[Q] GPS in I9000XXJPM - Galaxy S I9000 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I9000XXJPM. Some say GPS is fixed and its perfect now. Is that true ???? Please share your experience.

Galaxy S I9000XXJPM still not the best GPS
varunkumars said:
I9000XXJPM. Some say GPS is fixed and its perfect now. Is that true ???? Please share your experience.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, I've tried I9000XXJPM. That version still has some GPS limitations. The version seems better than 1 or 2 months ago (the position is more exact) but it makes long time to converge. It seems Samsung has added a kind of position smoothing/averaging (~30 sec time constant).
So, I would conclude that I9000 is still okay for GPS driving but not the best one (I drive often with it; GPS Navigation works fine but finds the wrong street 5% of the time in average, mostly in cities or crossroads). After some benchmark with other Samsung and HTC phones, I can say that I9000 is definitely not the best one.
Some more detailed info about my benchmark:
1- I camp to a certain location and observe that my Galaxy S Google Maps app finds my location with +/- 5m within ~20-30 sec (with the help of the GSM triangulation so-called A-GPS).
2- I move 20 meters away (it takes 10 sec to walk).
3- Every 5 seconds I see the blue arrow slowly moving in the direction I am going to, with a delay of ~10-15 seconds.
4- After 60 seconds my Galaxy S has found my new location with +/- 5 m precision.
5- When I move back to the original position, the same delay/smoothing towards the original position is observed; it takes again 60 seconds.
My two benchmark phones (HTC, other Samsung) don't show that smoothing effect. Every 5 seconds (10 seconds sometimes) my current position is updated correctly (still with +/- 5 m precision).
I'm starting to believe that the problem is a hardware design problem (maybe noisy GPS antenna, influenced by other RF signals, maybe GSM antenna), and Samsung implemented a kind of smoothing/averaging effect in order to compensate the imprecision and let the applications point to more exact location, at the cost of long time to converge.
What's the opinion of GPS experts around?

Related

GPS - slow refresh

I tried my Tilt with iGuidance and got very disappointed. The GPS has an issue following my position. It updates the position on average every 30 sec and by the next update I can really get off the quided track.
Other people tell me that something is wrong, as the arrow on the screen should be following me smoothly in real time, not jumping city blocks. The only configurable setting for the GPS is baude rate, but I tried all values and still the same. What could be the problem?
juliank said:
I tried my Tilt with iGuidance and got very disappointed. The GPS has an issue following my position. It updates the position on average every 30 sec and by the next update I can really get off the quided track.
Other people tell me that something is wrong, as the arrow on the screen should be following me smoothly in real time, not jumping city blocks. The only configurable setting for the GPS is baude rate, but I tried all values and still the same. What could be the problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are you in the city with a bunch of tall buildings??
also d/l htc gps and see how many sats your locked on.
I was mostly in the city, but no tall buildings. The GPS can lock me really good and fast, the reception is good, it finds like 8 sattelites. The only problem is it does not stay continuously locked on position, but lockes every 30 sec or so..
I installed the logging tool and will give it a try. Thanks!
What ROM and Radio do you use? stock?
I am using The NoThrills ROM (CE OS 5.2.19170 (Build 19170.1.0.0)), which comes with R 1.58.26.20.
Just tried the HTC GPS tool - not sure what exactly to look for, but it keeps logging very fast, the lines in the logger change at a rate e few per seccond, it always showed 7-8 satellites locked and yet did not update my position in real time, but probably every 30 sec.
juliank said:
I tried my Tilt with iGuidance and got very disappointed. The GPS has an issue following my position. It updates the position on average every 30 sec and by the next update I can really get off the quided track.
Other people tell me that something is wrong, as the arrow on the screen should be following me smoothly in real time, not jumping city blocks. The only configurable setting for the GPS is baude rate, but I tried all values and still the same. What could be the problem?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you are using Iguidance 4 then this is a know issues with the GPS chip in the tilt. It will not work right, the only work around is to use a separate bluetooth GPS reciever and not the internal gps. The other way is to use a different GPS software as Iguidannce 4 is the only one that I'm aware of that has this issue....
Yes, I am using iGuidance 4. Where did you see about the issue it has with the Tilt? Can you post some link? I can see only positive feedback. Would be good to know that it is a software issue and not my Tilt.....
Hi, I use miomap. My GPS is not smooth too. I don't need to wait 30 seconds to update the position, but it may need 3 to 4 seconds to update the position. It is not as smooth as tomtom.
Check out a program called GPS Gate. This issue typically has to do with WM6.1 and iGuidance 4.0 not playing well together on the Tilt. GPS Gate reports the GPS feed into something that iGuidance 4.0 can be happy with. Here's another thread for more details...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=368373&page=2

Inaccuracy of GPS

Well i have a question.
When i use TomTom or IGO the position on the screen is always about 50 meters off to where I actually am.
So since IGO & TomTom Both have the same behaviour i guess i should look at the GPS module.
My old S730 was always spot on... when i looked at the screen and saw a turn on the left, there actually was a turn to the left.
Anybody knows how this can be solved ?
My TD2 does not have this problem, perhaps there is an issue with your particular phone?
I thoght about it before and found out that it was not inaccuracy but the delay GPS chip needs to calculate your position. Do one test. Some time when you stop at a red light and you know you've waited for about 5 secs, check your position then. I believe it will be accurate then.
I noticed that some GPS's try to calculate your current position based on direction and speed you had few seconds ago. I found out about it one time when I waited at the red light in a long tunnel. Obviously there was no signal there, but when I stopped, GPS kept on showing that I was moving about 40MPH for several seconds before it finally showed lost signal message.
Some GPS's do calculate your position ahead of time and some don't.
Maybe it was because i had assisted GPS turned on...
If you do a search on AGPS LAG (ANY HTCPRODUCT WITH AGPS) then you will see enough posts that speciffically deals with this problem...
My old phone is SPOT ON with TT and my new 2 times faster phone is less accurate, and in a street with lots of turns, take a-lefts etc it's quite important to rely on the machine. And when the machine says turn left on the next corner, is that left the one i am currently at or the one 20 meters ahead from where i am now....
It should be just as with my old phone spot on
Well disabeling AGPS definitely works...
I am now about 20 meters behind all the time. This seems acceptable although I keep finding it strange that my older phone was way more accurate.....
you mean disable QuickGPS or disable AGPS in Advanced Config??
It is definitely a lag issue, not a precision issue: my TD2 internal GPS is at least as accurate as my Qstarz bluetooth GPS logger, and this one has a dedicated large antenna and good GPS chipset. TD2 sensitivity is also comparable, maybe even better inside building, and the time before locking a signal from coldstart is also comparable or better...
BUT there is a lag of maybe 30 m around 50 km/h in my car, and it is is indeed quite noticeable for driving directions...No big deal for me, as I do not rely on voice instruction but always have a quick peak at the screen (I was bitten by ambiguous instruction often enough in the past with other GPS system to have developped this quick peak habit ;-) )..but this lag is indeed anoying...
I'd like to try the TD2 using the external GPS through bluetooth, if I find time to do it this WE I will post my conclusions...
well0549 said:
Well i have a question.
When i use TomTom or IGO the position on the screen is always about 50 meters off to where I actually am.
So since IGO & TomTom Both have the same behaviour i guess i should look at the GPS module.
My old S730 was always spot on... when i looked at the screen and saw a turn on the left, there actually was a turn to the left.
Anybody knows how this can be solved ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use to have the same problem as you, so, I've tried the tweak referred in this post http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=514912 and it did the trick for me.
I use iGo8 and NDrive and the accuracy improved a lot, it's almost spot on, no matter what speed I'm driving.
Regards,
I was in my mates Audi TT the other day. He has the built in GPS in the dash board. I noticed there was as much lag as you see on an HTC device.
Also was in a car a few months asgo with someone who had a stand alone TomTom device and that too had lag.
Unless you're paying thousands of Dollars for millitary grade navigation equipment, i wouldn't spare the lag issue another thought.
Not long now ...
There's a bigger lag comming if the media are to be believed (and based on everything that comes from the tele, radio and newspapers these days - there're probably not - they can't even get the weather right)
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Technology/GPS-Network-Could-Fail-Next-Year-Leaving-Sat-Nav-Useless-US-Government-Accountability-Office-Warns/Article/200905315284843?lpos=Technology_Carousel_Region_4&lid=ARTICLE_15284843_GPS_Network_Could_Fail_Next_Year_Leaving_Sat_Nav_Useless%2C_US_Government_Accountability_Office_Warns
"
Unless you're paying thousands of Dollars for millitary grade navigation equipment, i wouldn't spare the lag issue another thought."
Diamond1 paid £150 was spot on. No Lag. The speed indicator on tomtom was very accurate, not like on the diamond2 where it takes over 2 seconds to show a speed change. I am surprised that not many people have noticed the slow and inaccurate GPS performance of the D2.

[Q] S3 Mini - gps inaccurate while running

Hi, I purchased S3 mini around december 2012, one of the main reasons why I bought it was the gps/glonass-feature, since I figured it would provide me with more accurate tracking while running. Previously I had used a Samsung Galaxy Gio phone for running, and with rooting and a gpsfix (changed the server) it provided accurate gps in long half-marathon runs and so forth. The issue with that phone was that the battery life was terrible.
Now, the S3 mini is brilliant in battery consumption, but the gps accuracy has been horrid. It locks a satellite within seconds, several satellites are in use immediately. So, nothing to complain there. However, it is almost one street off, throughout my run. It tracks usually 1-2 kilometers less distance than the Gio, which manages to stay on the road I'm running on perfectly. If I'm to believe the S3 mini, I frequently run in water and through people's backyards...
Now, I have attempted the usual tricks, cleared agps, updated it before runs, calibrated the compass with GPS status indoors and outdoors. But nothing seems to work. Many times the gps will track perfectly when I'm headed, let's say northwards for several kilometers, but then when I turn to go west-east or southwards (for example) the gps accuracy goes off. I'm hoping this is an issue that could be easily fixed, since it's a shame that such a fabulous phone like the s3 mini fails to be a good running partner.
My S3 mini is not rooted, most of the gps fixes only fix satellite locking. My issue is inaccuracy, and yes, many people think it's normal, but having had perfect tracking with an entry-level smart phone like Samsung Galaxy Gio, I fail to understand why my S3 Mini does not excel in this area.
What else should/could I try? or just use my gio while running and hope it doesn't run out of battery in 1,5 hours.
I have also noticed the inaccurate gps of the s3 mini. After some positional testing I have decided that the gps is just not V good on this phone including being mounted on shoulder.
I also have an issue where gps locks up and freezes when the phone sleeps. I have yet to overcome this. I'm hoping it's a kernel issue brought about by flashing.
After years of smartphone soul searching, I now use a Garmin 405cx for sports, etrex10 for work and hiking, and a tomtom for sat navigation. I only now rely on the shoddy gps for View ranger Os mapping on the phone. Based on its performance I've started purchasing paper maps and now use those to navigate while walking and hiking.
This makes me very sad. I love android and like the s3mini. However yesterday I contemplated throwing it across lane 3 of the M20.
Sent from my GT-I8190 using Tapatalk 2
Hi, I have a same problem with my new Samsung Galaxy S3 mini and Sports Tracker. And many other reporting this problem. Sports Tracker works fine with my ZTE Blade. The first I thought that the fault is in bad GPS module in my phone. But the GPS work fine with Navi software. I realized that in Navi software the phone screen is always on and with Sport Tracker go in stanby. And when the screen go in standby the gps stop working. And when the signal is repeatedly interrupted then for a long time does not want to connect. Solution is that you in Sport Tracker settigs set Screen backlight to Always on. Now the problem is that the random clicking Stop suspended yor current workout. I do not know if fault is with Jelly Bean ROM or with Samsung Galaxy phones. Later I again tested navi app IGO Primo and if I turned off the screen GPS also go on off.
Phone screen always ON is also not an ideal solution. Because the signal is still losing, but every once for a second.
I tried various apps: GPS Status (settings: Background behavior/The app will keep the GPS running even the device screen is turned off.
But it does not work).Tracker Booster, Keep My GPS Alive, but without success
Is there any solution for this?
I've got the same problem while using GPS in a running application (like runkeeper, runtastic or endomondo).
I know this is an old thread, but I want to ask if anyone has found a solution for this problem.
I would be very thankful!
I have the exact same problem. After two months of GPS hell with my SII I got a new SIII mini. Initial GPS lock and detection goes really quick (22 satellites). If I do a quick turn in running it seems that it tracks a bit of until the end. It may be 100 meter or 200 meter on a 10 kilometer (and people indeed say it's normal, but with my SII it was perfect)
Could it be processor related? I run with a bluetooth heart rate sensor, google music, running app, etc. I tend to believe if I switch of 3G that it goes better.
Any other suggestions on this?
I have basically come to the conclusion that the GPS on this phone is ****, primarily due to the OS sleeping it. Which is a battery saving strategy. We do have very good battery life on these devices.
The GPS doesn't have any issues if an app is using it, like (Viewranger recording a track). This prevents the OS sleeping it. However accuracy of the GPS on SGS3M is poor. But really if you after doing serious tasks that require even a hint of accuracy then purchasing a dedicated device is the way forward. If you run try the Garmin range of fitness devices. If it's work try a hiking GPS I use a etrex 20 for assisting in surveying trees. Recording my movements across a site and the locations of any trees with works associated.
I think the phone manufacturer decided that the accuracy issue was not a concern as many navigation apps would snap the users location to roads and such.
Don't hold out for any solution. I can say the only thing to ensure is the latest firmware. I have the latest which isn't available on the "BTU" location code. However the German firmware works fine with my UK device. Check the Dev thread for latest stock rom, (pretty rooted).
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
gaze eademno
ninjalandpirate said:
I have basically come to the conclusion that the GPS on this phone is ****, primarily due to the OS sleeping it. Which is a battery saving strategy. We do have very good battery life on these devices.
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Click to collapse
I don't know what to think from it. If I track a car drive with it (using Endomondo), it uses a perfect track to road tracking.
Also initial running tracking using Endomondo is fine. It seems that a sudden change in direction (eg a sudden change from south to nord) let's down the accuracy. It's strange because the device has a very good satelite detection and fast lock.
NicolasBE said:
I don't know what to think from it. If I track a car drive with it (using Endomondo), it uses a perfect track to road tracking.
Also initial running tracking using Endomondo is fine. It seems that a sudden change in direction (eg a sudden change from south to nord) let's down the accuracy. It's strange because the device has a very good satelite detection and fast lock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This morning I had a spectacular improvement.
What has changed:
I installed the latest 4.1.2 official build from sammobile.com
I ran without 3G location services. (pure on GPS)
I also switched the device from being upside down on my left arm, to being straight on my right arm.
Possible something that has nothing to do with it: my work e-mail policy was not yet enabled on the device.
I also ran a slightly other route (but there was still a sharp turn halfway involved), and the signal corrected itself perfectly.
My bluetooth heart rate was enabled, 3G was enabled and google play music was enabled.
So the thing I'm eager to try is: enabling location services again, and doing the route that caused trouble again.
But to be honest ... I think it's the new 4.1.2 build that solved it.
My gf's phone has XXAMG1 build and it has exactly this same issue. GPS shuts down a couple of minutes from start.
Recently I found out that my GPS becomes inaccurate when I enter into the forest. I use it mostly for navigation while mountain biking. The position defers after 10 to 20 minutes for 200 to 400 metres. The position error direction is almost every time in the direction of departure point that means that GPS position stays behind me. When I check GPS reception with GPS test, there are always 5 to 12 satellites in use with estimated error up to 5 metres. The interest thing is that if I switch GPS off and then again ON, the new first fix is very accurate. After that, if I continue cycling, the position becomes inaccurate again. I have tried different programs (sports tracker, view ranger, orux maps, Google maps) with same results.
Any suggestions very welcome.
Same issue here (example included)
Same issue here. S3 Mini and Endomondo. Tracks start to differ after a certain amount of time (refer to attached JPG)
Chatted with Samsung about this issue and they told me that this is caused by the fact that all Galaxy phones have AGPS, where an internet connection is neccessary for the GPS to work. But I am not sure that this is the problem...
Samsung told me that I am the only person indicating this is a problem so it's probably my phone. Perhaps good to file an official support request at Samsung?
My few thoughts on this...
On stock rom everything was working well. except for the rom itself.
On maclaw cm 10.1. gps worked well until after an hour or so of use for tracking. then gps decided that I'm cca 100 meters away from spot where I was standing. it just translated my position and stayed translated the whole time until I turned gps on/off.
On Stock i8190XXAMJ3 gps was amazing, it was locking onto satelittes even inside the house, but it had the same issue like cm10.1 rom.
Now I'm on S5style_i8190XXANA2_v1 and for now gps look good, didn't have any issue, hope it will stay like this.
just to say, I've played with gps.conf, with various apps like gps status, gps test, resetting agps data, trying different apps for tracking and nothing worked. after a while, gps simply translates my position and stays like that.
to reply to myself...
for some reason every stock rom I flashed with cwm apparently didn't flash baseband with it (or something went wrong), so phone was showing original baseband version. then I flashed baseband ANA2 separately and now gps shows no problems stated in previous post.
I've had the same problem on my S3 mini. I'd tried a few apps to track my sport activities before I've found working one - Navime Sport Tracker. Since then I've been using it and faced no problems with GPS and tracking. Unfortunately app only works in Poland. So you may ask why I'm writing about this. I do so because I reckon that problem sometimes lies in a tracking app itself. E.g. in the same place where Navime was detecting 7-13 satellites Endomondo (with identical GPS settings) managed to find 1 or 2. That's how I solved my problem. And one more thing - I use stock-Samsung Android 4.1.2 (newest).
My usual GPS config:
- GPS is ON (obviously)
- using wireless network to fix GPS is OFF (option on the top)
- GPS data available for Google services is ON (option on the bottom)
- data connection is ON
Proof:
navime.pl/trasa/348283/Katowice-Pszczyna+17.04.2014
Hi pcm266
I know this is a reply to a post a year old, but this is the closest description of the problem I continue to experience. Perhaps you and others are still looking for a solution.
This is NOT simply a matter of poor connections due to loose screws. I tried a month ago tightening screws, checked every setting but the problem persists. Loosened then tightened screws again yesterday. Today I ran with both my S3mini and my old Samsung GIO. The GIO recorded perfectly!
Your sentence "Many times the gps will track perfectly when I'm headed, let's say northwards for several kilometers, but then when I turn to go west-east or southwards (for example) the gps accuracy goes off. " is pretty well what I see happening.
What is puzzling is that S3mini worked perfectly in a race on 29 March. ??? Have not been able to repeat that.
Tightening screws is certainly not helping me. I am sure that this is a software error. There is a consistency in the type of error that is not is the type of error I would expect from intermittent connections.
Another strange thing is that the S3mini tracking is pretty good when travelling in a car. It is when I ran - which is of course much slower than a car - that the tracking is worse. Something to do with collecting too much data and doing some sort of averaging????
My son runs with an S3. Never had a single tracking problem.
A tip re the GIO battery: The Lithium-hydride batteries in laptop battery packs have the same charging characteristics as the batteries in the Samsung phones. I simply soldered wires from the contact points in the phone to a battery taken from an old laptop pack. (Usually when these battery packs fail, most of the individual cells are still good. I use them in all sorts of applications. ) The battery is fastened to the back of the Gio with duct tape. The phone no longer has a simcard in it, so I keep it on airplane mode. The battery stays charged for days!
Guys, I've never experienced this GPS problem. My S3 Mini has completely accurate readings both in car and while walking. You can try and update your phone to a newer firmware version if it's still on a firmware from a year ago. Don't know what else to suggest, God bless my S3 Mini for not having this problem, 'cause I use GPS frequently
Hello, I have the same problem with inaccurate gps after some time. Is there any solution. I use this phone only for running, so for me it is not a problem to flash another rom. I hope someone can give me a solution or a rom that works while running.

GPS close to unusable :/

Hello there !
Just have a look at this:
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Top left: Note 4. Bottom left: S4. Right hand side: Z2 Tablet.
All devices are configured to use the built-in GPS receiver only.
The photo was taken after waiting for more than 5 minutes.
Z2 Tablet and S4 receive 23 satellites, S4 using 18, Z2 Tablet using 16 (after a couple of seconds). But Note 4 receives 11 satellites, uses 0 (ZERO) - even after 5 minutes.
Here's a quick and shaky video: http://youtu.be/nVOF2n8AYDk
Software: I used "GPS Test" by "Chartcross". Other apps show the same results.
I tried countless comparisons, using A-GPS data and without, tried resetting the radios via the service menu - nothing helps: Note 4 GPS receiver does "see" some satellites (but always less than other devices), but just doesn't get a fix, at least not indoors.
It DOES work outdoors, but the results are similar and very poor: Note 4 takes a lot of time for the fix, uses less satellites, provides a less precise position and/or permanently loses the fix again. Even with using A-GPS data, a fix takes ages if the Note succeeds with a sat fix at all, situation becoming even worse if moving in a car. Z2 Tablet and S4 provide an almost instant fix, don't drop the fix again.
Of course I searched the net (and XDA) for that issue, found just some posts claiming the same.
Problem: Most users just see it does work outdoors, but don't realize the poor, close to subzero performance. So they believe it's all ok.
It is not.
I really hope it's just a software bug. If not, our Note 4 GPS becomes close to unusable if used in forests, under heavy rain, indoors or under other adverse conditions.
Please do a comparison yourself, check against any other GPS-enabled device - let's see if your results differ or are similar.
Please note: It does not help if your GPS just works outside. It does. But it's far, far worse than other devices - just see the photo above.
----
I found two videos showing a part of the problem (without being noticed by the "reviewer"):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHDVZEKBD8M
GPS test starting at 3:41. Note that the Note 3 retains it's satellites after the fix (8/21), while the number of the satellites used by the Note 4 wildly changes.
At 4:17, it drops to 4, causing losing the fix for a moment - note that the colors of the satellite signals momentarily change from green to yellow/grey.
Similar with the other video of the same reviewer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X3Ucqnu9_g
GPS test starting at 3:57. Note that the Note 3 retains it's satellites after the fix (14 to 15 of 22), while the number of the satellites used by the Note 4 again constantly changes.
At 4:34, it drops to 2, causing losing the fix for a moment - note that the colors of the satellite signals momentarily change from green to yellow/grey.
That's what I observe with my Note 4, too.
And that's what causes that expanding and shrinking of the blue "GPS accuracy" circle around your position in Google Maps, that's what causes showing a momentarily wrong position while driving.
I am not sure if this is a real fault or just the results of a different approach by Samsung - MAYBE they try to use a kind of diversity algorithm causing that short "dropouts".
In any case - it's a bad thing. And an issue wreaking havoc in the background, broadly unnoticed by the majority of Note 4 owners (which regard the GPS as working perfectly just because the sat fix doesn't take long), I fear.
But it might be model or firmware specific.
So please check if your Note 4 shows the same behavior.
The speed of a GPS fix does not say anything as there are too many different factors of influence involved; sorry.
---
I had been asked why indoor reception is important at all. Here's the answers:
1) Indoor reception is an indicator of the sensitivity of a GPS receiver. Under the open sky, just every GPS receiver delivers a sound performance - so you cannot see differences.
But if you've got a good indoor reception, you'll also get a high sensitive under problematic conditions - e. g. under bad weather conditions, in cities where you are surrounded by tall buildings, or in regions like forests or even underwater. Performance in locations like forests is highly important for outdoor enthusiasts or people doing geocaching.
And you'll be quite happy if your navigation software leads you to your destination even if it's raining cats and dogs - instead of being forced to leave your car to ask for directions.
So if your device performs well indoors, it is very likely to also perform well in every demanding outdoor situations.
Practical, personal example: Every year, I leave for a months vacation to Asia. I usually don't follow the beaten tourist tracks, I prefer the secluded, more unknown places. That often leads me into jungle regions, tall trees everywhere. If I can't rely on a solid GPS fix, I can get lost in no time.
If I know that my Note 4's indoor reception is pretty good, I can be assured it won't leave me if I'm out in the middle of nowhere.
2) Most of the time, you use for mobile phone indoors. At your home, at shopping malls, you name it.
Of course you know where you are, so it might sound needless to know your GPS position.
But just have a look at your power options, at the information about your battery drain: Settings > Power Saving, tap the chart.
Then have a look at the "Location on" graph.
You'll notice that your GPS receiver is active pretty often - even if you don't use it actively and knowingly.
That's because many apps use the GPS in the background - like Google does; GPS is used every time you utilize e. g. Google Now, or use your browser (remember the question if you wish to allow the browser know your location ? - If you agreed, it will use GPS, even if you aren't aware of that).
If you've got good GPS reception, GPS will be used just for a very short time. But if the reception is bad (e. g. caused by bad indoor reception), the GPS receiver will be on for a long time; could be for hours.
That drains your battery significantly.
So good indoor reception is also one of the keys to good battery life.
You see, it's not just over nothing. It SEEMS like that at first sight - but be rest assured: I am a very practical person (e. g. I don't care at all about benchmarks - if a device just fulfills my needs, I don't need any more information). I don't care if e. g. the front camera distorts my pretty face.
But I care if a malfunction shortens battery life or leads to vital features becoming unusable if external conditions aren't optimal.
And please don't forget about the most important impact of such discussions: This way, Samsung gets aware of a problem. So there's a chance that the problems will be solved by an update - for the benefit of ALL users, even if they weren't aware about the problem at all.
If you report the problem to the Samsung "support", you can be sure nobody will care about it. I checked that myself (for Germany, to be precise): I reported a problem more than seven times. Always the same problem, always using a different name. The staff always assured me that the issue was stored in the system and forwarded to the technicians. Guess what ? - At every next call (or chat), I was told that I was the only one reporting it, nobody else had that problem.
But threads at XDA are likely to be noticed by Samsung - and the media.
For me, if it can get me from place A to B when I'm driving or walking in an unknown area, then it's OK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's one of the reasons why I raise that problem.
As said: If your GPS receiver works well, it WILL navigate you safely from A to B. But if it's sensibility is weak, it will do so under bright sunshine, but will fail if there's heavy weather, as such conditions attenuate the GPS signal strength significantly. Result: Under heavy rain, your device will be unable to navigate you safely from A to B.
If you search the net a bit, you'll also find a lot of similar threads where people ran into exactly that situation with the Note 4: On the road, the GPS lost position, leading them nowhere, showing their location 100 m away from the street, and so on.
---
Here's three COMPARISON (!) videos I just took.
Note 4 GPS vs. Z2 Tablet GPS - indoors, good conditions (near window)
Note 4 GPS vs. Z2 Tablet GPS - indoors, worse conditions
Note 4 GPS vs. Z2 Tablet GPS - outdoors
Identical device settings (internal GPS use only, A-GPS data loaded).
If you wonder why the Note 4 performs worse outdoors: It's because the device is flat on the ground. Reception is better with the Note 4 slightly angled.
We got a GPS fix in all three cases; in two cases, the Note 4 achieved a real quick GPS fix.
That's what's making most of you cry out in ecstasy: "Oh ! I've got a fix ! And so fast ! It's such a great device !"
But: Note 4's GPS sensitivity proved far worse than the Z2 Tablet's GPS in all three cases.
THAT'S THE PROBLEM, GUYS.
What I ended up doing once is opening the phone and pulling the springs a bit for better contact with the GPS antenna. Was good to me on the Note 3.
you have a defective phone. i just measured time to cold fix and it was 1.5 seconds indoors on my 910U.
Mine is set to GPS only, google location services OFF.
Have the same lousy gps and bad reception compared to my iPhone 6 plus. Got the phone replaced today but still bad gps and bad signal so in my house I can't even call with it when the same sim in my iPhone gives enough signal for calling. Gonna return the note, feels like they did a "Apple" antennagate with som bad antenna design
Skickat från min iPhone med Tapatalk
What "Location Mode" do you have on? When mine is on "high accuracy" it jumps all over. When i set it to "gps only" its pretty good. Not sure this has anything to do with you issue or not.
I just tried that software, and after about 60 seconds it was locked on 14 and accurate to 12 feet, sitting indoors.
ChickenWingSoup said:
What "Location Mode" do you have on? When mine is on "high accuracy" it jumps all over. When i set it to "gps only" its pretty good. Not sure this has anything to do with you issue or not.
I just tried that software, and after about 60 seconds it was locked on 14 and accurate to 12 feet, sitting indoors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you open Google Maps and scroll in all the way, how far is the dot from where you're actually sitting in your house?
Like right on the money or 5', 10', 20', ?
My S4 was on the money. My Note 3 consistently has me about 30-50' from where I actually am.
It's one of the reasons I'm considering an N4 upgrade.
@Class said:
What I ended up doing once is opening the phone and pulling the springs a bit for better contact with the GPS antenna. Was good to me on the Note 3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As far as I saw, the GPS antenna is not in the cover; so it won't help pulling any springs. :/
ChickenWingSoup said:
What "Location Mode" do you have on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Tried both modes, results are similar. Right now the Note 4 is next to me, trying to get a fix.
Number of used satellites is permanently changing second-wise: 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 1, 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 1, ...
I just tried that software, and after about 60 seconds it was locked on 14 and accurate to 12 feet, sitting indoors.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Doesn't help much as an indoor fix heavily depends on many factors like satellite positions, positions of windows and phone, wall material, and so on.
Sometimes I get a quick fix indoors, in most cases it just fails.
Different with Z2 Tablet and S4: Just ALWAYS a fast fix, S4 even fets a sat fix in the basement, where the Note 4 doesn't even see a single satellite.
We need comparisons with other devices.
Chefproll said:
Tried both modes, results are similar. Right now the Note 4 is next to me, trying to get a fix.
Number of used satellites is permanently changing second-wise: 4, 3, 2, 3, 2, 1, 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 1, ...
Doesn't help much as an indoor fix heavily depends on many factors like satellite positions, positions of windows and phone, wall material, and so on.
Sometimes I get a quick fix indoors, in most cases it just fails.
Different with Z2 Tablet and S4: Just ALWAYS a fast fix, S4 even fets a sat fix in the basement, where the Note 4 doesn't even see a single satellite.
We need comparisons with other devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Having the almost the same fix and locked satellites on my s5, note 4 and Note 10.1 tablet indoor concrete apartment building . They lock on 12 to 15 satellites in less then 30 seconds. no problem
I had the exact same symptoms with my lg g2. When set to high accuracy, the location would jump around. Also, it would see satellites, but take forever to get a fix.
When set to GPS only, it would work fine.
Never was able to fix it.
I have a feeling that it worked fine at first and that this weird behavior started after a firmware update. Could not verify, coz I did not know how to downgrade.
Sent from my A0001 using XDA Premium HD app
marleyb said:
Having the almost the same fix and locked satellites on my s5, note 4 and Note 10.1 tablet indoor concrete apartment building . They lock on 12 to 15 satellites in less then 30 seconds. no problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Depends on your location; if your room is just under the roof, you'll experience less problems.
I added a quick video to my first post; just have a look. :/
Chefproll said:
Depends on your location; if your room is just under the roof, you'll experience less problems.
I added a quick video to my first post; just have a look. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I understand your Note has a problem just saying mine has not. Even with 8 floors above me I still have a fix within 30 seconds
Got a GPS fix inside my living room in less than 30 sec. 4 meters presicion. Can't post a screenshot cause I don't have enough posts yet lol.
I get instant. No problem so far. Mine is Exynos 7 (5433) edition - N910C.
@Chefproll
What processor do you have in your GN4?
I had 2 different AT&T Snapdragon GN4's with very bad GPS.
I've found the GPS to be outstanding on the note 4. It will even locate in an airplane in under 45 seconds at a point over a thousand miles from where it was when it was last on. My HTC EVO 4G lte could not do this, the original Evo could. As for day to day use, it's been flawless.
Yippee. Another considered "based on my expert opinion and test sample of one" thread from an XDA member declaring all Note 4's to have an issue. These "expose" threads get tedious.
Here' what AnandTech found in their testing and what they are reporting maps to my experiences...
At this point, it really goes without saying that the GNSS solution of choice is the one built into Qualcomm's modem. This allows for fixes based upon initial location and time data that the modem has, and therefore in practice every GPS fix is a hot fix and takes around 5 seconds for a lock in good conditions. In the case of the Note 4, with airplane mode on and no assistance data I saw that it took around 50 seconds to achieve a lock, but this is strongly dependent upon environmental conditions. Once locked, I found that the Note 4 had quite a strong lock and quickly went down to 10 foot accuracy level without issue.​​http://www.anandtech.com/show/8613/the-samsung-galaxy-note-4-review/9
BarryH_GEG said:
Yippee. Another considered "based on my expert opinion and test sample of one" thread from an XDA member declaring all Note 4's to have an issue. These "expose" threads get tedious.
Here' what AnandTech found in their testing and what they are reporting maps to my experiences...
At this point, it really goes without saying that the GNSS solution of choice is the one built into Qualcomm's modem. This allows for fixes based upon initial location and time data that the modem has, and therefore in practice every GPS fix is a hot fix and takes around 5 seconds for a lock in good conditions. In the case of the Note 4, with airplane mode on and no assistance data I saw that it took around 50 seconds to achieve a lock, but this is strongly dependent upon environmental conditions. Once locked, I found that the Note 4 had quite a strong lock and quickly went down to 10 foot accuracy level without issue.​​http://www.anandtech.com/show/8613/the-samsung-galaxy-note-4-review/9
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me it works that good when under open air. In the city between high building and threes it is totally worthless. I live in single-storey house made of wood and the Note 4 cant get a fix untill I leave the house. My old SGS 5 had no problems with that and not my current iPhone 6 Plus has no problems with it either. They both get a fix instantly when inside the house. But I have tested three Note 4 and no one of them get a fix inside the house. Think that is a pretty good sign that the Note 4 has worse GPS signal than most other phones. And even the carrier reception is worse with the Notes tested compared to iphone 6 Plus, a Moto G 2013 and a HTC One M8 I have tested in my house. If it is the metall rim or if it is fixable by software I dont know but I am disapointed with my Note, thought I had a faulty one first.
osetivo said:
@Chefproll
What processor do you have in your GN4?
I had 2 different AT&T Snapdragon GN4's with very bad GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As mention mine is Exynos 5433 edition. I found most complain is Snapdragon 805 edition. This time Exynos perform better in every aspect.
BarryH_GEG said:
Yippee. Another considered "based on my expert opinion and test sample of one" thread from an XDA member declaring all Note 4's to have an issue. These "expose" threads get tedious.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And another "MY Note 4 is ok, so all others claiming their Note doesn't work as expected are wrong. So let's say something negative things about them and don't take it for real.".
You posted a screenshot, making it impossible to see if the device was used outdoors or indoors.
I also get a quite good reception if I am outdoors - but:
a) There's just no fix although the signal strength is sufficient. Here's a screenshot, taken OUTDOORS:
Note the time of the last GPS fix in the lower right corner. Note 4 had been on all the time, with all Google services active, so there had been a constant check for GPS positional data - with NO success all night long.
b) Indoors, reception is a horror - COMPARED WITH OTHER devices.
It's of no further use if you post a screenshot without comparing the reception with other devices.
Just be happy about YOUR device working - but this does not necessarily mean it's the same with other devices.

GPS problem: Works when in (fast) motion, unusable when stationary/slow

I have a strange problem with my Z3C's GPS (note: running CM12.1 nightlies). The problem did not occur when I used the phone for navigation last year, I first noticed it some time in January. So either my hardware has broken since last year or some upgrade broke my GPS.
Symptom: GPS does not work reliably when stationary or moving at slow speed (i.e. hiking or running). It takes forever to get a fix. Literally, many times I can put the device down outside with completely free view to the sky and after 15 minutes and more there is still no fix. The number of satellites picked up according to GPS Status&Monitor varies, most of the time 0 to 2, sometimes up to 8, then dropping again to 0 for no obvious reason, but even with 8 satellites no location?!? If I get a fix and record a track with OruxMaps, the quality is bad, many dropouts, very often the fix is lost. The GPS location and heading is drifting around when I'm standing stationary.
However, when I drive in car and use Here Maps or OruxMaps, the GPS is perfectly usable: Fix after about 30 secs in motion, good positioning quality, good tracks. Even when the car is standing, the position is not drifting. As soon as I leave the car and walk around, the positioning is soon degrading.
An issue with might be connected is that I cannot calibrate my compass: Every compass app claims that it has to be calibrated (even if the compass bearing itself seems to be pretty OK - every direction is where it is supposed to be). All the methods given on the net - waving 8, turning in all three axes - never got me the compass calibrated. I also refreshed AGPS, cleared caches and dalvik, regularly flash an upgraded CM nightly, no change.
As I'm using CM12.1, I cannot get into services menus, it seams.
Has anybody an idea what could be the reason for this strange behaviour?

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