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Help GPS issues?

spock said:
I love the galaxy S for its screen and web browsing ( now ive got flash) but as a gps device its so unreliable that its dangerous.
:(
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I must agree about the 'dangerous' comment.

I had to drive from Cheshire up to North Lancashire yesterday, about 45 miles. I kind of had an idea where I was going, but towards the far end I needed assistance.

I'd set the Google Navigation running from home, so it had plenty of time to get locked on, the phone was on the dashboard and generally it worked OK - I didn't need it most of the way there but could hear it yacking away telling me where to go, re-routing when I took my preferred route etc.

When I needed it, swapping from one motorway to another with a couple of strange junctions and slip roads, it was absolutely shocking! The one minute when I needed it to work, it let me down big time! And while I was waiting for the screen to stop bouncing around and plot me in the right place, I ended up overshooting at the end of a slip road and entered the roundabout. No traffic was coming from my right so I got away with it. For someone who's been driving for 25 years, accident-free, the fact that this phone nearly caused my first accident really p***ed me off.

I suppose the fact that before I go anywhere, even if I'm using the SGS for navigation, I still always print out the Google Maps directions and even a shorthand hand-written version speaks volumes about my trust in this handset .. (and my shorthand note is what got me back home, problem-free yesterday)

Until now, I've been patient with the phone, delayed updates etc., but now I'm just fed up with it.

So my SGS 16GB + 32GB card is going on Ebay today and I'm going to either get the Desire or Desire HD.

(Offers invited of course - 2 or 3 months old, completely unmarked)
 
Yikees thats not good and I must say mine makes a habbit of going daft exactly when I need it. E.g as I approach a motorway junction.
samsungs get out would be the disclaimer that you press before you drive telling you to drive within the law.
however its very annoying suddenly being told to turn sharp right in the centre lane of the M8 in rush hour!
why not send the phone back for repair?
That is what I will do once the official update is released and fails to fix the gps.
I will keep sending it back until they either fix it or replace it with a non samsung phone.
Shame as its potentialy great. I just need gps
 
daveleather said:
Until now, I've been patient with the phone, delayed updates etc., but now I'm just fed up with it.

So my SGS 16GB + 32GB card is going on Ebay today and I'm going to either get the Desire or Desire HD.
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I'm the same. My Galaxy S is now going to be replaced by a Desire HD.

I'm trying to get T-Mobile to do something (not that they're my favourite people tbh), but if I have no luck mine will be on ebay too.

I think there will be a lot being sold on so we're going to do badly price wise :/
 
spock said:
The decision now is do I live with the gps issue and buy a proper gps device or do I Keep sending my phone back knowing that it wont be fixed .
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If you like the SGS but need better gps performance then it can give you, its worth considering an external bluetooth gps receiver. They start a little under 50$ and are small enough to hang on your keychain. Their performance is beyond what your typical smartphone offers.

Its probably cheaper than selling the SGS and buying a new phone, and indeed the SGS has a lot of things to love (screen, audio, camera, ..) im not too sure i'd want to trade it for a DHD. Granted I havent played with one yet.
 
Wow, there's still a lot of demand for the SGS. I put it on Ebay at 8pm and it had sold five minutes later!

So I am now phone-less until I make my decision. Think I'll have to go buy a cheap PAYG handset tomorrow so I don't rush into my next Android phone!

Here's to lots of reading and playing, *before* buying this time!

And I can hear my trusty old Blackberry 8900 Curve calling me from the drawer!

Cheers.
 
I find it scandalous that Samsung are talking about 'enhanced GPS' on the 2.2 as if there was ANY GPS on it now.
I have still not had a satisfactory reply from anyone at Orange or Samsung as to why they are selling a non-GPS device as if it was one.

I'll repeat this for anyone new. IF YOU WANT GPS GET A DESIRE OR AN IPHONE. This is a great phone but by the time Orange have stuck their rubbish in the memory and used most of it up it has NO GPS FUNCTION WHATSOEVER.
I envy the posters who 'loose their fixes' as I can't even get one and that's after three separate handsets, all the same.
 
Beards, you mention a possible ROM fix. Does this mean they will be changing the hardware/chip and we will be stuck with the non-functioning GPS?
Thanks in advance.
 
Here's a crazy question: is there an "external" GPS antenna connector inside the device? if so, if you hook an external GPS antenna it would be interesting to see if it starts to work. Not sure what could be gleaned from that, though.

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Gibboski said:
Beards, you mention a possible ROM fix. Does this mean they will be changing the hardware/chip and we will be stuck with the non-functioning GPS?
Thanks in advance.
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Changing any hardware components is out of the question; that would require a total recall and Samsung wouldn't go that far with something that is already out of it's 'Honeymoon' period.

I have not heard much this past few days and doubt I'll hear anything further this week.
Whatever Samsung are playing at they seem to be changing ideas and implementation as each day goes by.... which at the moment as far as I am concerned does not bode well.
 
Well my SGS went into the post this morning, off to it's excited new owner.

Funnily enough, they're selling their iPhone 4 on Ebay, in favour of the SGS!!

I miss it already, and I won't completely rule out the Galaxy Tab when it's widely available --- but I'd want to see some *seriously* impressive reviews first, including one hell of a GPS test!!!

In the meantime, for the first time in 10 years I don't have a phone at all .. and it's quite a liberating feeling!! Will be off to Tesco later for a cheap and cheerful PAYG phone for the time being.
 
daveleather said:
In the meantime, for the first time in 10 years I don't have a phone at all .. and it's quite a liberating feeling!! Will be off to Tesco later for a cheap and cheerful PAYG phone for the time being.
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That does actually sound quite nice. Might be good to be disconnected for a little while!
 
daveleather said:
Well my SGS went into the post this morning, off to it's excited new owner.

Funnily enough, they're selling their iPhone 4 on Ebay, in favour of the SGS!!
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And why not? I would still choose my sgs over an iphone any day aswell. Just the gps is a little weak. If you dont need it for navigation, i cant think of a better phone at the moment. Plenty people already have a navi system in their car and else theres bluetooth gps receivers that you can pair with the phone. Its a shame that it is like that but i dont really get people that act like its a terrible device instead of what it is; a superb device with an issue. Same goes for the iphone btw. I pick sgs :)
 
AlexanderA said:
And why not? I would still choose my sgs over an iphone any day aswell. Just the gps is a little weak. If you dont need it for navigation, i cant think of a better phone at the moment. Plenty people already have a navi system in their car and else theres bluetooth gps receivers. Its a shame that it is like that but i dont really get people that act lke its a terrible device instead of what it is; a superb device with an issue. Same goes for the iphone btw. I pick sgs :)
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It's not just the GPS really, it's Samsung's appalling handling of it.

I don't trust them after what's happened and most certainly won't buy anything from them again. To this end I plan to replace my SGS with something that will be better supported and amongst other things have 2.2 already with the prospect of Gingerbread at some point.
 
AlexanderA said:
And why not? I would still choose my sgs over an iphone any day aswell.
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Yeah, absolutely. I wasn't meaning that it was ridiculous, unheard of, or a surprise to find someone choosing the SGS over an iPhone.

I still love the Galaxy but, even though I'm not a big GPS user, I'm the kind of person that gets obsessive about something not working as it should. I think I'm almost OCD about it!!

:-)
 
karnka said:
It's not just the GPS really, it's Samsung's appalling handling of it.

I don't trust them after what's happened and most certainly won't buy anything from them again. To this end I plan to replace my SGS with something that will be better supported and amongst other things have 2.2 already with the prospect of Gingerbread at some point.
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I dont really trust Sony, Nokia, Apple, Microsoft, DELL, HTC or most other multinationals either, but small trustworthy companies dont make too many phones or other consumer devices. All of the above and many others have shown very similar disregard for their customers, thats how it unfortunately goes at such companies.
Im pretty sure both Froyo and probably also Gingerbread will come to the SGS so I don't know about that argument.

Having said all that, if you cant enjoy your phone for any reason then getting rid of it is a good choice.
 
Samsung mobile invites press and media for a google experience product on Nov 8th.
I think it will be for a GPS functional Galaxy S ;-)............
 
AlexanderA said:
I dont really trust Sony, Nokia, Apple, Microsoft, DELL, HTC or most other multinationals either, but small trustworthy companies dont make too many phones or other consumer devices. All of the above and many others have shown very similar disregard for their customers, thats how it unfortunately goes at such companies.
Im pretty sure both Froyo and probably also Gingerbread will come to the SGS so I don't know about that argument.

Having said all that, if you cant enjoy your phone for any reason then getting rid of it is a good choice.
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You're right, most big companies are not to be trusted, it's often a case of finding one that hasn't screwed you over yet! In my case HTC and Moto both meet that criteria, for now.

I think HTC have a better reputation than Samsung now have for looking after their Android phones (I concede that it can be argued that wasn't the case for the Hero, but at least it didn't have serious problems). I can't see Samsung bringing Gingerbread (or anything beyond that) to the Galaxy S in a timely manner or necessarily at all.

Just look at what happened with the Behold 2 and the original Galaxy. Dropped like a stone at the earliest opportunity. I feel the same coming with the Galaxy S.

To your last point. You're right. The phone has been ruined for me by this mess and it is best that I move on.
 
Whatever you guys do, I wish you well on your next choice.
I do hope our paths will cross at some later time as it has been a pleasure passing and receiving information to and from you.

In the meantime I'm sticking around here... waiting patiently.. and waiting... and waiting. :)
 
karnka said:
I think HTC have a better reputation than Samsung now have for looking after their Android phones (I concede that it can be argued that wasn't the case for the Hero, but at least it didn't have serious problems).
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They did the same with the Magic, left us high and dry with no future. They are all as bad as each other really :(

As for Moto, don't (didn't ?) they lock their (Droid at least) phones down so you can't easily run modified ROMs etc. ? I know in general that's a non-issue, but if Samsung had done the same, then we wouldn't have all the lag-fixes etc., so its something to consider with new vendors (no idea what Moto are like for turning around fixes, mind you).

Just look at what happened with the Behold 2 and the original Galaxy. Dropped like a stone at the earliest opportunity. I feel the same coming with the Galaxy S.
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Also depends on sales - not sure how many those other phones sold, but the SGS has sold in high volumes, so you'd (like to) think it will be supported for a while. Time will tell I guess, but either way I am sure the AOSP teams will keep the SGS alive for a while. Having experienced the same with the HTC Magic, that had a whole new lease of life once they perfected their custom ROMs!
 
Beards said:
Not a chance... Try a Verizon Samsung Continuum.
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I think thats pretty much guaranteed - its a US launch after all ;)

Chances of the S2 (or the specs I saw at least) launching any time soon I think are, well zero (which would also be the battery life unless its the size of a tank!).
 
lordgoata said:
I think thats pretty much guaranteed - its a US launch after all ;)

Chances of the S2 (or the specs I saw at least) launching any time soon I think are, well zero (which would also be the battery life unless its the size of a tank!).
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Yes, if the SGS2 is to make any kind of surface I would guess it to be at next years CES Show in LA.
 
Beards said:
Whatever you guys do, I wish you well on your next choice.
I do hope our paths will cross at some later time as it has been a pleasure passing and receiving information to and from you.

In the meantime I'm sticking around here... waiting patiently.. and waiting... and waiting. :)
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Yep. Thanks again for your info it has certainly helped me getting even more annoyed/frustrated and aided in my decision.

I'm not certain it'll be a DHD for me. I may do what Dave did and grab a cheap PAYG handset while I think about it, but I shall wash my hands of the SGS and stop putting off people who might enjoy it with my bitterness ;)

Thanks again all.
 
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