Is this Google Vs Skyhook Business part of the GPS performance issues?

[SporkLover]

So I was just reading through some tech articles and came across one describing another lawsuit being launched against google. This one relates to Positioning services, and the requirement for Google Experience phones to use Google Positioning Services only.

Apparently the Droid X and Samsung Galaxy S phones originally signed a deal to use competing positioning service Skyhook, however, right around shipping time for the devices Google told the manufacturers that they cannot carry the Google Experience branding (and all that comes with that, Market, Google apps, etc) without using Google Positioning Services. So both manufacturers got ditched Skyhook and went on their Merry way.

Skyhook Sues Google in Location Patent, Contract Dispute | News & Opinion | PCMag.com for more reading info.

So now knowing this..... is this possibly the root of SGS phone lineup GPS issues?

 

[KoukiFC3S]

No, this only affect agps.

 

[Aero1]

no, this only affect agps.

lol, the Epic has a confirmed aGPS problem

 

[SporkLover]

Right and the issue with the sgs phones seem to be agps related. Having had a phone without agps, it seems like the issue. This article just offers a glimpse as to why those issues exist. If Samsung original agps strategy incorporated skyhook, and then last minute they had to change just to get the phones out the door it can explain why there is an issue; especially if the humningbird soc was designed to specifically work with the skyhook service.

 

[boomerbubba]

No, this only affect agps.

The way I understand Skyhook, it has nothing to do with aGPS or plain GPS either. It is an auxiliary location service built around a database of WiFi routers and access points, built by Skyhook's army of war drivers, and sold by Skyhook to carriers and/or manufacturers.

None of that has anything to do with aGPS, a satellite-based system augmented by ground servers that cache and disseminate satellite data. aGPS is not a Google service, but a standard across the cellphone industry that has existed for several years.

So while the story over Skyhook's lawsuit may be interesting for other reasons, it is fanciful to blame Samsung's GPS/aGPS bugs on this controversy.

 

[SporkLover]

The way I understand Skyhook, it has nothing to do with aGPS or plain GPS either. It is an auxiliary location service built around a database of WiFi routers and access points, built by Skyhook's army of war drivers, and sold by Skyhook to carriers and/or manufacturers.

None of that has anything to do with aGPS, a satellite-based system augmented by ground servers that cache and disseminate satellite data. aGPS is not a Google service, but a standard across the cellphone industry that has existed for several years.

So while the story over Skyhook's lawsuit may be interesting for other reasons, it is fanciful to blame Samsung's GPS/aGPS bugs on this controversy.

When Skyhook only offered WPS that was the case.

It's competing location service (XPS) included WPS, GPS, and Cell Tower Triangulation. So this is not the case anymore. If the SGS was originally designed to use XPS, and then at the last moment they had to change their location service just to get the devices out the door, there is room for error and an explanation as to why things don't work so well now.

I may be way off base here, but from my perspective it seems there may be a linkage between the two.

 

[Aero1]

I think it is more likely that Samsung having so many variants is teh main problem. There aren't just GSM variants, nor Two different US cdma Variants, but overseas CDMA variants as well. There could be many differnt aGPS implimentatiosn on those carriers, plus some differnt policies on data usage (we with sprint always wonder why programs have aprompt to allow data as we have unlimited data an don;t think about it, but not everyone has unlimtied data)

I also think the fact that the main bug is cleared by resets there may have been a "blind spot" in testing which may hjave involved, alpha beta and final testers resetting very very often and thereby not seeing the bug.