The GPS on this thing sucks $%&

**truthteller10** · 02-05-2012, 07:58 PM

Why is it that the GPS on this thing sucks like a vacuum cleaner??? I just started my Real Estate business and out in the field this thing is absolutely unusable!!!!! It doesn't lock and if it does it takes more than 5 minutes.. Samsung product fail once AGAIN!!!!!

**joe.stay** · 02-05-2012, 09:16 PM

After the last update, GPS is fine for me. It takes less than a minute to lock.

Do you use ekey? I too just got into real estate.

**truthteller10** · 02-05-2012, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by joe.stay

After the last update, GPS is fine for me. It takes less than a minute to lock.

Do you use ekey? I too just got into real estate.

Don't know what ekey is ..Maybe thats something that hasn't come down to Houston yet.

**truthteller10** · 02-05-2012, 09:33 PM

Ok..I called Sprint and got a fix to the navigation issues. The rep said that I have to use "telenav" the Sprint navigation application. When I told him that I wanted to use google map he said that he can't do much about that since its a 3rd party applicatoin. Im thinking now that maybe Sprint wants us to use their application as opposed to any other application. Because telenav locks on location within seconds while GM never locks at all..Hmmm?

**crankless** · 02-05-2012, 09:38 PM

Yea that is bs from sprint, Google maps and telenav use the same radio

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

**truthteller10** · 02-05-2012, 09:44 PM

Originally Posted by crankless

Yea that is bs from sprint, Google maps and telenav use the same radio

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

I don't know because when i use the Telenav im promise it locks in seconds, almost instantly, however with GM it doesn't lock at all..I think Sprint is doing this on purpose because this makes no sense.

**datboicastro** · 02-05-2012, 09:48 PM

I used to have that phone and had the same issue download "GPS status" from the market. Open the app and a couple seconds until you see it lock than open Google maps and it'll work perfectly. Just make sure GPS status is running in the background while navigating.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

**Stearmandriver** · 02-06-2012, 12:30 AM

The gps status trick works. It doesn't have to stay on the whole time you're navigating, it just helps you get a recent fix. If you then close it and open maps, you get an immediate fix.

What gps status does to get you that fix is, it refreshes the agps (assisted gps) data. This gives the gps a good idea of where it is in general, which helps it lock satellites. On this phone, that agps data seems crucial to getting a lock at all. Shouldn't be that way but it is. All the other gps fixes you see posted - from phone reboots to dialer resets etc - all cause the agps data to be refreshed, and that's what it takes.

So set a shortcut to gps status on a homescreen. Set the gps status prefs to update agps data on every start. Then, if you haven't used gps in more than, say, an hour or 2, tap that gps status shortcut, get a quick lock, close it, open maps. I think this is why telenav works, it probably refreshes agps on every start. It would be cool if someone could hack googles maps and nav to do this.

Oh - once you have a lock and are navigating, you won't lose it if you drive in and out of cell coverage. Once you have a lock, gps is independent of cell/data coverage. You just need it to GET the lock, to refresh that agps data.

So yeah, not how a gps should work, but once you understand the problem, the workaround isn't TOO bad I guess.

**MannyZ28** · 02-06-2012, 01:25 AM

I use Google Nav almost every day because I drive a lot. Maybe once every month does it act up a bit, but in general I have no problems with my GPS. Good to know about that app though, because if mine did act weird, I usually restarted the phone.

**jfenton** · 02-06-2012, 05:24 AM

Personally I far prefer Telenav over Google Nav...just personal taste. No matter what phone I've had, the Google navigation products have always taken a longer time to lock onto the satellites.

It works like a charm both before and after the update and locks faster than my b$300 Garmin stand alone unit does in the car.

**Unibrow** · 02-06-2012, 11:49 AM

The gps in mine works quite well or at least much better than my Evo or my Pre before that ever did. The few times it didn't work on me though was quite infuriating although it was quickly solved with a reboot which thankfully goes by quite fast.

My Evo didn't have a hard time getting gps generally but nav would often make my phone crash, probably a hardware issue but never wanted to trade it in for a refurb.

**Knoidea513** · 02-06-2012, 12:30 PM

I dunno if it's the gps or the telenav app but one of them are inaccurate 50 percent of the time

**E_Cross** · 02-06-2012, 01:14 PM

I get great luck out of the blue triangular symbol that says "Navigation" no idea who does what with that, I always thought it was google's. Telenav is meh and you have to pay for it do you not?

After I made sure I was using cell towers also and the sensor thing was checked my GPS improved even more and was super responsive.

I named my nav lady Robonequa, since apparently it is semi required to name them according to my gf.

**E_Cross** · 02-06-2012, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by Unibrow

The gps in mine works quite well or at least much better than my Evo or my Pre before that ever did. The few times it didn't work on me though was quite infuriating although it was quickly solved with a reboot which thankfully goes by quite fast.

My Evo didn't have a hard time getting gps generally but nav would often make my phone crash, probably a hardware issue but never wanted to trade it in for a refurb.

my Evo was a pain, and the GPS radios went out a lot it seemed

**michaeljc70** · 02-13-2012, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by datboicastro

I used to have that phone and had the same issue download "GPS status" from the market. Open the app and a couple seconds until you see it lock than open Google maps and it'll work perfectly. Just make sure GPS status is running in the background while navigating.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

GPS status has the option to automatically download AGPS data at an interval you choose. It is under settings.

**sparkeater79** · 02-13-2012, 02:34 PM

I took mine into sprint and showed them my faulty GPS, so they sent me a replacement. It seems to be working everywhere now.

**ericblackdv** · 02-14-2012, 09:51 PM

Thanks to both datboicastro and Stearmandriver for the "gps status" tip. I just downloaded it from the Market. I will definitely use it because the gps sometimes takes too long for my taste to get a lock. This app should greatly help.