Tomtom 1.41 / IOS4 Poor GPS reception

[rac1979]

Hi guys


Ive been using all the versions, from 1.0 - 1.41. I never had bad reception on my 3G never.

Since i installed 1.4 (And updated to 1.41) I keep on getting patches, where the GPS says: Poor GPS Reception... (and it then takes a few seconds to calibrate)
And this is the same route i take everyday.

Does anyone else experience this? Is there a fix or summin?

Thanks for the help guys!

 

[davidalan99]

First let me say you are not alone in this and other problems with the upgrade to iOS4 on the iPhone. The first batch of problems were quickly solved with the update 1.4.1 We are all currently waiting for 1.4.?? to solve the rest of the problems, read on in the forum here and you will see what we are all going through

 

[rac1979]

Feedback

Hey guys

Some feedback, after getting very frustrated, i downgraded my 3G to 3.1.2.

Man, what a relief.....

Anyway, i installed 1.41 on the 3.1.2OS to see how it will go. And it goes great....
I dont get any "Poor GPS reception" anymore, had it happening once, but it seems like its much more stable, and usuable on the Iphone 3G running 3.1.2

Peace!

 

[rserkes]

Rather than start a new thread I'm going to post a related question here. I just bought a new iPhone (v4). If I drop it into the TT car kit does the iPhone get its location by using AT&T minutes or via the GPS receiver in the car kit? I don't want to use AT&T data or minutes for navigation. I'll just move my 730GO from one car to the other.

I know this sounds like a pretty basic question but I'm new to all of this. And yes, I did check the TT website but couldn't find a definitive answer.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Kolenka]

The iPhone won't use minutes for the GPS assist, but it will use a bit of data. I don't really think it matters a ton that it does this, as all my other usage swamps out the data use by the GPS assist (and you get a GPS assist every time you need a fresh lock, but once you have a lock, the GPS chip no longer needs the assist).

If you put it in the cradle, it will stop using the assist, but at the same time, you don't get any accuracy, and your locks will actually be slower. In my own experience, the iPhone 4 is much better used stand-alone... not with any GPS cradle. The data use is negligible, locks are near-instant, and accuracy matches up with the car kit.

 

[rserkes]

Thanks for the reply. I hadn't considered the time to lock on but it sounds like you're saying I'd be better off NOT using the cradle. You just saved me about $100.

 

[Kolenka]

Thanks for the reply. I hadn't considered the time to lock on but it sounds like you're saying I'd be better off NOT using the cradle. You just saved me about $100.

Pretty much, I had the cradle with the 3GS, and the 4 is actually slightly better in some areas alone than the 3GS + Kit (tall buildings have less of an impact on the 4).

As for the data use, the phone doesn't /require/ it for a lock (in case you turn roaming off and leave the country). And the data used is pretty miniscule... on the order of a couple KB, where using something like Fandango is easily 10-100x that on loading the app.

 

[Jmills87]

Any resolution to this problem yet? I have the 3Gs on 4.0.1, 95% of the time I get the "poor GPS reception" error. the other 5% of the time the GPS will lock on for a split second and tell me to turn 100 feet after I've already passed the turn. Extremely frustrating as I never had a single problem before upgrading to ios4. I'm starting to wish I had pirated this application. What a waste of $50

 

[davidalan99]

What version of TomTom are you running? Current is 1.4.1 since I went to this no problem with lock just traffic issues.

 

[gleb]

Since I upgraded to iOS4 (now 4.0.2), my TomTom navigator (iPhone 3GS + car kit + TomTom upgrade) needs to use data (ie Internet) access : whatever the atmospheric conditions, 0.5mo for a 200 km drive. If driving in a foreign country, I now must allow "data roaming" and this has a HUGE cost (I experienced it, unfortunately).

Apple is quite silent on the numerous iOS4 problems. But TomTom is not behaving better with loyal customers. Of course, it's not an obligation for me to stay loyal with such companies.

 

[runarg]

Since I upgraded to iOS4 (now 4.0.2), my TomTom navigator (iPhone 3GS + car kit + TomTom upgrade) needs to use data (ie Internet) accessmpanies.

TomTom DOES NOT use data traffic if you have not subscribed to traffic!

 

[gleb]

TomTom DOES NOT use data traffic if you have not subscribed to traffic!

I do not mean "data traffic" ! I even don't care for data traffic. I mean I must switch geolocalisation ON for TomTom and it uses Internet data access to determine its location. Since iOS4 (nothing else changed), it uses data access too much. I don't care too much while driving in my country but this, due to high costs of data roaming, makes TomTom useless in foreign countries. And those who don't know will get an heart attack when receiving their invoice. Unless TomTom pays the bill... But since they don't bother to answer mail, I am afraid the bill is for me.

 

[runarg]

Obviously you didn't read my post? TomTom DOES NOT use any data or Internet connection if you are not subscribed to TomTom Traffic! I just came home from a 7600km trip in USA / Canada. I used TT for iPhone all the trip. It worket very well and it didn't use 1 byte of data. In fact I didn't even have a data plan!
So if your iPhone is using data traffic, it's because you are using TomTom Traffic or it's because of an other application!

 

[gleb]

Instead of blaming me for not reading your post, you should first read mine ! Yes, on my iPhone 3GS + car kit, since I upgraded to this bloody iOS4, my TomTom DOES use data or internet connection. It even NEEDS to. In a foreign country, TomTom requests that I allow data roaming (they are even kind enough to remind me there will be a cost). I am not using TomTom traffic and, for sure, no other application is accessing internet.Bluetooth is ON, my iPhone recognizes the craddle and there are several good GPS signals. It should be enough for TomTom. Unfortunately, it is no more true since iOS4.

Great if you are not experiencing this problem ! Personnally, I experience it since upgrade to iOS4. I tried and I am still trying on any trip : if I do not allow TomTom to access internet connection, TomTom is now unable to find my location. Check in Apple forums : I am far from alone to have this problem !

I would have been in agreement with you three months ago, before I upgraded to iOS4. There is definitely a bug in iOS4, maybe not for everyone but for a significant part of users.

 

[runarg]

TomTom uses GPS to find the position, not the Internet, no doubt about that. I have been using TT for iPhone in several European countries and on a 7600km USA trip. So far it has used ZERO bytes of data! Ask TomTom and they will confirm that only TomTom Traffic uses data traffic!
What you say should only happen if you have turned TomTom OFF in Settings->Location Services!

 

[gleb]

runarg, you should read the official "TomTom reference manual for iPhone" (http://download.tomtom.com/open/manuals/app_for_iphone/refman/TomTom-app-en-US.pdf). It clearly states (first page) : "If your device has no GPS reception, TomTom app uses positioning information from WiFi
networks or mobile phone towers".

Since iOS4 upgrade, my TomTom uses positioning thru mobile phone towers, though the car kit gets a correct GPS signal and Bluetooth is active. Maybe not always but much too much since the GPS signal is there. This problem is reported by many users (TomTom as well as Navigon) in Apple forums as an IOS4 bug. Maybe you are lucky and not suffering (and i am happy for you) but my own iPhone 3GS, as many others (maybe not all), has this problem. Please understand that it's not because you are not suffering that others are exempt from the problem.

Concerning the Tomtom support (?), their answer (I guess automatic) is : reinstall everything. I did it, without success. For subsequent questions, though very polite, they didn't bother to answer. If people from TomTom, both support and developers, were professional enough, they would try to help customers in this forum. Obviously, they don't.

Support from Apple is not better, even worse : thousands of people report iOS4 problems in their forums and they don't bother to help, give guidance or provide patches. As far as I am concerned, they lost an iPad sale. Of course, they don't mind : shareholders are much more important than customers.