Is the GPS issue that big of a deal for you?

[Aerimus]

If it makes you feel any better, there is no iPhone that has built in turn by turn GPS for free. Yet, at an AT&T store they cost the same. Also, I've had both the 3GS and the iPhone 4, neither of them had GPS that were worth a crap. They were usually pretty inaccurate and drained battery just as fast if not faster than the GPS on the Captivate does.

This was not my experience. I used TomTom on the iPhone as well as Golfshot for gps playing golf, and they were incredibly accurate. Golfshot was good for me down to a couple yards. On the iPhone 4 it was even better, as it calculated the gps signal much quicker and had less of a drain on my battery. I would use almost my whole battery playing 9 holes on the 3gs and only about 25-30% on the 4.

That said, I used the gps fix posted here on the forums for my Captivate and it's worked fine since.

I use GPS a ton as I'm constantly on the road and also in a golf league. So it is a NEED on my list for it to be working well.

 

[MrTony]

I really have no idea what the GPS deal is. I never really had a problem, but I wanted to try some of the "fixes" on here just to see if it made a difference - and it did! I switched my Application settings (skyhook, MS Assisted) and SUPL (supl.google.com, port 7262 & tried port 7276) - and my GPS went to CRAP!

I set back to my defaults and everything magically worked again! I get initial fixes in about 20 seconds, go back in and get a fix in about 10. I saw somewhere some guy was complaining that it took 20-30 seconds for him to get a fix. For Pete's sake, this is a phone! GET A F'ING DEDICATED GPS THEN! If you LIVE by GPS, then you're an idiot for relying solely on a phone to meet all your needs.

 

[baddress]

For all you people who say your GPS is working perfect can you please fill out this survery?

http://androidforums.com/samsung-ca...re-firmware-revisions-your-phone-working.html

 

[MrTony]

For all you people who say your GPS is working perfect can you please fill out this survery?

http://androidforums.com/samsung-ca...re-firmware-revisions-your-phone-working.html

Sure! I'll do it right now!

 

[jpeg42]

I have a TomTom One and there is no way it would pick up a GPS signal in a house. The only way is stuck on my windshield. Even then, I would have to wait at least 5 minutes for a lock or manually download a GPSFix file on my computer that would help it find the satellites quicker.

I have no complaints about this GPS. With the fix posted on this forum, I lock in about 30 seconds with 30ft accuracy. It stays pretty close to me in Runkeeper. Hell, if it glitches and throws me on another street, then I get extra miles without the work

Maybe other phones did it better, not sure. Certainly not a dealbreaker for me.

 

[Infinite-t]

Yes, GPS is a big deal to me, not so much for Nav, but many aps use your location to do stuff, Google Maps, weather, etc etc.

Samsung has 23 days to fix it, or they lose me as a customer. Not just because of the GPS, but because, if they ignore a problem like this, what can I expect from them the next 2 years I am stuck with this phone?

 

[jmreed97]

I have a TomTom One and there is no way it would pick up a GPS signal in a house. The only way is stuck on my windshield. Even then, I would have to wait at least 5 minutes for a lock or manually download a GPSFix file on my computer that would help it find the satellites quicker.

I have no complaints about this GPS. With the fix posted on this forum, I lock in about 30 seconds with 30ft accuracy. It stays pretty close to me in Runkeeper. Hell, if it glitches and throws me on another street, then I get extra miles without the work

Maybe other phones did it better, not sure. Certainly not a dealbreaker for me.

That's because you TomTom doesn't have internet access to download the satellite data which is what aGPS is. The Phone's GPS should be much better and quicker. And that is what I expect from a $499 phone.

 

[MrTony]

I'm betting that a lot of these issues would be fixed if Android had an app similar to QuickGPS that was on HTC WinMo phones. My TouchPro wouldn't get a GPS within 2 or 3 minutes if I didn't update QuickGPS. Once it updated the tracks of the satellites, I'd get a fix in no time flat.

I read a forum where it was said "Android doesn't need it because it gets a lock really fast". I call BULLSHIT! Already knowing where to look for the satellites is a lot faster than scanning the entire plane for them. I guess Google Maps is already supposed to have something like this built in?

 

[MrTony]

In researching this issue, I've found that the Droid Eris, Android G1, HTC HD2 (WinMo) and others I can't remember all have had problems with GPS fixes and taking a long time to lock. By no means think this is new & specific to the Captivate. A lot of people I'm sure have a legit problem, but a lot of people are just hyperventilating also.

 

[Simba501]

so im guessing the people who are calling this a dumb thread have never been early adopters to any new device?

the iphone was horrible when it came out

no app store,no gps, no MMS,no landscape mode,no copy paste.

it went 2 years without most of these features but people still bought it. I know, I was one of them.

True, this is 2010 and most phones have all of these features but im gonna give them some time to sort all this out.

I am as well.

 

[baddress]

so im guessing the people who are calling this a dumb thread have never been early adopters to any new device?

the iphone was horrible when it came out

no app store,no gps, no MMS,no landscape mode,no copy paste.

it went 2 years without most of these features but people still bought it. I know, I was one of them.

No offense but this is a really stupid point for you to make. When the iPhone first came out, it wasn't advertised or marketed as having GPS, MMS, landscape mode, etc. If the phone had claimed to have those features and then they didn't work, you bet your ascot people would have complained about it then too!

 

[Infinite-t]

No offense but this is a really stupid point for you to make. When the iPhone first came out, it wasn't advertised or marketed as having GPS, MMS, landscape mode, etc. If the phone had claimed to have those features and then they didn't work, you bet your ascot people would have complained about it then too!

+1

 

[Intervenient]

No offense but this is a really stupid point for you to make. When the iPhone first came out, it wasn't advertised or marketed as having GPS, MMS, landscape mode, etc. If the phone had claimed to have those features and then they didn't work, you bet your ascot people would have complained about it then too!

+2



I don't know when it became the norm for customers to purchase expensive equipment with flaws and it just be ok.

 

[tekonus]

+2



I don't know when it became the norm for customers to purchase expensive equipment with flaws and it just be ok.

With the invention of online/over the air updates... These days if you produce a picture perfect product that does everything advertised perfectly, but you can't update it in the future... people are furious. When is the last time you played a major release video game that didn't need an update/bug fix at some point. Or bought a piece of software... or hell... even Blu-ray players get firmware updates from their ethernet port now. Next, your toaster will get a firmware update over wifi so that it burns your toast less often. Welcome to the future... the future is NOW.

 

[Simba501]

With the invention of online/over the air updates... These days if you produce a picture perfect product that does everything advertised perfectly, but you can't update it in the future... people are furious. When is the last time you played a major release video game that didn't need an update/bug fix at some point. Or bought a piece of software... or hell... even Blu-ray players get firmware updates from their ethernet port now. Next, your toaster will get a firmware update over wifi so that it burns your toast less often. Welcome to the future... the future is NOW.

Lol

 

[Intervenient]

With the invention of online/over the air updates... These days if you produce a picture perfect product that does everything advertised perfectly, but you can't update it in the future... people are furious. When is the last time you played a major release video game that didn't need an update/bug fix at some point. Or bought a piece of software... or hell... even Blu-ray players get firmware updates from their ethernet port now. Next, your toaster will get a firmware update over wifi so that it burns your toast less often. Welcome to the future... the future is NOW.

You just put both sides of the spectrum in your post. The first saying people aren't satisfied with a perfect product that doesn't need updates, and the next saying that updates are a part of life. I don't quite get what you're saying.

 

[tekonus]

You just put both sides of the spectrum in your post. The first saying people aren't satisfied with a perfect product that doesn't need updates, and the next saying that updates are a part of life. I don't quite get what you're saying.

Thats because I'm trying to explain that the whole situation is a catch-22. I believe there are certain truths to the technology industry these days:

-No, we shouldn't need to patch brand new products.

-Yes, products will be rushed to market for whatever reasons anyway, and we will be forced to wait for a patch.

-If we as consumers weren't so quick to snatch up the latest thing like our lives depend on it, and worried more about quality before buying blindly, this wouldn't happen as often.

-We buy crap the second its available anyway.

-If you want an update ASAP, make a stink about it. If you are having a problem: the more you express your outrage and willingness to return the product before your 30 days is up, the more likely they are to bust their asses to crank out a patch.

-If you aren't pro-active about it, you can't cry if they don't rush out a patch. They can't/won't patch what nobody has reported/complained about.

As consumers we are insatiable and very hard to satisfy completely. Updates will unfortunately be a part of the tech industry for a long, long time due to our habits. They rush things out because we want them NOW... then we complain when they aren't perfect the second they appear.

 

[MrTony]

-We buy crap the second its available anyway.

As consumers we are insatiable and very hard to satisfy completely. Updates will unfortunately be a part of the tech industry for a long, long time due to our habits. They rush things out because we want them NOW... then we complain when they aren't perfect the second they appear.

Yea...let me ask - how many of you were at AT&T, BestBuy, etc. BEGGING for them to sell you this BEFORE the release date?

This evening I had to wait almost 2 minutes (gasp) for my GPS to lock while doing a My Tracks route. I haven't had a problem with it so far, this was the first time it took so long to get a fix. You know what I did? I remembered back to when I would have to put my $300 brand new HTC Touch Pro on the dash of my car so it could get a fix, then worry about losing the fix if I brought it too far off the dash! Damn, the Captivate got a fix yesterday inside a 2-story building! I fully believe some people just wouldn't be satisfied if the damned thing made them breakfast! (and before the smartass comments start - YES, I know you didn't buy it to make you breakfast) If you want a GPS, buy a Garmin! You'll be bitching about it too cause it won't lock much faster.

 

[tekonus]

Yea...let me ask - how many of you were at AT&T, BestBuy, etc. BEGGING for them to sell you this BEFORE the release date?

It's funny, cause even though I believe all of those things I said, I am just another part of the problem. I was one of those people! Am I a hypocrite? Maybe, but at least I know that I'm part of the problem.

 

[keplenk]

If you want a GPS, buy a Garmin! You'll be bitching about it too cause it won't lock much faster.

What makes you think that the only use of the GPS is for driving directions? In case you didn't know, there are a bunch of apps that use the GPS and it is not related to driving directions.

Oh yeah, I also have a Garmin and I will never stop complaining about my Captivates' GPS being stupid. Saying that one should buy a GPS is lame when it should be working on your purchased phone in the first place. Other phones GPS are just working fine BTW, so this is not an excuse.

 

[MrTony]

Other phones GPS are just working fine BTW, so this is not an excuse.

Really? This isn't accurate by any stretch. Not that other phones being F'd up is any excuse but, as with all new hardware, they all had to "cut their teeth". Ask any owner of an Android G1 or HTC Touch Pro if they had a flawless GPS experience. For the sake of argument, my Captivate gets a fix in about 20 seconds. Today was the only time I've had to wait longer. Come to think of it, I don't KNOW if it had anything to do with it, but my cellular coverage was spotty where I was trying to get a fix. It was slipping between EDGE and 3G with only one bar. Just a thought.

 

[tdusen]

Ask any owner of an Android G1 or HTC Touch Pro if they had a flawless GPS experience.

The GPS issue is a HUGE issue for me. I use my G1 for geocaching. The GPS experience on my G1 is so good, I'm considering returning my Captivate.

BTW: It's not just the GPS, the Compass moves like it's floating in molasses. Samsung needs to fix that too.

The countdown continues. 20 days until it's returned.

 

[MrTony]

The GPS issue is a HUGE issue for me. I use my G1 for geocaching. The GPS experience on my G1 is so good, I'm considering returning my Captivate.

BTW: It's not just the GPS, the Compass moves like it's floating in molasses. Samsung needs to fix that too.

The countdown continues. 20 days until it's returned.

That's good to hear, I'm glad it's working well TWO YEARS after it was released. Were you an early adopter? If so, you don't remember all those GPS problems everyone blogged about in the begining? I can give you the compass. I'd have to verify, but more than likely, there's not really a compass in the Captivate. It's an amalgum of GPS positions that give you a "heading". Which would make sense - if the GPS is slow to lock, the "compass" would be slow to give you a heading.

 

[dantheman2]

The GPS issue is a HUGE issue for me. I use my G1 for geocaching. The GPS experience on my G1 is so good, I'm considering returning my Captivate.

BTW: It's not just the GPS, the Compass moves like it's floating in molasses. Samsung needs to fix that too.

The countdown continues. 20 days until it's returned.

I have been using my Captivate for geocaching for the past two weeks. It is working fine for me. Almost all the time I am in the open, I get 5m accuracy and even in a little tree cover. I leave the wireless network option on. I think the issue is that the sensitivity is not as sensitive as better phones or GPS units. It is better than my Etrex Legend. I don't have another phone to compare with though.

Dan

 

[keplenk]

Really? This isn't accurate by any stretch. Not that other phones being F'd up is any excuse but, as with all new hardware, they all had to "cut their teeth". Ask any owner of an Android G1 or HTC Touch Pro if they had a flawless GPS experience. For the sake of argument, my Captivate gets a fix in about 20 seconds. Today was the only time I've had to wait longer. Come to think of it, I don't KNOW if it had anything to do with it, but my cellular coverage was spotty where I was trying to get a fix. It was slipping between EDGE and 3G with only one bar. Just a thought.

Did I say ALL other phones work? No.

FYI, my friend has an aria and his GPS is 10x better than my captivate. Some of my friends with the iphone has way way better GPS with my captivate. I don't give a rats a$$ about the HTC Touch Pro and/or the G1 as I DONT HAVE those phone. I have a Captivate and the GPS is screwed. My friends have Aria/iPhones and their GPS works, period.

Side note: I hope you notice that I'm mentioning phones which are carried by AT&T. I can't go to other carriers, unfortunately.

Maybe I'll check out the Dell Streak when it gets 2.1/froyo. For now, I'll hope that Samsung would do something about this as I don't want to return this phone.

EDIT: What breaks my heart is if Steve Jobs was caught farting, it would be breaking news in Engadget/Gizmodo. A lot of people are complaining about the GPS but so far "popular/big" blog sites doesn't post anything about it. Nowadays, if a popular site posts something negative about a company, a fix is on the way right away. If Samsung could see that news sites are posting things about this, they might do something about it. Just my 2 cents.