The Samsung Galaxy S24
Blackjack II's profile

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58 Messages

Tuesday, November 19th, 2013 4:12 AM

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Samsung Galaxy Note 3 GPS Issue

Anyone else having issues with their Note 3 GPS? I'm having an issue were every time I plug or unplug the charger from my phone the GPS drops out. I have to then toggle the GPS on/off in my quick settings to get it working again while navigating. It also seems to drop the signal when I get an incoming phone call while using the navigation app. I have confirmed this same behavior on 2 other friends Note 3's. I'm hoping this is just a software issue that will be fixed in a future os update.

Tutor

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6 Messages

10 years ago

Another affected user here. Gps goes out when switching between networks and connecting/disconnecting power cable. Waze works fine til gps signal drops. Takes 2-3 minutes before it comes back on its own. Quicker if i toggle gps switch. Google maps doesnt even register me as being on this planet at all. So yea....

Mentor

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28 Messages

10 years ago

That's what I've been saying. There's some inherent issue with the stock AT&T ROM. Apparently the GPS fix zip by drakeymcmb is just the GPS files only. X-Note ROM apparently contain these files as well. They're just a port of the International GPS files.

@kirk-icap  The problem isn't with Samsung or Google, it's AT&T. The reason we know this is because if we write over the stock AT&T GPS files with the international version it works fine. And when people go with a different ROM based on the International version it works fine too. As referenced in this post over at XDA by superbfox:

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=49642744

Since he backed up the following files:

/system/lib/hw/gps.default.so
/system/lib/hw/gps.goldfish.so
/system/lib/libloc_adapter.so
/system/lib/libloc_api_v02.so
/system/lib/libloc_eng.so
/system/etc/gps.conf

I'm going to assume those are the files in drakeymcmb's GPS fix zip. That libloc_adapter.so file makes me think that's the file that deals with the plugging and unplugging of the charger but I could be wrong.

 

@ms_unicorn This isn't a coverage issue, it's happening to all of us all over the US. Doesn't matter where it happens because we can reproduce it at will by just plugging or unplugging our charger or just by calling our phones and forcing 4G LTE to be dropped down to 4G. So that means it happens everywhere. Please have your techs and engineers look at the files above and see what it is that they changed from the International version to AT&T's ROM and fix it. Better yet, make us an OTA update that overwrites those files back to the International version as most of us don't want to root our phones. 

Mentor

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28 Messages

10 years ago

@lbDanny As I've stated before, don't think it's an actual hardware problem, as in the GPS chip is not faulty because if it was, then how come it works again just fine when those of us here in this thread have reset our phones. It then goes haywire after (usually) 24 hours. Like I said before, hardware either works or doesn't, can't choose to work for a certain amount of time then stops. Just like your TV, if the picture goes bad it stays bad, doesn't get better just because you unplugged the power and plugged it back in. 

Tutor

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7 Messages

10 years ago

I've been having the same GPS issue with my Note 3. I frequently travel between CT, MA and NY and I've always had issues with GPS signal dropping since day 1 regardless of the area I am travelling in. Recently, I visited Chicago and had the same issue there. In my observation, signal drops when 1)change from 4gLTE to 4g or vice versa. 2)if you receive a phone call.3)if you left your wifi on and the phone tries to pick up wifi from shops close by and last but not least 4)plugging in phone chargers. I have refrained fom changing my phone since I've been reading comments about ppl with no success despite replacing multiple devices.

 

On other note, I'm so frustrated with AT&T. I've gotten into verbal spat on few occasions regarding the issue with AT&T representatives. I hate how dumb they think customers are. I've repetedtly said there is forum on AT&T community board regarding the issue but everyone I speak to says thats the first time they've heard of the problem. They always give me the run around about back up and factory reset. I've been an AT&T customer for over 10 years and never had service problems before but the way they treat you is horrendous. One '4 letter expletive' ing guy (ATT won't let me type what I really want to say)  had the audacity to say "at least you don't have to restart your phone to turn the GPS back on." It makes me think twice about sticking with AT&T. I know Verizon CS is probably no better but at least their network and 4gLTE coverage is better. 

Mentor

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42 Messages

10 years ago

Funny, I was with Sprint for years before switching to ATT and I loved their customer service. Sometimes the level one guy would bump me up to a higher technician just because fix 1 didn't work for the phone and he didn't want me frustrated. I had a store nearby with a tech that could fix just about anything wrong with the phone. ATT has a local store, you need special permission to talk to them and all they know is reboot, factory reset and send it in for service. 

Scholar

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62 Messages

10 years ago

I have spent hours trying to figure this out and can confirm it worked great with Note 2 and other phones have a lock.  Also verified with GPS software that the sattelites are in view.

 

This is yet another example of how frustrating it is to be held hostage with a locked bootloader.  I purchased this for $750 off contract and GPS is important to me.  I like AT&T coverage, but feeling like I should switch to another carrier that does not lock you in like this.  

 

Please give us the freedom to make software choices with our own device!  You guys are great as a carrier in voice and data - please stay out of the software business 🙂

Scholar

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63 Messages

10 years ago

A bit more, it has been 16 hoours since my factory reset and the GPS is working correctly???. The only difference this time I removed the SIm card before the reset and have not put it back in and have not connected to wifi. 100% zero data for the phone.

 

I just tested and the GPS is still working (testing by plugging in and unplugging from the stock charger once a full GPS lock has been made, and it was 17 sats). 

 

This makes me think that the GPS files (mentioned above) are being currpoted once something updates through data, maybe the A-GPS file? I'm going to test this when I get home, and if it still works, I'm going to connect to Wifi and try again

Teacher

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10 Messages

10 years ago

Remeber james that it takes around 24 hours for the gps to stop working.  I would give it till tomorrow morning.  If it is still working tomorrow morning I would try slowly turning stuff on until it stops working.  Hopefully you have another phone to use while you are testing.

Mentor

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17 Messages

10 years ago

I called ATT again today and got someone else on the phone.  Again (and as expected), she told me she didn't see anything associated to this thread in the queue acknowledging this issue.


So here's what I (AND EVERYONE ON THIS LIST SHOULD DO):

 

1) Call ATT and briefly explain the GPS issue, cutting them short when they start asking the really dumb question which should only take 10 seconds or so. 

2) Tell them to reference this thread :

http://forums.att.com/t5/Android-Discussion-and-Support/Samsung-Galaxy-Note-3-GPS-Issue/td-p/3824953

3) Send the same note and referenced link to (sb4322 at att.com).  The gal I spoke to had me send the thread to this address which she said she would forward to her managers and tech team.

4) Send the same message again to: https://forums.att.com/t5/notes/privatenotespage/tab/compose/note-to-user-id/2802899

which is ATTMarianaCM (Community Manager).

5) Get ATT to send a new phone because your GPS isn't functioning.  Upon arrival, the GPS will not work as we all know.  Then call again and get another one sent, and so on.  At some point, ATT will have to acknowledge a problem.  

 

The only other resolution is to switch carriers, although I'm certain nobody really wants to do that.

 

Signed,

Frustrated ATT Customer    

Scholar

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63 Messages

10 years ago

@nicman I was thinking the same thing. yesterday it lasted 12 hours, but I agree to be 100% sure, I'm going to wait about 36 hours (7am tomorrow) before I let the phone connect to wifi or put the sim card in.

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