In the coming weeks Bell will be making GPS satellite locks performed by free/3rd party apps* take 2-10 minutes instead of the standard 15-20 seconds to make GPSNav [Sold separately] look like a better product with it's 15-20 second GPS lock.
* Blackberry Maps, Google Maps, etc.
The following phones are affected:
� BlackBerry 8830 World Edition.
� BlackBerry 8130 Pearl.
� BlackBerry 8330 Curve.
Various quotes include:
"Clients should be using GPS Nav from Bell Mobility"
"High quality locates are only available by using GPS Nav"
Ok..I'm confused..I'm very new at this guys, so pardon my stupidness..
I don't use the GPSNav cause you have to pay for it with bell, I use google maps instead, are they locking that? will I have GPS at all?
So the issue is bandwidth, or just plain map availability from the carrier themselves?
The issue is this:
Bell wants you to pay for THEIR gps program. It's 10$ a month. So in order to make it look like a better program than GoogleMaps or BB Maps, they've set up the GPS on their phones so that if you're using THEIR gps softwear it'll take 15-30 seconds to fix on a satellite. If you're using Google maps or BB Maps they've set it up so that it takes 2-10 minutes to fix on a satellite.
Only once you've fixed on a sattelite can you download the corresponding map.
I dunno about you guys...but when I'm lost I don't wanna have to sit down and wait 10 minutes to find out where the **** I am.
It's an underhanded thing for them to do...but Telus is going to be doing it soon aswell.
Hopefully, the community would be able to figure a workaround this bs. Hm...sorry, I don't have any ideas haha...would upgrading/downgrading the OS would make difference in any way?
Hopefully, the community would be able to figure a workaround this bs. Hm...sorry, I don't have any ideas haha...would upgrading/downgrading the OS would make difference in any way?
I've heard from a very senior (ie: associate director level) person at Bell that all this talk about the GPS is FUD. It is nothing more than a rumour...something for the conspiracy theorists.
That's why every Sales rep, Call centre rep, and such has the ability yo find and read .doc file.
FYI, this has been delayed until further notice.
Can you produce said document? Also, what sources do you have at Bell that indicate that this has been delayed or was even a fact in the first place? This cropped up on the official Bell.ca support forums (link here:forums.bell.ca/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=97 ) and mystified the moderator who'd never heard of this issue. Upon looking into it, he came up with a "2 minute" versus 10 minute lock time, but didn't even seem certain of it himself.
This FUD was reported, regurgitated and recycled throughout the 'net including by such "authorities" as Michael Geist (who should stick within his own area of expertise IMHO).
I just got a Blackberry Curve and am using the GPSNav option (now my wife doesn't need to buy me a GPS for Christmas...dang!) and quite like it, but would be very surprised if Bell started affecting GPS lock ability on the Bell-branded Curve, mainly because the good folks at RIM would be unlikey to sit idly by while this happens. This is, after all, a feature (Blackberry maps, etc.) which is supposed to differentiate their smartphone from the rest of the riffraff.
Bell wants you to pay for THEIR gps program. It's 10$ a month. So in order to make it look like a better program than GoogleMaps or BB Maps, they've set up the GPS on their phones so that if you're using THEIR gps softwear it'll take 15-30 seconds to fix on a satellite. If you're using Google maps or BB Maps they've set it up so that it takes 2-10 minutes to fix on a satellite.
Only once you've fixed on a sattelite can you download the corresponding map.
I dunno about you guys...but when I'm lost I don't wanna have to sit down and wait 10 minutes to find out where the **** I am.
It's an underhanded thing for them to do...but Telus is going to be doing it soon aswell.
Another point for Rogers.
Thanks for clearing that up for me. That sucks! And it should be considered illegal, you pay for a device with GPS and they neuter it. Not cool.
