Samsung to CNET: Promises update for Captivate GPS issues

[gunny5821]

I'm going to stick with the Captivate. As people mentioned, when 2.2 comes out and probably another signficant upgrade before the year is out, plus Samsung will fix all of the issues, my guess, prior to 2.2 being released, so yeah I keeping the Captivate!

The one thing I may do however, is exchange the phone yet at the 25 day marker, so as to get a "Newer" DOB.

Riding the High Hope Wave!!!

Gunny

 

[ranjo]

I'm keeping my Captivate. Have had iPhones for two years now (3g, 3gS) and for me the Android experience on my Cappy is far superior, gps issue aside.

 

[vishrb]

I have not had any issues with the GPS. I have only used the turn by turn once though. Will still continue to use my tom tom for that. Usually I just use it to find where I am and search for stuff close and get directions. I have not tweaked the settings any. It gets my location very fast. The directios are spot on. I have had the phone for about 2 1/2 weeks-ish. My daughter has the iphone 4. Out of the box I cannot see anything it can do as far as location that my cap can't. The only reason anyone should pick the Iphone over the cap is if they really like the front facing camera. IMHO. Maybe the flash. Obvioulsy it could be that my particular needs have been met but maybe not yours.

Just thought it important to note that not everyone is feeling the GPS pain.

 

[getDange]

I was complaining to someone about the faulty GPS on my captivate. That person had DINC and was saying he has not had a single problem with GPS, so I asked him to show me how fast his phone locks onto the signal. He pulled the phone out, fired off GMAPS and within 5 seconds he had a lock!
Keep reading though
GMaps showed him 1.5 blocks away( on streets of NYC)!! He said it was because we were standing, and told me to walk with him a few yards to see that GMaps will switch to our exact location. We walked. The location did not change at all! Moved from that wrong location 0 yards although we walked about 20.
I found it funny. I am now suspecting that all these phone GPSs are just not powerful enough and thus are too approximate. Samsung tried to only show location when there is an excellent strong gps signal from multiple satellites, and so we are all suffering from no lock. Others just let it "lock" with a 200 yard precision

 

[acp]

If Im not mistaking the Samsung Moment also suffered GPS problems, I had two of them and I don't remember GPS ever working as well as my Hero or Evo

 

[tehillim]

Keeping, but may switch current one out for newer one within my 30 days (if it's a reasonable thing to do).

 

[Extract0r]

I think the whole GPS issue is overblown out of proportion.

I admit the factory settings for the phone isn't optimized well, but you can adjust the settings to make it work.

Here are my settings


*Use wireless networks : ON
*Operation Mode : MS Based
*Accuracy : 100
Start Mode : Hot start
*Use SkyHook : ON
*Server : supl.google.com
*Server Port : 7276
*SUPL Secure Socket : OFF
*GPS Plus : ON

I usually get a lock in 5~10 seconds coming out of a building. Accuracy is at 50m when standing still, tested with the 'GPS Status' App.

Once in a car, I get a lock in less than 10 seconds when waking up the phone from sleep, starting the Google Maps app and click 'My Location'.

Before I made the above tweaking, my GPS used to take up to a full minute to get a decent lock.

Try the above fix before giving up on your Captivate. This phone rocks and will only get better when the Froyo arrives!!!

 

[Jreitnauer7]

I think the whole GPS issue is overblown out of proportion.

I admit the factory settings for the phone isn't optimized well, but you can adjust the settings to make it work.

Here are my settings


*Use wireless networks : ON
*Operation Mode : MS Based
*Accuracy : 100
Start Mode : Hot start
*Use SkyHook : ON
*Server : supl.google.com
*Server Port : 7276
*SUPL Secure Socket : OFF
*GPS Plus : ON

I usually get a lock in 5~10 seconds coming out of a building. Accuracy is at 50m when standing still, tested with the 'GPS Status' App.

Once in a car, I get a lock in less than 10 seconds when waking up the phone from sleep, starting the Google Maps app and click 'My Location'.

Before I made the above tweaking, my GPS used to take up to a full minute to get a decent lock.

Try the above fix before giving up on your Captivate. This phone rocks and will only get better when the Froyo arrives!!!

This fix does not work for everyone and most of the time only works for a short period of tims. There is a 500+ post pn the xda forums under samsung galaxy s gps issues with very smart people trying to find the problem. In someone from broadcom is also looking at it. There is without a doubt a real gps issue with this phone.

 

[mongstradamus]

This fix does not work for everyone and most of the time only works for a short period of tims. There is a 500+ post pn the xda forums under samsung galaxy s gps issues with very smart people trying to find the problem. In someone from broadcom is also looking at it. There is without a doubt a real gps issue with this phone.

I agree there , the gps is just too random. Thats the major problem i have with phone , I do really like the phone but i dont feel like getting stuck with an phone on an 2 year contract with no guarantee that an gps will come.

 

[ranova]

I think the whole GPS issue is overblown out of proportion.

I admit the factory settings for the phone isn't optimized well, but you can adjust the settings to make it work.

Here are my settings


*Use wireless networks : ON
*Operation Mode : MS Based
*Accuracy : 100
Start Mode : Hot start
*Use SkyHook : ON
*Server : supl.google.com
*Server Port : 7276
*SUPL Secure Socket : OFF
*GPS Plus : ON

I usually get a lock in 5~10 seconds coming out of a building. Accuracy is at 50m when standing still, tested with the 'GPS Status' App.

Once in a car, I get a lock in less than 10 seconds when waking up the phone from sleep, starting the Google Maps app and click 'My Location'.

Before I made the above tweaking, my GPS used to take up to a full minute to get a decent lock.

Try the above fix before giving up on your Captivate. This phone rocks and will only get better when the Froyo arrives!!!

stop posting this bandaid, it does nothing but assist in the initial locking in but does not help keep ACCURACY while in movement.

 

[jfogs1]

Have a look at:
Samsung promises update for Vibrant and Captivate GPS issue | Android Atlas - CNET Blogs

"We are diligently evaluating the situation and will provide an update as soon as possible."

While it's not a specific date, I see this comment as better than some tech support guy's word or a quick tweet we've seen over the last week.

I'm still finding it remarkable that Galaxy S phones in Europe had this problem for MONTHS before they made it to the States. Yet, the same problem continued over here. I think it shows really two major flaws in Samsung:

1. Lack of dedicated commitment to resolve issues with consumer cell phones. Months of problems in Europe - still no fix.
2. Lack of quality control. They basically had a heads up that GPS didn't work on the same phones, yet they did absolutely nothing to check/prevent the issue in US.

So does hearing this news change your mind about returning the phone in your 30 days?

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!

I just got off the phone with Joel in Level 3 technical support and he actually told me with a straight face that the Samsung Galaxy S was designed and its "specifications" are such that the phone's GPS is meant to get you within WAIT FOR IT ..... 1600 METERS OF YOUR ACTUAL LOCATION!!!!! THAT'S RIGHT 1 MILE! If you haven't already returned this phone DO IT NOW. I am stuck with this POS!

 

[MrTony]

Whatever. I consistently get 5 meter or better fixes. Since we're not launching Tomahawks with our phones as the guidance component, I think 5 meters is plenty good. Some people just can't be satisfied.

 

[Jreitnauer7]

Whatever. I consistently get 5 meter or better fixes. Since we're not launching Tomahawks with our phones as the guidance component, I think 5 meters is plenty good. Some people just can't be satisfied.

The people that are getting 5m accuracy are not complaining. Its everyone that is betting 20m -50m and can barely get a lock

 

[c2k]

I was complaining to someone about the faulty GPS on my captivate. That person had DINC and was saying he has not had a single problem with GPS, so I asked him to show me how fast his phone locks onto the signal. He pulled the phone out, fired off GMAPS and within 5 seconds he had a lock!
Keep reading though
GMaps showed him 1.5 blocks away( on streets of NYC)!! He said it was because we were standing, and told me to walk with him a few yards to see that GMaps will switch to our exact location. We walked. The location did not change at all! Moved from that wrong location 0 yards although we walked about 20.
I found it funny. I am now suspecting that all these phone GPSs are just not powerful enough and thus are too approximate. Samsung tried to only show location when there is an excellent strong gps signal from multiple satellites, and so we are all suffering from no lock. Others just let it "lock" with a 200 yard precision

I think the reason for that is he was using wireless networks to find his location. I can select that on my phone and I get a lock within seconds, but its not very accurate. It sometimes puts me up to 1/4 mile off (with an apparent accuracy of 70 meters lol). So for practical use its actually fine, I can use it for navigation and to find things, its just not that accurate...

 

[c2k]

The people that are getting 5m accuracy are not complaining. Its everyone that is betting 20m -50m and can barely get a lock

50m isnt even that bad. I dont live in a city with 10000 side streets though, but a lock of 200 or 2000 is bad. Or just not locking at all.

 

[mi04se1]

I turned use wireless networks off today and Im getting pretty good accuracy.