back to article Vodafone coughs to Galaxy S II GPS glitches

Vodafone has acknowledged complaints from Samsung Galaxy S2 owners who claim their handsets' GPS functionality was adversely affected by a recent firmware update. Dozens of customers wrote to Reg Hardware last week, flagging the issue that their GPS services were taking a long time to lock onto satellite signals - if they get …

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  1. Lloyd
    Thumb Down

    Or you could just root the damn thing

    remove all of Voda's malware and watch the performance of your phone improve immeasurably.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Exactly

      It's your own damn fault the phone has flaws, roll up your sleeves and fix it.

  2. Absent

    Could swear my GPS locking has been poorer since I got the 2.3.4 update on O2.

  3. Cosmo
    Unhappy

    Does this affect the Galaxy Ace as well?

    I've got a Samsung Galaxy Ace that was running Android version 2.3.3

    The GPS fix was never great, but it was "OK". It would lock after about 30 seconds, and I could use it whilst driving and also whilst running, using the miCoach app.

    Within the last month, the GPS lock has deteriorated. I can't get a lock within my car, and if I go running, the GPS drops out after about 2 minutes and never returns.

    I recently updated to verions 2.3.5 via Samsung Kies, but it doesn't seem to be any better.

    What are/have Vodafone doing/done to have caused this to happen?

  4. Tom Jasper

    /etc/gps.config

    It would be interesting to see the contents of that file.

    One would hope to see the Network Time Protocol Server configured as

    NTP_SERVER=uk.pool.ntp.org

    and then

    XTRA_SERVER_1=http://xtra1.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin

    XTRA_SERVER_2=http://xtra2.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin

    XTRA_SERVER_3=http://xtra3.gpsonextra.net/xtra.bin

    and just maybe for AGPS

    SUPL_HOST=supl.google.com

    SUPL_PORT=7276

    Wifi assist is nice too...

    FasterFix on the market will do this for you if you have root (but then if you have that, you've probably moved to a custom ROM and discarded Vodaphone's blunders and the bloatware you don't care about (yay! Battery life extends).

    "GPS Status and Toolbox" (also on the market, root not required) will keep AGPS agile for you without root.

    1. proxima

      Tom: Yes, you've probably hit the nail on the head - if you read the early part of the thread http://forum.vodafone.co.uk/t5/Samsung-Galaxy-S2/SGS2-GT-I9100-GPS-issues-taking-ages-to-get-a-lock/td-p/925317 you'll see a few other people asking that, and those who have rooted their phones say that appears to be a solution.

      So you're right - but some of us are uncomfortable rooting things, haven't got time, or both, and we're waiting for an official solution. Of course, if there isn't soon an official solution, that may have to change.......

      I didn't want to root my phone because I thought it would prevent future support from Vodafone, but having seen what their support is like, I'm starting to think I'd be better off going it alone anyway.

  5. proxima

    We keep paying for this in the meantime...

    Article: "you'll basically have to wait patiently for a fix, which could come later today, tomorrow, or sometime next year. "

    Yes, and in the meantime, our monthly bills from Vodafone keep on coming, despite the fact that the phone has a major feature effectively completely unusable. The phone is not working as advertised, but Vodafone are telling their customers that they are not in breach of contract. Comments anyone?

  6. Peter 48
    Stop

    stop this nonsense forthwith

    This is a prime example why hardware manufacturers should refuse to offer custom roms for individual networks like apple do. It puts them and their reputation at the mercy of each network's tech departmentand is nothing but deprimental to the customer in the end.

  7. Gerrit Hoekstra
    FAIL

    Repeat lesson for them 'cuz they didn't learn from their Vodafone360 disaster?

    The previous Vodafone360 smartphone offering *also* gave you a broken Samsung phone and - bless those enthusiastic little elves at Vodacom - even tried to make into Yet Another Social Network. They have now quietly pulled the plug on Vodafone360 and are at last allowing punters to export their own data from this site to other social networks.

    Stick to selling phones with the manufacturer's default firmware on it that works, me finks.

  8. Tom Kelsall
    Devil

    Hmmm...

    My Sensation (Voda, 2.3.5) is also dead slow to pick up GPS of late - although far from unusable.

  9. Mondo the Magnificent
    Coat

    Oh.. a new scandal...

    GPSGate...

    Ah, fail, wrong brand...

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So much hate!

    One would think Android users were already well lubricated over carrier ROMs, with all the bending over they do.

    Give it time people, you'll learn to enjoy it.

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why bother?

    The worst 3G coverage in the UK.. only with Vodafone!

    Why would anyone want to use a smart phone on their network?

  12. Alan Brown Silver badge

    not the only SGS G2 problem...

    https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=18336

    It's basically impossible to get signal strengths out of the phones, which is kind of important for surveying coverage, etc.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Still no news from Vodafone

    Just updating this story.

    Still no result/fix/news from Vodafone on this problem.

    And the statement from the Vodafone website

    "In the meantime, customers should still be able to use location services as normal once their device has locked onto the GPS connection."

    Is pointless.

    With my device, I never get a GPS lock unless I remove Vodafone from the fone (take out the sim), or disconnect wifi/AGPS. So I cannot use the location services as normal then, can I.....???

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