Originally posted by: kngyn19
Looks like the Epic's GPS is indeed working correctly! Confirmed by Samsung and Engadget!
Linky:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/18/samsung-says-gps-is-tested-and-validated-on-epic-4g-our-testi/
I wonder if they use the same gps hardware as the GSM counterparts ?
I would guess their firmware is different enough that they fixed it before releasing the Epic. Someone mentioned that may be the reason for the supposed delay.
The EPIC and Fascinate are CDMA devices. It might take a littler longer to reconfigure stuff versus GSM.
My own reaction to this news, posted in a sister forum, is more cautious optimism.
And if Sprint management did delay the release of the Epic to incorporate a fix to the GPS, good for them. If that is true, it would seem advantageous for them to make some statement to that effect. If they keep quiet on the matter, I have to wonder why.
boomerbubba said:
My own reaction to this news, posted in a sister forum, is more cautious optimism.
And if Sprint management did delay the release of the Epic to incorporate a fix to the GPS, good for them. If that is true, it would seem advantageous for them to make some statement to that effect. If they keep quiet on the matter, I have to wonder why.
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Maybe they want those worried about the GPS issue to rest assured but don't want to start a discussion about it where average consumers won't buy the Vibrant and Captivate variants after hearing there is a GPS issue..
gTen said:
Maybe they want those worried about the GPS issue to rest assured but don't want to start a discussion about it where average consumers won't buy the Vibrant and Captivate variants after hearing there is a GPS issue..
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The average consumers that have the vibrant or captivate don't even know it had issues.. and some don't. We here on xda are the exception..
Most sprint customers don't even know its the same phone.. let alone know about a gps issue...
Sprint really don't need to say anything to anyone.. us here at xda are a small margin of their sales..
I honestly don't care as long as the GPS is working. For the $400 bucks i'm going to be paying for this phone (Sprint wants a $150 deposit before I can get the phone), I expect the GPS TO BE WORKING.
Im happy they are saying the GPS works but i wont believe it until I see it. I am out and about on a daily basis and use GPS just as much.
boomerbubba said:
My own reaction to this news, posted in a sister forum, is more cautious optimism.
And if Sprint management did delay the release of the Epic to incorporate a fix to the GPS, good for them. If that is true, it would seem advantageous for them to make some statement to that effect. If they keep quiet on the matter, I have to wonder why.
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Click to collapse
Yes.. imagine how that would go "Buy the best phone Sprint has to offer... GPS doesn't work but we'll work on it AFTER you buy the phone!" or maybe "This phone is great, GPS doesn't work but we'll fix it before you buy it!!!" ... either way it doesn't look good for the company, so keep it hush, delay it and people will get it when it comes out. The only ones *****ing about the delay are the ones on these forums which is 0.000003 of their sales.
DirtyShroomz said:
Yes.. imagine how that would go "Buy the best phone Sprint has to offer... GPS doesn't work but we'll work on it AFTER you buy the phone!" or maybe "This phone is great, GPS doesn't work but we'll fix it before you buy it!!!" ... either way it doesn't look good for the company, so keep it hush, delay it and people will get it when it comes out. The only ones *****ing about the delay are the ones on these forums which is 0.000003 of their sales.
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That's the kind of spin Sprint would have to make if it released the phone with the GPS defect, and without fixing it first.
I was talking about a more positive statement in light of this news from Samsung. Sprint could affirm that there are no GPS issues on the Epic. And if there were issues in prerelease, but they held off to fix them first, that is a very positive thing to brag about. (And, by implication, a swipe at the two U.S. competitors who released defective products and are still awaiting new firmware in September.)
I hope this is true. I dont understand it though. I have read in many deferent places that they are working on a new driver to fix gps issues in all the other galaxy s phones. How did the fix the issue with out the new driver? If this is true then this makes me worried they will never really fix the captivates gps since the epic is fixed with the same gps driver.
I have asked multiple people who have the Epic for review purposes, and all of them state that there is no GPS problems. Things are looking good!
shep211 said:
I hope this is true. I dont understand it though. I have read in many deferent places that they are working on a new driver to fix gps issues in all the other galaxy s phones. How did the fix the issue with out the new driver? If this is true then this makes me worried they will never really fix the captivates gps since the epic is fixed with the same gps driver.
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My guess is they did fix it..but probably want to fix all the other issues at the same time before mass pushing the update..like say the lag fix and etc..or maybe they will just include the gps fix and froyo together....either way if they release it we may be able to extract the driver and use it on the others..
gTen said:
My guess is they did fix it..but probably want to fix all the other issues at the same time before mass pushing the update..like say the lag fix and etc..or maybe they will just include the gps fix and froyo together...
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Huh? In the wake of Samsung's public announcement that the GPS works on the Epic while the other brands are still awaiting new firmware, you think Sprint would secretly be planning to omit that fix and launch with the same defect they have? That is just crazy.
The implication of Samsung's statement is that the Epic firmware is already tested and installed on the units about to be sold and shipped. There would not need to be any pushing of a GPS update for Sprint phones.
If that is ambiguous to people, that is all the more reason for Sprint to make a statement about this.
gTen said:
My guess is they did fix it..but probably want to fix all the other issues at the same time before mass pushing the update..like say the lag fix and etc..or maybe they will just include the gps fix and froyo together....either way if they release it we may be able to extract the driver and use it on the others..
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Yes you are right. If they do have the gps fix we should be able to port it over to the captivate. I wil have to return my captivate before the 30 days then get the epic and see what happens. If they fix the captivate I may go back to it since I love the slim look and design.
boomerbubba said:
That's the kind of spin Sprint would have to make if it released the phone with the GPS defect, and without fixing it first.
I was talking about a more positive statement in light of this news from Samsung. Sprint could affirm that there are no GPS issues on the Epic. And if there were issues in prerelease, but they held off to fix them first, that is a very positive thing to brag about. (And, by implication, a swipe at the two U.S. competitors who released defective products and are still awaiting new firmware in September.)
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Now that would be great. Sprint launching a commercial attack on AT&T and Tmo... Go with them, you'll have phones that can't make calls and can't guide you to your destination! Not so smart for a smart phone huh?
I would lol so hard if they did a commercial like that. It is nice to see a company think of the end user and not about the $. I am testing the gps fix from the epic dump. So far it looks good. It locks the sats fast and shows me with 5m of my location(Use to never go below 30). I will test the gps when I go to lunch and see if it tracks me correctly.
Edit: I used my gps at lunch and it worked a lot better. It didnt jump from street to street and change route over and over. Its usable now but its still not as good as n1\evo. It will lag pretty bad then jump to your location. If the epic radio does not have updated code for gps that fixs lag issue then I would say gps is not really fixed just improved. I think we will have to wait till September to see if it gets fully fixed.
shep211 said:
... I am testing the gps fix from the epic dump. So far it looks good. It locks the sats fast and shows me with 5m of my location(Use to never go below 30). I will test the gps when I go to lunch and see if it tracks me correctly.
Edit: I used my gps at lunch and it worked a lot better. It didnt jump from street to street and change route over and over. Its usable now but its still not as good as n1\evo. It will lag pretty bad then jump to your location. If the epic radio does not have updated code for gps that fixs lag issue then I would say gps is not really fixed just improved. I think we will have to wait till September to see if it gets fully fixed.
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Exactly what are you "testing" here? I gather you don't have an Epic. So you are you somehow running some hacked form of what you believe the "GPS fix" is -- drawn from the Epic dump -- on the hardware of some other Samsung S variant such as a Captivate. Right? Can you please describe the steps you used to set up this test environment. What is it about the Epic dump that you are calling "the GPS fix," and how did you apply it on the other hardware? Did you flash a ROM, change config files, or what?
boomerbubba said:
Exactly what are you "testing" here? I gather you don't have an Epic. So you are you somehow running some hacked form of what you believe the "GPS fix" is -- drawn from the Epic dump -- on the hardware of some other Samsung S variant such as a Captivate. Right? Can you please describe the steps you used to set up this test environment. What is it about the Epic dump that you are calling "the GPS fix," and how did you apply it on the other hardware? Did you flash a ROM, change config files, or what?
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He is talking about this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=759976
gTen said:
He is talking about this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=759976
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Thanks. What I see there are three hacked "experimental" versions of a "fix," none of which even purport to replicate the Epic environment completely. [Edit: I gather it was the "fix" supposed to be drawn from the Epic that was tested.] (For example, shep211 himself questioned how this can be a fix without new drivers. I agree with that criticism. But how do we even know what drivers this environment has?)
So it is not valid to run this test, which showed a less-than-successful GPS performance, and declare on the basis of that test that the Epic fix is incomplete as shipped.
The Epic fix may or may not be complete. We don't know that. We can't know it until a real Epic is tested rigorously.
Related
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=751518&page=10
Good news, hopefully its legit and its software.....
Here's a video of proof. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ65sS8nbRE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Update on compass: jhego says it works, also says compass view works in google maps... he also used gps navigation for 15 mind straight without losing the route .... some good looking stuff...
Originally Posted by smashpunks Awesome. Thanks again. This will put my mind at ease and I can sleep well.
Originally Posted by smashpunks Awesome thanks for this update.. one last thing if ya could... check google maps street view in compass mode... no hurry just wondering.. may be a seperate fix but still interesting to know.. Thanks again for your testing...
Man, that's sick! I haven't used that mode before. I can tell you that it works__________________(2007-2008) CID/SIM Unlocked ATT Tilt(2008-2010) Unlocked Blackberry Bold 5.0.0.681(2010- Current) Rooted Samsung Captivate
UPDATE 2: some people are reporting no fix or worse... hmmmm.. what's going on. Half say its getting great locks and others not... maybe its a location thing?
Farkkkkk
If the GPS is fixed in this rom, can we have some crow for the people saying it's not fixable via firmware?
heygrl said:
If the GPS is fixed in this rom, can we have some crow for the people saying it's not fixable via firmware?
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Agreed. People getting 8 satellites locked..... awesome
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ65sS8nbRE
6/6 INSTANTLY! 7/7 shortly after... yep, I'd say it's fixed
heygrl said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ65sS8nbRE
6/6 INSTANTLY! 7/7 shortly after... yep, I'd say it's fixed
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Yes. This makes me very very happy.. now IMO its a perfect device... (hope not speaking to soon but I'd say its fixed also)...
Neat.
Has anyone been able to test out the compass? Whoever is making these videos, could someone ask them to demo Google Sky Map / Street View?
but this isnt for the vibrant right? or can it be ported over since they are so close to each other?
Jon C said:
Neat.
Has anyone been able to test out the compass? Whoever is making these videos, could someone ask them to demo Google Sky Map / Street View?
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I'm having the dude test the compass... also even if this exact thing don't work on vibrant.. its proof that its software and fixable
.. that's all I really wanna know...
Update on compass soon....
It's the firmware for the Captivate, which flashes for different radios and so forth. It could be ported, but it would be a lot of unnecessary work.
To be honest, I find the idea of flashing different ROMs to be stressful. I stopped using my jailbroken iPhone because I grew tired of keeping up with flashing and jumping through hoops. I just want Samsung to fix the phone with an OTA, so I can go back to my normal life.
So, we have no word on a fix for the Vibrant. But one can assume that a fix on AT&T will find itself on the T-Mobile device.
Jon C said:
Neat.
Has anyone been able to test out the compass? Whoever is making these videos, could someone ask them to demo Google Sky Map / Street View?
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Your the dude wanting to bail on the vibrant right? Its cool I understand . Hopefully this changes your mind...
Jon C said:
Neat.
Has anyone been able to test out the compass? Whoever is making these videos, could someone ask them to demo Google Sky Map / Street View?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Jon C said:
It's the firmware for the Captivate, which flashes for different radios and so forth. It could be ported, but it would be a lot of unnecessary work.
To be honest, I find the idea of flashing different ROMs to be stressful. I stopped using my jailbroken iPhone because I grew tired of keeping up with flashing and jumping through hoops. I just want Samsung to fix the phone with an OTA, so I can go back to my normal life.
So, we have no word on a fix for the Vibrant. But one can assume that a fix on AT&T will find itself on the T-Mobile device.
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The fix is leaked from samsung .. we will get one too. Point again is its fixable, we never knew this before till now.
Although its still not been said if its 100% working.. could be a start though
No, it's a great piece of encouragement. Still, unless something is said soon, I will probably return my phone until the official fix is out. I can always purchase it again at a later date. It's encouraging to see a leak from Samsung fix the problem, but I'm sure you can understand: $500+ is a lot to spend on a phone.
Keep delivering the good news. Hopefully the Compass has been fixed as well. I really love TouchWiz, and was dreading the possible jump to HTC Sense.
Jon C said:
No, it's a great piece of encouragement. Still, unless something is said soon, I will probably return my phone until the official fix is out. I can always purchase it again at a later date. It's encouraging to see a leak from Samsung fix the problem, but I'm sure you can understand: $500+ is a lot to spend on a phone.
Keep delivering the good news. Hopefully the Compass has been fixed as well. I really love TouchWiz, and was dreading the possible jump to HTC Sense.
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I can understand your view.
For me it is also encouraging that samsung really is trying .
This is encouraging news. Hopefully it's true and I can quit obsessing with it
This gives me a damn hard-on.
My phone locked & rebooted* itself twice today, while trying to use GPS. And I was in Mountain View, even - buncha bull****.
-bZj
*when it does this routine, it resets the volume on the system (thus the startup sound) to maximu8m - makes me even angrier!
heygrl said:
If the GPS is fixed in this rom, can we have some crow for the people saying it's not fixable via firmware?
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Click to collapse
don't recall anyone saying it couldn't be fixed - can you point us at one?
the consensus opinion has been no one knew whether it was firmware or software
and btw, while this is good news, we're not totally certain this is a permanent "fix"
if it's still working in 2 or 3 weeks for the folks that installed it, then it might be considered a fix
larryccf said:
don't recall anyone saying it couldn't be fixed - can you point us at one?
the consensus opinion has been no one knew whether it was firmware or software
and btw, while this is good news, we're not totally certain this is a permanent "fix"
if it's still working in 2 or 3 weeks for the folks that installed it, then it might be considered a fix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Regardless its getting 8 satellite locks for a lot of people .. that's never happened before ... this is a leak so not even official. So official may even be better ....
I was very concerned about the compass as I wasn't convinced that could be fixed via firmware basd on what I saw in the GPS service screens (seemed laggy even straight from the device). Eugene373 posted a fix to GPS for rooted phones here ://to.ly/5TFy (add http to follow the link). I installed it and it fixed both GPS and compass for me personally. This for me was proof positive tha there will be an official Samsung fix released to solve this issue.
K
larryccf said:
don't recall anyone saying it couldn't be fixed - can you point us at one?
the consensus opinion has been no one knew whether it was firmware or software
and btw, while this is good news, we're not totally certain this is a permanent "fix"
if it's still working in 2 or 3 weeks for the folks that installed it, then it might be considered a fix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ignored
sfsdf
down8 said:
This gives me a damn hard-on.
My phone locked & rebooted* itself twice today, while trying to use GPS. And I was in Mountain View, even - buncha bull****.
-bZj
*when it does this routine, it resets the volume on the system (thus the startup sound) to maximu8m - makes me even angrier!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine has been doing it for a couple of weeks and I finally got fedup with this routine and called TMO and complained. I'm getting a replacement Vibrant in 3 days or so but I'm not holding my breath on it working any better really although I hope that it won't freeze and reboot at least. This official fix can't come fast enough because this GPS caused freezing and rebooting is really getting to me at this point.
http://www.engadget.com/
If they are running the same gps hardware and theirs works, means its software .....
http://www.engadget.com/
So...the GPS hardware in the Vibrant and Captivate is identical to that in the Epic 4G, right?
dex1701 said:
So...the GPS hardware in the Vibrant and Captivate is identical to that in the Epic 4G, right?
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I sure hope so. If so it is 100% software
smashpunks said:
I sure hope so. If so it is 100% software
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Yeah, that's my concern. If the hardware is identical this is good news...if not it doesn't really help us much.
I wish they would give more info about GPS performance on the Epic...number of satellites locked, cold lock time with no aGPS, etc.
dex1701 said:
Yeah, that's my concern. If the hardware is identical this is good news...if not it doesn't really help us much.
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Click to collapse
Yea true, but why would it be any different?
Not like in the month since they really got complaints would they have changed hardware...
I agree though. We need to know for sure if its the same hardware...
smashpunks said:
Yea true, but why would it be any different?
Not like in the month since they really got complaints would they have changed hardware...
I agree though. We need to know for sure if its the same hardware...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, it's probably the same. I'm just slightly concerned that they might have done things a little differently 1.) because it's a CDMA phone and it might be a tad different anyway and 2.) because Samsung has likely known about the GPS issue since before the Galaxy S was released. I don't know if they would have had time to tweak anything in the Epic's hardware, but here's hoping they didn't.
dex1701 said:
Yeah, it's probably the same. I'm just slightly concerned that they might have done things a little differently 1.) because it's a CDMA phone and it might be a tad different anyway and 2.) because Samsung has likely known about the GPS issue since before the Galaxy S was released. I don't know if they would have had time to tweak anything in the Epic's hardware, but here's hoping they didn't.
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I just don't see what could be defective in our hardware causing a issue, could, but I just don't see it. Here's to hoping they kept things the same and just got it properly working.
smashpunks said:
I just don't see what could be defective in our hardware causing a issue, could, but I just don't see it. Here's to hoping they kept things the same and just got it properly working.
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I agree. When it works, it works well and it works fast. I've found that if I turn off wi-fi then turn it back on again it sometimes gets things to move. Or if I open TeleNav then exit again (before even seeing a map), the GPS seems to work for a bit. The fact that it is so intermittent makes me think it is software related. Hardware problems usually don't show up as working perfectly, then not at all, then sucking, then perfectly again.
Tpavey said:
I agree. When it works, it works well and it works fast. I've found that if I turn off wi-fi then turn it back on again it sometimes gets things to move. Or if I open TeleNav then exit again (before even seeing a map), the GPS seems to work for a bit. The fact that it is so intermittent makes me think it is software related. Hardware problems usually don't show up as working perfectly, then not at all, then sucking, then perfectly again.
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Click to collapse
That's some good points, I mean how could that gps chip gets released not working? And why wouldn't it work? I believe they will fix this, especially if we find out the gps chip in the 4g is the same as the GSM ones.....
Roll it out with froyo early Sept and shock us all is my dream.lol
Trust but verify, as the man said said. So I want to see some rigorous testing by peers here before making a decision.
Nonetheless, the fact that Samsung would go on the record about the Epic is good news for Sprint. The fact that the statement is still weaseling about the September update to "optimize GPS performance" on the Vibrant and Captivate -- a different status than that bestowed on the Epic in the statement-- is a little troubling.
An optimistic reading of the statement might be that the reason Sprint delayed the rollout of the Epic -- and it apparently was delayed, according to the scuttlebutt on Sprint forums -- was to make time to incorporate the new firmware. That's what I would have tried to do, if I were Sprint management. Also, Sprint may have started sooner or accelerated the effort to ensure that the branded variant of the firmware was "tested and validated." Hopefully, T-Mobile and AT&T will also attain that status.
In my personal opinion, I find the general design and features of the Epic interesting compared to the Vibrant. Since my marriage vows to T-Mobile are not yet renewed, I might consider jumping to Sprint. But I wouldn't commit to either until I am convinced there is not a hard-stop GPS issue. One thing in Sprint's favor is that they offer a 30-day grace period for testing and trial, as opposed to T-Mobile's 14 days.
boomerbubba said:
Trust but verify, as the man said said. So I want to see some rigorous testing by peers here before making a decision.
Nonetheless, the fact that Samsung would go on the record about the Epic is good news for Sprint. The fact that the statement is still weaseling about the September update to "optimize GPS performance" on the Vibrant and Captivate -- a different status than that bestowed on the Epic in the statement-- is a little troubling.
An optimistic reading of the statement might be that the reason Sprint delayed the rollout of the Epic -- and it apparently was delayed, according to the scuttlebutt on Sprint forums -- was to make time to incorporate the new firmware. That's what I would have tried to do, if I were Sprint management. Also, Sprint may have started sooner or accelerated the effort to ensure that the branded variant of the firmware was "tested and validated." Hopefully, T-Mobile and AT&T will also attain that status.
In my personal opinion, I find the general design and features of the Epic interesting compared to the Vibrant. Since my marriage vows to T-Mobile are not yet renewed, I might consider jumping to Sprint. But I wouldn't commit to either until I am convinced there is not a hard-stop GPS issue. One thing in Sprint's favor is that they offer a 30-day grace period for testing and trial, as opposed to T-Mobile's 14 days.
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Why does every take the word "optimized" as bad? That's basically all of needs. I just don't see that as a negative statement ...
I for one hate keyboards.. the more moving parts the more hardware issues.. coming from a tp1 and tp2, I just don't like how buttons feel after a while . Tp1 keyboard died and the tp2 keyboard keys stopped working unless pressed hard.
U
I like the flash and the texturized back.. its cool... gonna be a rocking phone.
I definitely wouldn't change providers for the same phone, but that's me..
I just hope sprints is fixed and we got the same hardware.
I bet we got to wait now because samsung put all the Time in getting the sprints version out and working.. now hopefully its our turn..
Our waiting will pay off soon I'm sure of it.
smashpunks said:
Why does every take the word "optimized" as bad? That's basically all of needs. I just don't see that as a negative statement ...
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I agree. Perhaps they don't understand what it means. Just sayin.
I used the fix on the development section for stock roms and did exactly as it told changed servers cleared gps data and ran a test until i got atleast 10 gps sat locks now it rocks its literally all up in my cool aid now.
I always feel like somebody's watching me!
DKYang said:
I agree. Perhaps they don't understand what it means. Just sayin.
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Inconceivable!!!
well, apparently, the gps fix is now coming in the next few weeks according to engadget mobile via an anonymous t mobile rep.
It seems like Sprint rushed the new firmware to get the Epic out ASAP, while T Mobile and AT&T are taking their time to test the new firmware. Others have reported speed increases as well.
It would appear that t mobile is now testing the firmware. If this is the case, I would expect it sooner rather than later. Early to mid september now sounds very likely.
clivo360 said:
It would appear that t mobile is now testing the firmware. If this is the case, I would expect it sooner rather than later. Early to mid september now sounds very likely.
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Actually, if you read the T-Mobile memo -- the part meant for internal consumption, not the quoted line to be given to customers -- it indicates that the final rollout to all end users might slip beyond September (my emphasis):
The software update is expected to roll out beginning in September.
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If whatever Samsung did to the Epic 4g's GPS is what they end up giving the rest of the Galaxy S owners out there we will be in good shape!
Friend at work got an Epic 4g today. First thing I did was compare GPS's. Mine and a coworkers Vibrant, a Captivate and the Epic 4g.
We did this from a cold start (everyone restarted their phones)all standing INSIDE our single story building (where you cannot get a signal if you aren't by a window) by the front door with wireless networks turned OFF. The Captivate locked onto 3 sats out of 10 in view. The Vibrants locked onto 2-3 with 10 in view and the EPIC saw 10 and locked onto 7 in a matter of seconds (compared to 2-3 minutes for the others).
If the rain lets up we may try and do a walking test out in our parking lot to see what difference there is in real world use.
Wanted to take a pic, but since we were all using out phones we couldn't. This was running GPS test on all four phones.
This gives me hope that the fix will actually fix something. BTW, the Epic looks more substantial (with the keyboard and all) but feels just as light as the Vibrant. So far, looks like the Captivate has the sturdiest feeling build of the Galaxy S phones out in the US now.
Yea. I'm confident they got the same gps hardware so hopefully they get it fixed. This is the only issue of the awesome phone.
I am still pissed that our phone's are not fixed, and people getting these newer phone's are working out of the box ...
aohmer said:
I am still pissed that our phone's are not fixed, and people getting these newer phone's are working out of the box ...
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I'm sure it's harder to make a 100% reliable patch than it is to simply release with the fix already cooked into the ROM. It's also possible that Sprint delayed release of the phone until it was fixed, which probably would have lit a fire under Samsung to get it ready.
GPSTest obviously doesn't report all locked sats. It often showed 0 sats but had a 10-20 meter fix. Impossible.
This could be a result of faulty software, but either way it's still not reporting correctly.
heygrl said:
GPSTest obviously doesn't report all locked sats. It often showed 0 sats but had a 10-20 meter fix. Impossible.
This could be a result of faulty software, but either way it's still not reporting correctly.
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Same here. It'll say no sats with 20 ft accuracy and give me a route on navigation .
Gps is weird on this but still works good enough for me. I would like it better if possible but it works on my end.
Any word on how the Epic's compass is working compared to the Vibrant?
XfooYen said:
Any word on how the Epic's compass is working compared to the Vibrant?
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same question. Compass on vibrant is useless now.
I'll check out the compass tomorrow. And PLEASE, EVERYONE, PLEASE don't turn this into a GPStest or a mine works fine flame war like the other threads.
Hopefully we will have time to compare any actual differences in performance with apps like maps, flixster and others that rely on location based services.
Well sammy said that the fix is coming next month .I'm very interested in the out come.
Sent from my Samsung Vibrant using XDA app
From what I gather, it's not truly fixed. People are still having issues. For some reason there are only a few threads about it on here. On AndfroidForums, however, there are multiple threads. It seems most people are getting 98ft accuracy. I don't see anything to be excited about anymore. I am very unimpressed by Samsung. I don't know if they can actually fix it. If they can, they might just be waiting to roll it out with FroYo. Unwise IMO. If the Epic 4G really is not fixed, they are in for a hell ride of bad press after making the statement to Engadget that it's fixed.
http://androidforums.com/samsung-epic-4g/158086-samsung-epic-4g-sprint-gps-test.html
http://androidforums.com/samsung-ep...right-way-have-use-wireless-networks-off.html
http://androidforums.com/samsung-epic-4g/163257-epic-gps-does-yours-work-not.html
Sadly the compass sill doesn't work on the epic.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
some people are reporting it is not fixed, accuracy is way off.
tweak89 said:
If whatever Samsung did to the Epic 4g's GPS is what they end up giving the rest of the Galaxy S owners out there we will be in good shape!
Friend at work got an Epic 4g today. First thing I did was compare GPS's. Mine and a coworkers Vibrant, a Captivate and the Epic 4g.
We did this from a cold start (everyone restarted their phones)all standing INSIDE our single story building (where you cannot get a signal if you aren't by a window) by the front door with wireless networks turned OFF. The Captivate locked onto 3 sats out of 10 in view. The Vibrants locked onto 2-3 with 10 in view and the EPIC saw 10 and locked onto 7 in a matter of seconds (compared to 2-3 minutes for the others).
If the rain lets up we may try and do a walking test out in our parking lot to see what difference there is in real world use.
Wanted to take a pic, but since we were all using out phones we couldn't. This was running GPS test on all four phones.
This gives me hope that the fix will actually fix something. BTW, the Epic looks more substantial (with the keyboard and all) but feels just as light as the Vibrant. So far, looks like the Captivate has the sturdiest feeling build of the Galaxy S phones out in the US now.
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Click to collapse
You may have gotten excited a bit too early, pre-mature excitement. It appears the epic is locking onto satellites, but the accuracy is way off, 100ft off, and google maps is still placing people in the wrong place.
QUOTE=coolguy949;7944614]From what I gather, it's not truly fixed. People are still having issues. For some reason there are only a few threads about it on here. On AndfroidForums, however, there are multiple threads. It seems most people are getting 98ft accuracy. I don't see anything to be excited about anymore. I am very unimpressed by Samsung. I don't know if they can actually fix it. If they can, they might just be waiting to roll it out with FroYo. Unwise IMO. If the Epic 4G really is not fixed, they are in for a hell ride of bad press after making the statement to Engadget that it's fixed.
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Click to collapse
[
I might have missed something, but when did Samsung say that the Epic 4g gps was fixed? I see on engadget where the reviewer talked about it being fixed based on his limited observations, but he didn't say that SAMSUNG told him it was fixed.
Again, I might have missed it, but I couldn't find on engadget where they quoted or even said Samsung said the Epic was fixed.
In fact, rereading the review on engadget, it seems to suggest that it was never fixed.
"Surprisingly, the now-infamous AGPS bug is still alive and well right now on the Epic. We're not sure how Sprint can justify releasing it with this bug now so well-known, well-documented, and critical to the operation of the phone -- seriously, it cannot find you most of the time -- but we suppose it'll just get fixed at the same time as the remainder of the Galaxy S models in September. In other words, unless we see a quick firmware update prior to the 31st, don't expect Google Maps to work particularly well out of the box. Oh, and here's another bug: like the Captivate and Vibrant, the Epic doesn't seem to want to mount as mass storage. We weren't able to get it working in USB debugging mode on our Mac, either, though we were able to download media to Image Capture without a problem -- it seems as though the computer is treating the phone as a camera, not a drive.
[Update: We just spoke with Samsung, who told us that Google is now requiring that the "use wireless networks" setting for location-based services be turned off by default in Android devices -- in other words, no AGPS unless you manually enable it. Sure enough, we went into Settings, found that it was disabled on the Epic, turned it on, and we were good to go. No GPS bug!]
[Update 2: The fact that AGPS comes disabled by default is a separate issue unto itself, unrelated to issue with actual GPS satellite triangulation. See our full breakdown here.]"
I had the opportunity to play with an Epic tonight and the gps issue affecting the vibrant appears not to be there for the following reasons.
Using tge gps test app from the market:
- it obtained a lock indoors in less tha 5 secs
- it was able to view 8 satellites and obtained a fix from all of them
- accuracy was about 6 metets
- gmt and local times were correct
- speed remained at 0 while the phone was standing still on a desk.
We were not able to replicate any of the above with any of the vibrants sitting next to the epic.
On another note, the compass on the epic appears to be as lame as one of the vibrants. The other vibrant at least pointed to a north-ish direction, although very slow.
Epic gps behavior is comparable to that on the nexus one, which I consider pretty good.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
guardian855 said:
I might have missed something, but when did Samsung say that the Epic 4g gps was fixed?
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Click to collapse
Two weeks ago, Samsung made the following statement to Engadget (my emphasis added.):
We have tested and validated both Network Assisted (indoor) and Autonomous (outdoor) GPS on the Epic 4G. With regards to Vibrant and Captivate, we are currently testing software updates which will optimize GPS performance. We expect to be able to make the updates available in September and will communicate more information and download instructions in the next few weeks.
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Click to collapse
Suspicious observers noted that neither Samsung nor Sprint ever quite said that this "tested and valdiated" GPS software was actually installed on the units shipped yesterday. But they certainly implied it and many customers expected it.
Today, according to one user, Sprint tech support acknowledged that there is a "known issue" with the Epic GPS.
GPS works intermittantly but rarely when on call
My GPS is very intermittent and rarely (but not never) works when I'm on a call. If the signal strength is weak, the GPS cuts off, but when the signal strength is okay, it can lock on, even when I'm on a call.
For those thinking about getting the Vibrant/Captivate or pretty much any variant of the Galaxy S DO NOT.
I contacted them via FB and this is the only answer they sent me
"We are working on it. We're sorry about this issue. Please be patient as we know how important this is. Thanks for reaching out!"
I have just received and activated my phone with dum, dum, dum... AT&T and this phone has nothing but GPS issues while I have to admit everything else works fine and is definitely fast.
There is absolutely no way of it accurately doing a turn by turn Navigation with Google Maps.
Ive even resorted to doing a supposed fix and nothing if anything it made the major problem worse.
Same has been reported with the T-Mobile version of the phone.
I highly regret leaving T-Mobile now because the reception was a lot better with them as well.
No wonder tons of people bad mouth AT&T, LOL.
Proof below, stick to the other manufacturers guys... Samsung is testing the waters and these phones should have NEVER been released prior to having it 100% functional.
---->> http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/samsung-galaxy-s-gps-gate-two-problems-not-one-and-what-to-do/5#comments
legend221 said:
For those thinking about getting the Vibrant/Captivate or pretty much any variant of the Galaxy S DO NOT.
I contacted them via FB and this is the only answer they sent me
"We are working on it. We're sorry about this issue. Please be patient as we know how important this is. Thanks for reaching out!"
I have just received and activated my phone with dum, dum, dum... AT&T and this phone has nothing but GPS issues while I have to admit everything else works fine and is definitely fast.
There is absolutely no way of it accurately doing a turn by turn Navigation with Google Maps.
Ive even resorted to doing a supposed fix and nothing if anything it made the major problem worse.
Same has been reported with the T-Mobile version of the phone.
I highly regret leaving T-Mobile now because the reception was a lot better with them as well.
No wonder tons of people bad mouth AT&T, LOL.
Proof below, stick to the other manufacturers guys... Samsung is testing the waters and these phones should have NEVER been released prior to having it 100% functional.
---->> http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/17/samsung-galaxy-s-gps-gate-two-problems-not-one-and-what-to-do/5#comments
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Why didnt you wait for g2?
Hey OP!
Have you EVER tried the Vibrant or Captivate? I have the Vibrant and I have had no problems with the GPS. I use the turn by turn directions daily!
You need to know what you are talking about! Yes, there is a documented problem, but that doesn't mean that the GPS is unusable, and NO I haven't applied the GPS fix.
Ace42 said:
Why didnt you wait for g2?
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Click to collapse
Ive bought Samsung phone before and I haven't ran into any major issues like this.
The G2 would definitely be a better option.
Thinking Im going to jump to the Sony X10, I hear that they are going to have the CyanogenMod on it pretty soon.
rwbarnes67 said:
Hey OP!
Have you EVER tried the Vibrant or Captivate? I have the Vibrant and I have had no problems with the GPS. I use the turn by turn directions daily!
You need to know what you are talking about! Yes, there is a documented problem, but that doesn't mean that the GPS is unusable, and NO I haven't applied the GPS fix.
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Click to collapse
You're trying to come at me like everyone is going to have a working unit Barnes.
Just because YOU got lucky doesn't mean anyone else that buys it will.
There is already a "fix" in the works for units that have faulty GPS but whether it works or if its actually able to fix the issue is another story.
Read this and please don't post again if YOU don't know what you are talking about.
rwbarnes67 said:
Hey OP!
Have you EVER tried the Vibrant or Captivate? I have the Vibrant and I have had no problems with the GPS. I use the turn by turn directions daily!
You need to know what you are talking about! Yes, there is a documented problem, but that doesn't mean that the GPS is unusable, and NO I haven't applied the GPS fix.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe you are also confused, bring up an address and press the option that says navigation.
See that big blue area around your position THAT is not true GPS and it is only guessing where you are from cell towers.
Like others have said it will not accurately tell you where you are, you can not trust the voice directions at all.
That is faulty and yes Samsung, AT&T, T-Mobile and any other service provider should not be selling these units until it is fixed.
legend221 said:
Maybe you are also confused, bring up an address and press the option that says navigation.
See that big blue area around your position THAT is not true GPS and it is only guessing where you are from cell towers.
Like others have said it will not accurately tell you where you are, you can not trust the voice directions at all.
That is faulty and yes Samsung, AT&T, T-Mobile and any other service provider should not be selling these units until it is fixed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That Little blue arrow that tells me EXACTLY where I am on the map as I'm zooming down the freeway and accurately tells me every exit as I'm passing them? I know what I am talking about! And the turn by turn instructions work for me and it re-routes when I miss a street.
OK!!!! You all! You know EVERYTHING and I know NOTHING!
That is all! Sorry for putting in my 2 cents!
By the way, I've been on Android since the G1 in November of 2008. Rooted with the first Jesus Freke roms thru Haykuru and Dudes roms to Cyan and have been doing the same with my Vibrant.
But OK. You guys are THE EXPERTS.
And by the way, you guys never stated whether or not you own a Vibrant.
Deleted!
I have nothing to say!
rwbarnes67 said:
By the way, I've been on Android since the G1 in November of 2008. Rooted with the first Jesus Freke roms thru Haykuru and Dudes roms to Cyan and have been doing the same with my Vibrant.
But OK. You guys are THE EXPERTS.
And by the way, you guys never stated whether or not you own a Vibrant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only own G1 & Mytouch Slide, not interested in the Vibrant like my KB's.
buy whatever you want
ive gone thru so many phones since 09, from the g1(when it first came out), hd2, n900, x10 and finally the vibrant. the hd2, n900 and x10 in a matter of 4 months. didnt like windows mobile from being used to android. n900 wasnt what i expected it to be. loved the x10 but only running 1.6. i didnt root it because I eventually bought the vibrant.
only issues i had were facebook syncing and contacts being tripled and gps in searching for a location while in house, but GPS worked FINE when I was on the road. wish i had a car dock for it at the time but will eventually get one.
OP, if you knew of these reasons, such as lag or because of the gps not working properly, then why did you buy it in the first place? i dont think barnes was getting at you, but damn dude, someone's sensitive. no one told you to buy it despite some of the imperfections the phone has. its like people saying sony shouldnt have released the x10 with 1.6 but rather have froyo but they still buy it. and if your response is to root it to get 2.1 or 2.2, i dont think the avg. customer for phones would have any idea of what you are talking about.
you cant please everyone on here. alot of people on xda either want to be a mod or just bump stupid posts because they didnt get an answer within 3 hours.
Returned my Samsung Captivate and is officially back to the HTC Dream/G1 until further notice.
Feeling better already, I can always get that phone when and if the GPS issue is worked out.
That was pretty much the only flaw it has at least on the phone I returned.
steveruv said:
ive gone thru so many phones since 09, from the g1(when it first came out), hd2, n900, x10 and finally the vibrant. the hd2, n900 and x10 in a matter of 4 months. didnt like windows mobile from being used to android. n900 wasnt what i expected it to be. loved the x10 but only running 1.6. i didnt root it because I eventually bought the vibrant.
only issues i had were facebook syncing and contacts being tripled and gps in searching for a location while in house, but GPS worked FINE when I was on the road. wish i had a car dock for it at the time but will eventually get one.
OP, if you knew of these reasons, such as lag or because of the gps not working properly, then why did you buy it in the first place? i dont think barnes was getting at you, but damn dude, someone's sensitive. no one told you to buy it despite some of the imperfections the phone has. its like people saying sony shouldnt have released the x10 with 1.6 but rather have froyo but they still buy it. and if your response is to root it to get 2.1 or 2.2, i dont think the avg. customer for phones would have any idea of what you are talking about.
you cant please everyone on here. alot of people on xda either want to be a mod or just bump stupid posts because they didnt get an answer within 3 hours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In that respect I did mess up.
Was expecting the Captivate to rock my socks off but all it did was make me mad due to the GPS issue.
I didn't know of these problems until after my phone arrived.
Its stupid for Samsung to not get those fixes out asap as that is their flagship phone.
I heard the X10 is very close to getting Cyanogen on there.. definitely a major advantage there vs. the Samsung development that's going on
if cyanogen is working on the x10, then the x10 will have alot of potential.
did you switch back to tmobile since you're back to using the g1?
btw, how often were you using the gps on the road? give the vibrant a chance, im sure the kinks will be worked out.
steveruv said:
if cyanogen is working on the x10, then the x10 will have alot of potential.
did you switch back to tmobile since you're back to using the g1?
btw, how often were you using the gps on the road? give the vibrant a chance, im sure the kinks will be worked out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The X10 does seem like a better choice for now mainly in part to the CyanogenMod potential.
Im still on AT&T, Ive closed my account with T-Mobile.
I was using the gps on a regular basis thats why it had to be refunded as a replacement was more than likely to have the same issue.
Samsung has always had a bad track record with updating thier phones and I didnt want to be stuck waiting for an update that may take too long to be relevant.
I've just gotta jump in with my $.02 right quick here...
Not trying to piss anyone off, but damn you all cry too much! IT's A PHONE!
And on top of all that, it has an Operating System on it! So essentially, it's a COMPUTER! And what do computers have????? ISSUES!
So, quit *****ing. Flagship phone or not...It's going to have issues. It's a new device. Duh. haha
Basically, when it comes down to it, if a device were PERFECT in every standard, then EVERYONE would have one. And sense there is no such thing as PERFECT, good luck.
tribalartgod said:
I've just gotta jump in with my $.02 right quick here...
Not trying to piss anyone off, but damn you all cry too much! IT's A PHONE!
And on top of all that, it has an Operating System on it! So essentially, it's a COMPUTER! And what do computers have????? ISSUES!
So, quit *****ing. Flagship phone or not...It's going to have issues. It's a new device. Duh. haha
Basically, when it comes down to it, if a device were PERFECT in every standard, then EVERYONE would have one. And sense there is no such thing as PERFECT, good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah its a phone that should work my G1, HTC Shadow all work with gps and they are old phones compared to the Samsung Galaxy S.
If you prefer not to hear my advisement to everyone about this phone, DONT CLICK ON THE THREAD!
legend, so you're using the g1 on at&t's network?
the captivate is using bing, correct? there's no google maps on there? maybe that was the problem.
i guess im fortunate to have my gps on point when i'm driving, but once i eventually root, etc, then maybe the gps will lock in almost my exact point, and not off 1 or 2 blocks.
steveruv said:
legend, so you're using the g1 on at&t's network?
the captivate is using bing, correct? there's no google maps on there? maybe that was the problem.
i guess im fortunate to have my gps on point when i'm driving, but once i eventually root, etc, then maybe the gps will lock in almost my exact point, and not off 1 or 2 blocks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AT&T network, Yes I am.
The captivate is using Google Maps but has the option in using AT&T's version of it and they both were not working.
I tested how many GPS satellites it picked up through the LBSTestMode menu and it got me no where even if there were 1 or 7 available.
Once rooted it was the same story unfortunately even with all these workarounds on xda and other sites.
Further proof that the Samsung GPS issues continue....
See Samsung Facinate review released for Verizon on SEP 9, 2010 here ------->> http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Samsung-Fascinate-Review-review-r_2529-p_4.html
So I've got one of the many Vibrants with the flaky GPS, and none of the fixes out there seem to improve the problem. My local T-Mo store is understanding and quite willing to swap it with a new one since I'm still within the 14 day policy. The only catch is I want to put the phone as close to stock as possible before I do the trade so they can't say it was something I did to it. Right now I've rooted deodexed, and I've got clockwork ROM manager going. I've also deleted almost all the stock cruft and swapped the calendar / camera apps. Because I was so eager to make it "mine", I also failed to make any backups BUT my wife happens to have a totally stock SGS from which I can scavange from but I'd like to do it without having to root it or anything. Is this possible? If not would thread 739091 ("True Stock 2.1 firmware for vibrant"; sorry I can't post links since my account here is still new) get me there?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=734475&highlight=stock is what you're looking for. Just flash this with Odin and you'll be fully unrooted.
Awesome, I really appreciate that. I'm not timid when it comes to making the phone my own (I was an early adopter of CyanogenMod for my old G1) but I just returned from a deployment and the whole 'scene' has changed a lot more than I expected lol.
Hehe. you might want to give the new T-Mobile Vibrant firmware that was leaked, it fixes the GPS problem (result may vary). Returning your SGS for a new one isn't going to fix your problem. It's not hardware related, its firmware.
An exchange won't fix your GPS issues anyway so you mine as well keep the one you have. Trust me, we try to swap them out customers all the time at my store.... It's a known issue and Samsung is SUPPOSED to be sending us an OTA soon
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
ShanDestromp said:
Awesome, I really appreciate that. I'm not timid when it comes to making the phone my own (I was an early adopter of CyanogenMod for my old G1) but I just returned from a deployment and the whole 'scene' has changed a lot more than I expected lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just want to say thank you for serving.
zephiK said:
Returning your SGS for a new one isn't going to fix your problem. It's not hardware related, its firmware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
briguydj32 said:
An exchange won't fix your GPS issues anyway so you mine as well keep the one you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm, quite a few people I'd talked with locally that have the vibrant said swapping worked for them. Is it possible that newer firmware has been released for phones with a newer "birth" date than mine? Then again who should I trust more, people who hardly utilize their phones, or the people who drool over the prospect of new mods and hacks? hehe. I guess I'll just call T-Mo back and let them know I wont be bothering with a swap after all.
Droidicus said:
Just want to say thank you for serving.
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Click to collapse
Hey, my pleasure. If nothing else, I have the Army to thank for bringing me out to Hawai'i and giving me the chance to meet my now wife hehe.
ALL out of the box Vibrant's have the same firmware. You need to update to the newest firmware version, it works really well. GPS is better than it is on my CLIQ.
I dunno, i've heard reports of GPS working perfect out of the box for some, and the new firmware doesn't seem to do much for my GPS,
10m accuracy at most unless I leave gps on for about an hour and maybe i'll get 6-7m accuracy, but driving, it SKIPS, (still at 10m) instead of gliding along like my G1 did.
So i'm considering perhaps swapping mine.
QwertyAccess said:
I dunno, i've heard reports of GPS working perfect out of the box for some, and the new firmware doesn't seem to do much for my GPS,
10m accuracy at most unless I leave gps on for about an hour and maybe i'll get 6-7m accuracy, but driving, it SKIPS, (still at 10m) instead of gliding along like my G1 did.
So i'm considering perhaps swapping mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
10M of accuracy is not bad and if you want to get technical, GMaps interprets the data differently. What shows in GMaps as 10 meters will show up as 7 under GPS test. I've got my Vibrant here at 6 Meters under GPSTest and 10 under GMaps. Get a grip people.
heygrl said:
Get a grip people.
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Click to collapse
I wont speak for Qwerty, but in my case I was LUCKY to get 10m accuracy; usually the best I could get was 40m; usually after 5-10 minutes of 'searching' and when you're driving an unfamiliar city such as Washington DC Like I was this past week, 40m is far too inaccurate for navigation. Your 'get a grip' is completely tasteless and uncalled for in this thread.
That said, I took zephiK's advice and just flashed the new 2.1 (thread 780935), and I must say its a lot better. I can get a 10m fix indoors in less than 5 seconds from a cold start (EG without GMaps knowing where I am at all); before being indoors I would never get less than a 1000m 'fix'. As soon as I get mine fully tweaked, I'll be sure to flash my wifes phone as well since she's got the same issue.
ShanDestromp said:
I wont speak for Qwerty, but in my case I was LUCKY to get 10m accuracy; usually the best I could get was 40m; usually after 5-10 minutes of 'searching' and when you're driving an unfamiliar city such as Washington DC Like I was this past week, 40m is far too inaccurate for navigation. Your 'get a grip' is completely tasteless and uncalled for in this thread.
That said, I took zephiK's advice and just flashed the new 2.1 (thread 780935), and I must say its a lot better. I can get a 10m fix indoors in less than 5 seconds from a cold start (EG without GMaps knowing where I am at all); before being indoors I would never get less than a 1000m 'fix'. As soon as I get mine fully tweaked, I'll be sure to flash my wifes phone as well since she's got the same issue.
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Click to collapse
No thats what im saying about.. He does have the update on his Vibrant
Sent from my SGH-T959
Anyways, Qwerty I just hope you get lucky with your swap and get a working gps and hardware recovery.I've been poking around and quite a few people are saying some of thenew vibrants have issues getting into recovery and down load mode
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
Yeah, i'm still considering doing the swap, sometime this week, perhaps even today, got up this morning, and phone was off, (Charging Battery Symbol on the screen),
I'm not running any of the custom roms nor am i OCing. Just worried if I do the swap I may end up with even more problems. I don't know what it is with the Samsung phones, if perhaps a lot of the phones have hardware problems or what. I have only used the original stock rom, and the leaked samsung rom.
I don't mean to be picky with my phone, but I remember my 2 year old G1 getting easily 3m lock as soon as i open up the maps inside my room, and navigating with it, was extremely accurate as well. I also never had restart issues with the phone, till after dropping the thing really hard, and then even the restart thing went away.
Today, I'm lucky to get even 40m lock again, on that same leaked updated firmware. My gripe with the samsung vibrant is that there seems to be some sort of hardware problem with the phone and samsung is not saying a thing about it.
I'm telling you guys... don't bother with a swap... I work in a very high volume store and have seen almost every customer come back with GPS issues. We won't even swap them anymore for customers because TMO has listed it as a known issue, and Samsung has announced the firmware update soon... A swap WILL NOT fix the issue, but if you decide to swap it, don't go whining to us our TMO about how you "keep exchanging it and none of them work..." They know this, and YOU know it.