The Samsung Galaxy S24
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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.

Mentor

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42 Messages

10 years ago


tomgutz wrote:But the tech support told me they are not authorized to do that. First they have to go thru the tiresome process that they have to flush the device test it then if it does not work.
The a higher level tech support talks to you about your options to solve it. What dismays me is the person I talke dto has not heard about it, which I honestly doubt it. And what is funny is that they try relate the problem to where I am, or where I leave. I can still remember that the tech support saying that it might be a problem because of the where I live.
This is not a good sign since I complain about the GPS and seems like they are trying to say the solution is because of the network coverage.
Seems like that is the closest solution to their books.  So sad honestly. But anyways I am waiting a call for the next level tech support today to confirm if the flushing works. ATT did not call back, so much for what they promise. This is why I cannot  rely on their words on fixing this issue.

 

^^ in 2014 the above is unacceptable.   There's no need to begin on page 1 of the troubleshooting guide when so many have already proven the problem is real.    It's quite simple to show it's related to AT&T towers and signal.  Just turn off the phone portion of the device and the GPS works flawlessly.   I've traveled all this week in and out of poor reception areas, 4g, LTE, etc. and if the phone is off, it works.

 

The coworker I was with has a Verizon Note 3 and side by side his works fine when traversing signal / tower areas on Verizon.  Mine would not.

 

I don't have time to waste.  AT&T can eat the return of my phone that was sold with knowlege of it being broken.  (Think GM and the ignition switches), only in their case people died.  Either way, guilty.  Eat my phone, give me a different one of my choosing (I'll pay the difference or accept the refund) and move on.   If they do not have a phone I want, then in my case, I didn't have to renew a contract, cancel what is in place and allow me to move on to another carrier.  Forcing me to stay is going to be more costly in many ways.

Teacher

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18 Messages

10 years ago

All these delays with fixes and be on time with customers needs are fruits of outsourcing American jobs to remote countries. Smiley Mad

 

Scholar

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131 Messages

10 years ago

Get a load of this crap:

 

Thank you for your patience! Your AT&T Representative will be with you shortly.

Welcome! You are now chatting with 'Frank ***'

Frank ***: Hi I’ll be glad to help you today with your gps Justin.

justin: k

Frank ***: What does the signal icon indicate on the device?

justin: right now since im sitting in a room nothing

justin: but on my vacation to disney i used it for or tried to use it for directions and it would lose signal every 2 mins

justin: or so

justin: we tried my wifes phone and it did the same thing. Thinking it was an app that we had i reset my phone when we got to the hotel eventually and lost everything because i couldnt back it up

justin: used it to find our way back home and it worked for a few miles and then it would just stop and we got lost.

Frank ***: Thank you for those details. My apologies for that Justin. That would be why you lost the signal if you have no signal now. Turn wifi off, Wifi can make the gps lose signal like that. Then turn the phone off and back on to get the signal back please.

justin: again, if i step outside it will connect

justin: but when you start to move it will lose signal

Frank ***: Lets test it out with Wifi off. Once you turn the phone back on, leave wifi off and test the gps pleased Justin.

justin: yep says connected

Frank ***: Ok good, set it to walking mode and stat moving.

Frank ***: Be sure to leave wifi off

justin: yep drops signal

Frank ***: Thank you

Frank ***: What gps app are you using?

justin: google maps

Frank ***: Thank you.

Frank ***: Remove the app then go back and reinstall it.

justin: lol

justin: it comes preinstalled

Frank ***: You can still uninstall it.

justin: nope

justin: cant

justin: ...

Frank ***: What options do you see?

justin: uninstall updates

justin: force stop

justin: clear cash

justin: allready did all that on our trip

justin: nothing worked

Frank ***: Ok good, lets clear the cashe then force it to stop please.

justin: lol

justin: justin: allready did all that on our trip justin: nothing worked

justin: I did some searching looks like its a major issue with just the att version of the phone

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

justin: http://motoringcrunch.com/news/att-samsung-galaxy-note-3-is-in-a-heap-of-trouble/10010181/

justin: http://www.androidpolice.com/2014/03/03/multiple-users-reporting-att-galaxy-note-3-gps-issues-kitkat-update-could-be-coming-soon/

justin: also

justin: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2014/03/17/samsung-galaxy-note-3-problem-frustrates/

Frank ***: Thank you for trying. I was hoping that would resolve this Justin. Thank you for those forums as well. With that information what I can do now is file a technical case to get the area reviewed for you. Once the technicians review this case I am sure you will start to notice a difference.  

justin: ok

Frank ***: Let me get that started.  Please stay online for your case ID or i can just text it to the phone if you do not have time to wait.

[Edited for privacy.]

Scholar

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102 Messages

10 years ago

I tweeted attcustomercare every other day .This morning I got the same response they are working with sansung for the fix and release it soon .

Scholar

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131 Messages

10 years ago

I was pretty much told they didnt even know about the issue.

Mentor

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39 Messages

10 years ago

At this point , we should ask AT&T customercare what their definition of "Soon" is. Do they think Christmas is coming soon?

Dear AT&T - Why are you still selling the Note 3 without informing your customers that there is a GPS problem with the phone? Do you feel this is an acceptable business practice and do you plan on continuing it?

Teacher

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18 Messages

10 years ago

We should apply "soon" to our billing statements. Due to soon.

Scholar

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56 Messages

10 years ago

I have devised a test to prove without a shadow of a doubt that any Note3 has the GPS problem, or not. Unfortunately it does involve 20 minutes of driving with GPS being logged. However, it proves the problem EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! 

 

Download the free app called My Tracks (by Google, Inc).  Get in your car, turn on your GPS and click the record button to start recording your GPS track. Note the odometer reading on your car.

 

Next go run errands / drive around for 20 minutes or more. When you're done, return to My Tracks, hit Stop, and save it. Now click the STATS tab. Compare the distance you drove with your car's odometer. Look at the Chart (speed/elevation vs time). Check out your track on the map. Does any of this seem acceptable to you???

 

Let me show one of my example tests:

 

Work-issued Verizon Galaxy S4 (android 4.3) vs AT&T Note 3 Refurb (android 4.3, Just sent to me by AT&T to replace my own Note 3 due to the GPS problem)

 

This is the result of a run from my home to my storage unit and back (4 miles round trip according to my car's odometer). I simply hit the record button on both phones, put the phone in my pocket, went about my business, and when I got home I hit STOP and saved both tracks.

 

IMG_0622.JPG

On the left is my Verizon s4, with a ton of apps on it.

On the right is the AT&T Note 3 .... refurb just sent to me, with no applications installed aside MyTracks and no other changes aside from updating all the apps in the playstore that needed it. (Almost completely still in fresh factory restored/reset mode)

 

Verizon s4 reports the trip perfectly fine. The note 3 says I went almost half the distance. It says my "moving time" was 5m 40s on the Note 3! Clearly that is false, I was in my car driving for at least 20 minutes round trip.

 

Looking at the chart you can see what was going on... (Blue graph is speed) the Note3 thought I was not moving at some points ..................... huh??

IMG_0621.JPG

again, Verizon s4 on the left -- AT&T Note 3 on the right

 

It is also  CLEARLY evident when I look at the "Map" of this trip. On the Note 3, it is basically a dashed line! At some points it went 3 minutes without a signal at all.

 

The Verizon S4 shows my line as completely solid .. even while I was inside the metal building that is my storage unit, which doesnt allow me to get cell coverage, let alone GPS.

 

So what the heck AT&T?

 

I complained on twitter about this, and AT&T had the nerve to give me Samsung's phone number. The only way I can get help from samsung is to send them my phone (and be without my phone in the interim). 

 

I am tempted to downgrade back to my Note 2 and do that .... just to prove this is AT&T's issue. It's not Samsung... But I have had a bad experience when sending a phone into Samsung .. and I am not too keen on running that risk again while holding the $550 purchase price of this phone over my head......

 

 

2 Attachments

Mentor

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39 Messages

10 years ago

Great job troubleshooting for us. I believe you have proven definitively that there is a problem and that it is an AT&T's issue. Thanks for doing this for us.

The pace of people signing the petition at the change website has really picked up. If you know an email address that you think it should go to within AT&T, please PM it to me. Every time someone signs the petition, it will send that email address a message. Wonder if we could set it up to send out a twitter message as well. Hmmmm....

Scholar

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102 Messages

10 years ago

The note 2 was the best Samsung device I ever owned . Not only gps but it had better battery life for me also . It was on AT& T .
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