GPS Problems - iPhone 7 or iOS10?

[msb3079]

Ok so after some testing it seems that the gps distance accuracy issue is only a problem through 3rd party apps.

If I use the apple workout app (on Apple Watch but series 1 so still using the iPhone gps) then the distance measured seems to be accurate.

This seems to suggest it's software not hardware? Although obviously something has changed for 3rd party apps to have problems since iPhone 7

Paul

This isn't correct, as I have the same issues using Apple Maps.

Anyway. Haven't been in this thread in a while. My problems with the GPS seemed to get a little better, or maybe I got used to them. Now that I'm ramping up more for training and running 60-70 miles per week, it's been chaos. There's really no rhyme or reason. I mostly run trails. And for example - I did a 27 mile trail run this past Saturday - it was off a little but not too bad. I did a short bridge run the next day and it seemed good. I did another bridge run the following day and it had me running 4 and 5 minute miles the entire time. Flattering.. but NO.

Went back to Apple, showed them my Strava data, promised that I wasn't running drunk with a jet pack. Also showed them screenshots of Apple Maps acting all whacky. They obvisouly replaced it (yesterday). My first run yesterday seemed only a little off. But I ran again last night and it was WAYYYY off. Ran again today... and off again. It seems worse than ever. Before it was sporadic, but now it's constant.

I figured I would check here again before giving Apple a call. I'm sure that they are aware of the issue, but just not making it public. I'm thinking 90% of people wouldn't notice this or notice enough to actually care.

And I'm with the others that said they got a GPS watch. I was always against them, even though I do 50+ mile races with elevation and all. I've always said they weren't needed - that my phone was just fine and I'd have it with me anyway. Well it seems that has changed. I guess the added benefit of a GPS watch is getting live elevation gain stats - the one thing Strava doesn't show. I'm just so pissed at Apple. How can you mess up such a "basic" thing.

And don't get me started on my 12" MacBook battery that is unusable after 250 cycles. BUT.. I love my AirPods!

 

[msb3079]

I grabbed a Suunto Ambit3 Vertical on Amazon for $260 last night. Almost $200 off - great deal. Overkill if you're just running flat and roads, but if you do a lot of running/hiking/climbing that involves vertical gain - it's great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AGK1IHW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[gazonk]

And I'm with the others that said they got a GPS watch. I was always against them, even though I do 50+ mile races with elevation and all. I've always said they weren't needed - that my phone was just fine and I'd have it with me anyway. Well it seems that has changed. I guess the added benefit of a GPS watch is getting live elevation gain stats - the one thing Strava doesn't show. I'm just so pissed at Apple. How can you mess up such a "basic" thing.

I had the same attitude towards GPS watches, but now I'm so happy I bought one. I bought the Garmin 735XT which has very nice Strava integration (e.g. you can get live Strava segments on the watch if you want).

So I've made peace with my iPhone 7 for a while, but lately I'm starting to wonder if the GPS has gotten even worse. So maybe I'll complain again. I don't really want Apple to get away with this.

 

[A3MS]

Ok so after some testing it seems that the gps distance accuracy issue is only a problem through 3rd party apps.

If I use the apple workout app (on Apple Watch but series 1 so still using the iPhone gps) then the distance measured seems to be accurate.

This seems to suggest it's software not hardware? Although obviously something has changed for 3rd party apps to have problems since iPhone 7

Paul

Not true, for me this problem is presented in any application: Maps, Strava, Runkeeper...

Very frustrated with the iPhone 7 Plus, my old iPhone 6 Plus worked perfectly to register my runs ... =(

Did anyone get Apple to provide some solution to this problem? They could make a watch series 2 available since the Iphone 7 does not meet the expectation!

 

[freeman2015]

It's been quite painful since I switched from iPhone 6 to iPhone 7.
Not only the cellular signal became extremely unstable, the gps signal just drifted so much that whenever I used google map or garment to navigate,
it constantly changed routes, all unexpectedly.
Honestly, I must say that it's extremely dangerous to use my iPhone 7 to navigate, but when I send mine to the apple authorized station, I was told that all my hardware functions were fine. It's just rediculous because my gps problem remained.
Apple should bring an end to this before it became an overwhelming problem.

 

[Sveltizzo]

Hello everyone. It is my first post here. I've read different topics many times, but that GPS issue made me create account to share my experience too.
I use Runtastic for years and I run a lot. I've never had any problem with my previous iPhone 6+. I run over routes I know the exact length of. I ran several times last year with my new 7+ and it started to pause my activity from time to time while I am running with ~10km/h. I turned the Auto Pause off and continued using the app. I did not notice any significant distance errors. This year January was very cold and I skipped it training-wise. February I have several runs now and when I started I noticed I am faster without pushing myself more than usual. I attributed it to the almost two months long winter rest. But today I ran a short 5km route in the park where local weekly runs are organized. Runtastic measured it at almost 6km. The graphics of my run is jagged and zig-zagish.
I thought I'd go Monday to Apple Service center here in Sofia to ask for a replacement, but after reading almost the entire thread, I think I'll wait several months more. Obviously Apple do not know what is going on. But I think I know. They just saved some coins by putting subpar low quality GPS module in their iPhone 7, counting on assisted GPS to compensate the bad positioning data from the antenna. I suppose they will never fix it and will never admit it publicly. Maybe third party app developers will adjust their smoothing algorithms to remedy the problem as much as they can. That will take time. And until that time comes, I could brag with my amazing running results.
So disappointed with Apple.

PS: I suppose the removal of some plastic strips from the back of 7 compared to 6 and 6S could also have a certain role in the bad GPS performance.

 

[draa]

... Maybe third party app developers will adjust their smoothing algorithms to remedy the problem as much as they can. ...

Not even their own apps are working as intended. I can't use the find-my-car-feature but what is driving me insane is that my photos have gps tags that are ~2 km off. Freaking iPhone 7+ messed up my gallery. :-/

Even my cheap backup-mobile (HTC One X) can do better. I bet every 100-buck-phone can.

 

[Sveltizzo]

Today I went running again, but because the weather is warm and I was wearing just a t-shirt, I put my phone in trousers pocket. The tracking was perfect. I realized all my previous problems have something in common. The phone was always in my sweatshirt pocket, just under my left arm. So, I am sure now ghere is no problem with the device itself. Make sure your iphone is not obscured by your arms while running or cycling.

 

[draa]

Today I went running again, but because the weather is warm and I was wearing just a t-shirt, I put my phone in trousers pocket. The tracking was perfect. I realized all my previous problems have something in common. The phone was always in my sweatshirt pocket, just under my left arm. So, I am sure now ghere is no problem with the device itself. Make sure your iphone is not obscured by your arms while running or cycling.

Glad to hear that you solved your problem but this is not a solution at all (for me).
I put different phones next to each other to compare their gps functionality and every phone gets instant gps locks in different places - except my 7+.

I tried to reset my phone and set it up as new - still not working as it should. This is so annoying. And I don't want to change my phone as it is perfect in every other aspect.

I really hope this issue is not related to the Intel chips Apple uses in the EU version... :-/

 

[macfacts]

... I realized all my previous problems have something in common. The phone was always in my sweatshirt pocket, just under my left arm. So, I am sure now ghere is no problem with the device itself. Make sure your iphone is not obscured by your arms while running or cycling.

I'm glad your problem went away but your solution sounds like Antenna-gate 2, "you're holding it wrong"

 

[gazonk]

Today I went running again, but because the weather is warm and I was wearing just a t-shirt, I put my phone in trousers pocket. The tracking was perfect. I realized all my previous problems have something in common. The phone was always in my sweatshirt pocket, just under my left arm. So, I am sure now ghere is no problem with the device itself. Make sure your iphone is not obscured by your arms while running or cycling.

I'm glad it works out for you, but I tried several different ways of carrying the phone, including holding one phone in each hand (I always compared to iPhone 6), and the iPhone 7 always recorded a jagged and too long route.

 

[Occamoo]

This isn't correct, as I have the same issues using Apple Maps.

Anyway. Haven't been in this thread in a while. My problems with the GPS seemed to get a little better, or maybe I got used to them. Now that I'm ramping up more for training and running 60-70 miles per week, it's been chaos. There's really no rhyme or reason. I mostly run trails. And for example - I did a 27 mile trail run this past Saturday - it was off a little but not too bad. I did a short bridge run the next day and it seemed good. I did another bridge run the following day and it had me running 4 and 5 minute miles the entire time. Flattering.. but NO.

Went back to Apple, showed them my Strava data, promised that I wasn't running drunk with a jet pack. Also showed them screenshots of Apple Maps acting all whacky. They obvisouly replaced it (yesterday). My first run yesterday seemed only a little off. But I ran again last night and it was WAYYYY off. Ran again today... and off again. It seems worse than ever. Before it was sporadic, but now it's constant.

I figured I would check here again before giving Apple a call. I'm sure that they are aware of the issue, but just not making it public. I'm thinking 90% of people wouldn't notice this or notice enough to actually care.

Hi,

Just to clarify it is the activity app linked to Apple Watch (series 1 so no onboard gps) that seemed to be recording more accurately. See comparison with iSmoothRun and strava below. Over 10k 3rd party apps were around 1k out.

In the end I gave up with iPhone 7 and have gone back to my iPhone 6, in testing against gps watches it's around 1% out compared to 10% on iPhone 7. Really don't miss my 7. Just shame on Apple for saving a few pennies on gps..

Agree about your point that most people wouldn't notice, I just thought my times were improving, it wasn't until I ran with my buddy who had a gps watch that I realised.

Paul

 

[TerryWJS]

Well at least I'm not alone!! Thanks for commenting.

I'm hoping others will chime in. And also hoping a software update will address it.

Hey! I was wondering did you ever get your iphone replaced. Im from singapore and i noticed my jet black iphone 7 plus is having the same issues for quite some time. Quite frustrated. Emailed apple singapore and they told me to send it in for diagnosis. I notice that i will lose GPS signal only when i hold the phone almost vertically. Meaning when placed on handphone holder in car it would always lose signal. Sometimes it affects the bluetooth music as well and the songs would keep cutting out. When i hold the phone with my hands more horizontally then the gps and waze would work much better.

 

[Drich21]

Well at least I'm not alone!! Thanks for commenting.

I'm hoping others will chime in. And also hoping a software update will address it.

I also have the same issue, and mine stopped working out of the blue. I opened a case with Apple, but still no word and it's been weeks.

 

[sonarun]

Wow, so I am not crazy.

I have thousands of miles logged with previous iterations of my iPhone, I also have problems with my Iphone7+ GPS.

I use Runmeter as an app, some runs are perfectly tracked and are 100% accurate with my wife's garmin. Other runs are widly crooked, sometimes up to 10% different.

I thought it was my running belt, a flip belt. I noticed that when I changed the orientation of my phone from sideways to "up and down", say, in a pocket, the GPS would work better. Other times, it would still be off. I travel a lot, in my hometown (In Louisiana) and in DC, my GPS is perfect. In other cities, however, (New York, Munich, Switzerland) it can be a nightmare.

I thought it may have been due to me bringing my credit cards, which are metal, with me in the pouch, but I have eliminated that possibility as well.

My phone also has an Intel modem, which I really didn't want, but was the only one available to be activated on TMobile at the time.

This is feeling like a hardware issue to me. I doubt a new phone will fix it. I may be in the market for a Garmin. I just have years of data in my running apps that I don't want to give up.

 

[gazonk]

This is feeling like a hardware issue to me. I doubt a new phone will fix it. I may be in the market for a Garmin. I just have years of data in my running apps that I don't want to give up.

You don't have to give up that. I gave up iPhone 7 for running and bought a Garmin Forerunner 735XT. The runs are synced automatically from Garmin's system to Strava (which has been my main site for a while), Runkeeper, Nike+ and Smashrun! The data from the runs I recorded with Nike+, later iSmoothRun and now Garmin all coexist happily

 

[BeefCake 15]

Had a similar issue with the iPhone 6 along with choppy BT connection and rattling speaker noise. Apple confirmed it a HW issue and gave us $160 towards iPhone 6S 32GB (total cost after credit $389)

 

[dimitricook]

I Also have issues with my GPS on my iPhone 7. i Created a form to get more information about the problem.
If you have GPS problems please complete the form! https://goo.gl/forms/VDM4Ftcf2qoJCsVS2

I will post the results on this topic! When there are enough respondents i will hand over the results to Apple.

 

[determined09]

I'm having gps problem with my iPhone 7. When I'm using google maps on my iPhone and I go off of the course. Google maps has trouble updating my directions for some reason. But I may also have a Bluetooth problem with my 2016 es350.

 

[gps_fiasco]

iOS 10.3 fixed the GPS issues on my iPhone 7.

 

[determined09]

iOS 10.3 fixed the GPS issues on my iPhone 7.

That's good. I'll try out my GPS tomorrow.

 

[determined09]

Since the last update, just cleared up my GPS. Problems just in time for a off site meeting last Tuesday.

 

[Droidzoid]

Has 10.3 fixed the GPS issue for you guys?

 

[derlinzer]

Has 10.3 fixed the GPS issue for you guys?

===================================================================
UPDATE 1: A friend also uses a iPhone 7 Plus, 10.3.1, EU and sent me some of his recorded runs (Runtastic) and they *looked* good, really good. He's an experienced runner and would have noticed a +45% distance.

Reason enough to give a Apple a call and ask for a replacement. To my surprise, not much talking/explaining was needed until I could pull my AMEX to block the fee for the exchange unit. I assume, that they know that somethings stinks but would not say so officially.

Looks good


Looks crap

===================================================================

No. iPhone 7 Plus, 10.3.1, EU.

Reference: Garmin Fenix 5, Polar V800 (1,3% difference)

RunKeeper, Strava, Runmeter: up to +20% distance
Runtastic: up to +45% distance

Came to 3 conclusions:

1) Never buy another Apple Product. Ever.

2) All the sports tracking portals that allow data from smartphones are crap. Yes, crap. All their data is worth **** and unusable, when they allow data from devices that are way off in recording distance.

3) The Apple Watch Series 2 with GPS was released around the same time the iPhone 7 (Plus) was released. I'm sure that this is just coincidence and not "If you want to track sports with your shiny new iPhone, go buy an Apple Watch Series 2".

Has anybody been lucky in getting a replacement iPhone 7 from Apple that actually works?

 

[lucienp]

Has 10.3 fixed the GPS issue for you guys?

I've had this for weeks now - Waze, Google Maps, MapMyRide, even Maps will show me in the middle of a river, 2 blocks off from my actual location, etc. (and yes, because of wifi- it looks like you are staggering from house to house if you are walking/riding, at car speeds, if just fails...)

Called Apple support and got to level 2 and they admitted to me that 10.x broke GPS on my iphone 6 - they said 10.3 would fix it, but it didn't. They admitted that, as well. They had no solution other than wait for the next update. 10.3.1 didn't do it, either.