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Buyer beware... EPIC GPS DOESN'T work

CzechPleez said:
Hi. I'm a Sprint employee and Epic owner/user. First off "Sprint told me it is a known issue" is hard to believe since our employees know there aren't any known issues with the Samsung Epic 4G. There are reports of OTHER Samsung Galaxy S phones having GPS issues but the Epic 4G's GPS performance has been validated by numerous 3rd party and technical resources. So, you can quote this Sprint employee as saying "There's no known issue with the Epic 4G GPS." Please use that in the future. :)

That said, please make sure your settings are correct:
To use aGPS (assisted GPS) you need to make sure you enable "Use Wireless Networks" and "Use GPS Satellites" in the Locations & Security menu in Settings.

Check to make sure you have enabled "Use My Location" under the Privacy menu in Settings.

If you still have problems please send me a PM. Thanks for being a Sprint customer and Epic owner!
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I urge people to please understand the implications of what this Sprint Employee is saying. He is asking you to turn on "use wireless locations." By doing this you will never know if your GPS works.

Per wikipedia, "GPS was created and realized by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and was originally run with 24 satellites. It was established in 1973..." Simply put, GPS SHOULD WORK WITH SATELLITES, using wireless networks is a cruch, you will be using less accurate wireless networks.

People, you don't have to be a brain surgeon to understand. It is simple, you paid 249.99 for your phone, do you want to know if your GPS works by using satellites, yes or no? If the answer is yes, then turn off assistence from cell phone towers, and make sure that you paid 249.99 for a phone that should be able to detect and use satellites with accuracy. THIS IS GPS, use wireless network assistence IS NOT.

If the answer to the question is NO, then by all means, turn ON assistence from the wireless network, mask a possible major GPS flaw and depend on cell phone towers, instead of what the US govt created GPS with, TO USE SATELLITES.

Here is a thread that shows how to properly test gps/satellite.
http://androidforums.com/samsung-ep...ght-way-have-use-wireless-networks-off-2.html
 
Not sure what is going on but my gps isn't just off it's not working at all. Nothing is locating and after trying gps test i'm getting absolutely nothing
 
njnygiants said:
Buyer beware... EPIC GPS DOESN'T work
GPS doesn't work. I'm not sure where other people with epics with working GPS bought their phones. But I bought mines from the sprint store at 8am and GPS doesn't work at all.
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I got mine at a Sprint store at 8 am of release day and my GPS works great. Haven't had a single bit of trouble with it. Seems to always find me within a few yards and locks on fast.
 
FWIW, I've had zero problems with my gps.

Also, somewhat random, foursquare with my blackberry tour had me as about a whole block away from my house if I used it at home. My epic has my exact address.
 
RickJ said:
Pretty damn good, lol. Cant argue with those results!

But sheesh, almost 13 minutes for 7 letters, remedial writing for you!
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Well the problem was that "My Tracks" is set by default to record a little slower than you move, I suppose this way you can backtrack if you made a mistake and not be too far off your prefered path. You can set it to record much faster in the settings, I of course didn't realise this until after finishing this track. This is why my "Os" look more boxy/triangular.

Plus it's really hard to walk in circular path without a guide of some sort....
 
Basically this seems to be coming down to a problem of some phones work fine and others don't. The thing to find out is WHY some don't work. Is it faulty hardware, software, or something that the user is doing differently? The reason for the hostility in these threads is that not everyone is seeing the same results. Those who have a phone with bad GPS are assuming that all phones have bad GPS and those with good GPS are assuming that all phones have good GPS. The two assumptions can't coexist.


Personally mine seems to work fine. Have only done simple tests so far. Was way off when I was inside the store I worked at, stepped outside and within seconds it found my exact location. While driving home it seemed my location on the phone matched my location on the road almost exactly. While walking my dog the phone showed me infront of the right houses and even on the sidewalk. Inside my house it seems a little off (shows me as across the street). For me that works perfectly. For others that may not be enough.

That is with use wireless networks active.
 
SamsungVibrant said:
I urge people to please understand the implications of what this Sprint Employee is saying. He is asking you to turn on "use wireless locations." By doing this you will never know if your GPS works.

Per wikipedia, "GPS was created and realized by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and was originally run with 24 satellites. It was established in 1973..." Simply put, GPS SHOULD WORK WITH SATELLITES, using wireless networks is a cruch, you will be using less accurate wireless networks.

People, you don't have to be a brain surgeon to understand. It is simple, you paid 249.99 for your phone, do you want to know if your GPS works by using satellites, yes or no? If the answer is yes, then turn off assistence from cell phone towers, and make sure that you paid 249.99 for a phone that should be able to detect and use satellites with accuracy. THIS IS GPS, use wireless network assistence IS NOT.

If the answer to the question is NO, then by all means, turn ON assistence from the wireless network, mask a possible major GPS flaw and depend on cell phone towers, instead of what the US govt created GPS with, TO USE SATELLITES.

Here is a thread that shows how to properly test gps/satellite.
http://androidforums.com/samsung-ep...ght-way-have-use-wireless-networks-off-2.html
Click to expand...

Having "use wireless towers" on doesn't preclude you from seeing if you're using satellites or not. In Android wireless towers only gives you a coarse location, and if you're using MS Based triangulation, it helps narrow down your location so that you can lock to a satellite faster. Once you lock on, you are no longer using the towers.

If you have a GPS lock (i.e. using satellites), the GPS symbol in Google Maps stops flashing. If you are depending on wireless tower (or other assisting) triangulation, the GPS symbol will continue flashing and you'll have a large (~1000m) blue radius on your map. If you're using Standalone mode, having wireless tower triangulation on or off makes no difference as to getting an actual lock (i.e. GPS symbol stops flashing). If you're using MS Based, it usually makes it quicker. Either way, testing with wireless towers on vs. off makes no difference if you are looking for confirmation that you are using satellites.

So in short, you are only using the towers when your position is shown on a map with the GPS symbol still flashing. If it is not flashing and you have a fine (no blue radius) position, you are using satellites. If you have wireless towers OFF then you won't get the coarse (blue radius) location and you will just see the symbol flashing. On = blue radius + flashing ==> no flashing when locked and using satellites; off = no blue radius + flashing ==> no flashing when locked and using satellites.

If you use an app like GPS test, you can directly see how many satellites you are in view and how many you are using, and having wireless towers on will not affect these results (except if you are using MS Based, in which case it might show more visible in a shorter period of time -- but it won't affect the "in use" stat)
 
I bought two Epics @ 10:00 AM yesterday from Best Buy. Didn't pre-order either. With use wireless networks off and the "My Location" thing checked (I wonder what that has to do with it), both my units worked well with Nav and Maps. Spot on accuracy. I also ran the GPS Test on both phones. One phone locked into 10 sats and the other 7. The one that locked to the 10 supposedly was accurate within 90 ft. or so.

After reading through this thread, it appears there are more successes than fails but I could be wrong. Maybe someone could do a count and that would give us some percentages to work with. Just a thought and also wanted to add my experience with the two phones. I think this phone kicks ass and just can't wait till they roll out Froyo. Imagine what that will do.
 
njnygiants said:
If you read my post... you can trust my post... I worked in IT for 14 years... I have a true IT background...
Click to expand...

know how may times i hear that working tech support for Comcast when customers call in having issues......and then it ends up being something easily fixed like cable not screwed in all the way? lol
 
I got my Epic yesterday and the GPS on Sprint Nav works beautifully. It tracked me down all the side streets and the freeway. I'm very happy with the Epic so far, and I'm ecstatic about how well the GPS works on mine. Sorry that others are experiencing problems.
 
My Epic's GPS works great with the "use my location" setting disabled. I just got my Epic yesterday, but every drive I've made since then I've used the GPS and it has performed flawlessly. Earlier today, I tested it using the GPS apps and I couldn't believe how quickly it acquired and locked onto the birds. It acquires and fixes way way faster than my dedicated Garmin hand-held unit ever did. Today it has been extremely cloudy with rain showers all day and it still acquired 13 birds in a matter of seconds when I walked out onto my back deck earlier today.

I do think there is something buggy with the "accuracy" that is reported. Regardless of how many birds it locks onto, the Epic always reports 98.4ft accuracy and the GPS apps report 30M. All the time, every time, so I have a hard time believing the "accuracy" figures are accurate. Even with 98' reported accuracy, it still tracks my actual movements much much closer than that.

I think the Epic GPS works just fine as is. If your's doesn't work, then I'd return it for another unit. All the units that work, seem to work well from what I am hearing.
 
Just bought the Epic a week ago. All the Gps Navigation apps work fine even before the google maps update. This phone has unreal power and over all I think its the best and fastest phone on the market. I hit 4g in Pittsburgh and it was like hyper speed for the internet. I cant wait for 4g to be every where. It was faster than my wifi. Amazing.
 
GPS works great for me. Just tested it while running my neighborhood. Didnt try chicago city yet though. But so far been flawless. Signal locks really fast as well.
 
My epic gps works perfect on google navigator i get a fast lock outside. But on google maps it is off by a block/next street parallel to it.

Another thing i noticed the epic gps does not get a lock inside my home what so ever. My sisters palm pre ,my samsung blackjack, and my iphone 3gs all get gps lock within a minute inside my home :confused:

However, as long as it works with google navigator im happy.:) As far as getting a gps lock inside my home, Just curious about that:rolleyes:
 
<=U=L=T=R=A=> said:
My epic gps works perfect on google navigator i get a fast lock outside. But on google maps it is off by a block/next street parallel to it.

Another thing i noticed the epic gps does not get a lock inside my home what so ever. My sisters palm pre ,my samsung blackjack, and my iphone 3gs all get gps lock within a minute inside my home :confused:

However, as long as it works with google navigator im happy.:) As far as getting a gps lock inside my home, Just curious about that:rolleyes:
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Dude:

GPS wasn't really designed for use indoors....granted, it may penetrate some materials and structures, but it was never designed for that. Anytime you get ANY GPS signal indoors, you're either in a thin-walled structure that's relatively transparent to GPS or you are using "multi-path" signals that bounced around through the windows.

Don't expect GPS to work well indoors at all. Here, read:

Optimizing Indoor GPS Performance | GPS World
 
astrobill said:
Dude:

GPS wasn't really designed for use indoors....granted, it may penetrate some materials and structures, but it was never designed for that. Anytime you get ANY GPS signal indoors, you're either in a thin-walled structure that's relatively transparent to GPS or you are using "multi-path" signals that bounced around through the windows.

Don't expect GPS to work well indoors at all. Here, read:

Optimizing Indoor GPS Performance | GPS World
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..I was just courious why my other phones locked on quick inside and the epic never could not get a lock. Not how gps works:p I guess the other phones i got,,,have higher standards:D into the gps
Anyways Its not like im gonna use it indoors :rolleyes: all and all I love my epic and its staying with me:) And besides the epic is still new there will be updates soon:cool:
 
CzechPleez said:
Hi. I'm a Sprint employee and Epic owner/user. First off "Sprint told me it is a known issue" is hard to believe since our employees know there aren't any known issues with the Samsung Epic 4G. !
Click to expand...
I can say this person is either NOT a sprint Employee or a very low level one.

Sprint top support on Epic, the "Advanced Device" group is working on getting samsung to fix MULTIPLE epic GPS bugs on Epic , including at leas one severe one involving cache

Iczer said:
Great, the issue will be fixed with Froyo in September.
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Sprint advanced device says froyo Nov to December for Epic. Where do yo get September? I have seen that nowhere. They are still assessing and forwarding to Samsung which bugs to even fix and testing will tke even more time

Adrift said:
The thread title is misleading, I can change this if the author would like me to....
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You are the mod so please use caution. Sprint is currently working on several GPS bugs which they have been able to duplicate, and for which there is NO current fix.
The title is a bit sensational but not very.

All the serious reviewers doing in depth checks with diagnostic gps programs have all found problems. Can you name ONE review using Android applications for GPS diagnostics that have not found a problem?
Here is anantech which looked into the phone in depth:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3891/samsung-epic-4g-review-the-fastest-android-phone/10
 
astrobill said:
Dude:
GPS wasn't really designed for use indoors....granted, it may penetrate some materials and structures, but it was never designed for that.
Click to expand...
"Dude," you are wrong. ALL modern smartphones locations work indoors.
Ones with correctly working location aplciaitons simply move through the most accurate to less accurate depending on RF conditions.

They attempt:
- full GPS; if not, then,
- hybrid using a marginal GPS signal plus towers; if not GPS, then,
- a series of decreasing accuracy tower uses, from the fairly accurate AFLT (doaable by most smartphones wthht contact to several towers, ie in most indoor locations) running through three or four methods, down to the bottom whihc is cell tower location.

So please don't misinform people. You can be in a concrete bunker with an Evo, A treo Pro, a Touch Pro 2 and your LBAs (your phones location based applicaions) will get location with no GPS, varying form 10 meters to 1000 meters depending..
 
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