The Samsung Galaxy S has a problem with it’s GPS. The problem is that it can’t get an accurate fix on the smartphone. Instead it either cannot find you, lists you a street or two away, or sometimes lists you in a completely separate town.
A fix for this problem which causes problems on ALL Galaxy S smartphones is coming next month from what Samsung tell us.
For those who are opting to get a Samsung Epic 4G (another variant of the Galaxy S class of phones), this problem has already been fixed.
Engadget tested it’s Samsung Epic 4G and found the GPS to function just fine. Samsung also confirmed this about the Epic 4G…
“We have tested and validated both Network Assisted (indoor) and Autonomous (outdoor) GPS on the Epic 4G. With regards to Vibrant and Captivate, we are currently testing software updates which will optimize GPS performance. We expect to be able to make the updates available in September and will communicate more information and download instructions in the next few weeks.”
When the Epic 4G rolls out on August 31, it will be a fully working device.
I have the epic and I can assure you they did not get the GPS fixed prior to release…it still has me 3/4 of a mile from my actual location.
I am also having gps and wierd wi-fi issues. It seems when I have the 4g enabled I can not connect to apps like gtalk and google maps. If i disable the 4g the phone seems to work fine. ALSO, you can not run wi-fi and 4g together! I am sure they are aware of these bugs and I hope froyo fixes them. Other than that, the phone totally rocks!! My evo friends are jealous at the speeds and screen quality. Looking back at the reviews, I think they all got it wrong! The default settings on the phone need to be adjust out of the box. When out in the sun disable automatic brightness, if not you cant see the screen. I disabled the auto feature and the phone works perfect in the sun.
Got the phone at launch trusting sansungs promise, but the gps does not work. If this is the actual fix then we’re in trouble.
The GPS on the epic is NOT fixed. It shows my location about 1000ft away from where I am at. Being that far off navigation is worthless. I hope they correct this soon.
I bought my Vibrant in February 2011, so it probably hadn’t been built when Samsung made this claim. It’s now August, a year after this article was written, and the GPS is still nearly useless.