Has anyone else noticed not so accurate GPS and incorrect compass directions?
I would say 50% of the time I check my map coordinates and direction I am either located in the wrong place or facing the wrong direction. My location is usually off by a few blocks and my direction sometimes oscillates 180 degrees a couple of times before settling (when doing the figure 8). And sometimes it settles in the wrong direction.
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GPS and compass inaccurate
I wrote an app that would determine the horizontal accuracy of the iPhone GPS.
developer.apple.com/iPhone/library/documentation/C... (using kCLLocationAccuracyBest of course) and it got down to about 100 meters in a clear, open area with plenty of waiting time. So that's not very super. However, there must be some sort of correction because when I map my runs/bike rights with RunKeeper, they are fairly accurate. At most, it will say I'm in the street rather than on the sidewalk.
As for the compass, it's usually 5-10° off for me, but it's still enough to get me in the right direction at least. I remember walking 1.5 miles in the wrong direction on my 3G because I had to guess where the right direction was. I'll take 5-10° over not knowing at all.
developer.apple.com/iPhone/library/documentation/C... (using kCLLocationAccuracyBest of course) and it got down to about 100 meters in a clear, open area with plenty of waiting time. So that's not very super. However, there must be some sort of correction because when I map my runs/bike rights with RunKeeper, they are fairly accurate. At most, it will say I'm in the street rather than on the sidewalk.
As for the compass, it's usually 5-10° off for me, but it's still enough to get me in the right direction at least. I remember walking 1.5 miles in the wrong direction on my 3G because I had to guess where the right direction was. I'll take 5-10° over not knowing at all.
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Just tried disabling 3G on my 3GS and a friend's 3GS. Our coordinates were the same and about a half a mile away. It might have something to do with the Edge network around here. I'm still not sure why my compass points in the wrong direction on occasion though.
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I just got back from using the GPS heavily on vacation and I did have one or two occasions over the course of 4 days. I did notice that while pointing my phone directly straight down the road that the iPhone would show that I was looking maybe 5-10 degrees to the left.
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Yeah, I have had the same issue. I'm I'm sitting on my couch, half the time it will show me as being about 5 miles north of my actual location.
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yes guys, GPS signal usually screwed up or really weak when i am indoor. afterall it is meant for outdoor usage. no idea about the direction feature tho as i find it pretty useful as long as i calibrate it to the direction i am facing.
the cell tower triangulation is not as accurate ofcourse but for iphone 2g, its just makes life easier for you to trace where you are roughly, then zoom it in to trace where exactly you are.
one thing, this gps thing drains the battery like crazy tho.
just my 2 cents.
regards
the cell tower triangulation is not as accurate ofcourse but for iphone 2g, its just makes life easier for you to trace where you are roughly, then zoom it in to trace where exactly you are.
one thing, this gps thing drains the battery like crazy tho.
just my 2 cents.
regards
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My compass is off by about 25-30 degrees to the right which is annoying, one thing I am not sure how to do is how to bring back the calibration? It asked me once the first time I used it but now I can't find it anywhere.
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my compass sucks, off by like 90 degrees regularly. rarely accurate
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Wait how do you expect the GPS to work inside?
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Who here expects GPS to work inside?
Here. *slaps you with a wad of reality bills*
Your phone will rely on cell tower triangulation when you're inside so unless you register your router with Skyhook, which is a service that can register your router to your address so location features when you're indoors is MUCH more accurate.
I already did and when in Maps I have a zoomed in map with a blue dot and a small circle that covers my house so it's pretty much as accurate as you can possibly get with indoors.
Here. *slaps you with a wad of reality bills*
Your phone will rely on cell tower triangulation when you're inside so unless you register your router with Skyhook, which is a service that can register your router to your address so location features when you're indoors is MUCH more accurate.
I already did and when in Maps I have a zoomed in map with a blue dot and a small circle that covers my house so it's pretty much as accurate as you can possibly get with indoors.
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GPS is.... ok but compass sucks big time. Even outside in middle of field (I live in the country) it is usually about 45 degrees off.
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Very weird, I've found the iPhone's GPS to be more effective than the TOMTOM the gf has [especially in Orlando].
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I agree that the compass isn't accurate.
The gps however seems very accurate. Inside my house the position is of by max 15 meters, and outside with a clear view to the sky it can usaly tell me whitch side of the street i am.
The gps however seems very accurate. Inside my house the position is of by max 15 meters, and outside with a clear view to the sky it can usaly tell me whitch side of the street i am.
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I only have a 3G, so I can't comment on the compass, but the GPS will not work indoors and will work off/on in a city with tall buildings. I was in New York a while back and the GPS would bounce between accurate results and telling me I was about half a mile from where I really was.
Back where I live where there are few tall buildings the GPS works really well.
I've noticed this GPS problem with my TomTom as well. But I think car GPS may lock on to more satellites to try to alleviate the problem, it's still happened once or twice though.
Back where I live where there are few tall buildings the GPS works really well.
I've noticed this GPS problem with my TomTom as well. But I think car GPS may lock on to more satellites to try to alleviate the problem, it's still happened once or twice though.
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OK, I've read all these posts and I wonder if people realize that GPS doesn't work so well indoors. Not only the iPhone's, but any GPS receiver. That said, I've checked the accuracy of the iPhone's GPS and its very accurate, within 5-10 feet. The compass works fine too, though again, you need to be outdoors or at least not moving in a car. A digital compass of any kind doesn't work well with interference like buildings or cars.
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i agree with most here compass is WAY off (set either true or magnetic north) but the gps is spot on- i am talking about in the car - where it counts not on my couch
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It is sensitive to other magnets, and iphones. If you place to iphones next to each other, they go off.
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Yeah same here, the compass sucks. I use my iphone as a GPS in the car and its always off by 20 to 30 degrees to the right. Also when i go over a bridge the map starts spinning like crazy and it never goes back the direction i was traveling. I think its too sensitive, maps in car GPSs rotate smoothly and the map in the iphone is always jerking left and right. Hope they can fix it via firmware
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My GPS is alright. Initially it is off by a few meters but resets within 10m of my location after a while. Compass suck hard...most of the time I get the recalibration message...
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lol gps isnt supposed to work inside
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GPS is OK for me (that is OK, not great, my automotive GPS and Garmin Colorado kick its butt, no surprise), but the compass is pretty bad.
Better be careful, though, the Apple fanboys are going to attack this thread soon, and Steve "Palpatine" Jobs is gonna come after us.
Better be careful, though, the Apple fanboys are going to attack this thread soon, and Steve "Palpatine" Jobs is gonna come after us.
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Jack of all trades, master of none.
That my friends, is what the iphone is.
That my friends, is what the iphone is.
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hmmm, I disagree. I'll admit, I don't really use the compass, but every time I check the GPS for accuracy, its within 10-15 feet (obviously, its going to be a lot more accurate outdoors, same as any stand alone GPS).
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I had the problem with my GPS being off, and the compass being off on my iPhone 3GS. I did a reset, then took it to a genius bar. They replaced it in five minutes, it's was cool. Now the GPS works pretty flawlessly- but the compass still sucks. I've tried two other 3GS's (?) and non of the compasses are ever right, I've given up on it. Also, on my first one, when I shook it up to my ear there was a rattling, and sometimes when I hit the home or lock button it just wouldn't turn on without a restart- and it had a full battery. After explaining this, the guy at the Genius bar didn't even test it- he just replaced it.
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My GPS is okay...outdoors. However my compass in no way ever effects my maps. I thought that the point of the compass was to orient maps to the direction the phone is facing/traveling.
When I move my location indicator in google maps moves toward the top of the screen which is never oriented to my direction of travel.
Should I take my 3G S to the Apple Store for a replacement? I bought the apple care plan when I purchased the phone.
When I move my location indicator in google maps moves toward the top of the screen which is never oriented to my direction of travel.
Should I take my 3G S to the Apple Store for a replacement? I bought the apple care plan when I purchased the phone.
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most of the time in my car using maps my iphone 3GS compass asks me to "Re-calibrate Compass. Wave in a figure 8 motion". most of the time it doesn't work :(
(and i'm sure not gonna look silly doing that with company;)
i figure something in the car messes with the compass.
i wonder if it may be possible in that case to have the gps take over and try to guess the compass direction by remembering the direction it's been travelling?
☻
meanwhile, i solve the problem by truing my head completely in the direction of my best guess, this orients the map and allows me to perform some yoga-like moves in the car too!
(and i'm sure not gonna look silly doing that with company;)
i figure something in the car messes with the compass.
i wonder if it may be possible in that case to have the gps take over and try to guess the compass direction by remembering the direction it's been travelling?
☻
meanwhile, i solve the problem by truing my head completely in the direction of my best guess, this orients the map and allows me to perform some yoga-like moves in the car too!
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