So, are they ever going to fix the GPS?

[yourbrokenoven]

The phone has been out long enough that there should be a Fix for the virtually unusable GPS on this phone. I'm considering paying out of pocket and jumping from Android to iPhone because, hey, at least they update their phones a few times before sending them to the graveyard. It's very frustrating not being able to use Google Maps for navigation like I once did with my original Droid.

I'm frustrated. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Kekoh]

I'm an EVO user, so I don't know what the specifics of the GPS problem are so I could be wrong. That being said, the problem could be fixed by flashing a new ROM? You didn't say if you are rooted or not.

On my EVO, CM7 borked my GPS for some reason or other. My evo wouldn't lock onto my location, it would just provide a general location based off radios. I have a fix to flash for my device so my GPS works fast and accurately like it should. Maybe there is a simalar flashable for the Charge?

 

[rmcray08]

No.

Samsung and Verizon seem to have all but abandoned the Droid Charge.

Just an opinion, of course.

 

[cnlson]

there are a couple of fixes that can be easily applied if you are rooted. Just use google

 

[neddobson]

The gps on my charge works fine. Ive used google maps navigation plenty of times. It always works correctly for me.

 

[barrycinti]

The gps on my charge works fine. Ive used google maps navigation plenty of times. It always works correctly for me.

Same here, I have used GPS many times. Sometimes it takes a minute or 2 to lock, butt once it does it stays locked.

 

[kart38]

I used the GPS, and built in Nav app, to get my family from our house to my wife's grandparent's house several hundred miles away. The GPS was, at worst, as fast as my wife's iPhone, but normally it was quicker to lock on. I was running stock EE4 at the time. Now I'm using the latest GB leak and still have no problems.

Have you considered exchanging for a different Charge? These are mass produced items, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for some to just not "be right". It happens with things. That is what the 1 year factory warranty is for.

Jason

 

[kismet769]

My GF's Charge hasn't had any issues with GPS. She uses it all the time.

There's a high probability you got a bum unit. Have you called Verizon to have them exchange it?

 

[blueis300]

Funny How my wife got a new in box and has problems, I have rooted and tried several roms and still have problems.

 

[expidia]

The GPS does not work correctly for many of us as it's a known issue when they introduced the Charge. Verizon should have demanded that Samsung fix this issue but they just force us to sit and wait for GB.
I should not have to root just to correct Samsungs bugs. If you are in a moving vechicle especially in a strange town it takes the VZ navigator about 10 minutes to lock onto the satellites. Now I've missed the correct exit. This is unacceptable. I like the Charge, but I would never recommend it to anyone because Samsung does not support it with the proper updates.

Maybe after Samsung loses enough of the marketshare to the iPhone they may start to get it. I tell everyone that asks me my opinion of which smartphone to get I suggest they get the iPhone 4s or wait for the upcoming 4G iPhone 5 which would be the smarter move since you are locking yourself into another 2 year contract. I personally would never buy a Samsung product again. Too bad to because I've never had any issues with their flat screen TV's but seeing how they left us in the lurch with the Charge my consumer dollars go to Apple from now on.

 

[papa54]

The GPS does not work correctly for many of us as it's a known issue when they introduced the Charge. Verizon should have demanded that Samsung fix this issue but they just force us to sit and wait for GB.
I should not have to root just to correct Samsungs bugs. If you are in a moving vechicle especially in a strange town it takes the VZ navigator about 10 minutes to lock onto the satellites. Now I've missed the correct exit. This is unacceptable. I like the Charge, but I would never recommend it to anyone because Samsung does not support it with the proper updates.

Maybe after Samsung loses enough of the marketshare to the iPhone they may start to get it. I tell everyone that asks me my opinion of which smartphone to get I suggest they get the iPhone 4s or wait for the upcoming 4G iPhone 5 which would be the smarter move since you are locking yourself into another 2 year contract. I personally would never buy a Samsung product again. Too bad to because I've never had any issues with their flat screen TV's but seeing how they left us in the lurch with the Charge my consumer dollars go to Apple from now on.

To each his on i guess ,,but my droid charge has never failed me on anything.. crap my fascinate was good on gps also but had a problem with calls in/out .. more than i could bear,,, also the signal was so weak in the fassy it would not even update its self.. so i now have the charge and its been with me about 3 to 4 months.. GPS is slow to lock at first,, but once locked it stays fixed even in areas where the fassy would be deader than a wooden duck. i was using Gummy Bear - GBE 2.0 and had no complaints but "1".. i tried to get a new theme and it wiped out my Swype... and not being a typist it works for me so i been all evening looking at other roms etc.. but i will not give up my charge... its as close to me as my Very obediant, voice command Dog...
i do not think you'll be happy with any iphone etc or anything that is Appled .. there isnt enough apps fo IPh.. and prolly never will be... if anything,,, i'd go with the nexus .. google specs built..

 

[chrstdvd]

The phone has been out long enough that there should be a Fix for the virtually unusable GPS on this phone. I'm considering paying out of pocket and jumping from Android to iPhone because, hey, at least they update their phones a few times before sending them to the graveyard. It's very frustrating not being able to use Google Maps for navigation like I once did with my original Droid.

I'm frustrated. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I just got rid of the iPhone 4s for the Droid Charge and if you like the way your apps such as Maps work on your Android decice, do not go to iPhone, there is no voice navigation with the iPhone version of Maps. Matter of fact every app that you love on Android that has an iPhone equivalent does not work the way you are used to, hardly any options or settings. I tried the Dolphin browser on it and it totally was a different frustrating experience.

And for me, the worst frustration was no "back button" or equivalent. So if you click a link in an email, go on the browser and read, the only way to get back to your email is to close the browser, then find your Email icon and open it up again.

If you get another phone, get an Android.

 

[papa54]

If you want to help the GPS go to settings >wireless networks>Mobile networks>Global Data Roaming Access::::::::::::::;
once there tick the allow accessfor all trips...
GPS get right on the mark in a minute or less..

 

[kraisydave]

"Originally Posted by expidia View Post
The GPS does not work correctly for many of us as it's a known issue when they introduced the Charge. Verizon should have demanded that Samsung fix this issue but they just force us to sit and wait for GB.
I should not have to root just to correct Samsungs bugs. If you are in a moving vechicle especially in a strange town it takes the VZ navigator about 10 minutes to lock onto the satellites. Now I've missed the correct exit. This is unacceptable. I like the Charge, but I would never recommend it to anyone because Samsung does not support it with the proper updates.

Maybe after Samsung loses enough of the marketshare to the iPhone they may start to get it. I tell everyone that asks me my opinion of which smartphone to get I suggest they get the iPhone 4s or wait for the upcoming 4G iPhone 5 which would be the smarter move since you are locking yourself into another 2 year contract. I personally would never buy a Samsung product again. Too bad to because I've never had any issues with their flat screen TV's but seeing how they left us in the lurch with the Charge my consumer dollars go to Apple from now on."

My first suggestion is to stop using the VZ nav and go to a professional app like Google or another mapping service. Verizon is not a mapping company and their app is less than good when compared to others.

Next - 10 minutes in a new city is normal under most circumstances as the GPS (not cell towers and wifi) but the real GPS must teach itself where it has moved to while it was not running. If you move over 100 miles without it running the GPS could take 30 minutes to an hour before it ever would find its location. I know this because I use higher end GPS equipment for the Gov that is not in the public.

And my last point would be line of sight. The A-GPS chip/antenna in the phone must have clear line of sight with the Sats. So I suggest that anyone using the service get a windshield mount or place the phone on the dash till it gets a good signal.

I would also suggest using the apps GPS Test and GPS Status. Both are free and can provide you with lots of information about the Sat types around you as all are not the same. You can look up the numbers to see which types are actually able to help you navigate. There are still many dead areas in the US even in major cities.

I had the Epic 4g some time ago and it had the same known problems with bad GPS. I agree that Samsung and Verizon should fix this or replace it. But for the mean time we must make do.

One last piece would be to use the Blue Arrow Nav app from Google verses the Google Maps app just simply by the fact that I have had better luck with it.

I hope you find a way to resolve this...

Dave

kraisydave's Channel - YouTube

Twitter @kraisydave

ww.KDtech.org

Everyone deserves to get the best out of their phone!

 

[ct1211]

To all of you thinking you might "Move to the iPhone" over the GPS issue, let me remind you the iPhone 4S still has NO native turn by turn voice navigation, nor 4G, nor hot spots. My charge has the GPS issue maybe GB will help. It also has hotspot / data drop issues. I also carry an Epic 4G (personal phone on Sprint) I was usually getting a faster lock with this phone for GPS, sadly it just got the GB update and now it has slowed down....

Remember all of this new product is coming out faster than it can be fully tested, meaning we are the beta testers AND we have to pay for the privilege!

 

[Billster11]

The only reason I bought an Android over an iPhone was for the Maps, so I'm disappointed with the way the Charge is performing. But every phone seems to have issues, so I've stuck with it. Oddly my GPS performance has gotten worse in the past few weeks. I did a factory reset a while back and my data constantly goes out. But the GPS seems to have a problem with the 4G connection. If I drop it down to 3G, I tend to lock on faster.

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

 

[ct1211]

My Data works on and off as well in Hotspot mode. I use it with my macbook air and Samsung Tab 8.9 i am constantly having to restart the phone. I would love to dump this POS, but its a work phone, if I ant a new phone like the Galaxy S II I will have to pay for it. oh wait, that phone is not available through Verizon only 3G playa's like AT&T and Sprint! Verizon has given me a BS story about system updates. Because my phones account is set up through my employer I have no way of troubleshooting direct. If anyone has any ideas to fix the data hotspot I would love to hear from you. Thanks All!

 

[Rudolphe]

Same here, I have used GPS many times. Sometimes it takes a minute or 2 to lock, butt once it does it stays locked.

A "minute or 2" is entirely too long for GPS to lock though. If you leave the app and go back or it loses lock you have to wait again.

My Droid X used to lock in seconds and when I first got my charge it worked very well. Now it takes 2-5 minutes to lock... very frustrating.

Lets just say I cant wait for the Nexus so I can toss this in the drawer with the rest of my old phones.

 

[chrstdvd]

Get the app GPS Status. It gives you a visual of what the GPS chip is doing and how many satellites you are locking onto. I usually am hooked up to 6 to 8 Sats. I just used it for a test am locked on to 8 Sats in 10 seconds from inside my house.

 

[Landshark]

I have compared my GPS performance to my friend's GPS performance on his iphone and I have beaten him every time. There have been a couple times when his iphone has gotten a lock before my Charge when we were indoors, but my Charge has beaten his iphone every single time in terms of accuracy. For the most part it seems the GPS on the Charge has been at least acceptable. If you are having problems, you would be wise to start complaining to verizon to see if you can get a CLNR Charge to replace the one you have.