Is your Palm Pre Plus giving you wacky GPS performance?

palm-pre-plus-verizon The Palm Pre Plus was recently released as Verizon’s answer to webOS fans not willing to hop on Sprint’s network just for the Palm Pre. The Palm Pre plus looks and performs a lot like its Sprint predecessor, but nixes the home button and adds gobs more RAM. There’s also apparently another difference – the Palm Pre Plus on Verizon is reportedly giving wonky GPS results for some users. The problem arises when trying to the Palm Pre Plus’s GPS feature with any app outside of VZ Navigator – Google Maps, for example.

Some users are posting on PreCentral forums, saying that their Palm Pre Plus is giving some inconsistent location data, if any at all, when trying to get a position-lock in Google Maps. Some report that they are getting inaccurate location data, while others are reporting no GPS signal at all.

There’s talk of Verizon going back to their old ways and locking down the Palm Pre Plus’s GPS receiver to work only with their for-pay VZ Navigator turn-by-turn navigation service. There’s also speculation that the GPS receiver is going into sleep mode, which is preventing the Palm Pre Plus from getting a GPS signal.

But, before you get your tin-foil hat out of your panic room, we don’t think the Verizon GPS conspiracy argument holds water too well. Seeing as how the carrier hasn’t locked down GPS service in other recent smartphones, it’s unlikely that they did so for the Palm Pre Plus. As for the GPS hardware going to sleep, some users have had success in turning off Google Services and GPS, rebooting the phone, and restarting GPS to get Google Maps working with GPS. Others, though, are still frustrated.

Have you been experiencing any wacky GPS performance with your Palm Pre Plus?

[Via: PreCentral]

About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

Marty

Got my Pre Plus 3 days ago, the location reported on Google Maps has been all over the place, so wacky is a good description. If I turn off “Google Services” and only leave GPS on in Location Services, I never get a location. This has been disappointing. Otherwise the phone is awesome. I blame Verizon, plus if I try to get help at the Verizon Wireless store, they are clueless, and seem to be programmed to tell me to get the Droid.
Marty

Just wanted y’all to know that my GPS is working just fine now. I did what was recommended in the article above. And, then performed the GPS Interactive test in Device Info, and made sure I had a good GPS lock, by being outside with a clear view of the sky. It’s worked fine the past few days.
Marisa T.

I tried to use my Navigator yesterday when driving from Hollywood to Anaheim. I knew what freeways to take but I didn’t know what exit to get off.

It would find my location, but as I drove it wouldn’t update. I kept getting a message that said “no GPS”. I hit the “Recalculate” option twice, hoping it would update which it would, but then again, kept my old location in from the time I “refreshed”. Luckily I knew what freeways to take or I would’ve missed the interchange.

I hit recalculate a second time, but after it still not working I completely shut down out of the program and launched back in, then it seemed it work.

I loved the VZ Navigator I had on my LG Dare (my previous phone), the interface was easier to use and understand. I wish my Palm Pre Plus had it.

I can get use to learning a new interface but I hope that next time I decide to use the Navigator it actually works.
Mike

I believe it to be Verizon related as the only way I can get my GPS to provide accurate location data is to open VZ Navigator, then select “Decline” and then and only then does GPS provide accurate location information.

If the phone “sleeps” for any lengthy period of time (30+ minutes) I have to repeat the VZ Navigator open/decline process for it to work again.

Seems suspicious to me.

Location Services Settings: Auto Locate on, GPS checked, “use google services” off.
Kai

Just got my Pre Plus a week ago from the VZN in Mountain View, CA. GPS with Google Maps definitely gives you inaccurate data. It worked at the store ('natch) but when I'm at home, Google Maps thinks I'm ~6 blocks away. When I was in downtown Mountain View, Google Maps thought I was ~1/2 mile away. Hope there's a fix for this soon, or I may have to trade it for an HTC Incredible. =(
RHafe

Google maps works okay on my Verizon Pre but is always off at least a couple of blocks, location wise. On my Blackberry 9700 on AT&T, Google maps is dead on………………….