9900 Poor GPS

[DangerMouseUK]

No one else has posted about this on its own post yet so I thought I'd throw it in.

Has no one else noticed really bad GPS in big cities (I'm mainly in London).

I mean unless you're directly outside it practically never gets a lock on, I'm pretty sure it uses APGS as well so something even approximate but I'm getting nothing unless I'm stood outdoors.

Was in Spain and France not in built up cities and outdoors and it locked on quite quickly but I'm guessing the AGPS is not functioning properly or at all even though there's a clear setting for it under location settings.

I'm hoping this is a software specific issue with AGPS not being implemented properly or the GPS drivers not being up to scratch yet.

Anyone else in a big city getting this ? Please don't tell me your GPS works perfectly if you live in the countryside where the GPS will probably perform better.

[9900Boldfan]

This does not sound too good. I will try and test one today (here in Bangkok) and update later on today. I'm looking at buying one today but with all these problems I am seeing I'm thinking it just may be better to get the Galaxy S2 or the new HTC Vigor that just got announced.

[decypher44]

I know you have a 9900, and are on a different continent than me, but my 9930's GPS works really well. I live in Orange County, CA - and travel across the county 5 days a week. I also drive to LA, CA every couple of weeks. So far, GPS has been very accurate.

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[DangerMouseUK]

Hmm what firmware you running ?

I'd be hard pushed to believe the GPS chipset is different, but maybe the CDMA AGPS module works better than the GSM AGPS not sure. Not even sure if the chipset is different at all just different radio modules activated in the factory etc.

Or maybe its 353 firmware on the 9900. I can't remember actively using GPS before this firmware.

[andyJH]

I just picked up my 9900 this afternoon and I am blown away. What a cool phone.

As for the GPS: My former phone, an 8900, would struggle to locate my location indoors while the 9900 connects almost instantly under a roof. A huge improvement in that area. I have not had the phone out side of my home yet, so I cannot say more than that about the GPS.

[mikolina]

I have a 9900 on T-Mobile USA in the middle of Chicago. The GPS works okay. Weirdly enough, on BB Maps, I can see my location within 15 seconds or so. But then it sometimes disappears within a minute.

It definitely isn't as fast as the Atrix or iP4 in the household.

[DangerMouseUK]

Hmm maybe its just a London thing then.

[belfastdispatcher]

Originally Posted by DangerMouseUK

Hmm maybe its just a London thing then.

Vodafone uk 9900 working fast in Belfast, faster then the 9700 but the 9000 was also faster then the 9700, In London I presume there could be many things interfering.

I find it finds my location very fast even if I'm driving fast on the motorway.

[Spawn12]

Got a 9900 running 353 firmware and i get a GPS fix within 10secs or so...live in london and thats for both inside and outside....mind you mines a unbranded sim free model.

[DangerMouseUK]

Strange. I am gonna have to investigate further. Thought it was more general than that.

Off I go to test ! lol

[SunnyV]

Finds my location very fast in london, but the only problem I had was that when I was walking east, it would have me shown walking in the opposite direction.....

[ignites]

mine works even from my room indoor with a small window (gps not a-gps since it was down to meters)

[big samm]

Im in Canada and i don't have any problem with the gps... It locates me seconds after launching google maps with sometimes 5 meters of accuracy!

[albee 1]

Originally Posted by SunnyV

Finds my location very fast in london, but the only problem I had was that when I was walking east, it would have me shown walking in the opposite direction.....

You can change the navigation in the Menu fron North/Up to Destination/Up. Or something like that. That way you don't have to turn it sideways or upside down to navigate. FYI

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[FBA]

Mine take only a few seconds to locate after enabling GPS...indoors. It get a location even faster than my Garmin does. The 9900 GPS is the fastest I've seen on any BB's I've used in the past few years.