G2 Degrading GPS performance - G2 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

My GPS performance has been slowly getting worse and worse and I can't figure out why.
When I got the phone it would lock on to *at least* 10 out of 20+ satellites within seconds and maintain high accuracy. Over time, it's taken longer and longer to lock, uses fewer and fewer birds when it does (I'm lucky to see 6/12 most times), and loses position more easily.
I do an AGPS refresh regularly, tried it with several different app (my main one is GPS Status Unlocked), but it doesn't help. I recently received the OTA update to Kit Kat, but it made no difference either way.
Just fired up GPS Status and it shows 0/18 satellites... trying and trying but that's it. Meanwhile, just started GPS Status on my wife's Galaxy Tab 10.1, and it instantly shows 16/16. (Ooooh, and now the G2 is at 1/16).
I thought maybe the Otterbox was affecting reception but removing it makes zero difference as well.

Soundy106 said:
My GPS performance has been slowly getting worse and worse and I can't figure out why.
When I got the phone it would lock on to *at least* 10 out of 20+ satellites within seconds and maintain high accuracy. Over time, it's taken longer and longer to lock, uses fewer and fewer birds when it does (I'm lucky to see 6/12 most times), and loses position more easily.
I do an AGPS refresh regularly, tried it with several different app (my main one is GPS Status Unlocked), but it doesn't help. I recently received the OTA update to Kit Kat, but it made no difference either way.
Just fired up GPS Status and it shows 0/18 satellites... trying and trying but that's it. Meanwhile, just started GPS Status on my wife's Galaxy Tab 10.1, and it instantly shows 16/16. (Ooooh, and now the G2 is at 1/16).
I thought maybe the Otterbox was affecting reception but removing it makes zero difference as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is a recognised issued of LG G2. In this section there is a topic who deals about GPS issues. Search for it

I did search. Got either excessive unrelated hits because the search was too broad, or nothing at all when I narrowed it down. In fact, I've searched on multiple occasions with similar non-results.
So perhaps just a link to the appropriate thread wouldn't be too much to ask.
Sent from my LG-D803 using Tapatalk

I have similar issue. At first (on stock JB) it locked in no time with great accuracy. Now on cloudypro 2.1 I have to wait for gps lock like forever (in some apps it's really fast, but for example in google maps it doesnt even get fix sometimes).
Currently I got position error shown in GPS status from 7 to 20-30m. Often speed isn't shown and when I'm not moving it shows ~5-6km/h. My father had SGS+ and from what I remember it had factory fault when due to temperature gps antenna seperated from glue and caused lack in performance. Maybe it is the same with our LG?
I dont know what's the cause, but I intend to go back to JB and see if it's gonna be any help.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2743649
It s a very long thread, I hope it can be useful
Sent from my LG-D802 using XDA Free mobile app

Maestroramas said:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2743649
It s a very long thread, I hope it can be useful
Sent from my LG-D802 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?
the link is to this page...

Page 23
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2485088&page=23

Related

[Poll] Can your Nexus S get a GPS lock?

Got at Best Buy at 7:30. Got my Nexus S. It was so sick. Til the GPS wouldn't get a lock. GenieWidget couldn't get wireless location either. Using T-Mobile. Nexus One locked just fine.
Also the demo phone didn't seem to be having issues so I got an exchange. This one doesn't work either. Who here can get a lock on their GPS?
I can't get a GPS lock either.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Download/install GPS Status & Toolbox and get the latest aGPS data, go outside, test, report back
Me either buttttt my sisters Mytouch 4G didnt either which is a big surprise...so let me know if it works on its own
Oh and the compass works great.
My GPS isnt locking either.....
I couldn't lock too
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I GOTTT IT!!! GPS lock with 9 meter accuracy!!
I left the app open for a min then I force closed it then restarted the phone and now works like a champ!!!!
Mine locked to 7 sats in 5 seconds on the first try while inside. Walked into the back yard and got 11 sats, accuracy down to 5m.
crachel said:
Download/install GPS Status & Toolbox and get the latest aGPS data, go outside, test, report back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still not working.
I am getting one hollow green dot using that app after following instructions.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
maybe the satellites are down where you are, lol
I tested mine.
The globe star should be the icon and is it solid means it's locked in?
If so, I got mine locked in in about 15-20 seconds (Bay Parkway and 69th Street, Brooklyn).
I got a lock immediately even in a GPRS area.
****. . What's with bad luck with phones. I think GPS is defected on mine. I tried it outdoor and it only saw 2 without locking of course
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
psp888 said:
maybe the satellites are down where you are, lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then uh why does GPS work on my Nexus One and my Vibrant?
I tested my Nexus S (T-Mobile) side by side with my Incredible (Verizon) and they both locked fairly quickly onto GPS. Repeated the test in a few different locations yesterday and today, and the Nexus S did well, as did the Inicredible.
Indoors with GPS off (and Wifi off) is a different story. The Incredible will show my approximate location in Google Maps, whereas the Nexus says "Waiting for location" then after a while "Your current location is unavailable". I guess the Nexus S can't use the cell towers to get a fix .
5-6 sats locked in under 15 seconds indoors. 11 locked within 30 seconds, but I haven't tried with no wifi or cell for aGPS assist.
Try getting the app GPS Status & Toolbox from the Market...it will download the GPS almanac and give the phone a better initial starting point for cold starts.
I have both Network Towers and GPS turned on and I always have a tiny blue circle around my position. With my Nexus One, the blue circle disappeared and had I had perfect lock
Even then though, the Nexus S is a bit slow at properly figuring out where I am, especially during Navigation. The GPS functionality is below the Nexus One.
Immediate lock.
Pretty heavy rain here in Los Angeles last night. GPS took a little longer to lock up on my way to dinner, but still locked position within a 60-90 seconds. Funny thing was that it reported accuracy of only 1300m the whole drive, but the position displayed on the map was 100% spot on to my actual location.
The Galaxy S line came out with HORRIBLE GPS, it was unusable and became a fixation for hatred of the device for many. As newer firmwares came out, it improved dramatically and I have no complaints with it on my SGS now. My friend with a T-Mobile Vibrant has stopped using his and gone back to an iPhone 3G because of the lousy GPS on it.
Samsung has supposedly changed the antenna for GPS and WiFi from the one used in older Galaxy S devices; I think it's remarkably improved.

GPS Finally Works Brilliantly.

Wow, I've had 4 replacement SII's (not due to GPS) and on all of them, they never got a GPS lock, really stressed me out.
However day before yesterday I left it to get a lock and it finally got one after about 4 minutes eek And then I've been constantly using the GPS and now whenever I load up the navigation I get a lock within a few seconds, always under 10 seconds worst case scenario!
So if you've got a slow GPS. Just bear with it, it seems to get better for some bizarre reason.
Yes, the first fix always takes a long time, after that cold start gps is faster.
I also left it the first time on my terrace for 10min and after that it's been fast and accurate, usually about 6m on a fine day, reported by gmaps.
The thing that bothers me most, is that google maps on the move is very choppy. It's accurate, but not smooth like on an iphone.
i think the gps on this phone is amazing, also impressed with the digital compass.
Exactly this happened for my i8910 also. At first it was very slow. Now it locks even inside the house. A little bit of patience is always important.
I dont think the lock time has ever been a problem with this gps.
Always the first time is slow, then it gets faster.
The bad thing is the accuracy. It is never completely accurate and it tends to jump around. Very very annoying if you want to use the gps for something like running and keeping track. I think I might have to return my GS2..
I would be interested to know whether you guys leave the GPS toggle on even when you don't have a navigation app running. If so, does it have any impact on battery life?
I've got into the habit of only toggling GPS on when I'm about to use a navigation app, then toggle it off afterwards.
This is my first Android phone and I didn't have this GPS toggle option with WinMo so not sure what the best setting is?
rojdag said:
i think the gps on this phone is amazing, also impressed with the digital compass.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The GPS is amazing indeed, but I liked the compass more on the Spica. Somehow it was more responsive, not by much though. I still love my S2!
dosher said:
I would be interested to know whether you guys leave the GPS toggle on even when you don't have a navigation app running. If so, does it have any impact on battery life?
I've got into the habit of only toggling GPS on when I'm about to use a navigation app, then toggle it off afterwards.
This is my first Android phone and I didn't have this GPS toggle option with WinMo so not sure what the best setting is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It should only turn on the gps when it's requested by an app, so no, it shouldn't drain your battery at all leaving the toggle on.
SBS_ said:
It should only turn on the gps when it's requested by an app, so no, it shouldn't drain your battery at all leaving the toggle on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know, thanks.
SBS_ said:
It should only turn on the gps when it's requested by an app, so no, it shouldn't drain your battery at all leaving the toggle on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, but...
some people may have a rogue app running in the background, and it among other things, would periodically wake up gps and get position lock.
so the full answer is if you feel you have full knowledge of what is running on your phone, leave gps on, if you have doubts and you experience battery drain and your phone heats up for no reason - switch it off, and also look deeper into what you have installed and what services you have configured to run and sync.
FPRobber said:
The GPS is amazing indeed, but I liked the compass more on the Spica. Somehow it was more responsive, not by much though. I still love my S2!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Get Ulysse Gizmo, THAT compass is genious .
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App
drm111 said:
Wow, I've had 4 replacement SII's (not due to GPS) and on all of them, they never got a GPS lock, really stressed me out.
However day before yesterday I left it to get a lock and it finally got one after about 4 minutes eek And then I've been constantly using the GPS and now whenever I load up the navigation I get a lock within a few seconds, always under 10 seconds worst case scenario!
So if you've got a slow GPS. Just bear with it, it seems to get better for some bizarre reason.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wtf??? 4 replacements?! how in hell can you get 4 replacements within 14 days?!? usually it takes weeks for samsung to check your device and to repair it...
D4rK.F0rcE said:
wtf??? 4 replacements?! how in hell can you get 4 replacements within 14 days?!? usually it takes weeks for samsung to check your device and to repair it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you go to the career store, or contract-free store, and exchange it. As simple as that, if the phone is legally sold in your country.
Gps seems very good now- got my first cold lock after putting battery in for first time in about 20 seconds.
CandyAndy said:
I dont think the lock time has ever been a problem with this gps.
Always the first time is slow, then it gets faster.
The bad thing is the accuracy. It is never completely accurate and it tends to jump around. Very very annoying if you want to use the gps for something like running and keeping track. I think I might have to return my GS2..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Really? Mine seems good enough for sports tracking.
Looking at GPS Test it sits very solidly around the 4-6m mark in good conditions, and in worse conditions (overcast etc), it still sits within the 4-10m mark - line of best fit still has good accuracy...
I have a piece at the Clove Blog looking just at GPS, probably up tomorrow, for anyone still on the fence about this phone because of the GPS function.
Agreed 100%. I used Google Maps+GPS+Nav for over 5 hours last Sunday on roads that my SGS would for sure jump around, not a single jump, overshoot, wrong direction. This device is a true stand alone GPS & navigation replacement.
Completely agree that this device is perfect for in-car navigation. Not too sure about running but I tried it for about 90mins in the car a few days ago in city and country roads and found it just as good as the desire I had.
D4rK.F0rcE said:
wtf??? 4 replacements?! how in hell can you get 4 replacements within 14 days?!? usually it takes weeks for samsung to check your device and to repair it...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why would I send it to Samsung? I get 28 days to get an on the spot replacement from the store I bought it from. After 28 days I'd have to go through Samsung.
GPS is damn good. I got a lock today sitting on my sofa messing with lattitude, My tomtom can't do that!
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
NZtechfreak said:
Really? Mine seems good enough for sports tracking.
Looking at GPS Test it sits very solidly around the 4-6m mark in good conditions, and in worse conditions (overcast etc), it still sits within the 4-10m mark - line of best fit still has good accuracy...
I have a piece at the Clove Blog looking just at GPS, probably up tomorrow, for anyone still on the fence about this phone because of the GPS function.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same for me i use sportypal to track my runs and you can see which side of the road im on, id say 1-2m accuracy
http://sportypal.com/Workouts/Details/1163209

EL30 stock observations

I have installed the EL30 update after going back to stock EC05>EI22. Here is what I have observed about EL30 (I have not applied any other fixes nor rooted yet):
-The upside down horizontal calibration for compass is fixed
-Keyboard lag is gone
-GPS improved from locking only 4 satellites to 6-7 (the GPS Fix I think, could can allow more, upto 9-12 under best conditions), so I think this made be good enough, but balancing power for battery consumption.
-"Android System" service aka CIQ is definitely gone.
-Haven't experienced speaker feedback squeal yet, although I did on EI22 after I had used voicemail and google voice search.
I have installed CWM 5.0.2.7 and rooted. I had to do the CWM flash twice (once to get SU on and open Root Explorer so I could delete the install recovery script, since there's no EL30 Kernel yet that takes out the install-recovery.sh script. A description from IBE here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1457734&page=2
have you notice any with modem? better signal ? speed anything?
i read that it was causing to lose signal.
ivcesar said:
have you notice any with modem? better signal ? speed anything?
i read that it was causing to lose signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am showing only 2 bars in my house with an Airave when I normally get 4.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
No, I'm getting about the same signal with my Airave. The wifi looks like more bars than EI22.
Has the rotation sensor been jerky for you in the past (skymap/yelp/other AR apps) and has EL30 made it smooth again?
Seems snappier. GPS is definitely better. Had a lock as good as 1m today for a short time while driving around and it was cloudy. 4m was the norm. Will test the modem over the next few days.
Man, if the keyboard skip is fixed and the GPS too, I'll be happier than a dead pig in the sun. The wife and I made a run from Houston to Ft Worth this weekend. I had to pull the battery about 7 times on the trip to get the GPS back on track. Extraordinarily annoying when you are trying to find your way in a place you've never been before.
No OTA here yet, probably will go the manual route. Thanks for the good news on the update, look forward to having a phone I don't have to cuss out all the time!
Sleeb
Preliminary results for me with EL30 modem running EI22 Legendary is: ~7% TWS while at home. I'll report back after a normal day at work and then going home.
With EI22 modem I would average ~3% TWS.
It's a shame I'd have any TWS since I live in a metropolitan area. Stupid Sprint coverage.
I think a lot of you need to remember that sprint is doing all kinds of stuff to towers lately and other issues may make your signal bars report differently. I'm still on ei22 and while typing this I watched my signal bars go from 0 - 2
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
my battery graph the line is almost like is a nice straight havent seen that in a while i have full bars for wifi and my signal ( airwave) i do have tws but i dont have good coverage like maybe a bar if i am lucky with out the airwave. but no gps lock on
edit: is anyone else have a different phone.apk the main look is the same but when you receive a call?
is the android version still 2.3.5 or is it 2.3.6?
Firehawk_1066 said:
is the android version still 2.3.5 or is it 2.3.6?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2.3.6 </10 char>
a few things I've noticed:
GPS has improved
bug where GPS icon remains on screen after GPS has been shut off has been fixed
battery life is considerably worse
I'm getting horrible GPS I only get like 4 out of 11 fixs and on my way to work this morning which is about 30 miles I kept losing gps would search for sattelites for forever as soon as i closed navigation it would work again for a few minutes then do it again.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
mikeregister said:
I'm getting horrible GPS I only get like 4 out of 11 fixs and on my way to work this morning which is about 30 miles I kept losing gps would search for sattelites for forever as soon as i closed navigation it would work again for a few minutes then do it again.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You may want to try resetting your A-GPS state using GPS Status app in the Market.
notsosmrtgeek said:
my battery graph the line is almost like is a nice straight havent seen that in a while i have full bars for wifi and my signal ( airwave) i do have tws but i dont have good coverage like maybe a bar if i am lucky with out the airwave. but no gps lock on
edit: is anyone else have a different phone.apk the main look is the same but when you receive a call?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes the recieve screen is very different.
dead78 said:
a few things I've noticed:
GPS has improved
bug where GPS icon remains on screen after GPS has been shut off has been fixed
battery life is considerably worse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i've noticed considerably better battery life, but I am rooted and use TiBu for freezing stuff.
MikeEx said:
Has the rotation sensor been jerky for you in the past (skymap/yelp/other AR apps) and has EL30 made it smooth again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes rotation sensor was upside down starting in EB13 Froyo and has been until EL30. You could fix it though by doing your horizontal calibration upside down. Now you don't have to.
dead78 said:
a few things I've noticed:
GPS has improved
bug where GPS icon remains on screen after GPS has been shut off has been fixed
battery life is considerably worse
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny, I was just about to post a little message about my stupidity and battery life.
Since I keep things mostly stock, my upgrade routine was to backup apk/data, and system data in MyBackup, then reflash back to stock EI22, install the EL30 update, do the CWM/root dance, and restore stuff in MyBackup. All went well, but my battery life was about %70 of what it was. For the first 2 days I just figured I was playing with the phone too much, but today I started plowing through the settings. What I found was that even though I had restored everything in MyBackup, not every setting stuck. For instance, Facebook was set to update every hour even though it had previously been set to never update. I also had to re-freeze DRM after the install. There may still be more things I haven't found.
The point is after an upgrade, especially if you have re-installed stuff, go through every setting you can think of that could be killing your battery. It's possible that some app has been inadvertently set to connect too often and that is what is killing the battery too fast.
nikon120 said:
You may want to try resetting your A-GPS state using GPS Status app in the Market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That was the very first thing I tried and it hasn't made a difference.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App

[Q] Verizon G2 GPS Performance

How is everybody's GPS performance? Mine seems to be taking longer than I'm used to on my S3 to get a lock (30+ seconds). Even getting the latest aGPS data using GPS Status didn't seem to help much. It is definitely not snapping in instantly like I'm used to. Curious to hear what others have observed.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
I used mine yesterday without any issues. Was semi cloudy as well. Its dark as he'll in my area today but I'll use it and report back.
Sent from my LG G2 using xda app-developers app
strong fast gps lock
less than 15sec and 6 satellite lock
Absolutely on lock but VERIZON network is STUPID strong where I live so that may help
Sent from my VS980 4G using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Hmm okay thanks for the response. It seems like I get my lock within 10-15 seconds now, but still much slower than my S3 (2-3 sec max). How is everyone's accuracy when lock is achieved? Mine is serviceable, but it did get roads messed up a few times when GPS signal lost while using navigation.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk 4
Used mine last night and today and mine locked on in seconds with no problem.
fsiddique said:
Hmm okay thanks for the response. It seems like I get my lock within 10-15 seconds now, but still much slower than my S3 (2-3 sec max). How is everyone's accuracy when lock is achieved? Mine is serviceable, but it did get roads messed up a few times when GPS signal lost while using navigation.
Sent from my VS980 4G using Tapatalk 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Almost the same thing I have experienced also. I Used the Go Home in Navigation and it was off by a few blocks.
Also when starting from a reset it does take 2-5 minutes to get a lock. Not only was the S3 almost instant, but it also grabbed more sats.
S3 (15/20 locks) G2 ( 8/20) using GPS status. Side by side comps
Also noticing some pretty big choppiness trying to scroll if I pull up a site like phone dog using the stock chrome browser. Other than the browser this thing is extremely snappy.
my first time took like 5 minutes..so i refreshed agps, and it eventually locked. now it locks pretty quick and i get my usual 10-16ft accuracy like my other phones

GPS fix takes forever

When I place the Note 3 in the windowsill, it takes minutes to get a fix. Lift it up and hold it to the window, it takes 30-60 seconds. 3-4 meters from the window, in the sofa? Forget about it. It is as if the a-gps isn't active and a fix has to be established the old fashioned way.
All localization options are turned on. I have tried a clean setup, but no difference. Never had this problem with my Note 2. Do I have bad hardware, or have I missed something?
sbcdk said:
When I place the Note 3 in the windowsill, it takes minutes to get a fix. Lift it up and hold it to the window, it takes 30-60 seconds. 3-4 meters from the window, in the sofa? Forget about it. It is as if the a-gps isn't active and a fix has to be established the old fashioned way.
All localization options are turned on. I have tried a clean setup, but no difference. Never had this problem with my Note 2. Do I have bad hardware, or have I missed something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe faulty gps hardware. Mine locks on in about a second every time inside or outside
Sent from my SM-N900P using xda app-developers app
Mine is fast too.... looks like you may have a faulty one.
Sent from my SM-9500N using Tapatalk Pro.
If you find my post useful, a click on the 'thanks' is appreciated.
It's a function of satellite geometry. The one thing agps does for you is help you get the gps almanac faster. With a fresh almanac, the receiver knows which satellites are in view which significantly speeds up the time it takes to get a fix. Having access to fresh almanac data can't make the satellites any more visible though. Take your phone outside with a clear view of the sky. If you still can't aquire a fix, then you might have a problem. Saying it doesn't work reliably indoors is akin to saying you can't hear the speaker very well when its underwater.
I'm sure many will jump in with anecdotal evidence of gps working indoors, but that still can't fix bad geometry. You need 4 vehicles in view to get a fix.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Thanks for all the replies. Looks like my hardware might be bad.
I am aware how this works. Have had more than 30 top of the line smartphones with gps since the Mio A701, which is almost ten years ago. The Note 3 has the worst indoor reception I have seen for at least five years. Ever since a-gps and wifi locationing, getting a fix indoor haven't been a problem. That's why I said it seems like the a-gps isn't working. But I guess it always will work, as long as there's a data channel open, right?
sbcdk said:
Thanks for all the replies. Looks like my hardware might be bad.
I am aware how this works. Have had more than 30 top of the line smartphones with gps since the Mio A701, which is almost ten years ago. The Note 3 has the worst indoor reception I have seen for at least five years. Ever since a-gps and wifi locationing, getting a fix indoor haven't been a problem. That's why I said it seems like the a-gps isn't working. But I guess it always will work, as long as there's a data channel open, right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indoor reception is on a par with the Galaxy S4 which my partner has. I find it hard to get a signal indoors with either but my Nexus 7 is a lot better at it. I wouldn't be too quick to accept this as a hardware fault, just a design fault.
Once you've obtained a fix, agps becomes moot. Your receiver already knows which satellites are in view. If you can't get fix minutes later agps isn't the issue. It's los to the satellites.
I'm speaking to you as someone who actually works at the Gps master control station.
Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
I do reboot between tests, as the hardest fix is the first. That said, the following takes longer than I would expect too, but not nearly as long as the first.
When strolling today, I checked the g-maps fix twice, with said reboot in between. Both times I had a fix in 8-10 seconds. That's about the same time my iPhone 5 uses without any data (a-gps), but still way better than yesterdays results. Can't figure out why this changes so much.

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