GPS Accuracy of iPhone 4 Abysmal or is it just me

[Brokebroker83]

Hi,

I'm on my second iPhone 4 and everything has been going relatively well (the first one's speaker was messed up). However I think the honeymoon period with this one is over.

The phone is constantly showing my location off by several blocks. My wife's 3GS is showing a more accurate reading (though its still a little off too).

Mostly I tend to be a block or two away from my actual location, at other times more than that. I live in the Chicago Downtown area so I thought that perhaps the buildings were to blame. But I encountered the same problem when I was in Washington DC and Virginia for the week.

My second hunch was that perhaps the default Maps was just not that great. So I got Navigon and the problem is only worse in that one. While in the Google Maps Application I might be showing as 2 blocks off from my real location. In the Navigon one I usually appear a couple of blocks even further away and keep showing as moving from one location to the other!!

Has anyone else noticed this. Most posts that I read online were full of rave reviews for the amazing GPS accuracy of less than 16m. Navigon shows my accuracy of being less than 500m. Thats just pointless if I want to make any use out of this.

So any suggestions guys? What do you think I should do? I dont want to take it to an apple store cause they, like always, will just tell me to do a restore. Plus every once in a while the GPS is pretty accurate and knowing my luck it will happen there!

 

[-Ryan-]

I haven't had a similar experience. For me the GPS accuracy has been a huge step up from the previous iPhones. Granted, if out of signal the GPS is abysmal at initial placement, but that is to be expected. In other situations it finds me quickly, and it's usually bang on, or at most just a few metres out.

 

[qckslvrsiete]

I'd say you might have a bad gps chip. I just downloaded TomTom US navigator and within a minute of loading and launching the app on my ip4 it had my position pinpointed...and I was inside my house. Tested it at work today and speed and location also seemed much more accurate than on my old 3G (granted I never had TomTom on the 3g, so maybe the software also had something to do with that). As far as google maps, I've noticed it being much more accurate than my 3g as well.

 

[Arkanok]

Like the others, I don't have any issues with the GPS in my iPhone 4.

I fired up Navigon GPS on mine a few times and compared side-by-side with my friends 3Gs and his 3Gs was slightly less accurate than my iPhone 4. My iPhone 4 was consistently in the exact place we were, never jumping to another road or off-road at all, whereas his 3Gs was occasionally.

iPhone 4's GPS seems to be working better than the other iPhones thus far, at least in my experience.

 

[Brokebroker83]

Like the others, I don't have any issues with the GPS in my iPhone 4.

I fired up Navigon GPS on mine a few times and compared side-by-side with my friends 3Gs and his 3Gs was slightly less accurate than my iPhone 4. My iPhone 4 was consistently in the exact place we were, never jumping to another road or off-road at all, whereas his 3Gs was occasionally.

iPhone 4's GPS seems to be working better than the other iPhones thus far, at least in my experience.

So i guess its off to the Apple Store...again ....

Do you think I should just wait till September 30. See whatever changes or whatever is going to happen. I really don't need the Navigation right now and am pretty happy with everything else.

So wait or go now?

Also the size of the Circle around the blue dot is supposed to be the signal strength right...The bigger the circle the less precise the location?

 

[-aggie-]

So i guess its off to the Apple Store...again ....

Do you think I should just wait till September 30. See whatever changes or whatever is going to happen. I really don't need the Navigation right now and am pretty happy with everything else.

So wait or go now?

Also the size of the Circle around the blue dot is supposed to be the signal strength right...The bigger the circle the less precise the location?

I'd return it now. There's not going to be some new design on Sept. 30.

The bigger the circle the less precise the location. Once the signal starts pulsing, it means the satellite has found you. It sounds like your GPS chip or antenna is bad, and it's not finding you.


BTW, my iPhone 4 GPS is MUCH better than my 3G was. It's off by several meters maybe.

 

[Mac'nCheese]

SOrry you're having such problems. Mine works fine; the maps app is so good I haven't felt the need to pay for tomtom or another app. GPS always finds me right where I am.

 

[aedraste]

So i guess its off to the Apple Store...again ....

Do you think I should just wait till September 30. See whatever changes or whatever is going to happen. I really don't need the Navigation right now and am pretty happy with everything else.

So wait or go now?

Also the size of the Circle around the blue dot is supposed to be the signal strength right...The bigger the circle the less precise the location?

Nothing is changing on September 30. It's just an opportunity for Apple to count their losses and close the floodgates.

 

[Brokebroker83]

I'd return it now. There's not going to be some new design on Sept. 30.

The bigger the circle the less precise the location. Once the signal starts pulsing, it means the satellite has found you. It sounds like your GPS chip or antenna is bad, and it's not finding you.


BTW, my iPhone 4 GPS is MUCH better than my 3G was. It's off by several meters maybe.

So heres what I noticed, if I have my wireless connected (as in connected to my wireless router) the phone shows my location almost perfectly — within 1-2 seconds.

Its only when Im not connected to a wireless signal and the phone is on 3G and using the GPS that my locations appears incorrectly.

So do you still think its a GPS thing or perhaps something else.

 

[weeman]

So heres what I noticed, if I have my wireless connected (as in connected to my wireless router) the phone shows my location almost perfectly — within 1-2 seconds.

Its only when Im not connected to a wireless signal and the phone is on 3G and using the GPS that my locations appears incorrectly.

So do you still think its a GPS thing or perhaps something else.

I noticed from my previous iphones that if wifi is on (but not necessarily connected to wifi) that the gps reading is faster and much more accurate than if wifi is off...and from that experience I leave wifi toggle on at all times (but keep searchin for wifi networks off to save battery life)

 

[-aggie-]

So heres what I noticed, if I have my wireless connected (as in connected to my wireless router) the phone shows my location almost perfectly — within 1-2 seconds.

Its only when Im not connected to a wireless signal and the phone is on 3G and using the GPS that my locations appears incorrectly.

So do you still think its a GPS thing or perhaps something else.

Are you getting a pulsing blue circle when using wifi?

 

[asleep]

My GPS accuracy is good, but I have another issue.

Using my 3G Google Map for driving directions the orientation of the map was "heads up", or in the direction I was heading.

I can't seem to figure out how to get my iP4 to do the same -- it stays in a North orientation.

Anyone know the fix for this?

 

[Brokebroker83]

Are you getting a pulsing blue circle when using wifi?

No when I have Wifi on the GPS locks onto my position really quickly (like I said, within 1-2 seconds) and I don't get the Blue circle instead its like a radar where a small line pulsates Out from the blue dot.

 

[-aggie-]

No when I have Wifi on the GPS locks onto my position really quickly (like I said, within 1-2 seconds) and I don't get the Blue circle instead its like a radar where a small line pulsates Out from the blue dot.

It should be a pulsing blue circle when the satellite finds you. I don't know what you mean by the radar. Perhaps, provide a screenshot.

Anyway, if you are finding the satellite, then your 3G triangulation is not working. You might try resetting the network settings.

 

[sulaiman]

Hi,

I'm on my second iPhone 4 and everything has been going relatively well (the first one's speaker was messed up). However I think the honeymoon period with this one is over.

The phone is constantly showing my location off by several blocks. My wife's 3GS is showing a more accurate reading (though its still a little off too).

Mostly I tend to be a block or two away from my actual location, at other times more than that. I live in the Chicago Downtown area so I thought that perhaps the buildings were to blame. But I encountered the same problem when I was in Washington DC and Virginia for the week.

My second hunch was that perhaps the default Maps was just not that great. So I got Navigon and the problem is only worse in that one. While in the Google Maps Application I might be showing as 2 blocks off from my real location. In the Navigon one I usually appear a couple of blocks even further away and keep showing as moving from one location to the other!!

Has anyone else noticed this. Most posts that I read online were full of rave reviews for the amazing GPS accuracy of less than 16m. Navigon shows my accuracy of being less than 500m. Thats just pointless if I want to make any use out of this.

So any suggestions guys? What do you think I should do? I dont want to take it to an apple store cause they, like always, will just tell me to do a restore. Plus every once in a while the GPS is pretty accurate and knowing my luck it will happen there!

here is what i found out

on E connection GPS accuracy is very low

3g is GPS Accuracy normall

WIFI perfect

 

[stylinexpat]

So heres what I noticed, if I have my wireless connected (as in connected to my wireless router) the phone shows my location almost perfectly — within 1-2 seconds.

Its only when Im not connected to a wireless signal and the phone is on 3G and using the GPS that my locations appears incorrectly.

So do you still think its a GPS thing or perhaps something else.

Same here on my HTC Desire phone running Android.

 

[FieldingMellish]

Mine using Google maps was a block off. I think it was Google Maps that screwed up.

 

[stylinexpat]

Mine using Google maps was a block off. I think it was Google Maps that screwed up.

My HTC Desire can also be up to a block off. The Iphone 3G I had was showing the exact same location so I think it has something to do with the satelites instead of the maps because when you use Wifi the location is more accurate.

 

[cwmst22]

Apple using new set of maps?

Haven't read the entire thread line by line, so if this has already been mentioned I apologize.

But I thought I had read somewhere that starting with iOS4, Apple is using it's own internal maps instead of Google. Trying to break away from them. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

Maybe the area you are located isn't as well mapped by whatever map set is now being used and that is causing the issue.

Just a thought. Will see if I can find the news article/information again to post.

***********EDIT************************

Apple's iOS now uses its own Maps location databases

***********EDIT************************

 

[Brokebroker83]

Haven't read the entire thread line by line, so if this has already been mentioned I apologize.

But I thought I had read somewhere that starting with iOS4, Apple is using it's own internal maps instead of Google. Trying to break away from them. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

Maybe the area you are located isn't as well mapped by whatever map set is now being used and that is causing the issue.

Just a thought. Will see if I can find the news article/information again to post.

***********EDIT************************

Apple's iOS now uses its own Maps location databases

***********EDIT************************

Hmm I don't think thats it because my phone keeps showing my current location all over the place. It's not the same place two-blocks away, but instead pretty much any random place in a two-block radius!

 

[vincenz]

I find the accuracy pretty much the same. Consistency goes to the 3GS though. Or I may just be testing during times when the signal is fluctuating.

 

[webvamsi555]

Having the same for new iphone4

Hi,

I'm having the same problem with new iph4 but my previous iph4 was good,

Yesterday I've got new claimed mobile from o2 every thing Is fine except the problem with google maps it's not showing the exact location 2 to 4 blocks difference , I restored,upgrade,jailbreak,checking other compass apps notting result good!!

Some times it's shows good but some times entirely different possition and location . I think may be the problem with gps chip when I complaint they ask me to bring to stores. If it works good in stores how can I explain them!!!!

Any solution or do i need to change this mobile?

 

[Surrylic]

I haven't had this issue, mine is perfect and wayyy faster and more accurate than my 3G.

 

[webvamsi555]

Maps not working accurately

I don't know exactly the problem may be with the iph4 , poor gps,poor signal,problem with maps but when I used with my old iph4 it's good in same place and location