So I just got my Nexus One a couple of days ago. In most ways it's a great device. The screen is amazing and multitasking with IM and apps like Pandora and Rhapsody is a nice change.
However...none of this is all that great if it doesn't work very well as a phone! I live in Brooklyn, in an area marked on the T-mobile map as "Best 3g coverage". I've found that I get almost full signal with T-Mobile 3g if it's sitting on my desk in it's dock (and speed test at about 2mbit). As soon as I hold the phone in my hand (especially if my hand is on the bottom of the phone), the signal drops away by at least two bars, if not completely - dropping the data connection back to edge. If I walk about 15 feet away from the window and into my apartment, I often lose connection altogether.
If I put my T-mobile sim into my unlocked iPhone I get a steady 2-3 bars with EDGE throughout the entire apartment.
HTC are sending me a replacement Nexus and it should get here today or tomorrow.
My question is, should I expect an improvement with the new unit? How many of you are experiencing problems with the device in terms of 3g and general signal stability? Do you notice significant signal drop offs when holding the phone as opposed to having it docked or on a desk?
It's definitely a bit of a dealbreaker for me, and the problem seems way too widespread to just be a problem with my unit. Just wondering what the general experience is here?
Thanks.
By cupping my hands around the phone I can consistently lose one bar and regain it by letting go. This is while it's sitting flat on the table or by standing it up and holding it at the top with one finger.
You arent the only one having this issue, i am as well as many others.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/...t-after-update-is-it-a-design-pro/1#c25420883
gkaugustine said:
You arent the only one having this issue, i am as well as many others.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/...t-after-update-is-it-a-design-pro/1#c25420883
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep. same **** happens to me when i hold my phone normally at the bottom.
Yup, even after the recent OTA update, it's been noted (on engadget as well) about how cupping the unit drops the signal strength.
There's hope this is a software patch fix, but it's looking like a hardware limitation.
Also voice your concerns here...
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=0c0fb2a46ad64955&hl=en
The more complaints they get, the more public it gets...the better chance we have of getting the issue fixed.
It's also has been noted over at tmonews...more exposure the better!
http://www.tmonews.com/2010/02/nexus-one-3g-woes-part-315/
I have the same problem with my phone. It'll have 2-3 bars 3G while the phone is on my desk but drop to Edge whenever I use it to make a phone call or browse the internet. I called HTC about it and they're sending me a new phone, I'm hoping it was just a bad batch because not everone is experience this problem.
3G/UMTS/HSDPA flip to EDGE
In an area with maximum T-Mobile 3G coverage (as indicated by their map), I get:
* phone on the desk: 4 bars, HSDPA, -79..-81dBm 16..17 asu
* cradling the bottom of the phone: 3 bars, HSDPA, -97..-93 dBm, 8..10 asu
* cradling the top of the phone: 4 bars, HSDPA, -71dBm 21 asu
The phone is running CyanogenMod 5.0.2, which includes Google's OTA update that purportedly fixed the 3G issue.
It could be an issue with the antenna placement. A similar thing happens on my old GPRS 1G Nokia phone (that I have to use currently, my MT3g was stolen, bleh): when I hold it from the top, it drops from a full 7/7 bars to 1/7 bars, and when I hold it from the bottom, it jumps to 7/7 bars again. My guess is that the Nexus One has the antenna on the bottom, which is where it is most commonly held, so it loses 3G signal easily, leading more people to notice a problem.
mastermind777 said:
My guess is that the Nexus One has the antenna on the bottom, which is where it is most commonly held, so it loses 3G signal easily, leading more people to notice a problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Nexus antenna is on the bottom and has been noted as an issue on some other threads.
Doctor. my arm hurts when i do this.....^^^^^<<<<>>>>>
then dont
I hope iphone 4 complainers don't see this thread
iPhone 4 is getting a lot of flack for exactly the same issue right now. the exact same thing with the N1 just isn't reported.
ablation said:
iPhone 4 is getting a lot of flack for exactly the same issue right now. the exact same thing with the N1 just isn't reported.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry since this is an old thread from last February!
ablation said:
iPhone 4 is getting a lot of flack for exactly the same issue right now. the exact same thing with the N1 just isn't reported.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This issue was all over the media, when it was news that is.
I am getting the same issue on the Nexus One which I bought yesterday brand new on eBay.. and I switched away from my iPhone 4 (which I still have, just inside the box) because of this.
I just spread my pinky and ring finger apart to expose the Bottom part of the phone right where the word HTC is located. Leaving this part slightly exposed clears up the issue no problem and reduces the signal attenuation caused by the hand.
Related
Came across this http://phandroid.com/2010/04/08/nexus-one-users-are-getting-fed-up-with-issues/
1) Doesn't work if thrown against the wall at excess of 30 mph.
2) Doesn't respond to sexual advances from males.
3) Software is written by people, not Gods, and contains bugs.
4) When bathed in brake fluid or acid, teflon coating comes off.
5) When kept in back pocket of tight jeans, doesn't withhold breaking pressures of 100PSI when sitting down. Hence, flimsy.
6) Does not transform into a huge robot and doesn't save the planet from evil iPhone-transformed robots, leaving our planet defenseless.
7) I heard it faked its own birth certificate and will win 2012 elections and rule the world with communism.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this some new trick by iPhoners or is it really true?
faraz1992 said:
Came across this http://phandroid.com/2010/04/08/nexus-one-users-are-getting-fed-up-with-issues/
Is this some new trick by iPhoners or is it really true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont have a single one of these issues. I guess it depends just how much of a complainer you want to be. It's like complaining about a laptop you have without keeping things in perspective such as 10 years ago DESKTOP's were the rage. The person should calm down with the complaining and enjoy the phone...
I got some more to add.
16. Doesn't work if thrown against the wall at excess of 30 mph.
17. Doesn't respond to sexual advances from males.
18. Software is written by people, not Gods, and contains bugs.
19. When bathed in brake fluid or acid, teflon coating comes off.
20. When kept in back pocket of tight jeans, doesn't withhold breaking pressures of 100PSI when sitting down. Hence, flimsy.
21. Does not transform into a huge robot and doesn't save the planet from evil iPhone-transformed robots, leaving our planet defenseless.
22. I heard it faked its own birth certificate and will win 2012 elections and rule the world with communism.
DarkDvr said:
17. Doesn't respond to sexual advances from males.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Talk about a deal breaker *sigh*
I got some more to add.
16. Doesn't work if thrown against the wall at excess of 30 mph.
17. Doesn't respond to sexual advances from males.
18. Software is written by people, not Gods, and contains bugs.
19. When bathed in brake fluid or acid, teflon coating comes off.
20. When kept in back pocket of tight jeans, doesn't withhold breaking pressures of 100PSI when sitting down. Hence, flimsy.
21. Does not transform into a huge robot and doesn't save the planet from evil iPhone-transformed robots, leaving our planet defenseless.
22. I heard it faked its own birth certificate and will win 2012 elections and rule the world with communism.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should totally add those to their comments.
DarkDvr said:
I got some more to add.
16. Doesn't work if thrown against the wall at excess of 30 mph.
17. Doesn't respond to sexual advances from males.
18. Software is written by people, not Gods, and contains bugs.
19. When bathed in brake fluid or acid, teflon coating comes off.
20. When kept in back pocket of tight jeans, doesn't withhold breaking pressures of 100PSI when sitting down. Hence, flimsy.
21. Does not transform into a huge robot and doesn't save the planet from evil iPhone-transformed robots, leaving our planet defenseless.
22. I heard it faked its own birth certificate and will win 2012 elections and rule the world with communism.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My thoughts exactly! Especially number 17... that's a real disappointment.
Honestly, the only ones I can kinda agree with are the proximity/light sensor issues. It seems to be a bit slow when I pull it away from my ear when in direct sunlight. But, I know where the end button is so it's no big deal.
ryscar said:
My thoughts exactly! Especially number 17... that's a real disappointment.
Honestly, the only ones I can kinda agree with are the proximity/light sensor issues. It seems to be a bit slow when I pull it away from my ear when in direct sunlight. But, I know where the end button is so it's no big deal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep same here, that's the only 'Issue' I have. If that's the worst thing I've to deal with I'll be a happy man
DarkDvr said:
I got some more to add.
16. Doesn't work if thrown against the wall at excess of 30 mph.
17. Doesn't respond to sexual advances from males.
18. Software is written by people, not Gods, and contains bugs.
19. When bathed in brake fluid or acid, teflon coating comes off.
20. When kept in back pocket of tight jeans, doesn't withhold breaking pressures of 100PSI when sitting down. Hence, flimsy.
21. Does not transform into a huge robot and doesn't save the planet from evil iPhone-transformed robots, leaving our planet defenseless.
22. I heard it faked its own birth certificate and will win 2012 elections and rule the world with communism.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LoL this made my day
23. Name doesn't begin with the letter "i".
1) 3G connectivity issue
It was patched with Update1
2) Touch Screen unresponsiveness/sensing incorrect input
It happens occasionally, but can be fixed by turning the screen off then back on
3) unresponsive trackball
Haven't had this at all
4) WIFI connectivity issue
Some times it doesn't reconnect to wifi automatically
5) Lock button response issue
Haven't had this.
6) Proximity sensor sensitivity issue
Haven't had issues with this
7) Ambient light sensor issue
Haven't had any issues
8)bluetooth issues: fails to operate; inadequate volume; intermittent failure to accept commands
Haven't had this at all. Working beautifully for me.
9) speaker: horrible sound quality
Ha. Compared to 5.1 speakers maybe
10) ringer: insufficient volume
Thats what the volume up button is for
11) earpiece: insufficient volume
See answer to number 10
12) headset connector: headphones cord activates pause or other functions
I've only seen this happen with Pandora, but recently stopped doing this.
13) manufacturer says phone cannot go in pocket
Every manufacturer says you shouldnt put your phone in your pocket. This doesn't stop people from doing it. I keep mine in my pocket, (Always comes out nice and shiny. Go go Pocket Cleaner)
14) Phone mutes when calling people and can only be unmuted by turning mute on then off!
WTF... Haven't heard of this.
15) missed call notification trackball does not flash
Works great for me.
Someone really doesn't like Android. When you don't understand something, just hate on it right?
archangelugp said:
10) ringer: insufficient volume
Thats what the volume up button is for
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hahahahha
I noticed that people with android phones in general are far more happy and optimistic than any WM owners I've seen so far.. Maybe I'm just imagining thou =)
Wow Ill be the first one to say the nexus software has enough issues to push me to Apple but even I think that list is finicky. I think users need to at least wait for a couple of updates before giving up on the device. I guess it can't hurt to point out the issues but several of those listed really aren't even worth mentioning.
Edit: I just read the article, pretty harsh! While I've only had a couple of the issues listed I've had many other issues that aren't listed. My main frustration though, and I don't care how the iPhone compares here, is that almost all of the issues I have can be fixed ota but I've heard nothing from Google. The main problems on my end are that the touchscreen is jittery and the images lose quality when I touch the screen and the RAM isn't utilized properly. I have various other minor annoyances -(vkb, boring widgets, etc) and bugs -(random reboot, browser issues, lower effective resolution than advertised, etc) but they are almost all software related, which is a great thing. And if Google would just indicate a willingness or plan to fix my issues I could really relax. I really love all of the integration and Google apps so I'm going to wait and see what happens but at the very least Android needs to share some sort of plan of action. If they did this a lot if not all of the software complaints would cease.
P.S.- considering the iPhone's unimpressive though overdue software upgrades, unless the new iPhone has better resolution, dual mics, hd recording, and front facing camera, I'm not impressed.
faraz1992 said:
Came across this http://phandroid.com/2010/04/08/nexus-one-users-are-getting-fed-up-with-issues/
Is this some new trick by iPhoners or is it really true?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bull**t
#teamAndroid
Totally agree with others who say they have none of the described issues.
Bad batch? REALLY?
DMaverick50 said:
Wow Ill be the first one to say the nexus software has enough issues to push me to Apple but even I think that list is finicky. I think users need to at least wait for a couple of updates before giving up on the device. I guess it can't hurt to point out the issues but several of those listed really aren't even worth mentioning.
Edit: I just read the article, pretty harsh! While I've only had a couple of the issues listed I've had many other issues that aren't listed. My main frustration though, and I don't care how the iPhone compares here, is that almost all of the issues I have can be fixed ota but I've heard nothing from Google. The main problems on my end are that the touchscreen is jittery and the images lose quality when I touch the screen and the RAM isn't utilized properly. I have various other minor annoyances -(vkb, boring widgets, etc) and bugs -(random reboot, browser issues, lower effective resolution than advertised, etc) but they are almost all software related, which is a great thing. And if Google would just indicate a willingness or plan to fix my issues I could really relax. I really love all of the integration and Google apps so I'm going to wait and see what happens but at the very least Android needs to share some sort of plan of action. If they did this a lot if not all of the software complaints would cease.
P.S.- considering the iPhone's unimpressive though overdue software upgrades, unless the new iPhone has better resolution, dual mics, hd recording, and front facing camera, I'm not impressed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree...
Well don't be so quick to dismiss the frustrated users. Some of the things on that list is petty although somewhat accurate i guess, speaker could be louder. I've also had an issue with cradling the phone against my shoulder as that seems to affect the quality of my voice and people complain i sound like i'm "in a tunnel" or far away. I'm guessing something with the noise canceling mic.
I've had the data connection issues which seems to just be a cell radio issue, probably hardware based with my replacement phone at least. I had my old phone replaced because it just did not want to connect via data or whatever for 5-20 seconds all the way up to 2 or 3 minutes. The up arrow on the 3g without any data coming back down issue. Whenever I did a speed test.. upload sometimes would be horrible and it would be really choppy (doing the speedtest.net one) compared to the download. By choppy i mean the meter would jump to different values (it wasn't smooth and consistent like the download) and sometimes it would just stop as would the data indicator lights. It was always around 100-500 kbps averaging around 300. Same behavior for both the original and the RMA.
With the replacement one that i've had for a couple of weeks that issue turned into a much larger one. It started when I wasn't able to make outbound calls so i turned off my phone and turned it back on again to get the x with four blank bars at the top. Re-registered on the network... seemed to work ok for awhile. Then the same thing but started getting a "sim card isn't valid for this network" error when trying to re-register my phone after again starting to randomly show me an x with 4 blank bars at the top. Hard resetting and soft resetting didn't fix it. Sometimes it'd give me an error even searching for them. When i first got the problem it was brief.. but i figured i should get my sim card replaced. So i did. 3-4 days later I wasn't able to get it to work for almost 3 hours.. on my way to the tmobile store it just went from x with 4 bars to 4 full bars and then finally the 3g indicator to the left of that came on. Turned around cause I really didn't have the time to figure out what it was about at that moment. Data worked, could make a phone call. Next day it just got worse to the point now where it wont' search for a network sometimes.. gives me an error after sometime.. and definitely won't register on the network. I also had airplane mode turned on automatically after a soft reset (despite it showing an x and 4 bars and not an airplane)wasn't able to turn it off via the android menu settings. Had to go into the service menu and press turn radio on button.
WIFI still works however.. but that's a separate chip from the cell radio chip and its has just wifi/bluetooth on it so that makes sense.
I've had tmobile double and tripple check everything, network cancellation, sim replacement, check the towers nearby, make sure my plan is setup correctly for my phone. I'm going with poor build quality on some of these and bad quality checking... I guess time will tell. Getting my swap on monday... car dock arrived today and is just sitting on my desk.
3G connection
I have had my Nexus One for a week now...... My area has only had T-Mobile 3G coverage for about a month... At the T-Mobile store all their phones have full 3G service and my Nexus was on Edge only... The HD2 Demo in the store had full bars of 3G and my phone was just pushing out Edge... It flipped to 1 and 2 bars of 3G a couple of times but reverted back to Edge... At home I can set it on my desk or coffee table and set up the screen to stay on for 30 minutes and with out moving the phone watch it flip between 3 bars of 3G to 4 bars of Edge and it does this constantly... Even if I go outside and in my yard set it down and just watch it switch back and forth between Edge and 3G.... The girl next door has the My Touch 3G and she has full 3G service on her phone it never flips between Edge and 3G but the Nexus One does... The day I got it and hooked it up the phone rebooted and loaded the latest firmware and it did this twice.. if I look for manual updates for the phone it says it has the latest software. have not had any of the other issues being posted on here. I have followed some suggestions to go to the settings, networks, mobile networks, network operators and then select automatically (Which was a fix I read about from another post) still no help.. Still flips back and forth between edge and 3G.... How can another phone (The HD2 which I purchased and returned after a week... Windows Mobile is horrible even with sense layered over it) have no problem keeping a 3G signal but the Nexus one continues to drop the signal? Not sure if maybe I got a bad unit and it needs to be exchanged???? Any suggestions on the 3G problem? other than that the phone has been amazing.. I love the stock android 2.1 OS.... the Camera is pretty awesome for a phone...
@Robbie317 Post on the nexus one forums and call them up as well and tell them exactly what you posted here. Personally I'd recommend against an RMA until another update comes back cause who knows what issues the next one can give you if you do a swap... and unless you can wait 1-2 weeks for the same phone to come back to you from a repair I'd wait it out for and update and just ***** on the nexus one tech support forums and calling them. Say what you said here. Hell call them in the store at t-mobile. Take a picture of your bars on your phone next to an HD2. I think its important to get the point across to them as clearly as possible. I'm sure they're aware of most of these issues though.
Also it seems my phone is working again now.. weird and annoying stuff. I filed an FTC complain. Might seem excessive but I looked over those support forums alot today. This is not an isolated issue that is just affecting a small minority of phones that slipped passed quality control. It's also not an issue with t-mobile because they are people who are complaining about the same issues I've had (that got worse over the last 2 weeks) and have AT&T. RYGUY asked for more info in one post to look into the issues being reported so I'm glad they're doing *something* but its definitely not enough. I'm just hoping its not a hardware or design defect in the phone.
pink/red tint in photos is fixed in Cyanogen's 5.0.6
DarkDvr said:
I got some more to add.
21) Does not transform into a huge robot and doesn't save the planet from evil iPhone-transformed robots, leaving our planet defenseless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the main reason I'm returning mine.
i've been switching roms trying to get my GPS to lock back on.
i used to get it down to exactly which room I was in in my House.
i think it said accurate to 2 meters.
I could use google nav like a champ and it would lock on quickly.
now i can't get it any closer than 20 m. It seems to refresh my location slower and I have problems using google nav b/c it continuously loses my GPS signal.
Any suggestions? thoughts? people with the same problem?
Where do you live, remember weather is a significant factor when it comes to GPS. It is getting about that time of year where it is going to be cloudy and rainy a lot. We had a big rain storm come through a couple weeks back and I couldn't even get a lock in my car.
ah i was replying to this thread when XDA froze.
But i'm in southern cali and everywhere it wasn't working.
on the 101 freeway, 110, 405, highway 1
anywhere
it used to be so spot on.
Was it overcast or raining when you were having problems? I have checked the public GPS interference notices and there is nothing specified in your area and there are only 2 unavailable sats right now, although there is the slight possibility that there is something on the classified notifications that may explain any service disruption, but I doubt it. Most likely it is due to atmospheric effects, although there is also the chance that something is indeed broken, whether physically or in software. There is an app on the market called GPS status that has an interface similar to old-school garmin devices where you can see where all the sats are and your signal strength for each of them. Also, once you get it installed play around with it in different weather conditions and times of day(the signal should be stronger at night if it is clear). If you want I can do some baselines and send them to you to compare, although I am in CO, so it may be better for you to compare to someone else in CA.
I just received my new hero and it definitely was an internal problem. I can get a lock in seconds now and.within two meters.
Sent from my HERO200 using Tapatalk
Hi Guys
Has anybody noticed the signal-strength reduction when you pick up the HD7?
I admit that I live in a poor reception area, but I can have 4-bars on my phone and that will reduce to zero within a few seconds when I pick up the HD7.
Just wondered if this was a common issue
Regards
CD (UK)
As far as I know, the antenna is at the bottom of the device (appears to be) and so putting your hand around the antenna should cause it to lose signal.
Try holding it a little higher up and see if you have the same results (maybe halfway up the device with 2 fingers? ).
The problem with the iPhone was that it was one little spot that, if you touched it, it would short circuit the antenna and render it useless.
What you're describing is more an issue with all radio devices (wifi, gsm, etc.).
See what you can find
I have had continuous issues with the Droid 3. One of my biggest issues is that the GPS seems completely unstable. I have tried turning on/off GPS options, etc...
Weather I try to use Google Maps or another application such as Endomondo, it cant maintain a lock. It seems to be able to locate me within 12 - 30 feet and then within a mile!!!
Using an application like Endomondo (running, cycling, etc), is completely useless. It can't track my location at all and when it does lock on, it only holds for a few seconds and then gone again.
I took the phone in to Verizon with a complaint about the GPs and screen issues (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1239980) and the rep said both were normal for this phone...
Has anyone figured out a way to resolve this problem?
I, too, have the same issue with GPS. I use SportyPal Pro, and cannot use my Droid 3 when running/walking. I can go for a 5 mile run, and SportyPal will show I had ran 6 miles. I can run north to south in a straight line, and when finished, SportyPal will show that I went east and west as much as 400-500 feet off of that straight line and because of that can add anywhere from .1 miles to .5 miles to that 1 mile run.
It is so unreliable that I will use my older decommisioned Droid2 to run with. It works perfectly with the same software.
If anybody has any suggestions, I'm all ears.
bishop0114 said:
I have had continuous issues with the Droid 3. One of my biggest issues is that the GPS seems completely unstable. I have tried turning on/off GPS options, etc...
Weather I try to use Google Maps or another application such as Endomondo, it cant maintain a lock. It seems to be able to locate me within 12 - 30 feet and then within a mile!!!
Using an application like Endomondo (running, cycling, etc), is completely useless. It can't track my location at all and when it does lock on, it only holds for a few seconds and then gone again.
I took the phone in to Verizon with a complaint about the GPs and screen issues (http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1239980) and the rep said both were normal for this phone...
Has anyone figured out a way to resolve this problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly, I have the same issues.
Well with only 3 people chiming in, maybe it is bad hardware?
bishop0114 said:
Well with only 3 people chiming in, maybe it is bad hardware?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
God, I hope not. I have enough problems with this phone as it is.
No problems with GPS for me
Sent from my DROID3 using xda premium
kshen1 said:
No problems with GPS for me
Sent from my DROID3 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you using it for navigation only? Or a similar application for running/walking?
The reason I ask is because I do not notice a problem during navigation. It works great for that without any problems. Until I get to downtown Chicago. I almost expect problems there. Even with my Droid2.
i've only had issues with my gps in areas with lte. when im at college im in a city with lte support and my gps doesn't work (my friend who has an X also has issues with his gps when in areas with lte). when im home where there isnt lte support my gps works fine.
No it's not hardware mine works flawlessly and almost instantly fixes position, tho i have modded the gps.conf found in the etc folder. Details for tweaking this for your region can be found here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=13537801&postcount=1
Many thanx to 75markus for this.
Since we don't have a recovery yet to flash a zip you will need to edit the gps.conf file manually.
Oceanic region can be found in my sig below apart of my camera mod.
-smc
The problem I was having with the GPS from Day 1 is that I would occasionally notice that it would not start up at all when openning a GPS-dependant app (such as Maps or Weatherbug, etc). Whenever that happened, I would have to restart the phone, and then the GPS would be able to initialize again... at least, for a while.
Eventually, I was digging around in the setting and found the "VZW location services" option under "Location & security settings". I unchecked that option and, ever since, I've had no problem with the GPS. It seems that th VZW-based location services were causing the problem. Of course, since then, I've rooted and frozen all of the VZW bloat, so I might be able to turn that option back on with no ill effect. Still, it was as simple enough fix.
My issue might not sound exactly the same as yours, but you could give this a try and see if it helps.
-SR-
I'm not having any GPS issues on my phone. Perhaps it's based on the area your in?
I know it's satellite but.. just a guess.
WarER4X said:
The problem I was having with the GPS from Day 1 is that I would occasionally notice that it would not start up at all when openning a GPS-dependant app (such as Maps or Weatherbug, etc). Whenever that happened, I would have to restart the phone, and then the GPS would be able to initialize again... at least, for a while.
Eventually, I was digging around in the setting and found the "VZW location services" option under "Location & security settings". I unchecked that option and, ever since, I've had no problem with the GPS. It seems that th VZW-based location services were causing the problem. Of course, since then, I've rooted and frozen all of the VZW bloat, so I might be able to turn that option back on with no ill effect. Still, it was as simple enough fix.
My issue might not sound exactly the same as yours, but you could give this a try and see if it helps.
-SR-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been experiencing the exact same problem and temporary solution (restarting) since day 1, on both my first and second droid 3's. Difference is, I've had VZW location services unchecked since around the time I first got the phones, and I am still experiencing the problem... even as recently as last night. I just double-checked the setting, and indeed, VZW location services is stil unchecked.
Once I have lock I usually have no problem continuously using GPS. Last night, I tracked a two and a half hour walk using the My Tracks app, including a 45 minute stop for dinner indoors. For the first 10 minutes, it couldnt find a signal, so I restarted. It got a lock almost instantly following the restart and never lost it after that. I had the app running for the whole excursion. As expected, it got a little confused while I was inside, but automatically picked the signal right back up when I got back outside and tracked my entire walk back home.
a_lazy_dude said:
I have been experiencing the exact same problem and temporary solution (restarting) since day 1, on both my first and second droid 3's. Difference is, I've had VZW location services unchecked since around the time I first got the phones, and I am still experiencing the problem... even as recently as last night. I just double-checked the setting, and indeed, VZW location services is stil unchecked.
Once I have lock I usually have no problem continuously using GPS. Last night, I tracked a two and a half hour walk using the My Tracks app, including a 45 minute stop for dinner indoors. For the first 10 minutes, it couldnt find a signal, so I restarted. It got a lock almost instantly following the restart and never lost it after that. I had the app running for the whole excursion. As expected, it got a little confused while I was inside, but automatically picked the signal right back up when I got back outside and tracked my entire walk back home.
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When you look at your walk on the map, is it true to where you actually walked? If I do that same walk on my phone, it will show me deviating off course as much as a 1/2 block and then back. I can tolerate that deviation once and maybe twice during my runs/walks. However, mine does it the majority of the time, adding bogus mileage to my walks/runs. In an hour's time, it will deviate approximately 20-30 times.
eallison978 said:
When you look at your walk on the map, is it true to where you actually walked? If I do that same walk on my phone, it will show me deviating off course as much as a 1/2 block and then back. I can tolerate that deviation once and maybe twice during my runs/walks. However, mine does it the majority of the time, adding bogus mileage to my walks/runs. In an hour's time, it will deviate approximately 20-30 times.
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Just took a closer look at the track it recorded. I definitely do see these kinds of deviations, but they seem to only be in areas where I think it'd be reasonable to expect them. I live in a suburb, so I don't have any tall building to mess with the GPS reception, instead, I have somewhat steep hillsides. It seems I get a fair amount of deviation in the (significantly) hilly areas (it looks like I was walking down people's driveways, then across their front yards, when in reality I was just walking more or less straight down the sidewalk), but in the flat areas the line has almost no significant deviations, just some minor noise. Next time, at the risk of my fiance calling me a geek, I'll take my Droid 1 along for the trip, and see how the two records compare.
a_lazy_dude said:
Just took a closer look at the track it recorded. I definitely do see these kinds of deviations, but they seem to only be in areas where I think it'd be reasonable to expect them. I live in a suburb, so I don't have any tall building to mess with the GPS reception, instead, I have somewhat steep hillsides. It seems I get a fair amount of deviation in the (significantly) hilly areas (it looks like I was walking down people's driveways, then across their front yards, when in reality I was just walking more or less straight down the sidewalk), but in the flat areas the line has almost no significant deviations, just some minor noise. Next time, at the risk of my fiance calling me a geek, I'll take my Droid 1 along for the trip, and see how the two records compare.
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I've attached screenshots from two runs. D2 is this morning's run with my Droid 2. It's flawless. D3 is the last run I did with my Droid 3. Looking at it you can understand my disgust with it. Ignore the big missing section from both shots. I wouldn't want anyone knowing the exact location of where I live. Someone might come steal my Droid 3.
eallison978 said:
I've attached screenshots from two runs. D2 is this morning's run with my Droid 2. It's flawless. D3 is the last run I did with my Droid 3. Looking at it you can understand my disgust with it. Ignore the big missing section from both shots. I wouldn't want anyone knowing the exact location of where I live. Someone might come steal my Droid 3.
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WOW... That is awful but a great example of the concern with this phone. You are actually doing much better than me. Mine is only able to triangulate down to about 20 feet and then it bounces between 20 and 300 feet!!!
I am going to call VZW today and see about a replacement phone but I doubt it will resolve the problem.
I just called VZW and once again, they said the accuracy was normal... They said none of their phones can lock on with the accuracy I described and if it has, I have been lucky. He said their phones are only accurate within 500 feet!
I explained to him that with that accuracy, it would be totally useless to use as a navigation device...
He looked through their documentation and said he has no record of other people having issues with the GPS... He also said he has no record of the blue tint when taking pictures.....
Oh well. I hope the replacement fixes it...
bishop0114 said:
WOW... That is awful but a great example of the concern with this phone. You are actually doing much better than me. Mine is only able to triangulate down to about 20 feet and then it bounces between 20 and 300 feet!!!
I am going to call VZW today and see about a replacement phone but I doubt it will resolve the problem.
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With that kind of change in accuracy, it seems like it isn't using the GPS as all, but just the cell towers. Is the GPS logo showing in the notification bar when that is happening? If it's there, is it blinking or solid?
-SR-
bishop0114 said:
I just called VZW and once again, they said the accuracy was normal... They said none of their phones can lock on with the accuracy I described and if it has, I have been lucky. He said their phones are only accurate within 500 feet!
I explained to him that with that accuracy, it would be totally useless to use as a navigation device...
He looked through their documentation and said he has no record of other people having issues with the GPS... He also said he has no record of the blue tint when taking pictures.....
Oh well. I hope the replacement fixes it...
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My humble opinion of VZW representatives...they're all full of BS. They're going to tell you what they need to tell you to get your out of the store or off of the phone if you're not buying anything. A representative's main concern is sales. Sell him another phone, renew his contract, add a line, add a feature.
This issue may be better addressed to Motorola directly. I may make that phone call today.
I just got off the phone with Motorola tech support. Same story as VZW gives. There are NO known issues with the Droid 3. I asked about the GPS, the bluish pics the cam takes and battery life. The only thing the tech would say is the phone "needs to be evaluated"
I've been reading a lot of threads about wifi problems with the device and also about the slightly raised screen on the top right of the device as well. Both these problems seem to be completely unrelated to each other but I've been noticing a connection with both issues on mine.
My wifi's been horrible recently, to a point where I literally have to be within 3 feet of a router for it to connect, and even then I have to point the device to that general area to get a good signal.
I have found a fix though, I can't explain why it works... but when I push the slightly raised screen on the top right down with my thumb... like really hard, my wifi signal jumps to full from any distance. But the moment I let go of that side, wifi signal either disappears again or just drops to something unusable.
Could this be a problem with my wifi antenna?
wasaabi said:
I've been reading a lot of threads about wifi problems with the device and also about the slightly raised screen on the top right of the device as well. Both these problems seem to be completely unrelated to each other but I've been noticing a connection with both issues on mine.
My wifi's been horrible recently, to a point where I literally have to be within 3 feet of a router for it to connect, and even then I have to point the device to that general area to get a good signal.
I have found a fix though, I can't explain why it works... but when I push the slightly raised screen on the top right down with my thumb... like really hard, my wifi signal jumps to full from any distance. But the moment I let go of that side, wifi signal either disappears again or just drops to something unusable.
Could this be a problem with my wifi antenna?
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There does seem to be a correlation between the two. It also suggest that it is a hardware issue. Good luck in getting it fixed!