I'm on my 6th iPhone 3gs replacement do to a number of issues that I won't detail here. The point is I have had some experience with variations in the quality of the device. All of my other phones until this one had a serial number that started with an 8. The serial number of the newest replacement starts with a 5 so I assume it's a refurb. The point is my gps signal is extremely strong. I first noticed this when I was testing my phone in the parking garage after leaving the apple store. I got a signal immediately despite being in the middle of a covered garage. Then I tested it in the middle of my house at least 10 feet away from the nearest window and I get a signal within seconds. Mind you I am talking about the actual gps signal which pulsates not the cell triangulation. For comparison purposes I would have to stand outside for at least a minute to get a weak signal on my other phones. Most of the time I would have to reset the phone and turn off wifi. There is an extremely large range of variation with the iPhone's build quality and now that I got a phone that finally seems to work and it is probably a refurb.
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Super gps in 3gs
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pulsing doesn't necessary mean a gps lock. I am in my basement and I get the pulsing blue dot as well.
Read much? He's not complaining. He said that he now has one that "finally seems to work." I think the point of his post is that there seems to be a significant variance between phones.
Remember, reading is fundamental.
Thank you and yes pulsating as in the blue ring that radiates from the center dot means you have a gps signal. Also on this phone my screen is sharper, less yellow and has better contrast than any of my other phones. I am OCD about it so I can definately see a difference.
Yes, that would be expected. Refurbs are more strictly reviewed and checked for quality control, so it'd be very common to see refurbs often be stronger and faster (and might I say better built) than new units.
Yeah I was disappointed at first because I noticed the 5, but this refurb is better than new. I wonder if the refurbishing is done by apple in the US.
Lucky! Haha, I think my GPS averages out at being about a half mile off or more to where i actually am. At work it goes up to 1.6 miles off!
Are you serious?! Wow....that's really bad. I had a 3G locate me inside a busy mall to within a few feet when I was using it in the apple store. Pretty good but then again they do have micro cells set up in the apple store....Try keeping wifi on to asist the triangulation.
I disagree none of my apps that require gps work unless the circle is pulsating and they always work when it is.
Normally mine is fine, but I have seen this (well over 1 mile variance) in only one situation. In July my wife and I were in Vegas and staying at the Bellagio. While in our room, even when standing right up against the glass of the window, it showed my location as being about 1.5 miles West of where we actually were. It was a penthouse suite, which is near the top of the building, so I would think standing next to the glass should have been enough signal to be fairly accurate, but I guess not!