Palm Pre Plus plagued by problems with the GPS?

By on Feb 1, 2010 at 9:02 AM
Rumor February 1, 2010

Pre-and-Pixi-Plus

A week after its official debut, the honeymoon for Verizon Wireless Palm Pre Plus owners might be over with an increasing number of users complaining about problems with imprecise GPS signal locking. When using Google Maps on the Pre Plus, many owners are noticing that the Pre Plus is locating them at a point that is several yards to several miles away from their actual location with the Pre Plus apparently using aGPS and not satellite GPS for location detection. For some owners, the problem can be temporarily alleviated by launching VZ Navigator and then closing it before agreeing to the monthly service fee which suggests that VZ Navigator is able to wake the GPS and obtain an accurate satellite GPS lock that is then passed on to Google Maps. This is not a Verizon Wireless only problem as Pre Plus customers on Canadian carrier Bell are also reporting a similar issue. The problem seems to be relegated to the Pre Plus only with Pixi Plus and original Sprint Pre owners reporting zero problems with their GPS. Thus far, neither Verizon Wireless, Bell nor Palm is officially acknowledging a problem with the performance of the GPS on the Pre Plus. Anyone Palm Pre Plus owners care to comment on the accuracy and precision of their GPS?

UPDATE: We didn’t mean that there was aGPS sandwiched on top of a GPS chip — and we didn’t mean because the phone had aGPS it didn’t have traditional GPS capabilities — there is obviously only one GPS-type device in the phone. What we were reporting on is that some users are only getting a network triangulation tower lock, and that the actual GPS satellite signal is not finding them.

[Via PreCentral]

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  • StevenGlansburg

    Could it be a CDMA issue?

  • Droid Lover

    Hotz needs a job – would anyone help him pleeeez

  • Travis

    I get a perfect GPS lock on my Pre Plus as long as I have disabled “Background Data Collection” in the Location Services settings.

    The description for this setting reads: “Allows Google to automatically collect anonymous location data to improve the quality of location services.”

    No thanks. Not missing out on much having that turned off.

    I really, really like this phone. WebOS is awesome.

    • Majorhunadadun

      Good man! I got it on Sprint and love it to the max… No probs with the gps either…

  • Kristy

    This is sad news for me, I have verizon and really wanted a pre, but gps is a must ( I travel for work ) I tried the droid and gave it to my son because the gps was way off, so I tried three others. Luckily my employer have purchased all of them. Does verizon have a stable gps phone out there?

  • http://www.artofengineering.net Stephen

    Palm Pre Plus owner: Trouble with assisted GPS when using Google Services to locate. VZ Navigator seems to work well, but google maps has trouble.

  • Al

    ” This is not a Verizon Wireless only problem as Pre Plus customers on Canadian carrier Bell are also reporting a similar issue”

    Bell doesn’t sell the Pre Plus or the Pixi Plus in Canada yet. Only the Pre is avaialble in Canada so far.

  • Jared

    Its all Google baby. They demanded that Palm use their ‘location engine’ (the same one that has been giving people big problems on Android) that uses cell and wifi. The problem is that it doesn’t work. And as somebody said, they are using the palm as ‘probe’ devices to collect more data. All at the expense of user performance and power consumption.

    Google sucks.

  • Gio

    Just gave it a try… My current location is off by about 3 miles… It is my understanding that Google Maps locates you based off what tower your phone is using to receive service… I used VZ navigator yesterday for about 45 miles and it worked flawlessly… Google maps has not been very reliable for me wether I was using a Blackberry or Droid device.

  • verizon cripples gps

    You guys are just now finding out that verizon cripples their gps so you have to use the “verizon navagator” ? Wow bunch of retards here!! This, among their dismal network speeds and poor phone selection is why I left. Big red doesn’t care about your experience only collecting data and your money. This is why verizon is hurting so bad and will be out of business by years end.

  • George Hotz

    Actually Mr “wetback” the fucking Canadians fucked the blackberries up. That’s another company who has fallen due to the iPhone

  • http://www.fullchipdesign.com Atul

    This phone doesn’t have smooth corners. I felt the edges when i was holding the model

  • Dan

    Anyone with this problem has “Google Services” disabled. Palm changed the way you enable/disable Google Service because of the Privacy stink from a few months back. If you selected “No” for allowing Google to collect background data then Google maps will not be accurate. If you need an accurate location click on the “Location Services” icon then tap “Preferences” which will give you a drop down menu. Tap “Locate Me Using..” and make sure both “GPS” and “Google Services” have a blue check mark next to them. If they don’t you will not receive an accurate location in Google Maps but other apps like Nav will work fine.

    • bonesb

      Gotta differ with you big time on this. With GS on, none of our devices can get a fix in the field, even after 30 minutes outside and a clear line of sight to the southern hemisphere. Following what I wrote on the first page, the Pre Plus’ get a fix in under two minutes, nuts on, every time. Enable GS, no ability to fix location whatsoever, my own device locates me to within 10m every time with GS off, generally 1/2 mile to several blocks off with GS on. Calling BS. I wished GS works well – it doesn’t, for me and the devices we just bought. We’ve tried it both ways, several times. Yeah, and YMMV, but we’re 0 for 8. You?

    • Roaddog861

      That doesn’t work. The first day I had my Pre from Verizon, Google Maps worked, then stopped working. I tried your fix and nothing changed. My location is still off by 1/2 mile to mile.

    • mj

      I just picked up a Verizon Pre Plus yesterday. I turned on the Google location service (I figured what the heck, combined GPS and cell tower sounded good). Sitting still in a parking lot my position on the map bounced around a 10 mile circle every few minutes. Even the blue circle changed size.

      I then started to drive home on the highway and it would bounce between my actual position and some random position many many miles away (even into the next town sometimes).

      I’ll turn off GS and see if it gets better. I have a “real” nuvi GPS for the car and was hoping this phone could replace it when I travel on business – one less thing to carry on the plane. Maybe not.

      I’d like the phone to work because the real GPS doesn’t work in the big cities – there is no signal down between the buildings.

      • mj

        okay – I found out a few things. I downloaded a free app called gpsDashboard to help.. too bad it only shows signal strength in the Paid version.

        First I stepped outside and waited several minutes for a fair test of GPS signal lock.

        Turn off Wifi !!! and the signal gets better. I use wifi in my house – even after stepping outside the app kept telling me “Horizontal Error 36m > 10m” and the altitude was off by several thousand feet. I then pressed Get Address and my altitude went to -300 feet (yes – minus). and it couldn’t figure out where I was.

        I then turned off Wifi and waited for the Ev icon to appear. Almost immediately the Altitude went to 50ft (I’m at about 300) and I pressed Get Address again… the app then reported an actual address on my street – very very close to my address. And while typing this message the app has started to report my alt as 243ft (I know I know – alt is inaccurate, I know I’ve used GPS in the high mts of Yellowstone and have experience with it).

        I had GS off the whole time.

        I guess I’ll start using Google Maps with GPS only for a while and see how it goes.

        Thanks for the idea gang.

    • SJ

      Mostly right. Thanks for pointing out this hidden menu. If you leave GPS checked, and UNcheck Google services, the locator will work correctly again.

  • Jeremy

    @bonesb I am haveing this issue on iPhone 3g and see that others on forums are too. It’s not only related to google. I try usei g copilot gps and still the same thing.

    • bonesb

      Reset Location Warnings and then hard reboot your iPhone – hold down the power button and application button until you see the Apple startup screen.

      Use Bing or Mapquest or some other non-Maps application. I’ve got an iPhone 3G, and it works for me. Touch anything that uses Google Services and your going to have problems again. I’ve told Apple we need some means to be able to disable Google Services. Until then, iPhone 3G/3GS phone users will have problems with GPS locations, or Google needs to fix their Services.

      Jeremy, I feel your pain.

  • MobileGuru

    I have a Palm Pre for Sprint never had any problems with the GPS. It has been right on target everytime so far. A bad first batch perhaps?

  • ocard

    Sprint Pre’s have the same issue.

  • Droid Lover

    Ban miguel alvarez – who needs his language here? If we want to ready the sunday comics – we’ll pay to be amused. Here, the circus is free – but it’s not funny!

  • Droid Lover

    READ not ready

  • Droid Lover

    Don’t get mad miguel – Just go away.

  • chris

    1 the palm pre is a cool phone. but it is slow when u want to open up something, i have already had it screw up on me 3 times where i have to shut down all the way and it takes about 3 min to rebout everything, and the keys are a little to small i think, its not bad. but the worst is the battery life is the worst thing there is. it only last me till about 7 : 30 and im in school till 2:20 and when i get out of school it only has about 80 % battery life and i hardley use it in school. the battery drains even when you barrely use it. so tommrrow im going to get a blackberry that has about 2-3 days of battery.

  • robert

    i have a palm pre (original) on the UK o2 network and have the same problem sometimes as well, I guess its a bug with either the gps or the google maps software

  • Stephanie

    Love my pre plus, but would really like everything to work right and consistently on it..mainly the gps locater on google maps. The gps/google map performance is..sad. With the webos 1.4 I really didn’t notice battery life extension…it would be nice if I didn’t have to charge my pre half way through the day after being on charge all night.

  • cgrisetti

    Worked perfect for a good four weeks for me, then all the sudden I wake up one morning and it says I’m half a mile away. Can’t get it to settle in on where I was. Used to me literally right on up to 1 meter accuracy. Now about a mile away. JEEEEEZEE!!!!

  • http://www.tomstips.org retardedgenius

    I have the problem on my phone. It’s always several MILES off!!! The Palm Pre Plus would be a great phone if the feature would actually work!

  • http://www.maemo-freak.com christexaport

    Maybe you’re just too stupid to know about how AGPS works. And its christexaport as in “Chris Tech Support”, putz.

    http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/gps_vs_agps_a_quick_tutorial.html

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GPS

    Next time do a little research before making a big fool of yourself. Now hurry outside! The short bus should be here any minute, Ricky Retardo.

  • http://www.maemo-freak.com christexaport

    Yes. Does your boyfriend know you’re acting like a biatch online? Get a life, Ricky…

  • LOOK IN THE MIRROR D-BAG

    Spammer? Seriously.
    Which one are you? The pot or the kettle?

    I will be glad when BGR finally puts an IP block on you.

    I’m sure there are a lot of other people who agree.

  • iPadSucks

    I lol’ed :)

  • Jerry Marcus

    Miguel Paco or Taco what ever your name is. Go back across the border and shut the fuck up!

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