UMI SUPER GPS PROBLEMS

saikee

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darkshippo

Umi Super's GPS can use the GPS/Glonass-satellites and indeed it gets a lock. I have GPS Test Plus and I have always use that software to determine if a GPS is good or bad. The problem with Umi Super's GPS is its ability to keep connected and feed correct location to various apps. If you use MAPS, Waze or even a pokemon go app which depends on a working, continues feed of correct location you will see that the GPS is all jumpy. GPS Test Plus doesn't check that part. So don't be fooled by the GPS Test screenshots.

pianigia

I have been using a uUper for 5 days now; I had noticed a strange behaviour with the GPS, but I didn't take it that seriously, until today, when I planned to use Super for... navigation and I realized it is absolutely not doable. I went through the 14 pages of this forum and (a) I removed the case, and I believe I noticed some improvement on the 4G, but nothing noticeable at all regarding the GPS; (b) I won't mess up with the phne's HW, as someone here suggested: I still have some three weeks to return it for free to Amazon, that is exactly what I will do unless UMI comes back with a reasonable solution.Does anybody here know if UMI is checking this forum at all? I tried contacting today the official UMI DIGI store for my country and their response was... "if the GPS can find my location on the map it means that it is functioning properly, and that if there is a discrepancy of up to 30meters, it is normal (!)... and that I shoudl try anyway to update the "system" to the later release". It sounds to me they have no idea how dissatisfied their custoemrs are with the GPS for this phone

darkshippo

pianigia replied at 2016-8-6 22:34
I have been using a uUper for 5 days now; I had noticed a strange behaviour with the GPS, but I didn ...

This is the kind of support you will expect from Umi. I've been here around 2 months and there are just excuses and no actual fixes. If you have an option to return the phone then why would you even bother to fix something that should have worked from the beginning.

saikee

When I used the GPS Test App it did asked me if I wanted to update my GPS files so I allowed it.  IN so doing I did not need to go into engineering mode to re-configure the GPS files which might have been set for certain area and not suitable for UK.  Whether this helps I cannot be sure.

However as I do use  the Sat Nav to go to work and return home I can report the GPS signal has been continuously updated in my case with Sygic App.

My office has an access road in the front and a rear embankment at the rear with a non accessible road at its top.  The GPS can indicate which corner I was in the office building.  When I start to drive home the GPS would make the mistake assuming I was in the road on the top of the embankment since I parked the car at the rear.  However as soon as I turn the corner the Sat Nav would correct itself and knew I was exiting the front road.

When I change the route different from the suggested the correction would kick in at a distance of about 50 to 75m range.  My Sygic, which is a paid current version, shows my car continuously moving in the map during travelling so I believe my GPS signal reception is normal.

I am living in Newcastle upon Tyne and the streets are not very dense but no misinformation of location has been detected so far.  My last Zopo 999 phone at its best did have a few erroneous information tell me I was in an adjacent estate  and gave me instruction to get out when I was travelling on a major trunk road.  I have yet to find my UMI Super to fail me this way.

I can also report that I did not find my old version of Sygic useful to the point that I suspected the vendor might have done something to it to make it impossible to port to a new phone (experience of my brother and I),  Thus two members of my family bought the current version of Sygic.

The non-continuous GPS signal may be good enough for Google map to report a static location and other map App but will have no multiple satellites information.

saikee

\n\nThis may be un-related.

My phone when leaving the factory has its operating system Version 3.01 dated 2016-06-16.

There has been one wireless update of the same version but dated 2016-07-08.  I wireless-updated my phone before using it.  May be those users having problems with GPS system try the latest update.

Here are the two records of my two wireless updates.

darkshippo

saikee replied at 2016-8-7 16:53
Edited by saikee at 2016-8-7 17:01 \n\nThis may be un-related.

My phone when leaving the factory h ...

I also have the latest version. But it doesn't fix the GPS-problem.

Wolfp4ck

Got the UMI Super now for 2 weeks and sadly have to say the same problem is present here.
GPS is very very very (!!!) unstable and not useable in Europe.
Might be a software problem, might be hardware. I have no clue. Luckely since I am a reviewer of smartphones I have been able to compare the UMI super with the Huawei nexus 6P and P9 (the ones I have in right now) and the difference between the 3 phones is shocking.
Both Huawei phones are rock solid, in keeping track in a car (drove around for about 20 minutes) while the UMI was losing the GPS system constantly.
Getting from point A to B with a UMI super ? Good luck with that...

Now i have contacted Chinavasion regarding this and also UMIDIGI with that so I can try to find out wether this problem is related to my own SUPER or that this problem is present for every SUPER user out there.

However looking in this topic, I am fearing that I am not the only one with this problem.

poxisan

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FreierMensch replied at 2016-8-3 15:51
Hello guys,
you all cry because the GPS.
Read the beginning of the Tread

OMG, tried all of this shit, all possible HW (yes, opened it, played with the pins, antenna, etc) and SW workarounds (never had a cover btw, and probably most of the users didn't have either), still the GPS on UMI Super is rubbish. As far as I can tell, based on the number of people complained here it's a construction issue which basically applies to all Super mobiles. Avoid this P.o.S if you want to use your mobile for navigation.

Just an extra note: the camera is also kind of crappy.

Relany

Hi all, I have the same bad experience with GPS, and I'm pretty sure it's a hardware issue. It looks that the GPS signal is too weak, I don't know the reason why, if this is because of low reception (weak antenna or metal back of the phone), or because of a bad amplifier used in the chipset. Anyway, everybody here reports low GPS signal, which can't be software corrected. Good phone, with good processor and battery, but it's not usable for navigation.
So, I don't think there can be a new firmware that can correct this issue. Sadly, but it looks so.
I think I should return my phone back to the seller, I can do that, and go for the new model Umi Max. I think Umi realized the problem and it should be corrected in Max, because it's almost the same phone. There should be a reason for releasing almost the same phone as a new model.