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[Q] Does Nexus S Wifi and GPS have issues?

So there I was, happily reading reviews about Google's/Samsumg Nexus S building my judgement whether to buy it or not after my Nexus 1 got stolen. Happily enough there were very few posts on issues with the phone and most reviews would state quite triumph for Samsumg for it's gorgeous screen and for finally getting rid of it's dreaded GPS bummer.
Decision made and finally got my own brand new NS. In general terms, the phone is pretty smooth, very responsive - haven't seem an android phone this smooth in a while. In general lines I'm pretty happy with it. However, there are two issues which are bugging a lot: the WiFi and the GPS. Since I've read these reviews I mention in the beginning I'm not too sure whether they design flaws or just I got (un)lucky with this one.
My GPS is definitely crap. I have that "GPS test app" and even when it has like 7 satellites in sight it still wont manage to get a lock as quick (if any) as other phones I've been comparing it. E.g. And old HTC Magic sitting next to my NS got a lock in like, 5 seconds while mine took almost 20 - then lost it. Also, after acquiring the lock, it has an average of 20-30 meters error while the HTCs and Nokias are like pin-point 5m<.
As for the WiFi, I'm not sure if is just a display issue or if the reception is really bad, but being in the same room as the router, about 4 meters away, the phone shows two strength bars only. I figure that the reception could be just fine and the display could be just bad parametrized so I've got the "WiFi Analyser" app it says my signal is at -78dBm (which with a little googling apparently means pretty weak).
What do you guys say? Are those known issues? Are there Fixes? Should I send it back?
I just reaaaaly don't want to root it get custom Roms and try and try.. This thing is brand new, should work as it is.

Compared to my HTC Desire the NS GPS takes quite a long time to establish lock - the desire is within a couple of seconds - the NS takes 30-60 seconds.
The NS compass is terrible - there are quite a few posts on this.
All of this on stock 2.3.3 - haven't tried any custom roms or kernels yet.

NS GPS & WiFi are fine. Never had any problems... even on stock.

Nope, don't have problems. When I first got it, it took about 30 seconds to get a lock inside my house (w/ wifi off) from a cold start. Ever since, it took less than 10 seconds.
Wifi also isn't an issue with me. Although the amount of bars it shows is weird, but when I get in my car (signal going through multiple walls), I still get one bar left and works fine (not fast connection, but still get some).

No problems with mine, works just as well as my wife's MT4G
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

[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.

Did 2.3.4 fix your GPS (and other location-related) issues?

Thread title pretty much says it all: Did 2.3.4 fix your GPS (and other location-related) issues?
Please also reply with your answer and exact phone model, including open/branded, country and carrier.

Yes.
The compass is now always right, not randomly out and unresponsive.
T

Yes, I now always get a GPS lock within few secs unlike earlier when it takes forever or sometimes just doesn't work at all.
Also my location related issue where my phone thinks I'm somewhere in India, Mauritius or sometimes Russia is now fixed. Since I got 2.3.4 i never encountered that issue. So I'm happy
I have a Nexus S (AWS version) with Wind Mobile in Canada.

Navigation can never get a lock, usless!!! 2.3.4 i9023

Indoor GPS reception (like just beside the window) is extremely poor (~120 seconds to first fix compared to 10 seconds for Nexus One).
Outdoor GPS reception depends on the mood of the Nexus S. Sometimes it takes less than 15 seconds, other times it never gets a fix. No such issues on my Nexus One; less that 10 seconds to first fix 99% of the time.

i didn't use any GPS related stuff before i updated to 2.3.4, so i really can't say, if it has been bad before.
right now i used the navigation software and got a lock within seconds..
no problems at all.. I9023.

Yes. Used to take several minutes to get gps lock.
i9023

I definitely can't get a lock indoor, is my GPS chip defective ? In the same room my iPhone can locate me with GPS on ...
Outdoor I can get a signal within 30 seconds but is it normal not to be able to locate me in my own apartment ?

Bls440 said:
is it normal not to be able to locate me in my own apartment ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Normal for GPS, yes. Network location (via wifi/cell towers) should still work, though.

Thanks for your answer. But I can see that a lot of users manage to get a lock indoors. Some youtube videos testify this aswell (and it is gps geolocalisation, not cell towers). Also, my iPhone can locate me in the same room using gps within seconds ...

Gps sensitivity varies between devices and Nexus doesn't seem to be very sensitive. Regardless of that, the GPS was never meant to be used indoors so, while you maybe be able to compare sensitivity it's not a good way to test the GPS.

GPS has always locked in around 15-20s for me.

It's not about locking speed, it's mostly about accuracy and stability, or lack of it.

Same with 2.3.3 - sometimes it get fix in 15 second, sometimes 2-3 minutes. If I use Navigon, it runs, but randomly looses signal - then it seems to get fix, but with wrong position (sometimes 4-500 meters away from the real pos...) On highways it works perfect for hours, but if I go in town it looses signal between buildings /under trees. I hope google can fix it, seems like it just holds the minimum amount of satelites to get position (but why, battery saving?), and if something hides 1-2 sats is looses fix till it finds another one. It might be good with correct gps and shorter battery time...

i never get a lock with gps since 2.3.1 ... and compass is totally ****ed up does not work at all and after reboot it just stands still, this sucks and I need Google to fix this crap!

I too have an issue with 2.3.4 NS4G on Sprint. The GPS usually doesn't lock, or, if it does, takes several minutes to do so. I have turned network location off to solely rely on the GPS radio to no avail.
Is there a fix for this?

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

As you may know by now I've been having problems with GPS on my Nexus S (i9023, bought factory unlocked from Amazon Germany, carrier code EUR, running rooted stock 2.3.4 AKA GRJ22). A quick search of the Nexus S forums will tell you that I'm not the only one who complains about GPS issues - I always assumed that the GPS was just sub-par on the model and I'd have to live with it.
Only now a few helpful souls over in the accessories section said it was probably defective and I should exchange it. (I've already exchanged it once for this and the new unit I got performed exactly the same.) So I'm just going to tell you the current situation and I'm hoping you'll tell me if that's within the normal tolerances for the model: [All tests done outside in suburbia]
"Network location" (geolocation, wifi / cell triangulation) is fine since 2.3.4 [just to get that out of the way]
Time to First Fix (TtFF) is decent now, usually 15-30 s cold and < 15 s hot. I've seen much better (yes, on a phone), but that doesn't bother me.
Accuracy however, is still bad. GPS Status shows 20-10 m mostly, but it fluctuates wildly going from 5 to 30 in a heartbeat even when it's just stationary. Other phones don't show this behavior. This translates into real-world problems in Maps (checked via sat view): The blue circle goes from large to enormous and back and while my true position is somewhere within the circle most of the time, the center dot is way off. Most other implementations manage to guess the location correctly even when the accuracy is bad (as tested side-by-side).
Stability is my biggest concern. The lock'll be fine for a few minutes, especially if the phone was just rebooted, but then the GPS will lose it every few (say 5-10) seconds and take time to reacquire it. Additionally, it doesn't pick up movement very well. I did a few tests watching my position in Maps while on the tram (in a window seat) and basically it would register an (approximately correct) location every now and then but then just hang there for a while. Usually it wouldn't register that the tram had left a stop before it had arrived at the next one or even just left it again. All other phones trace the tracks almost perfectly and in real time. There goes any kind of usable navigation and - in concert with the compass issues - all augmented reality apps.
Again, this isn't meant as a complaint or even a request for a fix (though if you have one I'll gladly take it) - I'd only like to gauge if my particular phone's have been bad or if "that just how it is".
Thanks for listening.

I have a nexus s4g from sprint and my gps was working great and then one day it just stopped. I can never pick up a signal and if out does it takes about five minutes our more. I have a gps radar app that shows me signal strengths and stuff and our barely picks up give signals and they are always really weak I have to refresh the agps status all the time to even get a lock and like I said it still takes about gives minutes or more if it even locks at all. I am looking for a fix my epic had the same problems and then with the latest update for it, it was amazing and fast accurate locks. And help with the nexus s4g would be great
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

Get your msl, go to your dialer and dial *#*#gpsclrx#*#*, then put in msl and it will clear gps for you. It will reboot on its own

snandlal said:
Get your msl, go to your dialer and dial *#*#gpsclrx#*#*, then put in msl and it will clear gps for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's an msl and what does "clear gps" mean? Also, way to derail a thread ...

I tried that before on my epic and it messed up my gps but I will give it a shot
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

nice post. finally some oen who get it.that there are just failts in phones and thats just how it is.
thougfh.yes try returning it in the hope to get a proper nexus s xp

I did the clear gps code and it seemed to fix mine so thanks I would recommend people try it.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App

whats an msl? can't find that on google so what is it? would like to try out that code...really have problems with GPS on my nexus s

floomat said:
my GPS does just not work at all, it can't get a fix for hours even if there are 10 sats.
but sometimes I'm lucky (really rare) and it gets a fix but the longest time it hold it was 5minutes, then lose GPS fix can't get one again. it's even not while i'm moving, phone lays on the table and outside to test.
really disappointing for me, second thing is my compass does not work after reboot and is really inaccurate and unstable (jumping around)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your GPS sounds even worse than that on my NSs, the compass doesn't work for anyone. Out of curiosity - where did you get yours?

for msl: http://goo.gl/x3IKR
i'd like to ask if this code is good for Nexus gsm or cdma??

freakness51 said:
for msl: http://goo.gl/x3IKR
i'd like to ask if this code is good for Nexus gsm or cdma??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
According to the article you linked: "This program reads your Master Subsidy Lock (MSL) code for your CDMA Android phone."
In other news, I'd really appreciate some on-topic replys

fallenguru said:
Your GPS sounds even worse than that on my NSs, the compass doesn't work for anyone. Out of curiosity - where did you get yours?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I even think my GPS is the worst of all the Nexus S.
Mine was bought from Ebay-UK and since it was on a repairing-tour to samsung germany i know its from CPW. Its a I9020 not I9023. BTW there was nothing repaired because they said "The discribed issue cannot be found" or something like that..
what do you mean with compass does not work for anyone?? does it really not work on any nexus? thats interesting, isn't it a little bit illegal to sell a device and say it has compass and than compass does not work at all?
freakness51 said:
for msl: http://goo.gl/x3IKR
i'd like to ask if this code is good for Nexus gsm or cdma??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mh sounds like this will not work for GSM-Nexus

the GPS on my NS behaves similar (but better) to what you describe in the first post but overall it seems to have better accuracy and stability.
Have you tried recording a track while in a car? The results should be better. At least with mine it's mostly accurate and rarely looses signal (unless you go under a bridge/tunnel)

abrcrmdl23 said:
I have a nexus s4g from sprint and my gps was working great and then one day it just stopped. I can never pick up a signal and if out does it takes about five minutes our more. I have a gps radar app that shows me signal strengths and stuff and our barely picks up give signals and they are always really weak I have to refresh the agps status all the time to even get a lock and like I said it still takes about gives minutes or more if it even locks at all. I am looking for a fix my epic had the same problems and then with the latest update for it, it was amazing and fast accurate locks. And help with the nexus s4g would be great
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello,
I have the same phone, NS4G from Sprint, and the same symptoms. The GPS worked fine for a week or so, and now I'm lucky to get it to work at all. Sometimes I can get a lock after 5+ minutes (while not moving), but other times it never occurs.
I just tried resetting the GPS as is described in the post above. It says "it will reboot automatically" - does that mean the phone or the radio?
In any case I just pulled my device battery after GPS reset - I'll post back with results in a few minutes. In the meantime can you explain what you did after following the reset with dialpad/MSL?

Also attempted return...had to send in for repair
I also got a bad GPS Nexus S i9020 from Amazon.com USA site. The GPS would not lock without a wifi signal. I eventually caved in trying to get it working with rom flashes, drove me nutz, but tried to return for cash and missed the date. Had to send in to Samsung then and get the repair. I have been somewhat satisfied, having gone from no GPS to finally getting it to lock, but its a poor excuse for a gps chipset. The SiRFSTAR from my old WinMo days kicks this gps in the arse.
I also get the bouncing sensitivity and wandering location circle, but accuracy hovers around 5-10m now, but the location is never fixed solid, its wobbly, even outside with clear skies above. The compass is another huge weak spot. Samsung dropped the ball on this device, I wish I could return mine and grab an HTC unit. Google should learn from this and drop them for the Nexus Prime. I think this is unacceptable as location services are whats hot now and this device fails as a flagship product.

I like the gps on my sgs2 more (it has a sirfstar IV) but, i have to say, it's not that much better.
What i gained in stability i lost in TTL. Sometimes you need one more than the other.
The SGS2 has taken me up to 10 minutes to get a lock and if conditions aren't good (cloudy sky, tall buildings) it can easily take 5 minutes. Sometimes you just want to get some signal to get you going.
I did a trip of more than 2000 miles with my Nexus S, using the GPS most of the time, and it worked ok enough for navigation for most of the time. The only times it failed me were, as i mentioned earlier, in old parts of cities with narrow streets.
You are right when you mention HTC, because usually their devices have better working GPS.
Overall i wouldn't say it's a bad device, you have to keep in mind this is not a dedicated GPS device, it's a smartphone that does a lot of things, some better than others, it's still a good developer phone, which i think was the main goal of the Nexus.
After upgrading to the SGS2, the main differences i noticed were not the GPS but the speed and extra memory! The Nexus S is not slow and has average memory (512mb but with only around 380 free) but if you have a lot of apps running (and it's easy for this to happen) it will get sluggish and begin to close the launcher when you start a heavier app. I found this had a lot more impact on usability than the GPS weakness.

[Q] GPS in an airliner

I currently have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which I still like a lot, but its GPS is bad. Among other shortcomings it does not work in fast aeroplanes, but I need exactly that capability.
The apparently misdesigned Galaxy Nexus GPS can record a flight until the plane speeds up after takeoff and initial climb, then it stalls and keeps reporting the same stationary position until the plane slows down again for landing.
For comparison, the much older Google/HTC Nexus One has no such defect. It has no problem recording a complete airliner flight track.
If the Nexus 5 GPS worked better, that might for me outweigh the not exchangeable battery disadvantage of the Nexus 5, compared to the Galaxy Nexus.
Hence my request: Please test the Nexus 5 GPS in an airliner at high speed and altitude. Does it work?
Note that the phone should be in airplane mode during flight. Some airlines explicitly allow mobile devices in airplane mode. If yours does not, you have to decide whether you break the rules or not. I always do, but be sure to have the phone in airplane mode at all times during flight.
Note that the GPS may need a long time until it gets a GPS fix, for two reasons:
Without an Internet connection it has to receive the orbit data from the satellites themselves, which takes longer.
Even if you hold the phone against the window, it can still only receive the satellites on that one side. Occasionally, if there are not enough satellites in view, it will not lock on at all.
It helps if you let the GPS lock on once, shortly before takeoff. In the air, you have to be patient.
Depending on the window construction you may be able to slip the phone behind the window shade and just leave it there for something like 15 min. That is usually, though not always, enough for the GPS to lock on to the satellites and get a fix.
Another convenient way to have the phone at the window without having to hold it all the time is to reast a small bag, like a camera bag, on an arm rest underneath a window and put the phone into the bag on top of other bag content.
If you happen to know the answer to this question for any other phone type, please let me know as well. I would like to publish a list of phones along with their GPS flaws.

Maybe not exactly the devices you had in mind. But I've used my phones (Galaxy S3, S4) often during several flights around the globe and I usually get a fix within reasonable time. Especially when you've updated AGPS data before your flight. But it still is weather and airplane dependent.
These apps help you to discover the state of GPS-fixing pretty good, so before you fire up google maps, let these do the initial fix:
GPS Status (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eclipsim.gpsstatus2)
AndroiTS GPS (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.androits.gps.test.free)
GPS Test (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chartcross.gpstest)
I've also discovered differences between fixing time among these apps. GPS Test usually gets the fastest fix times. Google Maps usually is the slowest.
Hope this helps.

This post is old now, but just for reference: the Galaxy Nexus GPS looses fix not because of the speed of the airplane, but because the altitude. When you pass 4000m, the gps reports all the satellites in sight, but doesn't obtain a fix anymore and keeps reporting the same position.
I was able to very this both on airplanes and during hikes that brough me above 4000 m. Same behaviour. And the last recorded point before the fix-loss is always a few meters below 4000. See also this tread
That's a pity, since I was planning to use the Nexus as a GPS for my mountain trips. I would be very curious too to know if the Nexus 4 or 5 have the same limitation.
Giacomo

Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app

robertusIT said:
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know that app, and it does not show the position, but it seems to indicate that the Nexus 5 GPS does not have this problem and works fine in an airliner.
Good to know—thanks!