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Help Does the 2.3.6 update fix the ultra weak GPS?

T

tshapiro

Lurker
When I take my Blackberry or Photon on a business trip I use them as my GPS as well. My Epic Touch usually fails to locate satellites or keep my lock so I have started carrying a Garmin GPS to ensure I can find my way. Does anyone who has actually received the 2.3.6 update confirm whether it addresses the GPS issue?
 
I haven't used the GPS much since the update, but the one time I did use it it was fine. FYI, anytime my GPS wouldn't lock in the past all you have to do is put it in airplane mode for a second, then back off. Has worked every time for me.
 
So I recieved the update yesterday morning and have had a chance to try out the gps. With this I can report:

While Samsung has the capability of producing the best screen on a smart phone, they have yet to figure out how to implement a reasonably fast or reliable gps. If you are a business traveller who depends on gps, you'd better have a back up plan or hope for clear sky's. And, hope your partner doesn't have an iPhone cause it's a little embarassing when their iPhone immediately locks onto gps and yours is bouncing around like it's drunk.

FYI: I have updated A-GPS, use GPS Test, yada, yada, yada... gps still sucks.
 
Just updated about an hour ago. I haven't tried the GPS on the road yet but just turning on the Navigator and searching a couple of locations I can tell you that I am noticing a significant difference on how fast my phone locks in now. It really is locating and giving turn by turns instantly now. I'm pretty much blown away so far! Also noticed my Quadrant benchmark test went from about 3400 to 3900 on average.
 
I was having a lot of trouble with Google maps.
The stock navigation and telnav GPS worked pretty well usually.
The Facebook check-in GPS sucks big time.
 
my gps always worked fine outside it was inside were i would have problems. but with the new update it works pretty good inside too now:)
 
No the EK02 didn't help my GPS problem at all. By turning the phone Off then On before I use my GPS, does help to get a GPS lock quickly.
 
I havent locked on to a sat. In over a week reallh big problem for me I run a mobile welding service and live in houston I just bought a tom tom gps and said screw it. Really sucks that I dont get full potential out of my very expensive phone, epic fail samsung big time
 
WaSTeLaNd said:
I havent locked on to a sat. In over a week reallh big problem for me I run a mobile welding service and live in houston I just bought a tom tom gps and said screw it. Really sucks that I dont get full potential out of my very expensive phone, epic fail samsung big time
Click to expand...

What part of Houston? I live in Houston too, and haven't experienced a single issue. I even got a replacement device because my screen went crazy and the GPS works great on the new one too.

Another question, under the location and security options do you have all three checked??
 
i have also updated and have i cant say my GPS issues are solved ... whenever i use google maps it locks almost instantly ! not sure what everyone else's deal is ... but all good here !
 
Tommydaniel said:
What part of Houston? I live in Houston too, and haven't experienced a single issue. I even got a replacement device because my screen went crazy and the GPS works great on the new one too.

Another question, under the location and security options do you have all three checked??
Click to expand...

I live in clear lake and thank you I thought they were checked but only use gps sat were. the allow google to get your location tab was unchecked anyways I checked it and boom locked on immediatly thank you, I feel silly now lol I should have known to check that
 
I don't have sensor aiding checked because I have read where that may not allow the GPS to be accurate. I have GPS Status and GPS test installed to clear the cache but I don't believe I have used them since the update. It seems to be accurate at home although I have not checked while driving. Will need to do that.
 
Just got back from the sprint store where the sales guy said that there were no issues with the Epics gps. In fact several sales guys insisted there werent issues. They did an experiement to prove me wrong. They took the new and older model HTC evo's, a photon, an older galaxy, an iphone, and 2 newly updated epic touches. They tuned off wifi, turned off cell tower location, rebooted them all and went to google maps. To their surprise, but not mine, all the phones found our location rather quickly - except the epics. The epics sat on Searching for gps for over 7 minutes. They insisted Samsung must be working on a fix and that an update would be available any day - yeah right.
 
WaSTeLaNd said:
I live in clear lake and thank you I thought they were checked but only use gps sat were. the allow google to get your location tab was unchecked anyways I checked it and boom locked on immediatly thank you, I feel silly now lol I should have known to check that
Click to expand...

Glad I was able to help! :D I have always had all three checked and haven't run into any issues.
 
I can tell you, I dropped mine once, and GPS was never the same unless I squeezed the top of the phone or flexed it. Had to replace the phone.
 
No problems with my my gps. I use mine for geocaching too, and it works as well or better than my EVO did. Great! Maybe I got lucky?
 
Just a heads up, tshapiro pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Every Samsung phone that I've tried (on sprint) from the Moment to the Epic touch, have horrid GPS in comparison to anything. I would, and will, definitely second the notion of having a backup plan if you need an accurate and reliable GPS solution for traveling/getting around.

I actually chose my Evo 3D over this for this exact reason, and stability (though the touch doesn't bog down like the original epic does, thankfully). Personally, if it weren't for this, and slightly weaker WiFi, the Touch is a MUCH better device in my opinion.
The speaker is better, GPU is stronger, etc. Its just lacking in what I need.

Summing it all up; the GPS sucks, period. Takes far too long to lock, and is inaccurate when 'locked'.
As a comparison, my 3D gets a lock within 8-15 seconds, and is down to 6ft accuracy within 30 seconds, whereas a touch right next to it is starting to lock on 45sec-1min in. Accuracy never more than ~300ft.
 
GPS slow locking is the one ding I'd have on my Epic Touch. No question mine locks on slowly. Once locked on I've not had any issues maintaining though, even when driving around the metro area. Not sure how well it would do away from the city though. Still, after several months of ownership now, I love my Epic Touch. Best phone I've ever had.
 
Still relatively new to the Touch and still wrestling with GPS problems. It works at home where wifi is available, and I found out today when we went to Austin it works where I get 4G, but other than that I cannot get it to lock on. Isn't it supposed to go to the Sprint 3G signal if the others are not available? I have all 3 location boxes checked, but do not know of any other settings that may be needed. Lock on may be the incorrect term, since it does not seem to be a problem with the sats, rather it is a problem with accessing the maps. With my other gps units they contain all the maps, but it appears that with the Touch the maps are all in the cloud and must be downloaded individually as I try to set up a new route or destination. This is the reason for my question about access in 3G. Also Is this actually the case? Once I have loaded a destination it seems to be kept in the phone, and I do not need to connect to Sprint to be able to navigate to it again.

I do have 2.3.6

One other thing, is it possibly a problem with roaming on non Sprint towers and not being able to connect for data?

When it does work it works very well. Even took us around a round-about in the Costco parking lot!
 
Ever since the update I haven't had a problem with GPS. But when. I used to have problems then I would use an app called agps. It will cause you GPS to lock immediately if you reset your GPS.
 
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