iPhone owners have begun filling forums with grumbles that Apple’s latest firmware causes Google Maps to become more than a little inaccurate.
The “GPS and Maps not working after 3.0 upgrade” thread on Apple’s own Discussions website is filled with comments from angry iPhone owners that the firmware update causes the bundled …
Its because you have sinned against the JeezusPhone™, and Jeezus is annoyed with you.
Get a phone that can go through the wash, and come out the other side unscathed, bar a day on the radiator, and still work (Three times now), can be thrown against the wall whilst drunk, and still ring for a taxi, and then, maybe, /Just maybe/ you are ready for a B&W NOKIA!!!
Who wants Apps, and a camera, when you can have snake, and a torch on the top?
Texting, and a phone book, the ability to make calls, thats all you need. get a seperate PMP and camera, if you wantt quality, and the ability to save 200 odd quid.
The US army has the ability to "move" the earth so that their (numerous) enemies can't really use GPS effectively. They can recalibrate GPS so that a particular position on the earth is offset by a chosen amount. They can then correct their cruise missles and such to account for this offset.
Maybe they are doing some of that testing right now?
My mapping accuracy actually improved with OS3.0
#
I suspect they changed the way the trianglation worked - my mapping accuracy has improved no end since the update when I'm indoors. (outdoors was never an issue)
I wonder has the update exposed some issues with the way operators have configured their base stations? (So it was less accurate across the board before the update, now it has the potential to be more accurate, but badly configured base stations can throw it out to a greater degree?)
...3G with 3.0 upgrade. The location is about 7 metres out as it was before upgrading, not as good as my TomTom but I can live with that. I'm not going to be using it when I'm driving!
Everything applemicrosoftgooglecantbebotheredwritinganymore blah blah blah is rubbish, I'm the best, and am clerverer than you, etc etc etc, blah blah blah, you're wrong, I'm right, and I'm letting you know it in as bitter and twisted way as I can.
My 3gs works fine, and is the best phone I've ever had times a hundred. I'm sorry, but it is (so far, though the anti fingerprint coating couldve been better)
I've moved from an HTC Kasier to iphone 3GS, and I've noticed that the 3GS GPS tends to only be within 20-50m accuracy, and often time lag of up to 20-30s; not handy for Sat Nav purposes. My Kaiser was fine - could just about tell which side of the road I was on.
Time and space are all relative. Maybe they've updated it so that it knows where you are at a different point in time! Google Maps is really showing the location next Tuesday
I use an app on the iPhone (running 3.0) called Trails for mountain biking routes. So far it's been very accurate for trips of up to 80 miles from home. Haven't used Google Maps much though.
Anyone else bored of these iPhone stories? Millions have been sold, doubtless some will develop issues. Seems like these stories are published just so that Fanbois and Haters can have a platform to sling mud at each other.
A quick browse on some HTC forums and I see threads such as "touch screen frozen", "all my pictures were lost", "my phone died". Funny how none of these are newsworthy.
Shock horror news headline: Apple just as prone to bugs, crashes and general fuckups as everyone else! Oh no! Whatever next? Apple overhype their products? All glitz and no QA?
Could this be nothing to do with the GPS? If people are using WIFI at home then the iPhone can locate them because they look up the location of the wifi (apparently there are databases - I was surpised too http://wifinetnews.com/archives/2008/01/apple_adds_iphone_location_over_wi-fi_base_station_backup_ma.html) and know where you are because of your access point rather than your GPS.
So maybe it's something screwed there, either in the database or in how the iPhoen handles the location it gets form the database. Which may mean that location services under GPS work fine...
New hitech gadget gets worldwide user base and then starts giving misleading directions to people who start asking questions about its accuracy etc? I, for one, am preparing to welcome our new Sontaran overlords
OK, here's one for you morons. GPS DOES NOT WORK INDOORS! It is a LINE OF SIGHT radio system that needs to have a direct connection to multiple (not less than 3) sattelites at a time.
In your home, the GPS might get signals from a few birds, but likely the structure of your house and proximity to windows is greatly screwing with your signal.
As a backup the iPhone uses a-GPS, which is colocation based on information provided from cellular towers, which is ALSO not designed to work indoors. (as cellular signals in the 3G range do not very well penetrate walls, and the phone does not understand how to deal with the signal reflection inside your house)
Finally, it uses your WiFi IP address to try to determine your location.
Recently BOTH of my iPhones, a 2G and a 3G S started reporting my location at home to be somewhere about 3 miles away. If i walk down the block outside of WiFi range (or disable it) my location returns to normal, provided I'm outside. If I connect to my neighbors wifi, my location changes again, this time about 2 miles in another direction. However, the location given on my wifi, and the location given on my neighbors wifi, though different, are dead on consistant.
This appears to be an issue with how the iPhone is gathering IP location information. In my case, the 4 base stations I can connect to near my house are all for AT&T DSL customers. The few neighbors i have that use Road Runner either don't have wifi, or have it secured with SSIDs off.
When outdoors, the GPS is dead on accurate, at least to 5-10m or so (which is actually better than the advertised accuracy of civilian GPS).
Also, GPS does not get your location accurately instantly. It takes a few cycles of the signal (5-10 seconds) to get a valid reading, and that reading is enhanced when the device is in motion as software in a GPS can begin to make assumptions based on the roads around, the direction of your travel, and your speed, to fine tune the accuracy.
As Apple suggested, if your phone GPS is actually reporting inaccurate information, when you can be certain it;s actually getting GPS, not A-GPS or WiFi data, as in when you are OUTSIDE, and MOVING, and have given the device time to locate itself (up to 30 seconds), then SEND IT TO APPLE FOR TESTING as they suggested. Perhaps there is a firmware issue with the new GPS chip... or a batch of them could easily be defective. This happens.... to ALL manufacturers. just google for GPS recalls, there have been quite a few. (Garmin, Belkin, and others)
I was thinking this a the weekend about maps on my 3G S, but have now confirmed that it's definately out (if I just rely on mobile triangulation its about 1/2 mile out). Using GPS I reckon its about 50-100m out. Think I'll wait and see if Apple admits anything before phoning them up as i'm not exactly reliant on GPS for anything....I just hope it is something that's fixed in the next update and not something that means I have to send it back!
....Ah the joy of my first apple owning experience!
Mine is perfect, I rub it all over my naked body every day and film it for Steve to watch. The yellow tinted screen, case discolouration and fact it is too hot to pick-up most of the time have not persuaded me otherwise.
My 3gs works fine, and is the best phone I've ever had times a hundred. I'm sorry, but it is (so far, though the anti fingerprint coating couldve been better)
pity for me that was the best thing i could think of about the iphone
i dont mean that in a nasty way i actually thought it was quite cool
hate having to clean the phone after every bloody call !!! stupid hot weather
Funny you mention the HTC forums like that, in the early days the general complaint was the user was the beta tester and why don't they bug test more effectively.
I think the general rule of thumb with all phones is that they are compact technology so they will tend to have more bugs/issues than say a PC/Mac just because of the scale.
The reason I think Apple's iPhone gets more of a bashing than say a HTC phone is down to the marketing hype and the fact that Apple tend to go quiet too often when they should be more open about these issues, probably a little embarressed about their marketing claims, but I can't see how admitting these issues exsist will affect Apple as a brand.
Sorry that was all a little too sensible, iPhones are defective junk and HTC still run windoze yada yada yada, carry on throwing mud people.
of course, you are indeed correct. Of course though I should have had a more "piss take" attitude and been more aggresive then that would have really sealed your case, or maybe, it is actually going a bit wrong for this release for Apple. I was wondering if i'd compared it to any other phone or been "apple tard this" and "apple tard that" or "hahaha you fanboys"? Think you'll find I'd comment about any company that seems to have ballsed up the release of any product this badly - this week = apple (iPoney division)
Being a good earner I could of course just go out and buy one off contract but then I wouldn't be able to be jealous.... (and I'd have a phone i dont really want, which simply doesn't suit my needs and is neither better nor worse than my current choice of dog'n'bone).
I better go back to my jealous hole and stay there in my jealous mood at my jealous desk.
First, the US Military currently have extra precision based on more accurate clock information that the civilians don't have. I believe that the next generation of satellites do not have this differentiation since with the satellites and a known ground base station you can effectively correct for the lack of accuracy. (This is used in Agriculture where tractors are GPS guided to reduce waste.) Trimble makes a system that can be used for Ag or for Civil Engineering where you are accurate to 3cm.
With respect to all of the claims of accuracy, here are a couple of facts...
1) The GPS 'chips' in your cell phones are not the same as the ones in your TomTom or Garmin and are not as accurate.
2) The basic map data is only accurate to approximately 1.6 meters to 3 meters depending on your location on the earth. They are accurate enough for driving purposes.
3) The GPS system will vary in accuracy based on the weather/sun spots/ ionosphere changes. This is why they have base stations that take 24-48 hours to stabilize before use.
4) Your GPS will be as accurate as the signals it receives from the sats. So if you're in a big city where the tall buildings can interfere with your reception, you're not going to be accurate.
5) Using Cell Tower / Wi-Fi signals to triangulate. Here you can get decent accuracy. At least enough to put you on the map and then you can figure out where you are.... It all depends on the accuracy of the reporting of Wi-Fi hotspots.
Pre 3.0 - meter accurate............ 3.0 approx 500M accurate......... go figure! Whats all this about the GPS being off if wifi is off etc etc.............. Anyone enlighten me?
I just checked. The phone correctly showed my location (in my own backyard) on the satellite image, however the address it reported was off by four houses.
Apple have clearly disregarded the Law of Least Astonishment in their headlong rush to equip the iPhone with stuff that everyone else has had for ages.
@Michael C : Very well put.
@Ian Michael Gumby
"1) The GPS 'chips' in your cell phones are not the same as the ones in your TomTom or Garmin and are not as accurate."
Careful now. Until recently, when they switched to Global Locate, TomTom exclusively used the SiRFstar III chipset. That same chipset was also found in a whole lot of Garmin models pre 2008 (after which they used MediaTek chipsets for a bit)
The SiRF chipset is very popular in smartphones, particularly HTCs, and other windows mobile devices including PDAs and lots of vehicle and hand-held GPS units (Mio, etc). It is also a pretty damn good chipset. Excellent TTFF, good performance in urban environments (decent multipath handling), both areas in which it seriously outperforms older Garmin kit.
Now as it happens, late (2009) model Garmin kit uses ST Micro Cartesio chipsets and the iPhone uses the catchily named Infineon PMB 2525 Hammerhead II chipset, which is, a someone pointed out above, an AGPS chipset.
I noticed this problem quite a while ago on my 1st generation iPhone. It was very accurate, even with the fake-GPS cell tower triangulation. It could spot my home to within about 50 meters. Then an upgrade came along, (2.1 I think) and suddenly, whenever I search for a street address, every location is about 500 meters northwest of its actual location, about two city blocks away. This makes it absolutely useless for searching street addresses and using directions, I always get directions to the wrong spot.
BTW, this is in the US midwest, I have converted to metric for you poor post-Imperial Measurement users.
There are already solutions to both the real (atmospheric, inherent satellite based) and imaginary (the US screwing with the civilian data) problems such as:
in short you dead reckon a point on Earth through normal surveying means. You then stick a GPS receiver on that point. You now know where that receiver is to the millimetre.
When you receive the satellite stream you look at where it tells you the receiver is and compare it to where the receiver *actually* is. You then send an adjustment accordingly.
Doubt that Apple use this system but I thought some readers may find the information interesting.
Register
Users claim iPhone 3.0 GPS mis-map mishaps
iPhone owners have begun filling forums with grumbles that Apple’s latest firmware causes Google Maps to become more than a little inaccurate. The “GPS and Maps not working after 3.0 upgrade” thread on Apple’s own Discussions website is filled with comments from angry iPhone owners that the firmware update causes the bundled …
This topic is closed for new posts.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 10:02 GMT
Monty Burns
Oh dear.... #
Really not going well for Apple at the moment is it...... Hot batteries, yellow screens and now a screwed up GPS. Ouch. Glad i'm not an iPoney user.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Lionel Baden
im gettin popcorn #
cause all the fanbois will scream but all new things are buggy (although they dont realise this whilst chatting about M$)
i will chuckle that their 400 is badly spent
but on the bright side if they go camping they dont need to take a bbq just stick the bacon on the back of the phone whilst listening to music
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Fractured Cell
Ahhhh, hah hah hah, etc... #
Ha. OK, I'm done now.
Its because you have sinned against the JeezusPhone™, and Jeezus is annoyed with you.
Get a phone that can go through the wash, and come out the other side unscathed, bar a day on the radiator, and still work (Three times now), can be thrown against the wall whilst drunk, and still ring for a taxi, and then, maybe, /Just maybe/ you are ready for a B&W NOKIA!!!
Who wants Apps, and a camera, when you can have snake, and a torch on the top?
Texting, and a phone book, the ability to make calls, thats all you need. get a seperate PMP and camera, if you wantt quality, and the ability to save 200 odd quid.
Can your phone survive this?
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
tomasmcguinness
Could this just be the US Army? #
The US army has the ability to "move" the earth so that their (numerous) enemies can't really use GPS effectively. They can recalibrate GPS so that a particular position on the earth is offset by a chosen amount. They can then correct their cruise missles and such to account for this offset.
Maybe they are doing some of that testing right now?
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Steve Evans
Excellent... #
Thanks for today's booboo...
I look forward to tomorrows.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Paddy Fagan
My mapping accuracy actually improved with OS3.0 #
I suspect they changed the way the trianglation worked - my mapping accuracy has improved no end since the update when I'm indoors. (outdoors was never an issue)
I wonder has the update exposed some issues with the way operators have configured their base stations? (So it was less accurate across the board before the update, now it has the potential to be more accurate, but badly configured base stations can throw it out to a greater degree?)
Paddy
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Joey
Just tried mine... #
...3G with 3.0 upgrade. The location is about 7 metres out as it was before upgrading, not as good as my TomTom but I can live with that. I'm not going to be using it when I'm driving!
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Tim Spence
All perfect here #
A quick check of my iPone is all good.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Alex 32
News to me #
Nope, not to me. Before 3.0 I had 100m accuracy.. not I have 4m..
Carry on!
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Jason 23
HTCrap, NonceKia, Samwrong, etc #
Everything applemicrosoftgooglecantbebotheredwritinganymore blah blah blah is rubbish, I'm the best, and am clerverer than you, etc etc etc, blah blah blah, you're wrong, I'm right, and I'm letting you know it in as bitter and twisted way as I can.
My 3gs works fine, and is the best phone I've ever had times a hundred. I'm sorry, but it is (so far, though the anti fingerprint coating couldve been better)
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
TrixyB
N97 #
No problems here....
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Label fail #
The problem is that you need to turn on wireless to get power to the GPS chip,a major oversite of the UI.
I discovered this at the weekend. If wireless is not turned on then only the mobile triangulation is used.
There should really be two switches in the options.. or just one labeled wireless/gps.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Damian Skeeles
Where there's smoke... #
I've moved from an HTC Kasier to iphone 3GS, and I've noticed that the 3GS GPS tends to only be within 20-50m accuracy, and often time lag of up to 20-30s; not handy for Sat Nav purposes. My Kaiser was fine - could just about tell which side of the road I was on.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Andy 22
Huh. Unlucky. #
I can smugly say that my 2G is *more* accurate after 3.0.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:16 GMT
Sachin
No issues #
I've got the Iphone3.0 and just checked my location on googlemaps and works just fine.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:17 GMT
Annihilator
The user is wrong #
Time and space are all relative. Maybe they've updated it so that it knows where you are at a different point in time! Google Maps is really showing the location next Tuesday
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:17 GMT
magnetik
Maybe it's the maps app? #
I use an app on the iPhone (running 3.0) called Trails for mountain biking routes. So far it's been very accurate for trips of up to 80 miles from home. Haven't used Google Maps much though.
Anyone else bored of these iPhone stories? Millions have been sold, doubtless some will develop issues. Seems like these stories are published just so that Fanbois and Haters can have a platform to sling mud at each other.
A quick browse on some HTC forums and I see threads such as "touch screen frozen", "all my pictures were lost", "my phone died". Funny how none of these are newsworthy.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:17 GMT
Jim Coleman
Oops #
Apple. It just works.
NOT!
Shock horror news headline: Apple just as prone to bugs, crashes and general fuckups as everyone else! Oh no! Whatever next? Apple overhype their products? All glitz and no QA?
Well the sky's gonna fall on our heads then.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:17 GMT
Mike 102
GPS at home #
Could this be nothing to do with the GPS? If people are using WIFI at home then the iPhone can locate them because they look up the location of the wifi (apparently there are databases - I was surpised too http://wifinetnews.com/archives/2008/01/apple_adds_iphone_location_over_wi-fi_base_station_backup_ma.html) and know where you are because of your access point rather than your GPS.
So maybe it's something screwed there, either in the database or in how the iPhoen handles the location it gets form the database. Which may mean that location services under GPS work fine...
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:44 GMT
Richard 20
The Monty doth protest too much, methinks… #
Apple-envy is so becoming. Nuff said.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:44 GMT
SJ
Worked for me at home #
On my iPhone 3G at home the GPS in googlemaps used to be 2 miles off when I was inside.
After the OS3 update it gets it spot on...
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 11:44 GMT
Pavlovs well trained dog
*yawn* #
20millions phones - a few go wrong
HEADLINES!
Does anyone actually give a Flying Fuck to the Partridge in the Pear Tree?
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 13:12 GMT
Yorkshirepudding
oh noes #
i spent 400 quid and it didnt work out of the box straight away
my 5800 did
bwaaaahhhhhhahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaahahahahahahaha <deep intake of breath> hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
ok im done
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 13:12 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Warnings from Dr Who #
New hitech gadget gets worldwide user base and then starts giving misleading directions to people who start asking questions about its accuracy etc? I, for one, am preparing to welcome our new Sontaran overlords
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 13:12 GMT
Michael C
...when at home... #
OK, here's one for you morons. GPS DOES NOT WORK INDOORS! It is a LINE OF SIGHT radio system that needs to have a direct connection to multiple (not less than 3) sattelites at a time.
In your home, the GPS might get signals from a few birds, but likely the structure of your house and proximity to windows is greatly screwing with your signal.
As a backup the iPhone uses a-GPS, which is colocation based on information provided from cellular towers, which is ALSO not designed to work indoors. (as cellular signals in the 3G range do not very well penetrate walls, and the phone does not understand how to deal with the signal reflection inside your house)
Finally, it uses your WiFi IP address to try to determine your location.
Recently BOTH of my iPhones, a 2G and a 3G S started reporting my location at home to be somewhere about 3 miles away. If i walk down the block outside of WiFi range (or disable it) my location returns to normal, provided I'm outside. If I connect to my neighbors wifi, my location changes again, this time about 2 miles in another direction. However, the location given on my wifi, and the location given on my neighbors wifi, though different, are dead on consistant.
This appears to be an issue with how the iPhone is gathering IP location information. In my case, the 4 base stations I can connect to near my house are all for AT&T DSL customers. The few neighbors i have that use Road Runner either don't have wifi, or have it secured with SSIDs off.
When outdoors, the GPS is dead on accurate, at least to 5-10m or so (which is actually better than the advertised accuracy of civilian GPS).
Also, GPS does not get your location accurately instantly. It takes a few cycles of the signal (5-10 seconds) to get a valid reading, and that reading is enhanced when the device is in motion as software in a GPS can begin to make assumptions based on the roads around, the direction of your travel, and your speed, to fine tune the accuracy.
As Apple suggested, if your phone GPS is actually reporting inaccurate information, when you can be certain it;s actually getting GPS, not A-GPS or WiFi data, as in when you are OUTSIDE, and MOVING, and have given the device time to locate itself (up to 30 seconds), then SEND IT TO APPLE FOR TESTING as they suggested. Perhaps there is a firmware issue with the new GPS chip... or a batch of them could easily be defective. This happens.... to ALL manufacturers. just google for GPS recalls, there have been quite a few. (Garmin, Belkin, and others)
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 13:12 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Oh no....it's not very accurate is it #
I was thinking this a the weekend about maps on my 3G S, but have now confirmed that it's definately out (if I just rely on mobile triangulation its about 1/2 mile out). Using GPS I reckon its about 50-100m out. Think I'll wait and see if Apple admits anything before phoning them up as i'm not exactly reliant on GPS for anything....I just hope it is something that's fixed in the next update and not something that means I have to send it back!
....Ah the joy of my first apple owning experience!
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 13:12 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Perfect iPhone #
Mine is perfect, I rub it all over my naked body every day and film it for Steve to watch. The yellow tinted screen, case discolouration and fact it is too hot to pick-up most of the time have not persuaded me otherwise.
I love you Mr Jobs, you make my life so complete.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 13:12 GMT
Lionel Baden
@jason23 #
My 3gs works fine, and is the best phone I've ever had times a hundred. I'm sorry, but it is (so far, though the anti fingerprint coating couldve been better)
pity for me that was the best thing i could think of about the iphone
i dont mean that in a nasty way i actually thought it was quite cool
hate having to clean the phone after every bloody call !!! stupid hot weather
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 13:12 GMT
tony
@fractured cell, #
Not everybody carries around a handbag to carry all those extra devices.
Be careful your makeup doesn't get in the lens
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 13:12 GMT
Rob
@magnetik #
Funny you mention the HTC forums like that, in the early days the general complaint was the user was the beta tester and why don't they bug test more effectively.
I think the general rule of thumb with all phones is that they are compact technology so they will tend to have more bugs/issues than say a PC/Mac just because of the scale.
The reason I think Apple's iPhone gets more of a bashing than say a HTC phone is down to the marketing hype and the fact that Apple tend to go quiet too often when they should be more open about these issues, probably a little embarressed about their marketing claims, but I can't see how admitting these issues exsist will affect Apple as a brand.
Sorry that was all a little too sensible, iPhones are defective junk and HTC still run windoze yada yada yada, carry on throwing mud people.
(Paris, 'cause I haven't abused her for awhile)
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 13:12 GMT
Monty Burns
@Richard #
of course, you are indeed correct. Of course though I should have had a more "piss take" attitude and been more aggresive then that would have really sealed your case, or maybe, it is actually going a bit wrong for this release for Apple. I was wondering if i'd compared it to any other phone or been "apple tard this" and "apple tard that" or "hahaha you fanboys"? Think you'll find I'd comment about any company that seems to have ballsed up the release of any product this badly - this week = apple (iPoney division)
Being a good earner I could of course just go out and buy one off contract but then I wouldn't be able to be jealous.... (and I'd have a phone i dont really want, which simply doesn't suit my needs and is neither better nor worse than my current choice of dog'n'bone).
I better go back to my jealous hole and stay there in my jealous mood at my jealous desk.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 13:12 GMT
Monty Burns
oh and Richard, #
why the iPony comment? coz thats all i'd be prepared to pay for it, off-contract.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 13:12 GMT
Ian Michael Gumby
@tomasmcguinness and some general info... #
First, the US Military currently have extra precision based on more accurate clock information that the civilians don't have. I believe that the next generation of satellites do not have this differentiation since with the satellites and a known ground base station you can effectively correct for the lack of accuracy. (This is used in Agriculture where tractors are GPS guided to reduce waste.) Trimble makes a system that can be used for Ag or for Civil Engineering where you are accurate to 3cm.
With respect to all of the claims of accuracy, here are a couple of facts...
1) The GPS 'chips' in your cell phones are not the same as the ones in your TomTom or Garmin and are not as accurate.
2) The basic map data is only accurate to approximately 1.6 meters to 3 meters depending on your location on the earth. They are accurate enough for driving purposes.
3) The GPS system will vary in accuracy based on the weather/sun spots/ ionosphere changes. This is why they have base stations that take 24-48 hours to stabilize before use.
4) Your GPS will be as accurate as the signals it receives from the sats. So if you're in a big city where the tall buildings can interfere with your reception, you're not going to be accurate.
5) Using Cell Tower / Wi-Fi signals to triangulate. Here you can get decent accuracy. At least enough to put you on the map and then you can figure out where you are.... It all depends on the accuracy of the reporting of Wi-Fi hotspots.
HTH
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 15:46 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Less Accurate........ #
Pre 3.0 - meter accurate............ 3.0 approx 500M accurate......... go figure! Whats all this about the GPS being off if wifi is off etc etc.............. Anyone enlighten me?
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 20:28 GMT
MDR
iPhone GPS #
I just checked. The phone correctly showed my location (in my own backyard) on the satellite image, however the address it reported was off by four houses.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 20:28 GMT
The Other Steve
Oh ouch, epic usability fail. #
Apple have clearly disregarded the Law of Least Astonishment in their headlong rush to equip the iPhone with stuff that everyone else has had for ages.
@Michael C : Very well put.
@Ian Michael Gumby
"1) The GPS 'chips' in your cell phones are not the same as the ones in your TomTom or Garmin and are not as accurate."
Careful now. Until recently, when they switched to Global Locate, TomTom exclusively used the SiRFstar III chipset. That same chipset was also found in a whole lot of Garmin models pre 2008 (after which they used MediaTek chipsets for a bit)
The SiRF chipset is very popular in smartphones, particularly HTCs, and other windows mobile devices including PDAs and lots of vehicle and hand-held GPS units (Mio, etc). It is also a pretty damn good chipset. Excellent TTFF, good performance in urban environments (decent multipath handling), both areas in which it seriously outperforms older Garmin kit.
Now as it happens, late (2009) model Garmin kit uses ST Micro Cartesio chipsets and the iPhone uses the catchily named Infineon PMB 2525 Hammerhead II chipset, which is, a someone pointed out above, an AGPS chipset.
So you are partly right, but only through luck.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 20:37 GMT
Charles E
2 Blocks Off #
I noticed this problem quite a while ago on my 1st generation iPhone. It was very accurate, even with the fake-GPS cell tower triangulation. It could spot my home to within about 50 meters. Then an upgrade came along, (2.1 I think) and suddenly, whenever I search for a street address, every location is about 500 meters northwest of its actual location, about two city blocks away. This makes it absolutely useless for searching street addresses and using directions, I always get directions to the wrong spot.
BTW, this is in the US midwest, I have converted to metric for you poor post-Imperial Measurement users.
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 20:37 GMT
Anonymous Coward
Sounds good to me #
Wildly inaccurate GPS and triangulation sounds like a bonus. The further off-kilter the better, so as to send the black helicopters far far away. :)
Posted Thursday 2nd July 2009 22:50 GMT
Richard 20
@ Mr Burns #
Exxxxcccelent… Thanks for making my point so eloquently. Much appreciated.
Posted Friday 3rd July 2009 09:52 GMT
Anonymous Coward
GPS Accuracy #
There are already solutions to both the real (atmospheric, inherent satellite based) and imaginary (the US screwing with the civilian data) problems such as:
http://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/aids_to_navigation/the_task/satellite_navigation.html
in short you dead reckon a point on Earth through normal surveying means. You then stick a GPS receiver on that point. You now know where that receiver is to the millimetre.
When you receive the satellite stream you look at where it tells you the receiver is and compare it to where the receiver *actually* is. You then send an adjustment accordingly.
Doubt that Apple use this system but I thought some readers may find the information interesting.
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