPS I have bests the Captivate under *all* conditions. The Captivate is the second GPS I've ever had that I was disappointed with the performance. (I've owned many others in addition to the ones I listed.)
Yes, GPS works indoors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never said it didn't. I did say claiming your GPS doesn't work because you can't get a lock indoors is not meaningful i.e. it's not constructive. And most aren't doing the A-B comparisons you are. There are too many factors influencing getting an indoor lock for the forum to determine anything useful from it. It might be easier and more meaningful if we tested our devices outdoors with clear line of site to the sky so at least we eliminate the variables influencing getting a lock indoors.
BTW, I agree that the Captivate's GPS is utter rubbish. I've tested it on a number of trips in my car and it has never given consistent results. What the controlled testing and raw data might reveal is why it is rubbish. Is the ephermeris or almanac data corrupted? Is the antenna poorly positioned and therefore less sensitive than it should be? Is there noise/crosstalk?
A dedicated GPS device is always going to be better then a phone GPS. They have better antennas and usually more sensitive receivers. GPS signals are not as strong as other radio signals and are not designed to pass through buildings. If you get a lock indoors, you are lucky - or just have a house without a lot of interference.
When testing, everyone needs to make sure that they are not using AGPS or Skyhook type services (Google location services is another). AGPS uses cell towers, and Skyhook/Google location uses Wifi - even if Wifi is off. Skyhook and Google mapped all the Wireless access points they could find and use them for GPS location.
If you want to compare 2 devices side by side, you probably should put them in airplane mode and make sure Google/Skyhook location services are off. Also, be outside with clear view of the sky - no tall buildings or heavy trees.
Okay. I barely get a lock and can't hold a lock and if I had to navigate somewhere using it in a life or death situation people would be dead, outside.
I wouldn't rely on any GPS in a life or death situation - I can't even imagine a scenario.
I agree GPS is broken, but I would pull out my phone and use it to make a call to 911 - that is its primary function after all.
alphadog00 said:
I wouldn't rely on any GPS in a life or death situation - I can't even imagine a scenario.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, of course I am using hyperbole
This topic has been mentioned in other threads but I figured it could be separated to be easier to read. I'm curious about the precision of the Sensation's GPS as I require a reliable GPS unit (for driving and walking navigation).
It does not need to be able to land a tomahawk missile with 2 meter accuracy but it would be good if it can hold to locks and have good precision. Ideally, please post some tracks obrained with MyTracks or similar software.
Details like TTFF times are irrelevant to me. I don't care about how long it takes to lock and all that... only that it tracks accurately after lock, and holds on to locks (been burned before as you can see from the signature, ahah).
I'm also very interested in GPS performance. We each have our own special interests, some focus on audio chips, others 1080p recording, or browser flash zooming. I travel a lot so for me a key is GPS.
As much info as you can post regarding lock times (which I do care about), accuracy, and reliability would be greatly appreciated.
No one is using GPS? You Brits not into traveling?
GPS is good for me
Been using it in the car quite often in the last 3 days.
Works a treat. Probably about 5-7 seconds to lock, then max 5m accuracy at all times.
before i used my desire (pretty much same as the sensation tbh, couldn't fault the Desire with GPS) and also used my gf's Galaxy s1, omg that phone is SO bad with GPS...sometimes it thought i was on completely different roads. Got me very frustrated...and rerouting took ages on that.
Overall...i can't fault it. Pretty much exactly the same as the desire...which was great
Barff1984 said:
GPS is good for me
Been using it in the car quite often in the last 3 days.
Works a treat. Probably about 5-7 seconds to lock, then max 5m accuracy at all times.
before i used my desire (pretty much same as the sensation tbh, couldn't fault the Desire with GPS) and also used my gf's Galaxy s1, omg that phone is SO bad with GPS...sometimes it thought i was on completely different roads. Got me very frustrated...and rerouting took ages on that.
Overall...i can't fault it. Pretty much exactly the same as the desire...which was great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks very much for the update. Just what I wanted to hear. Your description of the SGS is all too familiar. Really looking forward to getting my hands on the Sensation.
While iv not used the navigation, ive used google maps abit playing around etc.. and seems to be very accurate - more then my old desire anyway and i thought that was good !
samnada said:
No one is using GPS? You Brits not into traveling?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From the reviews I see on the net, it seems no one uses GPS anymore, at least not on phones. Most reviewers don't even bother to dedicate a single paragraph to GPS performance, those that do, mention some lame irrelevant notes on how fast the first lock was and how accurate it showed their location at the time and how all the bars looked colourful and pretty during the 8 seconds before they closed the application and went on with the review to the really important matters like mentioning if it synchs with Facebook fast enough and if the weather widget is really accurate or not.
Expecting them to drive around 10 minutes and walk around as much and record and show tracks on a map would be too much. It's a "if you want GPS, why don't you buy a real GPS son? This is just a phone!" world, even when phones cost 500€+ and list GPS+Sat Nav capability on the box.
One thing is for sure, I might get called all sorts of nasty things again but I'm not spitting out 599€ like I did for that SGS I again to later find out that its tracks look like something that a drunk 8 year old with a crayon XXXX'ed all over a map in total darkness.
And to the crowd mentioned 2 paragraphs above, it's not that I navigate a lot, but when I do, I like to use the phone, and since it was pricey and the specs state it has GPS and is navigation capable, I like to navigate with it or tend to curse. A lot.
If all else fails, I can perhaps use the same well-proven method I have used with Samsung's fine Galaxy S. I just give them my 599€, use it, find out it is crap, store the pathetic tracks for public display, return it and recover my euros and any eventual bonus points for credit card usage.
But I'd rather not.
So; Anyone lost lately? With a Sensation? Anyone?
Bump on this one.
Should be easy for someone to download gps-status and put a small 2 minute movie on youtube.
Same as the others here I am using 'a phone' most of the time for GPS purposes.
The lock time is not the single most important thing in GPS reception. Also accuracy and jitter are very important.
My best GPS receiver in the phones I owned was the Touch HD. Good and stable lock and especially no jitter. Meaning when driving at 100kmh it would show 100 and not 102-98-101-etc etc
My HD2 is now has a fast lock, but lets not talk about the other GPS capabilities.
I am doubting between the Sensation and the ... drumrolls... Galaxy S2!
I have seen some pretty bad S1 movies and comments but it seems that with the S2 they have done a good job on the receiver.
This is one compared to the Desire S http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZzJyKtPkHw
That looks pretty impressive but only shows the receivers sensitivity.
lukesan said:
Bump on this one.
Should be easy for someone to download gps-status and put a small 2 minute movie on youtube.
Same as the others here I am using 'a phone' most of the time for GPS purposes.
The lock time is not the single most important thing in GPS reception. Also accuracy and jitter are very important.
My best GPS receiver in the phones I owned was the Touch HD. Good and stable lock and especially no jitter. Meaning when driving at 100kmh it would show 100 and not 102-98-101-etc etc
My HD2 is now has a fast lock, but lets not talk about the other GPS capabilities.
I am doubting between the Sensation and the ... drumrolls... Galaxy S2!
I have seen some pretty bad S1 movies and comments but it seems that with the S2 they have done a good job on the receiver.
This is one compared to the Desire S http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZzJyKtPkHw
That looks pretty impressive but only shows the receivers sensitivity.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
GPS and compass demo vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mivpOyvNU30
samnada said:
GPS and compass demo vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mivpOyvNU30
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow great demo...
Sorry for my ignorance, but do i need to be on a 3G to be able to use the maps the way it is used in the video?
mazinya said:
Wow great demo...
Sorry for my ignorance, but do i need to be on a 3G to be able to use the maps the way it is used in the video?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes Google maps needs to download the info...
I'm not sure if you can cache
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
mazinya said:
Wow great demo...
Sorry for my ignorance, but do i need to be on a 3G to be able to use the maps the way it is used in the video?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The video shows several different apps.
Google Maps, Earth, and Navigation do require a data connection to initially download the map segments. Nav now caches the segments used for a specific route so that once you're underway you can lose the connection and still navigate and even recalculate routes.
I haven't owned a HTC phone, but it's my understanding that the Locations app from HTC uses TomTom maps which are resident on the phone, and do not need a data connection. I also believe there are two levels, free and premium, so some features are only available if you pay.
http://pocketnow.com/android/htc-desire-hd-locations-navigation
Being abroad i wont be using 3G connection as it will make me go bankrupt very fast so i would like to know that if im traveling abroad and i wanna navigate myself just like in the video i will be able to do that without any kind of internet connection
mazinya said:
Being abroad i wont be using 3G connection as it will make me go bankrupt very fast so i would like to know that if im traveling abroad and i wanna navigate myself just like in the video i will be able to do that without any kind of internet connection
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WON'T WORK.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
mazinya said:
Being abroad i wont be using 3G connection as it will make me go bankrupt very fast so i would like to know that if im traveling abroad and i wanna navigate myself just like in the video i will be able to do that without any kind of internet connection
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on which specific apps you want to use. Google apps (Maps, Navigation, and Earth) require a data connection. As I indicated, my understanding of HTC Locations is it uses maps stored locally on the phone, so no data connection is required, although getting a GPS lock without a connection can take a bit longer since A-GPS can't be used.
Another thing to consider is buying a local SIM in the country you travel to. Rates are typically MUCH cheaper. I was in Paris last year and bought a Orange SIM with 1 month of unlimited data for about 20 Euros total. I used 3G most of every day navigating around the city, translation, etc., and it worked perfectly. It takes a bit of research in each country to find the deals, and get it set up, which can be somewhat of a challenge where language is a barrier, but it can be well worth the effort. I plan to do the same in Italy in October.
samnada said:
Depends on which specific apps you want to use. Google apps (Maps, Navigation, and Earth) require a data connection. As I indicated, my understanding of HTC Locations is it uses maps stored locally on the phone, so no data connection is required, although getting a GPS lock without a connection can take a bit longer since A-GPS can't be used.
Another thing to consider is buying a local SIM in the country you travel to. Rates are typically MUCH cheaper. I was in Paris last year and bought a Orange SIM with 1 month of unlimited data for about 20 Euros total. I used 3G most of every day navigating around the city, translation, etc., and it worked perfectly. It takes a bit of research in each country to find the deals, and get it set up, which can be somewhat of a challenge where language is a barrier, but it can be well worth the effort. I plan to do the same in Italy in October.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for great advices. Looks like the HTC locations is the money free solution then.
Its odd as i always thought that navigating while driving and navigating while walking is the same in a manner that they are both require a satellite lock and not an internet connection... I really thought its as simple as that.. load the program, get a satellite lock and start navigating.. Guess not
mazinya said:
Thanks for great advices. Looks like the HTC locations is the money free solution then.
Its odd as i always thought that navigating while driving and navigating while walking is the same in a manner that they are both require a satellite lock and not an internet connection... I really thought its as simple as that.. load the program, get a satellite lock and start navigating.. Guess not
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not quite that simple. It depends on the specific app you are using, where the maps are stored, and also whether you want the fastest initial GPS lock or not. In general things work better with a data connection, but with some apps it's not required.
Another point I may not have been clear about, the Locations app has a free and a premium version. Some features are only available with the paid premium upgrade. You'll need to check with your phone vendor, or HTC to get the details of the features in each version and the pricing.
I can confirm that you need no internet connection to use HTC Locations. As I travel a lot I us it quite often. Navigation while walking is free. For driving navigation you have to pay. HTC offers diffrent periods you can buy. So for my last trip in Spain with rented car I paid cca 4 euros for 1 month driving navigation. Before that I visited Wien Austria and since I walked around on foot I paid nothing. And to download maps its free.
So as you can see I realy like built in HTC Location. Cheers
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
I think the gps is pretty good. Just had gps status on for some minutes on the bus and out of town I had a lock in what seems like <1 sec with progressively more satellites up to around 10. A constant error of 3-5m with dop/hdop/vdop 1.4 1.0 1.1.
Then when I entered the city (Amsterdam, btw, near central station) the dop went up to 2.0 and an error of around 6m.
Most importantly for you, I think, is that when I was still out of town I checked gmaps and saw that we were actually driving on the bus lane in a straight line. Unfortunately had no time to check maps here.
So how does that sound to you? Coming from an HD2 without agps on android, this is pretty impressive to me. With WM I never had an accurate status program, though I remember the gps being fine as well.
samnada said:
Depends on which specific apps you want to use. Google apps (Maps, Navigation, and Earth) require a data connection. As I indicated, my understanding of HTC Locations is it uses maps stored locally on the phone, so no data connection is required, although getting a GPS lock without a connection can take a bit longer since A-GPS can't be used.
Another thing to consider is buying a local SIM in the country you travel to. Rates are typically MUCH cheaper. I was in Paris last year and bought a Orange SIM with 1 month of unlimited data for about 20 Euros total. I used 3G most of every day navigating around the city, translation, etc., and it worked perfectly. It takes a bit of research in each country to find the deals, and get it set up, which can be somewhat of a challenge where language is a barrier, but it can be well worth the effort. I plan to do the same in Italy in October.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A little bit off-topic, but did u get unlimited voice on that Orange SIM too?
cuz im planning to visit Paris in July for a month, and i was worried about what i should do in that regard....
Im seeing GPS complaints starting to crop up. My two day old Infuse does not get a GPS lock at all. Figured maybe we can start a poll and see what kind of leaning we get towards GPS performance on this device and show it to Samsung should it look like its a major problem.
i've had no issues at all with my GPS...
This is my third infuse. My first one had battery issues. Second woulndnt find a GPS in the vast sky. But this one is near perfection.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
Infuse GPS - Location Difs?
I'm having a lot of trouble getting the Infuse to find the GPS. I keep getting messages that it's searching for the GPS. However, when it does find it, it works wonderfully. I live in Southern CA and having a difficult time here. It's not locating me correctly and is unable to provide navigation more than half the time. However, in Northern CA last week, it was working well. Do you think that the location makes a difference - or is it something with the individual phone?
Can't be I'm in sandy eggo. My second infuse didnt find any signal while my friend two feet away with an infuse had it working in two seconds.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
dont try these side by side comparisons unless you clear nmea data on both devices before hand. it can be difficult for the gps chip to download the data from the satalites directly. another device may have downloded data that is still current at any time. side by side in only side by side if both devices have a cold start and are working in the same mode.
if you have trouble with initial locks go to the phone dialer and type *#*#3214789650#*#* it should take you to lbs test mode. it can also be launched with launcher pro activities. in lbs test mode delete gps data then go to supl/cp settings. write down the supl server and port. try a different supl server like supl.google.com with secure socket set to off and the port set to 7275. or you can set it to auto config. if none of that helps try setting the gps to msbased in application settings. msbased will use cell towers to download nmea data and give the gps chip a head start.
some phones (like my captivate) dont like ms based mode for tracking but my infuse works great with msbased and supl server set to auto config. if none of that helps trade in the phone, you have a defective unit.
there were situations where a factory reset helped on the captivate but mine suffered from a specific bug where the glgps daemon would crash with certain settings, wiping gps data did not solve the problem but a factory reset did. i dont think the infuse suffers from this bug but it couldnt hurt to try a factory reset.
Another GPS post. Fine, 7-8 gps locks no problem between 3 states. I guess if you can't beat them join them.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
Second infuse, first had GPS issues
Even if it only works sometimes, it blows the doors off the Captivate.
MikeyMike01 said:
Even if it only works sometimes, it blows the doors off the Captivate.
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Click to collapse
I hope these are isolated incidents. I can't believe that Samsung would release another device with GPS issues.
After reading the OP's thread title, I was really hoping for something more exciting, haha
keitht said:
I hope these are isolated incidents. I can't believe that Samsung would release another device with GPS issues.
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Click to collapse
I think that it's likely there's some user issues. As in, "it doesn't lock on in the 3rd basement of my concrete and lead bunker, therefore it sucks".
MikeyMike01 said:
I think that it's likely there's some user issues. As in, "it doesn't lock on in the 3rd basement of my concrete and lead bunker, therefore it sucks".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree. And most people don't understand that the first seek time can take longer. So until the device learns your area it'll take longer to lock the first time in a certain area. I travel all over the world, and everywhere I go that I haven't been before a phone takes a bit longer to lock.
I think people forget about the days of the original GPS units that would take 5-7 minutes to lock on first use in a locale. Now if it takes 30 seconds they scream bloody murder.
EDIT: Why is it whenever there are polls like this people who click a negative, like something doesn't work or doesn't always work they almost never elaborate in comments? If I found this thread and had GPS issues, I'd vote, then elaborate on the problem to see if someone can help. My guess is you're spot on with user error.
My GPS was mediocre from day one. Today, did a factory reset, used tibu to restore all apps except maps, fresh install of maps from market. Had a lock in seconds. Will see what happens in the next week or two.
im not gonna say there arent bad units. and the settings could certainly be better, but i see these threads in every forum about every phone, and my friends complain about there phones. all i can say is that it get blown out of proportion.
i had a captivate and despite limited accuracy and agps that would hinder tracking it never steered me wrong after a few slight tweaks. every time i tried to follow someone elses mods it got worse. da_g's fix fixed the glgps deamon crashing while i was driving, though it only crashed if i used agps settings in the first place, so just changing the supl server and using the most recent modem.bin and setting secgps.conf to standalone to match lbs test mode was all it took to get a great tracking gps even on google maps.and it locked pretty good under cover.
the infuse is way more accurate getting <10meter locks quickly and showing the accuracy to the .01th of a meter rather than using multiples of 5 meters like the sgs. i can typically get 6 meter locks on the infuse sometimes less, with consistant altitude and 11 sats visable. if it gives you trouble i would blame google maps, it is clearly not a hardware issue. changing the lbs settings or secgps.conf may make it better but it is better to have a gps program that doesnt use data so before you complain replace maps with an application that has it's maps stored internally.
10 days in... Not one GPS issue. I just returned home from a 4 day business trip to Washington DC. During that trip, I used the Infuse often and enjoyed comparing it to the Garmin that came with the vehicle. The Infuse won hands down. The one huge triumph was the Google Navigation's ability to properly recognize traffic delays and re-route. I used it and it actually worked like a charm! The Garmin traffic portion didn't work at all. It basically didn't see the traffic that the Google Nav picked right up.
Dani897 said:
im not gonna say there arent bad units. and the settings could certainly be better, but i see these threads in every forum about every phone, and my friends complain about there phones. all i can say is that it get blown out of proportion.
i had a captivate and despite limited accuracy and agps that would hinder tracking it never steered me wrong after a few slight tweaks. every time i tried to follow someone elses mods it got worse. da_g's fix fixed the glgps deamon crashing while i was driving, though it only crashed if i used agps settings in the first place, so just changing the supl server and using the most recent modem.bin and setting secgps.conf to standalone to match lbs test mode was all it took to get a great tracking gps even on google maps.and it locked pretty good under cover.
the infuse is way more accurate getting <10meter locks quickly and showing the accuracy to the .01th of a meter rather than using multiples of 5 meters like the sgs. i can typically get 6 meter locks on the infuse sometimes less, with consistant altitude and 11 sats visable. if it gives you trouble i would blame google maps, it is clearly not a hardware issue. changing the lbs settings or secgps.conf may make it better but it is better to have a gps program that doesnt use data so before you complain replace maps with an application that has it's maps stored internally.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could you post a link of changing the settings to lock in north America only please.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using XDA App
Working fine here, just hoping I'm not jinxing myself by saying so
I was using Google navigation yesterday on the Infuse while in Kissimmee and it moved a long with the car 95% of the time, it was great! Took me exactly where I needed to go without an issue. The Captivate couldn't do this at all!!
My GPS still doesn't work, indoors, outdoors, in my car etc. Guess ill need a replacement. Thanks for the input people. Thats what these forums are for. To either uncover or put to rest potential issues, amongst many other uses.. Sorry if i "offended" any internet elitists.. Again i appreciate the useful input though.
Has anyone experienced very bad Ingress performance while using this tablet?
On top of that, has anyone experienced incredibly bad GPS lag and/or position uncertainty? I've had times where it stops moving for a minute or more, even when I end up being a block or more away (in my small city, so no sky scrappers or any large buildings blocking the GPS signal either). It's getting to the point where Ingress is a lost hope for the tablet, which it wasn't when I was using my Nexus 7. It actually ran it much better than the TF700, surprisingly.
I've noticed the same problems in google maps and other various GPS programs as well.
Help?
No, I haven't noticed GPS issues. In fact I use my tab to navigate across Europe. Never had an issue. (other than the usual 'below ground or not enough satellites in range')
Then again I haven't tried Ingress. And I disabled Google Maps on day 1. It eats battery even when asleep! Also, that thing won't even work properly on a PC these days, my SGS3 can't find my position at all (let alone load the map itself) and frankly there are much better navigation apps available. (I highly reccomend NavFree.)
Are you sure it's not just a lack of signal strength?
ShadowLea said:
No, I haven't noticed GPS issues. In fact I use my tab to navigate across Europe. Never had an issue. (other than the usual 'below ground or not enough satellites in range')
Then again I haven't tried Ingress. And I disabled Google Maps on day 1. It eats battery even when asleep! Also, that thing won't even work properly on a PC these days, my SGS3 can't find my position at all (let alone load the map itself) and frankly there are much better navigation apps available. (I highly reccomend NavFree.)
Are you sure it's not just a lack of signal strength?
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Click to collapse
It could very well be a lack of signal strength, but how would I even begin to know that? There's not really an indication in any application what the signal strength is for the GPS.
try gps test plus app
Sent from my LG-E610 using xda premium
TF700 and GPS
darkhawkff said:
Has anyone experienced very bad Ingress performance while using this tablet?
On top of that, has anyone experienced incredibly bad GPS lag and/or position uncertainty? I've had times where it stops moving for a minute or more, even when I end up being a block or more away (in my small city, so no sky scrappers or any large buildings blocking the GPS signal either). It's getting to the point where Ingress is a lost hope for the tablet, which it wasn't when I was using my Nexus 7. It actually ran it much better than the TF700, surprisingly.
I've noticed the same problems in google maps and other various GPS programs as well.
Help?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am having trouble with the GPS in the TF700. This morning it spent the whole time I was driving around (even tried tethering it to the iPhone) searching for a route.
It seems to me that it was sharper before this latest CleanRom update (CROMI-X 4.6.4 - 10.6.1.15.3/US DEODEXED).
Anyone have some insight? #GPS
Alexcwb said:
I am having trouble with the GPS in the TF700. This morning it spent the whole time I was driving around (even tried tethering it to the iPhone) searching for a route.
It seems to me that it was sharper before this latest CleanRom update (CROMI-X 4.6.4 - 10.6.1.15.3/US DEODEXED).
Anyone have some insight? #GPS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why the hashtag? This isn't Twitter.
It has recently been taking ever longer to find my location. Used to be it could do it in about a minute, now it takes almost 30. I didn't change a thing on my system, not even an update.
There has been an increase in solar activity and geomagnetic interference over the last few months.
Phones and 3G enabled tablets do not have this issue, because the Internet signal is already tracking your position, making it easier to triangulate. (Try turning off 3G on your phone, it'll take equally long.)
Thanks - Understood
ShadowLea said:
Why the hashtag? This isn't Twitter.
It has recently been taking ever longer to find my location. Used to be it could do it in about a minute, now it takes almost 30. I didn't change a thing on my system, not even an update.
There has been an increase in solar activity and geomagnetic interference over the last few months.
Phones and 3G enabled tablets do not have this issue, because the Internet signal is already tracking your position, making it easier to triangulate. (Try turning off 3G on your phone, it'll take equally long.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HASHTAG from copy G+
Thanks for help.
Honestly, I gave up on it.
MY TF700 isn't really good for Ingress anyway. There's way too much lag involved, and for whatever reason every now and then the GPS just seems to stop functioning. I don't really know why, it just stops at one location for about 2 or 3 minutes. I won't even bother getting into how inaccurate it is.
And just to note, this was before the increase in solar activity.....the solar activity just makes it even worse now.