Breaking News - Update Does Not Contain GPS Fix

[idilium]

Never bought a phone from Amazon, always dealt with the carrier via one of their stores. I'm sure their 30 day window is the same, make sure they cancel your 2 year agreement if you had to sign up for one to get the phone at a discounted price. I love Android and my next phone will be Android based but if you are stuck with AT&T, the IPhone 4 is a better option at the moment.

in your opinion the iphone4 is better?
wow you have very low standars

hey cuervo what are you still doing here? dint you return the phone?

 

[Endoran]

Off probation, eh? Congratulations. I liked your sig so much that it's worth getting you back on probation just to see it again.

Endoran, you suck!

(I put a smiley face in there because a mod once told me it would keep me out of trouble. Just remove it in your mind!)

Haha! I liked that sig too...now I dunno what to have, I can't even get my avatar to work

 

[Jack45]

Haha! I liked that sig too...now I dunno what to have, I can't even get my avatar to work

Do you have to register with your community as a known mod offender?

 

[btw9656]

I recently sold a htc tilt2 in hopes to purchase a android captivate, after reading all the neg input on the phone i decided to hold out. Finally got to get a captivate that was accidently drop against a wall. Has anyony thought maybe this is a hardware issue. I found the gps/cdma ant and its almost non existant, not to mention sandwiched between two boards and covered by a grounded metal battery cover. I just purchased a SE Xperia x-10, all the elements seem to work and the GPS is one of the better I have seen, my htc worked very well as well. But I cant help to think its a hardware issue.

 

[NapaValleyWino]

I just spoke with an att rep about the firmware update because it charged to my data plan even though it was suppose to be free for WiFI connections. She said the firmware update was suppose to fix GPS, email issues and messaging.

 

[mnemonicj]

Never bought a phone from Amazon, always dealt with the carrier via one of their stores. I'm sure their 30 day window is the same, make sure they cancel your 2 year agreement if you had to sign up for one to get the phone at a discounted price. I love Android and my next phone will be Android based but if you are stuck with AT&T, the IPhone 4 is a better option at the moment.

Amazon just came out with their wireless store and I have had great customer service from them. I bought two Samsung Captivates from them for the family plan at $99 a piece, where I would have paid $200 more at AT&T for the two. If you were a new customer you could get the phone for 1 cent for a short period of time. I went into the AT&T store about 10 times before I bought the Captivate and they were never willing to drop the price of the phone to $99 each.

I called Amazon Wireless to do an exchange because my Captivate had some issues:
1. GPS finally worked... once. Now it is back to square one and I can't get a lock after 10 minutes, just like before.
2. Phone has shut off on me a couple times, not reboot, shut off. I didn't find out until a couple hours later when I picked up my phone.
3. When I am using the phone, I often get phantom Search button presses. I don't press it, but all of the sudden the search screen pops up.

The Amazon wireless rep told me that the GPS and shut down issues are known and Samsung says they will get them fixed, so he couldn't exchange my phone for those reasons, but he could exchange my phone for the search button issue.

They are sending me out a new one, one day shipping, and I send the old one back when I have the new one set up the way I want to (within 30 days).

 

[ZDroid1]

WTF?

You'd think Samsung would come out and say: Did the update include a GPS fix or not?

How hard is that?

It's pathetic that we even need to debate this. This is CRAPPY customer service right there.

 

[gocats7]

mnemonicj, so they will exchange you for another captivate? I think at this point that is what I want to do. I have until oct 3rd to make a final decision so if I could get another to try between now and then maybe I would get lucky and get a good one. Seems to be pretty variable.

I dont have the search issue but I guess I could say I do...they would never know the difference.

 

[MSchaff30]

Samsung admitted to me on the phone that the update DID NOT contain a GPS fix

After spending an hour talking to a "senior escalations manager" at Samsung about my various issues (GPS worse after update- not locking, phone shutting off completely at some point overnight everytime i leave wifi enabled, and browser dimming) he told me that there was nothing he could do for me, would not take it in for repair because it is nothing they can fix. Said I will have to wait for next software update but has no idea when that will be. tried to blame the GPS issue on google since it is their software (even though the same software works on other devices). Literally said the he was strictly tols to never admit that GPS or any issues are their fault, said he was actaully NOT ALLOWED to say that no matter how he personally felt or what he personally thought. Al but admitted that this is a hardware issue.

I will tell you when we receive a fix for the bugs in this phone......when the next device comes out, no sooner

 

[razholio]

How to be a forum troll:
1. enter a thread that describes a problem with a product
2. read every post
3. post about how you are tired of reading posts about the topic of the thread. make sure to call it 'complaining' or 'whining'
4. *completely* miss the irony in your post.
5. FACEPALM

 

[phr00t]

Just tried chatting with Samsung:

"Barney: Hi, thank you for contacting Samsung Technical Support. How may I help you today?

Visitor: hello barney

Visitor: have you been getting many complaints about the GPS performance even after the update for the Captivate?

Barney: I will provide you the required information.

Barney: Well, we do not received any complaints on GPS performance after the update.

Visitor: REALLY

Barney: I am sure that update should take care of the issue on the device."

You guys know what to do!!

 

[gocats7]

Throw my chat with Samsung support in here too:

Please wait for a Samsung Agent to respond.

You are now chatting with 'Rocky'
Rocky: Hi, thanks for reaching out to Samsung tech support. How can I help you today?
Tim: I am having GPS problems with my samsung captivate cell phone
Tim: will not get a lock
Tim: in clear sky
Rocky: I am sorry, as I am not trained on the product that you are using. Please standby while I transfer you to the appropriate agent for further assistance. Please do not disconnect the chat until you get an appropriate agent.
Tim: ok
Rocky: Mobile phone Chat support is available from Monday-Friday at 07:00 Am to 09:00 PM (CST) and on Saturdays at 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM (CST).

Please wait while I transfer the chat to the best suited Samsung Agent.

You are now chatting with 'Dan'
Dan: I understand that you have issue with gps.
Tim: I am having GPS problems with my samsung captivate cell phone. It will not lock in a clear sky with no obstructions. Totally useless
Tim: yes I am
Dan: Let me explain you.
Dan: We have GPS issue with phone.
Tim: I am aware, yes
Dan: As we will have GPS update released by end of september.
Dan: Once phone is updated we will not have any issue
Tim: does the current OTA update that ATT released contain this update?
Tim: it was released this week
Dan: Yes.
Dan: At&t update as GPS fix
Tim: I will see how it goes for me but the results per online forums is 50% better at best.
Tim: are you 100% sure it contains the update. I asked support yesterday and they said it does not contain the update and it will be a seperate release
Dan: Please do not go with forums.
Dan: We have update released for GPS fix.
Dan: We will have 2.2 update released later for device updation.
Tim: you are 100% sure the current OTA that ATT released this week contains the GPS fix for the samsung captivate and that is does actually fix it where it will lock like the iphone does?
Dan: Yes I am 100% sure update will be for gps
Tim: do you know what it does to the gps? driver, etc?
Tim: just a lot of money for a phone that is great except for this one thing
Tim: and I am close to my 30 day return window
Dan: I understand it.
Dan: GPS update will install GPS update on the phone.
Tim: if the gps worked, it would be the best phone I have ever had
Dan: So we can connect to GPS.
Tim: and if this does not fix my gps and I am outside the 30 day return window what are my options?
Dan: I am positive we will have GPS fixed.
Dan: However if you have any further issue samsung will no all necessary to help you.
Tim: the problem is there always is a certain amount that is due to hardware, not software issues...thats how electronics work. I have no idea at this point which I have...software or hardware issue
Dan: Its not hardware issue
Dan: Its software issue
Dan: So we need to install update
Tim: ok, my 30 days is up oct 3rd, I will give it until sept 30th to get the update before I return and cancel
Tim: there is no way to ensure I get it before then correct?
Tim: the update I mean
Dan: We will have update released by end of september
Tim: will have implies that it is not.
Tim: are you saying all phones will be updated by end of sept?
Dan: Yes,
Dan: I am positive we will have update soon
Tim: ok

 

[lotreaglesfan]

mine doesn't work :\

 

[chicknlil]

I'm guessing people missed the post I made where I linked to the image of what AT&T said was included in the update...which included GPS?

 

[tylerdurdin]

Agree that people are taking this to far but, aside from GPS being a LUXURY on a phone it screws every app that depends on gps, like one of my favs The google Places app. Cannot find restaurants, atms, hotels and such where I am, because it thinks I am 50 MILES, from where I am. On that note my wifes Iphone is more accurate than our Garmin. Infact the GPS on my old eternity was excellent, it was the only gps I ever used period. I think a $559.00 phone should definitely come with a functioning GPS as well as a chauffeur.

 

[phr00t]

I'm guessing people missed the post I made where I linked to the image of what AT&T said was included in the update...which included GPS?

I *just* got off the phone with Samsung's tier-2 support line.

The lady told me the current JH7 OTA update being pushed out does NOT include the GPS fix. She said there will be another separate OTA update before the end of the month that will contain JUST the "real" GPS fix. She apologized for the confusion caused... but it sounds like everyone was just mistaken to think *this* was the GPS update, when it was in fact, not.

I posted about this here too:

Samsung says JH7 OTA does NOT include a GPS fix! - xda-developers

 

[tylerdurdin]

BTW I spoke to samsung support again today and he told me that even though I searched for the update manually and installed it with no issues that the update will not be complete until I get a message that the update has been "PUSHED" to my phone. What the hell does this even mean? I downloaded the update, accepted it , it then installed, no errors or problems, phone rebooted itself, GPS still broken . so what was the phone doing while it said it was installing new software? this is total BS.

 

[George0211]

I *just* got off the phone with Samsung's tier-2 support line.

The lady told me the current JH7 OTA update being pushed out does NOT include the GPS fix. She said there will be another separate OTA update before the end of the month that will contain JUST the "real" GPS fix. She apologized for the confusion caused... but it sounds like everyone was just mistaken to think *this* was the GPS update, when it was in fact, not.

I posted about this here too:

Samsung says JH7 OTA does NOT include a GPS fix! - xda-developers

Well, I spoke with Level 3 rep yesterday and he said JH7 DOES include GPS fix.

This is ridiculous.

 

[Jack45]

Ya know, you're all fine people (some finer than others ), but for the life of me I can't understand why anyone would subject him/herself to Samsung Support. No knowledge is better than their "knowledge," because at least what you think you know is not contradictory - unless you have multiple personalities.

To repeat: It should be illegal to include the words "Samsung" and "support" in the same sentence.

I'm dead serious.

 

[tylerdurdin]

Ya know, you're all fine people (some finer than others ), but for the life of me I can't understand why anyone would subject him/herself to Samsung Support. No knowledge is better than their "knowledge," because at least what you think you know is not contradictory - unless you have multiple personalities.

To repeat: It should be illegal to include the words "Samsung" and "support" in the same sentence.

I'm dead serious.

AMEN

 

[Android_J]

I *just* got off the phone with Samsung's tier-2 support line.

The lady told me the current JH7 OTA update being pushed out does NOT include the GPS fix. She said there will be another separate OTA update before the end of the month that will contain JUST the "real" GPS fix.

Any customer support, whether tier 1, 2, whatever, are usually clueless. I can tell you without a doubt that my GPS works better. I used to get *at most* 4-5 sats locked and normally just 3. It would often take a long time to lock or not lock whatsoever. Now I consistently lock on 6-10 sats, even in my home. And locks happen in 10-45 seconds.

Keep in mind that I've never rooted or hacked my phone in any way. I'm wondering if the people having issues were not stock or something?

 

[gocats7]

I just cant believe the amount of misinformation. It contains the fix, it doesnt...I have heard both from att and samsung. I was even told that the only way turn by turn will ever work on a captivate is if I pay for navigator. That GPS intentionally will not work unless I pay for navigator in that the navigator program is setup to enable it to work and without paying for it its intentionally reduced in function. No I didnt buy that but I wouldnt put anything past att.

I know call centers suck but I have never in my life in any situation saw a more disorganized bunch of crap. Does it contain the fix or not. What is the problem. This is all basic information that should be easy to obtain.

 

[jdCaptivate]

So yesterday, after getting my car back, made a quick trip through the car wash. As I was getting ready to leave, I thought I would fire up Google Nav and try out the turn by turn navigation.

Locked into my position, right away, followed its progress on the way, had me crossing intersections, when I crossed intersections... stopped at them when I was stopped at them.

The only issue I noticed, is that it placed my house in the wrong spot, like a block further, even though the little arrow had me at the exact spot I was at. Which means, that's a Google problem... not the GPS.

P.S. Yes, I am rooted, with the one-click lag fix, installed update with the phone in that condition also. I did not roll back to stock settings. Oh yeah... and another thing. I didn't remember until this morning, but just for ***** and giggles, I ran Quadrant Standard and yeah, I'm aware the results do fluctuate... but I received the highest score I've ever seen, on my phone (usually it scores in the 2200s). Today... 2407

 

[cmt074]

Any customer support, whether tier 1, 2, whatever, are usually clueless. I can tell you without a doubt that my GPS works better. I used to get *at most* 4-5 sats locked and normally just 3. It would often take a long time to lock or not lock whatsoever. Now I consistently lock on 6-10 sats, even in my home. And locks happen in 10-45 seconds.

Keep in mind that I've never rooted or hacked my phone in any way. I'm wondering if the people having issues were not stock or something?

My phone is fully stock - I never rooted it. The night after the update (two nights ago) the GPS worked incredibly well - it locked like a champ easily outpacing my Tomtom. I was certain that the update had fixed it. The next morning it was back to the same ol' uselessness.

Yesterday and today after trying numerous times the phone simply will not lock onto any satellites. It sees a bunch but won't use any of them no matter how long I wait.

 

[boomerbubba]

EDIT: Sorry for the double post. I just noticed that phr00t posted the same thing here a little upthread, so no point in repeating it.

The lesson is that Samsung and AT&T together have totally borked the public rollout of this "fix." The public can't know what to believe.

Does anybody know how to play this game?