I take a walk everyday after lunch at the office and use RunKeeper to keep track of my progress. When I was using the Aria, I open the app, click the start button and never had trouble. With the Captivate, I have to stand on the street corner for 1 - 15 minutes before I get a GPS fix. This is unacceptable! I tried to follow the direction of the other posting and it's not helping much.
I feel like I made a bad decision to return the Aria and got the Captivate.
after reading tons of forums and post about the gps on captivate, I found out itis the google navigation software not the actual GPS, I got rid of all my problems once I switched the software to Sygic GPS, which is not free however; pm me and will hook you up!
Buy a different phone. After a year with the Captivate, no matter the tweak, GPS for navigation purposes or tracking purposes is not reliable. I used to use it with My Tracks for tracking my runs as well and it was shotty at best.
It is not Google Navigation either as Google Navigation on my Galaxy Tab 10.1 is freaking flawless.
The GPS on the Captivate sucks. Period. /endThread
After I got a refurb mine has worked and locks on quickly, but my previous Captivate did the same thing. It would take forever or sometimes not work at all.
Sent from my Captivate
The gps is spotty.. You can try turning on the control plane (hardware) also i noticed increase by removing case.. (hardware) other than that we have crappy chip with insufficient antenna..
sent from an alternate reality
The Captivate GPS is broken. Period. It doesn't work. Never has, never will. Anyone telling you anything else has low standards, poor testing, or is a liar.
With stock settings GPS is clearly broken.
That said changing the to the google SUPL server and occasionally running the "GPSRestore" app by samsung if I can't get a fix are pretty much the only GPS fixes I've ever needed.
I think my phone is a 1007.
But based on the majority of posts here my experience is not the norm.
What's the build date on your phone? I got mine recently with a Feb 2011 build date and the thing locked in seconds out of the box. I've used Co-Pilot to take me from Vancouver to Las Vegas with no issues. What bugs me about this phone is the battery life..
same
happens to me as well.
My stock captivate was great I'd get a 9 sat lock in 12 seconds nearly all the time.
I got hooked on flashing and my gps was usually crap on other roms.
Now I'm running apex 9 with a talon kernal and I'm getting a 9 sat lock in 10 to 12 again. So go figure
same here i think i got a bad phone so i send it back and a new one and everything works fine now.
Anyone telling you that the Cappy's GPS is broken is running Stock or doesn't know what they are talking about. It's not bad hardware, it's bad drivers. Use any ROM other than stock and they use updated drivers from other devices. I get a solid lock with 6-10 sats in less than 15 seconds as long as I can see the sky. the only time my GPS loses accuracy (it's usually at less than 5 meters, i.e. no circle in Google Nav) is when I go under a thick grove of trees or under a bridge.
asrrin29 said:
Anyone telling you that the Cappy's GPS is broken is running Stock or doesn't know what they are talking about. It's not bad hardware, it's bad drivers. Use any ROM other than stock and they use updated drivers from other devices. I get a solid lock with 6-10 sats in less than 15 seconds as long as I can see the sky. the only time my GPS loses accuracy (it's usually at less than 5 meters, i.e. no circle in Google Nav) is when I go under a thick grove of trees or under a bridge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats on your fortunate luck but to insinuate that your solution is a universal fix is naive.
newter55 said:
Congrats on your fortunate luck but to insinuate that your solution is a universal fix is naive.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There was quite a lengthy breakdown of the entire process for fixing the GPS, but basically it comes down to two problems.
1. The drivers that were shipped out with the stick ROM were HORRIBLE and did not work. through using the SGSII and Nexus S ROMS, as well as some config file fixes, they were able to fix the drivers.
2. There is a hardware bug, but it only manifests itself when the screen is oriented in landscape mode. While in landscape, the CPU has to do extra calculations which slows the phone down and also boggles up the GPS, since the GPS is CPU assisted. As long as you keep the phone in portrait mode with a clear view of the sky, you will get flawless locks. Even if you don't do these two things, you should still get decent locks with the new drivers, just not instantaneous and super accurate.
Anyone who has installed any of the latest gingerbread mods has noticed the huge increase in the GPS vs. Stock. Only a few people complain that it's not as accurate or fast as their (dedicated) TomTom's and Garmins. But no one I have seen has claimed that the GPS fix has not worked. I urge you to give a GB ROM a try.
asrrin29 said:
There was quite a lengthy breakdown of the entire process for fixing the GPS, but basically it comes down to two problems.
1. The drivers that were shipped out with the stick ROM were HORRIBLE and did not work. through using the SGSII and Nexus S ROMS, as well as some config file fixes, they were able to fix the drivers.
2. There is a hardware bug, but it only manifests itself when the screen is oriented in landscape mode. While in landscape, the CPU has to do extra calculations which slows the phone down and also boggles up the GPS, since the GPS is CPU assisted. As long as you keep the phone in portrait mode with a clear view of the sky, you will get flawless locks. Even if you don't do these two things, you should still get decent locks with the new drivers, just not instantaneous and super accurate.
Anyone who has installed any of the latest gingerbread mods has noticed the huge increase in the GPS vs. Stock. Only a few people complain that it's not as accurate or fast as their (dedicated) TomTom's and Garmins. But no one I have seen has claimed that the GPS fix has not worked. I urge you to give a GB ROM a try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wrong! You can argue your point all you want but you are incorrect. I ran GB ROMS, Froyo ROMs, all of the numerous GPS fixes throughout the forums and nothing worked. GPS on my Captivate doesn't work, it is broken, I know what I am doing, I have been flashing custom ROMS for a year on it, it is inaccurate, can't hold a lock and just sucks. After dumping the Captivate for an HTC Sensation I now know what a working GPS is, it works out of the box, no need for patches or fixes, it just works. I am happy with my new device, I get over a day on battery with 5 hours of screen time without turning the brightness all the way down, 4 hours of calls all on one charge. I don't regret my decision to get rid of a broken device, Samsung makes great tv's but I doubt I will buy another Samsung phones again.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk
The gps on the captivate is either hit or a miss. For some it works other it doesn't. Its all in experience and opinion. You can make an excuse and try to get a captivate replacement with a better gps.
Other than the gps and a pentile screen the cappy is a pretty great phone
Gps On Mine is worthless as wel..
I find gps to be better on KF1 KH3 Roms rather than jvr, cm7, etc
Might be better but the fact is the older Captivate's have faulty gps. Newer builds have better gps performance.
I agree it's a phone issue.. had my 07/2010 Captivate for 11mos, 2 weeks.. tried everything.. one day it would lock great the next 5 days nothing.. with 2 weeks left on my warranty I went to an ATT warranty center, luckily one close to my work, and they reflashed it with brand new software from Samsung as of last week and that did nothing, they gave me a refurb( looks brand new) and running Stock Froyo I got a 9 second lock 3 times in a row, you can even tell the GPS anntenae is different than my previous phone. GPS is awesome on this new phone, old one was defective..period. Running Fasty II Gingerbread did not affect the GPS on either phone.. if anyone is under warranty, work ATT warranty support and see if they can get you to send it back for an exchange.. my wife's worked great out of the box, mine did not but the replacement is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rhiannon224 said:
Wrong! You can argue your point all you want but you are incorrect. I ran GB ROMS, Froyo ROMs, all of the numerous GPS fixes throughout the forums and nothing worked. GPS on my Captivate doesn't work, it is broken, I know what I am doing, I have been flashing custom ROMS for a year on it, it is inaccurate, can't hold a lock and just sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you. I've been posting on the FastyII Q&A forum about this. I bought my Captivate last August and have been flashing ROMs ever since. The only ROM that came close to nailing a GPS lock was Serendipity. I'm using FastyII now which is awesome, but, as usual, can't get GPS. BTW, how long are these things warrantied?
Related
im considering buying this phone,but i hear there's problems with the GPS. my current phone has a great GPS receiver and i use it a lot for day to day navigation.How much will i be disappointed if i were to expect the same from the galaxy s?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/search.php?searchid=42858169
Here in holland I have no problems with the GPS reception...
Personally, I found that straight out of the box the gps was dreadful, but an hour later after I did the simple gps fix, it navigated me on a hundred and fifty mile round trip with no problems at all.
The fix is simple and easy and takes literally no skill. When you take your sgs out of the box, see if the gps works for you, then try the fix. If there is still no joy then take it back and say the navigation is busted and you want a different handset.
I'd certainly say its worth trying at least. Chances are can get it working and everything else that you like about droid is better on the galaxy .
It's worth remembering that the gps is not battery friendly and you'll need a potent (2A output)car charger to keep you running on the move.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Basically, in summary:
1) In late firmware, the lock is quite quick, especially compared to car GPS units. Maybe not as fast as some other phones, but fast enough. Certainly faster than my Garmin Forerunner
2) The accuracy boundaries on this phone are wrong sometimes (at least in XXJM5), but this may be a bug in that specific pre-release.
3) With JM5, the unit seems to only lock onto 8 satellites max, but, some people are saying apparently newer firmware's are locking onto more
4) People are complaining of issues getting locks when moving with the unit. However, I've experienced this on ALL GPS units I've owned. AGPS should help with this though (but I've never tested initial lock whilst moving except in a firmware where GPS was 100% broken for me).
5) In some cases, the GPS goes skitzo, this might be fixed in later firmwares
6) Finally, sometimes the track is a bit off to the side, and doesn't handle cornering well.. This is likely related to (2). But this makes it useless for fitness at the moment
Anyway, the GPS is usable, but there are serious accuracy problems with it still. Samsung has said that they are working on optimising GPS for a September update. My best advice is wait until then, because if it isn't fixed in September, the possibility that it is due to poor hardware design seems to grow significantly..
thank you for your valuable input,this forum really is the best on the internet.I'm gunna be buying it next month anyway,so lets see if the update fixes the GPS or not.To be honest,theres no other phone that can match it,so theres no alternative to this phone even if the GPS IS dodgy
The GPS sucks so hard that I'd rather use a regular map for navigation.
My Galaxy S has no gps problems. The first time i went out from house to check GPS accuracy I got GPS signal after 3 seconds. It's stable in 100% cases.
Acquiring signal is not the issue. I don't understand why people keep comparing signal to accuracy. it's not the same thing.
Exactly, there are people in other topics that are just inflating the whole issue, their claims are way exaggerated, and the original issues has already been fixed on newer firmwares, yet they refuse to accept it.
AllGamer said:
Exactly, there are people in other topics that are just inflating the whole issue, their claims are way exaggerated, and the original issues has already been fixed on newer firmwares, yet they refuse to accept it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Go for a 20min jog then and show a track of your perfect GPS. I have a lower standard than many of them, but all tracks I saw lost lock excessively at some point or another..
I haven't tried it myself, but can on tuesday.
damn,so many different opinions on this issue.also not being able to track my runs is a BIG minus but still not a deal breaker.day-to-day city navigation is a must though.
It's just as simple as that - you don't check gps functionality just by its fix time. you put it in your car, and start driving - if it's accurate (highly unlikely), gewd. if not - go back here and whine.
kingofkings2603 said:
damn,so many different opinions on this issue.also not being able to track my runs is a BIG minus but still not a deal breaker.day-to-day city navigation is a must though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The big problem is that many of them seem to be testing quickly from their chair.. There is overwhelming evidence that the GPS doesn't work accurately, but barely any showing it does.. In fact, in one case, I saw someone claim the unit was working perfectly, but the track they showed was on a straight highway, and was fluctuating excessively between both sides of the highway. And the most vocal of those who claims it works perfectly don't seem to be posting logs..
There is also some confusion between whether it is "fitness grade" or "car grade". Car navigation GPS can snap to tracks, and has more room for accuracy errors, because it can assume you always exist on the closest road, and if you use directions, it can assume you took the correct turns when it told you to do so (and correct itself a bit later). That's what most car units seem to do, and it helps compensate for most inaccuracies. It can lead to a bit of pain though if you make lots of turns, some of which aren't correct. Some people are possibly happy because they have used dedicated car units before which suck (some navman's take at least 5 mins to get a basic lock, negating any benefits of having them), but, since some phones offer better directions apparently, people are complaining it should be better.
Fitness grade requires MUCH higher resolution to be usable, because the distance is shorter (generally), and if your GPS veers off course, it gives you a false indication of jogging distance. Garmin forerunners feel generally like they are within 1 or 2 meters a of the time (but occasionally veers off 3), but from what I've observed standing still, the flaws may be less visible when moving, but simply appear as slightly off course.
Then there are those people who stare at the SNR/locked satelites for hours at end without checking whether the long/lat is actually correct, or the accuracy boundary (they see 5m accuracy, but don't actually check if it is accurate within 5 meters). I was one of these, until I realised that the accuracy boundary was wrong..
Part of the issue also comes down to firmware though. People are using pre-release/leaked firmware (which might not even be complete) and are judging the GPS quality based on that. No comment needed except, don't assume that Samsung aren't working on fixes because there is no fix in pre-release firmware.
I haven't properly tested either though personally because I use a forerunner for jogging (waterproof), and since I fly, I prefer to use maps to understand locations better. I did notice though that leaving my phone on my desk for a long period of time sometimes allowed the signal accuracy boundary to not include me (ie, allow a position of 20m away from me, but show 5m accuracy) intermittently. And this might explain the fluctuations in position many others have gotten..
Either way, it is debatable. The biggest issue is that the assumption so far is that everyone got exactly the same hardware, and exactly the same revisions. But the other problem, is that GPS quality is open to opinion, because in some areas, roads are so far spread out that even inaccurate GPS works fine for driving. It really depends on your needs. But the facts are, the accuracy of the GPS isn't worth debating anyway currently, because Samsung have already told us they are "optimising" the GPS in Sept, which may make this unit as good as a garmin forerunner anyway. All any of us can tell you as that we'll know the TRUE potential of the unit after the september patch.
But for me anyway, I think the GPS is fine (I don't need perfect accuracy, even if I needed this as a fallback in a plane)
The GPS is bad to the point of being unusable for car navigation or fitness tracking. Yes you may get a lock in GGps test but when moving the reported location is all ov
er the place.
andrewluecke said:
Then there are those people who stare at the SNR/locked satelites for hours at end without checking whether the long/lat is actually correct, or the accuracy boundary (they see 5m accuracy, but don't actually check if it is accurate within 5 meters). I was one of these, until I realised that the accuracy boundary was wrong..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Case in point to illustrate what andrewluecke is trying to explain here about the accuracy not being exactly...well, accurate. Take a look at the attached screenshot. My GPS had a great fix with accuracy of 5m (the best it's able to report), stable for a few minutes, everything was working perfectly. Or so it seems. Except for the slight problem that I was actually standing where the red dot is... There's no scale on the screenshot, but it's a good 30-40 meters off. And that's quite common for me.
Case_ said:
Case in point to illustrate what andrewluecke is trying to explain here about the accuracy not being exactly...well, accurate. Take a look at the attached screenshot. My GPS had a great fix with accuracy of 5m (the best it's able to report), stable for a few minutes, everything was working perfectly. Or so it seems. Except for the slight problem that I was actually standing where the red dot is... There's no scale on the screenshot, but it's a good 30-40 meters off. And that's quite common for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly Case_. The point of the accuracy measurement is to say "you are somewhere within this range". But, with the Galaxy S, it isn't, and that shouldn't happen, at least not as often as it does (except maybe at the beginning whilst obtaining a lock"). Professional systems have something known as RAIM and FDE which detect when the accuracy may be incorrect due to external factors (such as shonky satelite, or serious atmospheric interference). But this happens a LOT, and I would have thought it affects GPS units equally (unless the Garmin forerunners in fact DO ship with fault detection, which could explain it, in which case, Samsung should implement fault detection and exclusion too, to make it usable).
Anyway.. What I am trying to say is summed up easiest with Case's post.
Fatherboard said:
Acquiring signal is not the issue. I don't understand why people keep comparing signal to accuracy. it's not the same thing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It most certainly is an issue. It takes a minute or longer to acquire a lock in some cases despite stationary and clear line of sight.
The people who stomp their feet with "The GPS is fine" are no different than the iPhone4 users who claim there is no attenuation in their phones.
In my case with the DDJG4 update, I see some minor issues.
Once in a while when I am at home (indoors with no visible satelites) my location shifts from bangalore to toronto. All my stuff changes to that. It looks like AGPS is not turned on or buggy becuase 80% of the times it works well. Does anybody else face the same problem ?
So when my phone takes me to toronto, i restart the phone and everythng is back to normal
SOmetimes, the location service fails to find where I am and shows Toronto in Google website. Is there anyway to avoid this.
It's just like what most people say, you can get a fix, and GPS seems fine. Try to use it, and it's a whole different story.
Somebody on the forum posted a link of a run, where the SGS GPS went everywere but on the straight line, it even made a hilarious loop. Too bad i can't find it.
People need to stop saying "Firmware updates fixed it already" as that's just not true.
Hah, there it is, posted by sjdean.
Desire, and SGS GPS.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...52.48542,-1.742063&spn=0.014138,0.045319&z=15
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=U...=52.48082,-1.761761&spn=0.01414,0.045319&z=15
Hello There,
Apologies for what is another thread on GPS issues, but I need to vent!
I picked up a UK Galaxy S from ebay the other week and think all in all its a great phone (coming from a 3gs and HD7).
HOWEVER, the GPS is as good as worthless.
I have tried numerous guides I have found in line (altering settings in hidden menus and the like) and nothing seems to improve the accuracy of the device.
When using Google Navigation I often find that I have the blue sphere around the cursor, which will grow rather large at almost every junction or turn I come to. Tracking also seems to lag and jitter down roads. Going in a straight line is not so much of an issue, but when my speed or direction changes, the cursor will lag, at which point my location will usually be plotted way off.
Im on firmware 2.2, baseband 19000XXJPP and build number FROYO.XXJPO.
Is there anything I can do or should I just accept that the GPS is broken and forget about it? What puzzles me is that some people seem to have no issues what so ever. Whats the latest thinking on this issue?
Such a shame for a premium device.
Thanks
I've always just set mine to cold start and it's worked perfectly for me. It even better in JPX as it seems to get a lock much quicker when driving at speed.
There is a lot of interesting information in this thread regarding the GPS.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=860148
According to what's been said on this page, there may be a possibility of rewriting the GPS daemon:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=860148&page=10
You may also want to check out this thread in the Vibrant forum
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=878970
probably the cause for people that can't get a lock to any or very little satellite. Obviously ignore all the parts about the firmware, etc. since they do not apply to our phone but the hardware should be similar.
i could only get a lock when i am cycling or jogging or even in my house. But never in a car why is that. Sometimes in the car i could see up to 8 satellites but cant get a lock
Running JPX with JK4 modem on my I9000M and it seems pretty decent. Got 5m or 10m lock consiatently within 15sec while driving in a city environment. I have been on firmwares in the past where it was totally broken. So right sw is important.
However my Aria can get 2m no problen even faster so still room for improvement. But I think Samsung is makingvit gradually better.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
chambo622 said:
Running JPX with JK4 modem on my I9000M and it seems pretty decent. Got 5m or 10m lock consiatently within 15sec while driving in a city environment. I have been on firmwares in the past where it was totally broken. So right sw is important.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been my experience on JPX as well. Locking is very fast outdoors (including in the car), best accuracy I have managed is 5m. I can live with that I guess, since I don't really use the GPS all that much.
In the off chance that Samsung reads XDA, it is still not good enough. They have shown some improvement and they should, hopefully can, and hopefully will show more. Until Samsung stops SGS dev I have hope. From what I can see they are working harder than ever.
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App
Just tilt the phone to landscape and make sure your phone is mounted as far under the windshield as possible. The sgs has a small antenna so where you mount it makes a big difference. Also for car navigation try using something like Sygic Mobile Maps instead of google nav and see if that works better.
I haven't had issues with the gps for months now.
Thanks for all the input and information guys. Some very good stuff here.
From reading some of the threads posted I can definitely see how my problems echo those of others.
Interestingly, for me, the issue seems far worse when in built up areas with lots of buildings. Someone in another thread noticed the same issue and suggested that perhaps the software could not deal with the GPS signal reflections.
Literally I will be driving down the country road near to my house with almost acceptable levels of accuracy and as soon as I turn into my village the signal will vanish almost completely.
I guess the biggest mystery to me is why some people have no issues at all, whilst others do. Having just got the phone I am not familiar with firmware revisions and the like. What is the JPX build and how does it differ from mine? What version is mine exactly (JPO)?
I had terrible GPS issues and was waiting for the update, but my co-worker also had a SGS and got the 2.2 update, it only made a slight difference to the accuracy.
I would recommend you get it fixed by Samsung, I'm convinced they have changed something in the hardware to make the GPS work. It just doens; make sense that some people have the issues and some people don't who are running exactly the same firmware.
Although if you got if from Ebay, it'll probably be out of warranty. It might not though, in which case I would class this kind of problem as a manufacturing defect, they might fix it for free.
Logicalstep
menu > settings > about phone. Under baseband and build number you will see what firmware you are on.
Just plug the phone into kies and see if you have an update, if all else fails take the phone back for a replacement or have the gps antenna replaced by samsung.
Already posted FW version (2.2 JPO).
I havent read any stories of samsung replacing GPS antennas as I understand this is a pretty common problem.
Don't think its still working in the UK...trying all the possible solutions. I am currently running JPK
LeeBear said:
You may also want to check out this thread in the Vibrant forum
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=878970
probably the cause for people that can't get a lock to any or very little satellite. Obviously ignore all the parts about the firmware, etc. since they do not apply to our phone but the hardware should be similar.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is interesting. FYI, the thread says that Vibrants made prior to October 2010 had a poor contact with the GPS antenna. There is a recommended physical fix.
I did a quick search and haven't seen any similar news for the international galaxy S. Is the Vibrant made by Samsung directly or through a subsidiary or OEM? There is no manufacture date on my phone or box though.
excuse me, i don't understand if there are a hardware change for galaxy s...
Can they confirm this?
Still can't believe I'm saying this but my gps went from zero to hero with jk4 froyo.
Initial lock can be slow, but is very accurate. One thing that I noticed last week that was odd, I typically use My Tracks, Nav, GPS Essentials and Gas Buddy, they all work great. Well last week I tried maps right after starting the gps radio, Maps could not get a lock. After starting one of the other apps and watching it get a lock, I went back into Maps and Maps could then find me no problem. It seems very weird to me that My Tracks can get a lock without a kickstart but Maps cannot when you would think the underlying software should be pretty near the same.
I have thoroughly tested my gps on journeys from fifty to one hundred miles and the tracks are fantastic, I've monitored my sats with gps essentials and I'm typically seeing 9-11 sats all locked on with one sat dropping intermittently.
I wish I could help the others but I can't cause I've done nothing to this phone, all stock, never modded, only updated using official methods and firmware.
Neil
My GPS was perfect initially, then poor on JPK, now perfect again on JPU. Seems more like a firmware/software issue, rather than hardware...
neil85ae86 said:
Still can't believe I'm saying this but my gps went from zero to hero with jk4 froyo.
Initial lock can be slow, but is very accurate. One thing that I noticed last week that was odd, I typically use My Tracks, Nav, GPS Essentials and Gas Buddy, they all work great. Well last week I tried maps right after starting the gps radio, Maps could not get a lock. After starting one of the other apps and watching it get a lock, I went back into Maps and Maps could then find me no problem. It seems very weird to me that My Tracks can get a lock without a kickstart but Maps cannot when you would think the underlying software should be pretty near the same.
I have thoroughly tested my gps on journeys from fifty to one hundred miles and the tracks are fantastic, I've monitored my sats with gps essentials and I'm typically seeing 9-11 sats all locked on with one sat dropping intermittently.
I wish I could help the others but I can't cause I've done nothing to this phone, all stock, never modded, only updated using official methods and firmware.
Neil
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. Do you happen to know where I stand in the firmware order with JPO?
There is a sea of information regarding firmwares and such like and it can be difficult to figure exactly where one particular firmware stands in relation to the others.
Is yours newer?
your is newer
I would think, however I'm betting their are many little variations with hardware so not necessarily is the latest the best for all devices.
I'm quite confident that general performance is affecting the gps too and a lagfix might help. This is based on observations I made with my old 2.1 when the phone was busy and hot the gps would wander all over the place.
I hope you can get it resolved.
Neil
I know this seems odd but the GPS seems fixed; without tampering with the settings. A friend bought a Fascinate so we started comparing crappy GPS. While his had him in Eastern Europe, mine was dead on accurate. It was like it wasn't the phone I've been using for months that couldn't keep a lock in the middle of a field on a sunny day.
I was running JH7 and started using the GPS every chance I got and it never lost a lock and usually locked in 30 seconds or less. The Fascinate also isn't having any problem after he got the market app to connect.
It's been almost two weeks and it's still working perfectly. I'm in my basement and it's locking me within 80ft right now; which I consider pretty good for being underground. I've never changed the settings so I had no idea why it started working.
Anyway; I bought my wife a Focus and spent a lot of time in AT&T stores while she SLOWLY shopped for a phone. Two different stores both told me that the GPS is fixed. I blew it off as not caring (see below comments about Froyo) but even the display model was locking fast and finally got 'in' the building after a minute. 3 reps at two different stores told me it's been fixed.
What I don't understand is they both stated the fix didn't come from Samsung. It came from an update of Maps over the last month. Maybe they were versed.
So my GPS magically works now. I ocassionally get a larger blue circle but most of the time have no range of error. It does sometimes jump in fast turns like i'm going straight but corrects itself before Navigation gets a chance to re-route.
Is anyone else seeing this?
Lastly; one guy was irritating me with arguing with me why I was telling my wife she'd want more space then the 3GS 8GB offerred. I tried to annoy him and started badgering him about my Froyo. His response is below.
"Don't know and don't care! We sell the phones as is and don't care if they ever get updated as they are great phones as is"
Coming from a corporate AT&T store making this comment didn't appease me. His comment, and the announcement well be the only non-froyo galaxy by month end led me to put Cognition on the phone again.
i did read that the US govt was preforming some tests on GPS satiltes lately and some people in the mid (EAST??) Us would experiecne problems
As much as I want to believe a fix is coming, I've given up on it. Keep in mind I live near Baltimore, MD, and my GPS has always been 'good enough to barely get me turn-by-turn directions.'
The update you are referring to (as well as most people whom first claim an update fixed GPS), is a google maps update that allows path prediction. The best way to test this is to take your phone for a drive with MyTracks, but there is an easy way to test the prediction vs. actual performance.
If you are driving along a road (lets say you get to 40mph+) and are coming up on a red traffic light or stop sign; proceed and then try to stop fairly quickly (please be safe). Immediately look at your phone for your location, and you will notice your arrow being way ahead of you, and it will start working its way back to your current location. The same thing will happen if you take a right-turn detour from your projected route (it will show you go straight past, and then try to work it's way over to finding your actual location). The stronger lock you have, the more responsive this will be.
Either way, I'm fortunate enough to have a Garmin for road trips since the captivate generally has trouble keeping me tracked with a decent level of accuracy.
FYI: For my trips, it's all outside Baltimore. No big buildings, clear day no clouds, etc.
Hi, I purchased S3 mini around december 2012, one of the main reasons why I bought it was the gps/glonass-feature, since I figured it would provide me with more accurate tracking while running. Previously I had used a Samsung Galaxy Gio phone for running, and with rooting and a gpsfix (changed the server) it provided accurate gps in long half-marathon runs and so forth. The issue with that phone was that the battery life was terrible.
Now, the S3 mini is brilliant in battery consumption, but the gps accuracy has been horrid. It locks a satellite within seconds, several satellites are in use immediately. So, nothing to complain there. However, it is almost one street off, throughout my run. It tracks usually 1-2 kilometers less distance than the Gio, which manages to stay on the road I'm running on perfectly. If I'm to believe the S3 mini, I frequently run in water and through people's backyards...
Now, I have attempted the usual tricks, cleared agps, updated it before runs, calibrated the compass with GPS status indoors and outdoors. But nothing seems to work. Many times the gps will track perfectly when I'm headed, let's say northwards for several kilometers, but then when I turn to go west-east or southwards (for example) the gps accuracy goes off. I'm hoping this is an issue that could be easily fixed, since it's a shame that such a fabulous phone like the s3 mini fails to be a good running partner.
My S3 mini is not rooted, most of the gps fixes only fix satellite locking. My issue is inaccuracy, and yes, many people think it's normal, but having had perfect tracking with an entry-level smart phone like Samsung Galaxy Gio, I fail to understand why my S3 Mini does not excel in this area.
What else should/could I try? or just use my gio while running and hope it doesn't run out of battery in 1,5 hours.
I have also noticed the inaccurate gps of the s3 mini. After some positional testing I have decided that the gps is just not V good on this phone including being mounted on shoulder.
I also have an issue where gps locks up and freezes when the phone sleeps. I have yet to overcome this. I'm hoping it's a kernel issue brought about by flashing.
After years of smartphone soul searching, I now use a Garmin 405cx for sports, etrex10 for work and hiking, and a tomtom for sat navigation. I only now rely on the shoddy gps for View ranger Os mapping on the phone. Based on its performance I've started purchasing paper maps and now use those to navigate while walking and hiking.
This makes me very sad. I love android and like the s3mini. However yesterday I contemplated throwing it across lane 3 of the M20.
Sent from my GT-I8190 using Tapatalk 2
Hi, I have a same problem with my new Samsung Galaxy S3 mini and Sports Tracker. And many other reporting this problem. Sports Tracker works fine with my ZTE Blade. The first I thought that the fault is in bad GPS module in my phone. But the GPS work fine with Navi software. I realized that in Navi software the phone screen is always on and with Sport Tracker go in stanby. And when the screen go in standby the gps stop working. And when the signal is repeatedly interrupted then for a long time does not want to connect. Solution is that you in Sport Tracker settigs set Screen backlight to Always on. Now the problem is that the random clicking Stop suspended yor current workout. I do not know if fault is with Jelly Bean ROM or with Samsung Galaxy phones. Later I again tested navi app IGO Primo and if I turned off the screen GPS also go on off.
Phone screen always ON is also not an ideal solution. Because the signal is still losing, but every once for a second.
I tried various apps: GPS Status (settings: Background behavior/The app will keep the GPS running even the device screen is turned off.
But it does not work).Tracker Booster, Keep My GPS Alive, but without success
Is there any solution for this?
I've got the same problem while using GPS in a running application (like runkeeper, runtastic or endomondo).
I know this is an old thread, but I want to ask if anyone has found a solution for this problem.
I would be very thankful!
I have the exact same problem. After two months of GPS hell with my SII I got a new SIII mini. Initial GPS lock and detection goes really quick (22 satellites). If I do a quick turn in running it seems that it tracks a bit of until the end. It may be 100 meter or 200 meter on a 10 kilometer (and people indeed say it's normal, but with my SII it was perfect)
Could it be processor related? I run with a bluetooth heart rate sensor, google music, running app, etc. I tend to believe if I switch of 3G that it goes better.
Any other suggestions on this?
I have basically come to the conclusion that the GPS on this phone is ****, primarily due to the OS sleeping it. Which is a battery saving strategy. We do have very good battery life on these devices.
The GPS doesn't have any issues if an app is using it, like (Viewranger recording a track). This prevents the OS sleeping it. However accuracy of the GPS on SGS3M is poor. But really if you after doing serious tasks that require even a hint of accuracy then purchasing a dedicated device is the way forward. If you run try the Garmin range of fitness devices. If it's work try a hiking GPS I use a etrex 20 for assisting in surveying trees. Recording my movements across a site and the locations of any trees with works associated.
I think the phone manufacturer decided that the accuracy issue was not a concern as many navigation apps would snap the users location to roads and such.
Don't hold out for any solution. I can say the only thing to ensure is the latest firmware. I have the latest which isn't available on the "BTU" location code. However the German firmware works fine with my UK device. Check the Dev thread for latest stock rom, (pretty rooted).
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
gaze eademno
ninjalandpirate said:
I have basically come to the conclusion that the GPS on this phone is ****, primarily due to the OS sleeping it. Which is a battery saving strategy. We do have very good battery life on these devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know what to think from it. If I track a car drive with it (using Endomondo), it uses a perfect track to road tracking.
Also initial running tracking using Endomondo is fine. It seems that a sudden change in direction (eg a sudden change from south to nord) let's down the accuracy. It's strange because the device has a very good satelite detection and fast lock.
NicolasBE said:
I don't know what to think from it. If I track a car drive with it (using Endomondo), it uses a perfect track to road tracking.
Also initial running tracking using Endomondo is fine. It seems that a sudden change in direction (eg a sudden change from south to nord) let's down the accuracy. It's strange because the device has a very good satelite detection and fast lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This morning I had a spectacular improvement.
What has changed:
I installed the latest 4.1.2 official build from sammobile.com
I ran without 3G location services. (pure on GPS)
I also switched the device from being upside down on my left arm, to being straight on my right arm.
Possible something that has nothing to do with it: my work e-mail policy was not yet enabled on the device.
I also ran a slightly other route (but there was still a sharp turn halfway involved), and the signal corrected itself perfectly.
My bluetooth heart rate was enabled, 3G was enabled and google play music was enabled.
So the thing I'm eager to try is: enabling location services again, and doing the route that caused trouble again.
But to be honest ... I think it's the new 4.1.2 build that solved it.
My gf's phone has XXAMG1 build and it has exactly this same issue. GPS shuts down a couple of minutes from start.
Recently I found out that my GPS becomes inaccurate when I enter into the forest. I use it mostly for navigation while mountain biking. The position defers after 10 to 20 minutes for 200 to 400 metres. The position error direction is almost every time in the direction of departure point that means that GPS position stays behind me. When I check GPS reception with GPS test, there are always 5 to 12 satellites in use with estimated error up to 5 metres. The interest thing is that if I switch GPS off and then again ON, the new first fix is very accurate. After that, if I continue cycling, the position becomes inaccurate again. I have tried different programs (sports tracker, view ranger, orux maps, Google maps) with same results.
Any suggestions very welcome.
Same issue here (example included)
Same issue here. S3 Mini and Endomondo. Tracks start to differ after a certain amount of time (refer to attached JPG)
Chatted with Samsung about this issue and they told me that this is caused by the fact that all Galaxy phones have AGPS, where an internet connection is neccessary for the GPS to work. But I am not sure that this is the problem...
Samsung told me that I am the only person indicating this is a problem so it's probably my phone. Perhaps good to file an official support request at Samsung?
My few thoughts on this...
On stock rom everything was working well. except for the rom itself.
On maclaw cm 10.1. gps worked well until after an hour or so of use for tracking. then gps decided that I'm cca 100 meters away from spot where I was standing. it just translated my position and stayed translated the whole time until I turned gps on/off.
On Stock i8190XXAMJ3 gps was amazing, it was locking onto satelittes even inside the house, but it had the same issue like cm10.1 rom.
Now I'm on S5style_i8190XXANA2_v1 and for now gps look good, didn't have any issue, hope it will stay like this.
just to say, I've played with gps.conf, with various apps like gps status, gps test, resetting agps data, trying different apps for tracking and nothing worked. after a while, gps simply translates my position and stays like that.
to reply to myself...
for some reason every stock rom I flashed with cwm apparently didn't flash baseband with it (or something went wrong), so phone was showing original baseband version. then I flashed baseband ANA2 separately and now gps shows no problems stated in previous post.
I've had the same problem on my S3 mini. I'd tried a few apps to track my sport activities before I've found working one - Navime Sport Tracker. Since then I've been using it and faced no problems with GPS and tracking. Unfortunately app only works in Poland. So you may ask why I'm writing about this. I do so because I reckon that problem sometimes lies in a tracking app itself. E.g. in the same place where Navime was detecting 7-13 satellites Endomondo (with identical GPS settings) managed to find 1 or 2. That's how I solved my problem. And one more thing - I use stock-Samsung Android 4.1.2 (newest).
My usual GPS config:
- GPS is ON (obviously)
- using wireless network to fix GPS is OFF (option on the top)
- GPS data available for Google services is ON (option on the bottom)
- data connection is ON
Proof:
navime.pl/trasa/348283/Katowice-Pszczyna+17.04.2014
Hi pcm266
I know this is a reply to a post a year old, but this is the closest description of the problem I continue to experience. Perhaps you and others are still looking for a solution.
This is NOT simply a matter of poor connections due to loose screws. I tried a month ago tightening screws, checked every setting but the problem persists. Loosened then tightened screws again yesterday. Today I ran with both my S3mini and my old Samsung GIO. The GIO recorded perfectly!
Your sentence "Many times the gps will track perfectly when I'm headed, let's say northwards for several kilometers, but then when I turn to go west-east or southwards (for example) the gps accuracy goes off. " is pretty well what I see happening.
What is puzzling is that S3mini worked perfectly in a race on 29 March. ??? Have not been able to repeat that.
Tightening screws is certainly not helping me. I am sure that this is a software error. There is a consistency in the type of error that is not is the type of error I would expect from intermittent connections.
Another strange thing is that the S3mini tracking is pretty good when travelling in a car. It is when I ran - which is of course much slower than a car - that the tracking is worse. Something to do with collecting too much data and doing some sort of averaging????
My son runs with an S3. Never had a single tracking problem.
A tip re the GIO battery: The Lithium-hydride batteries in laptop battery packs have the same charging characteristics as the batteries in the Samsung phones. I simply soldered wires from the contact points in the phone to a battery taken from an old laptop pack. (Usually when these battery packs fail, most of the individual cells are still good. I use them in all sorts of applications. ) The battery is fastened to the back of the Gio with duct tape. The phone no longer has a simcard in it, so I keep it on airplane mode. The battery stays charged for days!
Guys, I've never experienced this GPS problem. My S3 Mini has completely accurate readings both in car and while walking. You can try and update your phone to a newer firmware version if it's still on a firmware from a year ago. Don't know what else to suggest, God bless my S3 Mini for not having this problem, 'cause I use GPS frequently
Hello, I have the same problem with inaccurate gps after some time. Is there any solution. I use this phone only for running, so for me it is not a problem to flash another rom. I hope someone can give me a solution or a rom that works while running.
I've been having GPS issues with my Mi5 since I got it last July. Issue is simple - it takes a very long time to lock a signal, then it never stays locked for much longer after.
I've tried all sorts of gps.conf edits (including the recent Magisk fix), different ROMs (MIUI, LOS, RR), different MIUI firmwares, and still the same issue. Using GPS locker, it views about 25-30 satellites immediately, but can take a while to actually "use" any of those satellites.
The GPS works fine if I'm standing outside on the street (locks in about 15-20 seconds), but if I get in a car or on a bus, then it can take up to several minutes to lock and does not stayed locked for more than a few minutes. I was using my GPS on my bike and it worked fine, but as soon as I passed under a bridge, it lost signal.
I find this whole thing very strange and I've searched everywhere for a solution with no results. I almost seems like it's something hardware related but I have no idea what. Any help would be greatly appreciated. In fact, if anyone can find a solid solution for me, I'm willing to reward you with a gift. I'm serious - because it's so frustrating that I've even considered buying a whole new phone.
I really think it's an hardware problem my friend. GPS shouldn't even take 20 seconds to fix on a Snap 820. My cheap Huawei smartphone locks in literally 3-4 seconds (when it's slow) outside. Maybe the gps antenna on our Mi5 isn't well placed or doesn't have a good sensitivity compared to other devices. Flashed back the stock miui, didn't have an improvement so I think we can jump to a simple conclusion....
Hello vorsprungtechnik, got exactly the same issue as you describe, do you found something to fix this ?
its hardware problem. antenna doesnt enough. we had two choices. modify antenna or improve with software. my advice is try some custom rom because xda devolopers really good at this. i prefer Syberia Rom, give a chance. My gemini already have this rom and agps integration no any problem about GPS.