GPS Problems - iPhone 7 or iOS10?

[loekf]

Possibly? I didn't even know of the difference between the A1660 and the A1778 model before your post made me google it.

I also find GPS slow and and inaccurate. I am using TomTom a lot and specially at roundabounds and crossings it is very annoying it takes too,kuch time to get a good location.

As a matter of fact, the WIFI, BT and GPS is part of the Qualcom or Intel modem. Don't think Apple is still using discrete ICs from Broadcom, which also abandoned that market.

So the "1778" model with an Intel modem... just has worse GPS than the Qualcom versions ?

 

[Occamoo]

Hi,

Just thought I'd add to this.

I had exactly the same experience, iPhone 7 reading about 10% longer routes than side by side with my old iPhone 6.

Logged it with apple and they replaced the handset (great support service as usual from apple), sadly hasn't resolved the issue, so my conclusion is poor gps chip in iPhone 7 :-(

Paul

 

[ckurt25]

My issue just started over the weekend. I've had my 7+ since launch day and have updated iOS within 24-48 hours of every release. I use GPS (Waze) every day. Friday it worked fine and Saturday it started jumping around. It took me a while to figure out exactly what it was doing but I was able to see it better using Google Maps or Apple Maps. It will show my (fairly) accurate current location for a few seconds and then it jumps to another location that could be 1/2 a mile to 5 miles away, then it returns.

I did all the usual basic troubleshooting, turning location off then on, turning on airplane mode and turning it off, hard reset, resetting network settings, and a full factory reset. I do have an appointment for Tuesday at my local Apple Store.

My guess is that it's a hardware issue.

UPDATE - I was near the Apple Store at lunch today so I stopped by and they were able to squeeze me in. After a few minutes with my phone they just gave me a new one.

 

[floepie]

UPDATE - I was near the Apple Store at lunch today so I stopped by and they were able to squeeze me in. After a few minutes with my phone they just gave me a new one.

I've gone through this thread and I read from many who have received a replacement due to this issue. But, no where can I find someone reporting that their replacement has solved the problem or locates them to an accuracy of no more than 3-5 meters.

What's odd is that although there are many reports which point to GPS issues, there doesn't seem to be that many which could point to very widespread issues. Someone once theorized that the issue arises only in some locales which could point to A-GPS issues.

Has anyone received a replacement whose accuracy is at least on par with most other smartphones out there including the 6-series iphones?

EDIT: I have! I received my replacement last night, and it is much better.

 

[mzanker]

After a few weeks of personal testing of my 7+, I've noticed that it is dependent upon both the GPS signal strength and the locale. By way of an example - if it's a clear, cloudless day then the blue dot doesn't jump much at all, but if there's thick cloud then it's pretty jumpy (but seldom more than around 100 metres).
At my place of work, the blue dot is almost rock solid (despite being on the ground floor of a multi-story building). At home, it takes a while for the blue dot to settle down.
Walking around my neighbourhood, a 'MapMyWalk' trace is rather jagged - at work it's a pretty smooth line.

 

[Break81]

I've gone through this thread and I read from many who have received a replacement due to this issue. But, no where can I find someone reporting that their replacement has solved the problem or locates them to an accuracy of no more than 3-5 meters.

What's odd is that although there are many reports which point to GPS issues, there doesn't seem to be that many which could point to very widespread issues. Someone once theorized that the issue arises only in some locales which could point to A-GPS issues.

Has anyone received a replacement whose accuracy is at least on par with most other smartphones out there including the 6-series iphones?

Yes my replacement is as good as my 6s and SE

 

[BertFR]

Hi,

I'm in Paris / France and same problem for me ... i have an iPhone 7 Plus Matte Black / 128 go
I went to the genius bar and they gave me a new phone but the gps issue is still here !

Has somebody has tried the last 10.2 beta update ?

B

 

[anu999]

Similar issues here with iPhone 7, iOS 10.1.1, A1660.

Issues while navigating with Maps and Google Maps. While driving, the maps suddenly stops giving vocal and visual feedback as my current location jumps way off. Didn't know if it was due to my iPhone 7 or iOS 10.

So did a number of troubleshooting, as suggested by Apple Care:
1. Simple rebooting - volume down+power button. No luck.
2. Resetting network and privacy settings. No luck.
3. Diagnostics with Apple - which the "good news" was that GPS was working. However, my problem wasn't solved.
3. So did a complete reboot to factory default (no restoration).
4. Then installed Google Maps on a clean phone to see if it'll work - no luck also.

So they finally advised I get my device checked at an Apple Service Centre.

Since I live in Bangkok and bought my iPhone from Hong Kong, I can't get it replaced or checked here, some weird warranty issue that doesn't cover Thailand (only covered if you buy your phone in Thailand).

So, I'm stuck with my (faulty?) phone till my next trip to Hong Kong, in March 2017. Till then hoping the next iOS update somehow resolves the issue.

 

[Iliaskit]

Hi,

I'm in Paris / France and same problem for me ... i have an iPhone 7 Plus Matte Black / 128 go
I went to the genius bar and they gave me a new phone but the gps issue is still here !

Has somebody has tried the last 10.2 beta update ?

B

I have tried 10.2 beta but does not fixing that issue

I am from Australia btw

 

[jotap45]

I'm using an iPhone 6 with iOS 10.0.1 and am having the same issues. I've had difficulty with Waze and the Starbucks app. I can open Starbucks and it places me somewhere completely different than where I am currently at. My daughter's 7 is doing the same thing.

 

[Iliaskit]

I am using 10.1.1

 

[patrickplaggenborg]

Just did my first Strava run on my new iPhone 7 Plus (A1784). GPS accuracy looks very messy.

My tracked line is jumping all over the place.

Before I always used my iPhone 6S Plus and GPS was a lot smoother.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

Just did my first Strava run on my new iPhone 7 Plus (A1784). GPS accuracy looks very messy.

My tracked line is jumping all over the place.

Before I always used my iPhone 6S Plus and GPS was a lot smoother.

Wow. Just wow...

Are you in the US?

 

[gazonk]

Yes my replacement is as good as my 6s and SE

Are you using it for running? If so, which app(s) are you using?

(I'm trying to determine if asking for yet another replacement is useful at this time. Because of this issue, my iPhone 7 has been a de facto brick since I bought it two months ago)

 

[patrickplaggenborg]

Did people who had an iPhone replacement that seemed to fix the GPS issue get a different iPhone (Axxx) model?

Or did you get the same model (so same modem/GPS chip) but maybe different production batch?

(If you already returned your iPhone without checking, I don't know how to determine the previous iPhone model. Maybe you still have the iPhone serial number on a receipt and that can be tracked back to the actual iPhone Model number.)
[doublepost=1480493741][/doublepost]

Wow. Just wow...

Are you in the US?

Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

Did people who had an iPhone replacement that seemed to fix the GPS issue get a different iPhone (Axxx) model?

Or did you get the same model (so same modem/GPS chip) but maybe different production batch?

(If you already returned your iPhone without checking, I don't know how to determine the previous iPhone model. Maybe you still have the iPhone serial number on a receipt and that can be tracked back to the actual iPhone Model number.)
[doublepost=1480493741][/doublepost]

Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Gotcha. I should have seen it below your name, on the left. Not sure how I missed that!

 

[nebo1ss]

Well, here's a segment from a bike ride using Cyclemeter; my 7+ is spot on.

These problems are either regional, or some defect in a few 7 units.

It cannot be regional, they all go to the same satellites.

 

[Iliaskit]

I tested my friends iphone 7 plus and it is working fine Im gonna try tomorrow to walk in once again and see if they do something because appointments where full

 

[patrickplaggenborg]

Gotcha. I should have seen it below your name, on the left. Not sure how I missed that!

I just added that ;-)

I tested my friends iphone 7 plus and it is working fine Im gonna try tomorrow to walk in once again and see if they do something because appointments where full

What Axxxx model name does your friends iPhone 7 Plus with correctly functioning GPS have?

 

[DCIFRTHS]

I just added that ;-)

Cool. Glad you posted back as I thought I may have really be losing it

 

[mzanker]

It cannot be regional, they all go to the same satellites.

That doesn't make sense, unless I'm misunderstanding you. In different countries you'll be using different satellites.

However, the iPhone uses more than just GPS - it uses cell sites and WiFi, too. I've sometimes found that it's more accurate if I go into airplane mode, which shuts down everything other than GPS-monitoring.

 

[gazonk]

I was curious if Strava had incorporated some workarounds for iPhone 7 in the last release of their app from two days ago, but no luck: I let Strava run on both my iPhone 7 and iPhone 6 while walking to work today. The iPhone 6 measured 1.4 kms - which is correct - while the iPhone 7 measured 1.7 kms, and the track looks worse than if I had had 10 beers before work.

 

[patrickplaggenborg]

I've sometimes found that it's more accurate if I go into airplane mode, which shuts down everything other than GPS-monitoring.

I just tested walking a few hundred meters in an exact straight line with Airplane mode enabled. GPS indeed does still work with Airplane mode on.

The tracked line however is still extremely wobbly and definitely not any better compared to having 4G or WiFi enabled.

 

[smurfybloke]

That doesn't make sense, unless I'm misunderstanding you. In different countries you'll be using different satellites.

GPS constellation satellites are not geostationary (like comms satellites are), they circle the earth on several different orbital paths... so while at a given moment in time different places in the world will obviously be unable to observe the same satellite signals, we all use all the satellites at different times through each day.

 

[Iliaskit]

I went to the Apple Store yesterday and they didn't know what was going in too so they swapped the phone with a new one. Now gps works we I'll see on few days of something comes up again I'll make sure to write a post here again