I have confirmed that there are very significant variances in the hardware that is causing GPS problems. As I reported in a thread earlier this week, I received a new 64GB model from Amazon a few days ago that had completely dead GPS functionality. Even outside under clear skies, it never picked up even a single satellite. Thankfully, Amazon has amazing customer service and received more stock yesterday. They overnighted me a replacement unit that arrived this morning. Thankfully, since they forward ship replacements I could compare the old and new models side-by-side and decide which one was more broken (I was terrified that the replacement would have dead WiFi, backlight bleed-through, dead-pixels, or one of the other myriad hardware problem that people report. Luckily, its perfect).
The first thing I did (before running ANY firmware updates) was to install the GPS Test app. Within 30 seconds on a cold boot, it had a position fix sitting in the middle of my living room. I then proceeded to install all firmware/ICS updates up to the latest, and it is still completely functional. Granted, the signal-to-noise ratio is not awesome (its no Garmin), but it is definitely a functional GPS. In short, if you get a new TF201 be sure to test the GPS immediately so that you can return it right away and DON'T SETTLE for a broken one.
Here are screenshots from both of my units, good and bad. They were sitting side-by-side in the middle of the first floor of a two-story house. Both units are C1OKAS serial numbers and all firmware revisions are identical at the time of the tests. Bad serial number is 0056xx, good is 0171xx. Perhaps they found a manufacturing problem and fixed it in later batches.
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Also, I put in a tech support ticket with Asus for the GPS issue the day I got the TF201 earlier this week and they never bother even replying to me. This company has a support problem (I'm preaching to the choir here...).
cmccracken said:
I have confirmed that there are very significant variances in the hardware that is causing GPS problems. As I reported in a thread earlier this week, I received a new 64GB model from Amazon a few days ago that had completely dead GPS functionality. Even outside under clear skies, it never picked up even a single satellite. Thankfully, Amazon has amazing customer service and received more stock yesterday. They overnighted me a replacement unit that arrived this morning. Thankfully, since they forward ship replacements I could compare the old and new models side-by-side and decide which one was more broken (I was terrified that the replacement would have dead WiFi, backlight bleed-through, dead-pixels, or one of the other myriad hardware problem that people report. Luckily, its perfect).
The first thing I did (before running ANY firmware updates) was to install the GPS Test app. Within 30 seconds on a cold boot, it had a position fix sitting in the middle of my living room. I then proceeded to install all firmware/ICS updates up to the latest, and it is still completely functional. Granted, the signal-to-noise ratio is not awesome (its no Garmin), but it is definitely a functional GPS. In short, if you get a new TF201 be sure to test the GPS immediately so that you can return it right away and DON'T SETTLE for a broken one.
Here are screenshots from both of my units, good and bad. They were sitting side-by-side in the middle of the first floor of a two-story house. Both units are C1OKAS serial numbers and all firmware revisions are identical at the time of the tests. Bad serial number is 0056xx, good is 0171xx. Perhaps they found a manufacturing problem and fixed it in later batches.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It has nothing to do with the metal case, that's for sure. However, one pogo pin contact could be bad while another fully closed and functional. If it works don't flex it!
tedr44 said:
It has nothing to do with the metal case, that's for sure. However, one pogo pin contact could be bad while another fully closed and functional. If it works don't flex it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've flexed it and it still works 100%. I'm still in my return window, want to be sure its ok before I commit.
cmccracken said:
I've flexed it and it still works 100%. I'm still in my return window, want to be sure its ok before I commit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well lucky you, you've got a winner!
Mine is C1OKAS 026XXX which would put it after the 0171XX batch (and thus, updated GPS?), but GPS does not get any signal (at least, with Wifi turned on and without the .11 firmware update, which I can't get yet due to the serial number missing issue).
Squeezing does not do anything for GPS or Wifi reception.
Once the .11 update becomes available on the website I will try again.
Sjaakbanaan said:
Mine is C1OKAS 026XXX which would put it after the 0171XX batch (and thus, updated GPS?), but GPS does not get any signal (at least, with Wifi turned on and without the .11 firmware update, which I can't get yet due to the serial number missing issue).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, well so much for them working out the manufacturing bugs. I've seen no evidence that any of the firmware updates changed the GPS performance one way or another. If its not working at all out of the box, its not going to work without hardware repair.
Nice comparison. I started a thread to try to track down the differences between the models to see if a common link in GPS performance could be found. Sadly it was sabotaged by some of the brain dead morons on this forum bleating the Asus "aluminum case" line!
Well the evidence is building.
Took mine into the local service centre for a new screen. Nil spares here. So holding onto unit until spares arrive next week & they will repair the GPS at the same time.
Nice to see Amazon on to it.
I have a handful of screen shots from January 14th when I was finally able to get gps signal inside the apartment, never very far from a window, some with wifi on, some with wifi off. I was getting locks of up to 9 satellites. But after the latest update I don't get anything. I can't lock onto to any satellites inside the apartment anymore at all, and I'm only 5 feet away from a window with wifi on. And do you have to calibrate your compass every time you move locations with your Prime? I Mine is aways wrong every time I take it anywhere.
I am totally inclined to believe it is hardware related but don't understand why mine was moderately OK and now crap.
mile high said:
Nice comparison. I started a thread to try to track down the differences between the models to see if a common link in GPS performance could be found. Sadly it was sabotaged by some of the brain dead morons on this forum bleating the Asus "aluminum case" line!
Well the evidence is building.
Took mine into the local service centre for a new screen. Nil spares here. So holding onto unit until spares arrive next week & they will repair the GPS at the same time.
Nice to see Amazon on to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, its sad some people are so closed minded to other possibilities even when there's evidence to pointing other ways. Plus Asus only said the aluminum case is a possibility, not the only reason. That's where I think some people are stuck on that.
I have two Primes sitting in front of me, as such:
#1: Great screen. The best I've seen yet (and I've had 6), demonstrating some wide variability in screen quality (temperature, colors, text) across units. The temperature on this one is perfect (makes whites the truest), colors are deep and excellent, details pop out, and text is awesome. However, it has one stuck pixel that's only obvious on dark screens and high brightness and the speakers have a TINY bit of vibration at highest volume on some songs. Haptic feedback is the best I've had so far.
However, GPS on it is horrible. After giving it as much as 30 minutes to lock on, the best I've gotten is 5/10 satellites locked. Wifi also seems a bit weaker.
#2: Good screen. Better than the one I'm returning to HH Gregg, which had a horrible yellow cast, terrible colors, and pixellated text. This screen is better, but not as good as #1--a touch more yellow, and not as much detail in complex images. Text is okay but not as good as #1. No stuck pixels, but a little bit of light bleed that's visible on dark screens and high brightness. Audio is fine. Haptic feedback doesn't work.
However, GPS on it is excellent. In about a minute, it locks on to as many as 12/14 satellites. It also locks indoors (within a 5 feet of a glass patio door). Wifi also seems little stronger.
So, this is what is driving me nutty. There's WAY too much hardware variation among these things. I love the damn tablet as well--I can read it outside on my porch in direct SoCal sun, which is very important to me. My OG Transformer was very nice, but I couldn't read it outdoors worth a damn.
So, ASUS, what am I supposed to do, eh? Accept a bit worse screen to have better radio performance, or accept a bit worse wifi and terrible GPS to have the best screen? Or, keep trying to get a "perfect" unit?
I'm honestly tempted to just keep buying and returning units until I get one I'm happy with. Perhaps that's a way to flush defective units out of the system and communicate to ASUS that they have some problems that need fixing. I've been a solid supporter of ASUS, but after having 6 units in my hands that all have some significant issue or another, my support is starting to waver.
My gps worked fine outside prior to the last update. I could pick up around 15 sats and get a lock. Now i get nothing. Asus can blame it on the metal all they want but i know the last update screwed it up for me.
krispy521 said:
My gps worked fine outside prior to the last update. I could pick up around 15 sats and get a lock. Now i get nothing. Asus can blame it on the metal all they want but i know the last update screwed it up for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd love to think it was just the update, but having two otherwise identical systems, 1 with working gps and 1 without, makes me doubt it.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Wait, why would a wifi only tablet even need gps? Even when on a tether, you could just use your android or (dare I say it??) iphone's gps.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
wynand32 said:
I'd love to think it was just the update, but having two otherwise identical systems, 1 with working gps and 1 without, makes me doubt it.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ran gps test prior to the last update. Got sats. I didnt even move the device. I then did the update. Then i ran gps test and got nothing. They killed it. Yes the back plate weakens the signal, but asus killed it in the last update. Same exact thing hppened to my dads.
jdeoxys said:
Wait, why would a wifi only tablet even need gps? Even when on a tether, you could just use your android or (dare I say it??) iphone's gps.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gps is used by several apps to find location. I have no need to use the tablet as a nav device, but the idea of a component inside my $500 tablet not working really bugs me. Thats the point.
krispy521 said:
I ran gps test prior to the last update. Got sats. I didnt even move the device. I then did the update. Then i ran gps test and got nothing. They killed it. Yes the back plate weakens the signal, but asus killed it in the last update. Same exact thing hppened to my dads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting. I have two BC units with the same hardware revision that have both been fully updated. One gets a very quick lock, one doesn't get a lock unless I let it sit for quite some time, at which point it gets only half the locks of the other one and they're fleeting. At first, I thought it wasn't getting a lock at at (because I hadn't given it enough time), and really it might as well not get any.
So, it must be that some units have hardware issues that the update reveals, while some don't. It can't be the update by itself, because some units work fine with it applied.
I'd love to think that there's something in the last update that caused some systems to lose GPS, because then there'd be hope that this one with the great screen could see its GPS fixed. I'm just not sure of it, however.
wynand32 said:
Interesting. I have two BC units with the same hardware revision that have both been fully updated. One gets a very quick lock, one doesn't get a lock unless I let it sit for quite some time, at which point it gets only half the locks of the other one and they're fleeting. At first, I thought it wasn't getting a lock at at (because I hadn't given it enough time), and really it might as well not get any.
So, it must be that some units have hardware issues that the update reveals, while some don't. It can't be the update by itself, because some units work fine with it applied.
I'd love to think that there's something in the last update that caused some systems to lose GPS, because then there'd be hope that this one with the great screen could see its GPS fixed. I'm just not sure of it, however.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have you tried pinching the "weaker" GPS unit, near the top center (in landscaper mod), near the cameras. There is supposed to be a GPS pogo pin there, and some may have loose connection. There are other threads talking more about the pogo pins.
So going by the op's story, the availability problem is also being caused by all the unsatisfied buyers that are getting immediate replacements for their broken units. Which I am inclined to be ok with. Hopefully, when mine ships on 2/9 (hopefully) it will be a newer problem free model.
Ride525 said:
Have you tried pinching the "weaker" GPS unit, near the top center (in landscaper mod), near the cameras. There is supposed to be a GPS pogo pin there, and some may have loose connection. There are other threads talking more about the pogo pins.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had success squeezing maybe half an inch off center toward the power button along the top. I have to squeeze very hard though, hard enough that you see the "squishing LCD" type effect, and even then it only works (as in it normally sees no satellites anywhere) for maybe ten minutes and only with an absolutely unobstructed view of the sky (even a couple bare branches will cut the visible satellites in half).
I badly want to replace it, but Amazon will only let me return since the 32g gray is out of stock. My exchange window is until the end of February, so hopefully I don't have to just give up and return it.
This stupid tablet has been so much trouble...
Related
"If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, its yours forever. If it doesn’t, then it was never meant to be."
I sent my Transformer Prime for repairs today. I didn't think it would be this difficult to part from it. Here are some photos I took as we got ready to say goodbye:
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But seriously, I am hopeful the ASUS can fix the problems with this tablet. I could have just returned it for refund - instead I chose to give ASUS the benefit of the doubt and let them fix it. We will find out in about two weeks how they do.
Cheers.
Really tempted to send it off for repairs myself but the fact I can live with the problems with mine (Weak(ish) Wi-Fi away from router and a creaking screen) makes it hard to make up my mind. I'd rather wait to see if they announce a hardware fix and allow us to send them in for a proper repair considering I've got at least a year to have them repair it. Two weeks without a back up tablet now that I've had a taste is difficult .
So, OP, what is it that ASUS has promised to fix?
i did the same thing..
waiting on it to come home =0
Aaaaww it's so cute !
This has nerd love all over it <3 <3 <3
dmbatson said:
i did the same thing..
waiting on it to come home =0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you update me when it gets back as to whether it has any damage such as scratches that weren't there when you sent it ? That's another thing I'm worried about . Also whether they fixed anything major.
Yeah man...we would like to know what you sent yours in for. Did you call them up and speak to some illiterate person or were they knowledgeable? And what did they promise to fix.
I have really poor wifi....I have a 3 bedroom house and I have problems in my bedroom and in the toilet (this is where it's needed most) hahaha. And nonexistent GPS signal.
---------- Post added at 02:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:01 PM ----------
You know several people here have sent theirs in. It's about at least 2 weeks now for them and I haven't heard anything back. I think asus had them killed or something. Maybe even sign a NDA after they fixed it.
Nice thread. Hope it comes back upgraded for ya
wynand32 said:
So, OP, what is it that ASUS has promised to fix?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why I sent it to RMA?
1) GPS. Need I say more?
2) White light bleed in top right corner
3) Dead/stuck white pixel near bottom right corner
4) HDMI output plays audio only through left channel of Sony Bravia. Android 4.0 fixed this partially - now seems to play stereo okay however does not pass surround (DD or DTS) thru to audio receiver.
5) Micro HDMI port seems to be getting lose due to the rounded edges.
6) WIFI issues. Strong within 30 or less feet of AP - but drop off after that as well inconsistent from some rooms that fall within 30 feet or less of AP.
How many did they promise to fix?
Some promises, some uncertainty. For GPS they said it will be "fixed" but not sure it will be to my "standards". For Sony TV issue, I got "Maybe software update will fix that". For light bleed and pixel issues, promised to be fixed. They will look into the micro HDMI port and WIFI issues.
What do I expect them to fix?
Everything. Nobody likes to have defects out of the box. They have some obviously hardware issues that may or not be overcome. I may need to become more assertive at some point, but for now I will trust the process (naively).
I expect to have the unit back by February 2nd or at least hear from them.
Yes it sucks letting it go - especially because we got rid of my wife's desktop for this. Down to one PC for a little bit.
subscribed. please do update this as they return.
I am specifically interested in the wifi and gps, but hoping you have all of your issues fixed.
Thanks, keep us posted!
In case this thread gets locked (people around here cannot stand a single negative word being said about the product), please do PM me.
Update:
Props to Canada Post for getting my darling Transformer Prime to RMA department in one business day and unharmed!
My status on the ASUS repair page has changed to "Repairing". The customer service person said 7 days, so the countdown begins.
Here's what the ASUS page looks like:
I'd be interested in hearing from others who have sent their TP to RMA for repairs. How long after delivery before you heard from them? Does anyone have feedback about the North Bay, Ontario facility (i.e, http://www.nortek.on.ca/)?
I spoke with the receptionist at Nortek and inquired if I could speak with the individual repairing my tablet. While she confirmed that it was the repair facility, of course, she directed me to call ASUS instead. It was obvious what she would say - but I had to ask!
More to come...
****ing_lukin said:
I spoke with the receptionist at Nortek and inquired if I could speak with the individual repairing my tablet. While she confirmed that it was the repair facility, of course, she directed me to call ASUS instead. It was obvious what she would say - but I had to ask!
More to come...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be very interesting to talk to the/a engineer doing the repairs, shame they wouldn't let you.
Hopefully we'll hear from you again once it shows back up.
Ive subscribed to other RMA threads but nothing sofar.
Hmm - interesting. I'll be following, too.
I'm very happy with mine, despite hiccups. I've known for a while bleed is just "one of those things" and unless it is bad, it's almost to be expected to some extent, so I am surprised they can fix that (I've not paid much attention to light bleed issues on other tablets or this one, so that is my own inattention for not knowing). Mine has light bleed in two very obvious spots on the right hand side (landscape), noticeable by everyone who has seen it when my tablet powers up.
I hope yours gets fixed to your liking.
****ing_lukin said:
Why I sent it to RMA?
1) GPS. Need I say more?
2) White light bleed in top right corner
3) Dead/stuck white pixel near bottom right corner
4) HDMI output plays audio only through left channel of Sony Bravia. Android 4.0 fixed this partially - now seems to play stereo okay however does not pass surround (DD or DTS) thru to audio receiver.
5) Micro HDMI port seems to be getting lose due to the rounded edges.
6) WIFI issues. Strong within 30 or less feet of AP - but drop off after that as well inconsistent from some rooms that fall within 30 feet or less of AP.
How many did they promise to fix?
Some promises, some uncertainty. For GPS they said it will be "fixed" but not sure it will be to my "standards". For Sony TV issue, I got "Maybe software update will fix that". For light bleed and pixel issues, promised to be fixed. They will look into the micro HDMI port and WIFI issues.
What do I expect them to fix?
Everything. Nobody likes to have defects out of the box. They have some obviously hardware issues that may or not be overcome. I may need to become more assertive at some point, but for now I will trust the process (naively).
I expect to have the unit back by February 2nd or at least hear from them.
Yes it sucks letting it go - especially because we got rid of my wife's desktop for this. Down to one PC for a little bit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a single stuck/dead pixel as well and I was wondering if I should RMA it or return it to frys.com for a replacement (claiming gps or something), but that seems risky seeing how many bad units there are... Did Asus say they'd fix the stuck/dead pixel? I read somewhere that they wouldn't replace the screen unless it had multiple dead pixels and/or anomalies.
****ing_lukin said:
"If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, its yours forever. If it doesn’t, then it was never meant to be."
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard a different version: "If you love something, let it go. If it doesn't come back to you, hunt it down and kill it!"
Sorry man, you didn't let it go, you just sent it on vacation. I let mine go, over a week ago, back to the seller! Should Asus ever manage to make it work like it should, it will come back when I buy another. Otherwise, I'll kill the idea.
Good luck.
hauj0bb said:
I have a single stuck/dead pixel as well and I was wondering if I should RMA it or return it to frys.com for a replacement (claiming gps or something), but that seems risky seeing how many bad units there are... Did Asus say they'd fix the stuck/dead pixel? I read somewhere that they wouldn't replace the screen unless it had multiple dead pixels and/or anomalies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats why I bought mine at bestbuy.com (14 day return on tablets), Bought 2 and 1 had one dead pixel. Returned the tablet the next day at a local bestbuy, did a OMS order for another one and should be receiving one this week.
hauj0bb said:
Did Asus say they'd fix the stuck/dead pixel? I read somewhere that they wouldn't replace the screen unless it had multiple dead pixels and/or anomalies.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ASUS told me that a dead pixel should be sent to RMA.As I said in other posts, they were ambiguous about some complains, but the screen was one that they said would be fixed. Give them a call yourself and see what they say.
Thanks to other posts for keeping the hope alive with me. We'll see what happens.
****ing_lukin said:
ASUS told me that a dead pixel should be sent to RMA.As I said in other posts, they were ambiguous about some complains, but the screen was one that they said would be fixed. Give them a call yourself and see what they say.
Thanks to other posts for keeping the hope alive with me. We'll see what happens.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! I think I'll wait a week or two then before I call, I'm sure the repair centers are booked full currently.
Day two update:
I checked my repair status and now it's been changed to "Waiting for Material/ Spare parts". I don't know what this means exactly, but I'm sure people want to speculate what the materials might be (e.g., plastic backing... just kidding). See post #9 for the reasons why I sent my TP for repairs.
Here is the screenshot:
I think it's important to remain optimistic about the return process (or for as long as I can). For the time being, I'm pleased with the response time and what appears to be an effort to fix something. We'll see where things go over the coming days. Remember 7 days from receipt at ASUS is January 25th.
Cheers.
I have had my Prime for a week now and it was working perfectly. I got the ICS update and everything was working even better. I never had any wifi connection issues. Today the prime will suddenly no longer connect to wifi. It appears to not be picking up the wifi signals anymore. When it does manage to pick up a signal it shows up as a small dot and still can't connect. It wouldn't connect at work this morning and when I came home it connected for about a minute and then dropped connection and would not connect again. I rebooted several times, tried a hard reset and then finally resorted to a factory reset. It still did no good. My unit was previously picking up my wifi signals with full strength usually and sometimes 3 bars. Not sure what happened but I guess I'll just take it back to Office Depot for a refund while I still have time. Not sure what I'll do now because i REALLY liked the prime during the time that it was working right.
If you're under warranty Asus will tell you to return it for a fix and hopefully their turnaround time is measured in days, not weeks or months. Sorry for you, it seems the Prime is not as durable as I thought, poor quality control is probably the culprit.
I would go the repair route but I'm kind of afraid that I'll then get stuck with it if they can't fix it and I've missed my return window at office depot. The bad thing is that there is no other tablet that I'd be satisfied with now that I've experienced how smoothly the quad core tegra 3 Prime runs. I had a Xoom before the Prime and I gave it to my fiancee after the Prime arrived. I really liked my Xoom too but the Prime is a MUCH BETTER device (when it worked).
fella1 said:
I have had my Prime for a week now and it was working perfectly. I got the ICS update and everything was working even better. I never had any wifi connection issues. Today the prime will suddenly no longer connect to wifi. It appears to not be picking up the wifi signals anymore. When it does manage to pick up a signal it shows up as a small dot and still can't connect. It wouldn't connect at work this morning and when I came home it connected for about a minute and then dropped connection and would not connect again. I rebooted several times, tried a hard reset and then finally resorted to a factory reset. It still did no good. My unit was previously picking up my wifi signals with full strength usually and sometimes 3 bars. Not sure what happened but I guess I'll just take it back to Office Depot for a refund while I still have time. Not sure what I'll do now because i REALLY liked the prime during the time that it was working right.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haven't heard of this issue yet, that is a new one. If you are in warranty, take it back and get a full refund or a replacement. If not, contact Asus.
However, good luck with contacting Asus and getting a timely response. I am on day 3 of just waiting for a return email. I did it through their own messaging service on their site, not regular email. I would appreciate someone responding to my simple questions, but they must not have the time right now.
3rdamention said:
Haven't heard of this issue yet, that is a new one. If you are in warranty, take it back and get a full refund or a replacement. If not, contact Asus.
...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that is why I was so shocked when it happened this morning at work. I was hoping that it was just something going on with the wifi connection at my office. I now that there are Primes with bad wifi out there but mine doesn't just have a bad connection now, it can't connect at all. I figured that I had been lucky enough to get one of the good units considering how incredibly well it had worked over the past week. At least I've only had it for seven days so I can still return it to Office Depot. I just hate the thought of being tabletless now. Guess I gave my Xoom to my fiancee a little too fast.
Well my prime got to the point where it would connect when I was next to the router but would either drop out or lose signal strength when I moved away. I have scheduled for a return to office depot. Yesterday I found another prime in stock at hh gregg so I picked it up. This one once again has excellent wifi service just like my first one did for awhile. I am hoping that this one keeps it. I still can't understand what happened to my first one. The only thing that I had done before the wifi crapped out was install a memory card and I don't see how that could have had anything to do with it. This experience has shown me though that the prime is definitely capable of giving good wifi service and that there is something going on other than the aluminum backplate. Having seen both sides of it I can see why no one would be satisfied with the wifi performance it had when it went bad on my first one. Maybe it is a mechanical issue with the wifi antenna connections coming loose in the system? I don't know how likely that is but it is the only thing I can think of based on my experiences with the issue
It very well could be the antenna wires are coming undone from the Wi-Fi adapter it would allow you to connect right next to a router but not much further away.
Sorry to ask the obvious, but did you power down your Prime before starting again to see if the problem was still there. I'm sure this was the first thing you did, but just checking.
The wifi on my Prime cut off last night but it came back after a quick reset (holding down the power button for 13 seconds or so).
Yes I powered down, tried a hard reset and finally tried a factory reset and none of that helped with the problem. It was a complete night and day difference in performance that was quite shocking. As I said if people are experiencing that kind of performance from the beginning then I can totally understand the complaints. So far the new unit is having the same great performance as my other one had at first.
From looking at the Prime teardown, your wifi loss may be due to a loose connection. Instead of running a pigtail directly from the chip lead-out to the antenna, the Prime uses spring-loaded pogo pins (1st pic) as intermediate connectors.
Second pic shows the pogo pins for the main wifi and GPS antennae. The spring-loaded pins are pressed against the copper pads of the respective antenna (3rd pic). Suffice it to say, this isn't the most secure way to connect the antennae.
Aside from possible broken or intermittent connection, it also looks like a high-loss connection, and could contribute to attenuated signal reception. My guess is that this may be the main culprit of wifi/GPS woes, with the metal shell being a contributing factor.
The 4th pic below is a U.FL connector that's normally used for antenna pigtails. The lip has an outer overhang for a secure connection.
My guess is that the tablet was bumped and something shifted a bit, breaking the antenna connection.
This is FYI only, as the unit isn't user-serviceable. It does look like a simple fix, but you'd have to open the unit. Edit: You can try smacking the top edge of the tablet a few times and see if it will jar back into place. Worth a try.
Pogo pins used as intermediate connectors for wifi & GPS antennae
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The two pogo pins for main wifi and GPS. The spring-loaded heads are pressed against the antennae's pads to make the connection.
The main wifi & GPS antenna, with copper pads to connect to the pins
U.FL connector, normally used for antenna connection
e.mote;21489600
My guess is that the tablet was bumped and something shifted a bit said:
NICE
Heck yea it's worth a try!
And to the OP - since it only just happened today, I think I would wait a day or two to see what else might develop. I know you've tested it out in two different places, but it came on so suddenly, maybe (hopefully ) it will go away?
Unless of course waiting a day or seeing what might be different tomorrow would interfere with an exchange or return policy. If you are still within a window and are out of time soon, then you gotta do what you gotta do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
e.mote said:
From looking at the Prime teardown, your wifi loss may be due to a loose connection. Instead of running a pigtail directly from the chip lead-out to the antenna, the Prime uses spring-loaded pogo pins (1st pic) as intermediate connectors.
Second pic shows the pogo pins for the main wifi and GPS antennae. The spring-loaded pins are pressed against the copper pads of the respective antenna (3rd pic). Suffice it to say, this isn't the most secure way to connect the antennae.
Aside from possible broken or intermittent connection, it also looks like a high-loss connection, and could contribute to attenuated signal reception. My guess is that this may be the main culprit of wifi/GPS woes, with the metal shell being a contributing factor.
The 4th pic below is a U.FL connector that's normally used for antenna pigtails. The lip has an outer overhang for a secure connection.
My guess is that the tablet was bumped and something shifted a bit, breaking the antenna connection.
This is FYI only, as the unit isn't user-serviceable. It does look like a simple fix, but you'd have to open the unit. Edit: You can try smacking the top edge of the tablet a few times and see if it will jar back into place. Worth a try.
Pogo pins used as intermediate connectors for wifi & GPS antennae
The two pogo pins for main wifi and GPS. The spring-loaded heads are pressed against the antennae's pads to make the connection.
The main wifi & GPS antenna, with copper pads to connect to the pins
U.FL connector, normally used for antenna connection
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
very interesting info as some users have flexed device in that area n now supposedly have good wifi n GPS now. this will affect the signal strength more tthan the backplate.
e.mote said:
This is FYI only, as the unit isn't user-serviceable. It does look like a simple fix, but you'd have to open the unit. Edit: You can try smacking the top edge of the tablet a few times and see if it will jar back into place. Worth a try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Before packaging my Prime up to be sent to ASUS for RMA. I did exactly that, I did the black part of the screen at the top with my kunckles kind of hard a few times.
My signal went from 35-40% where I was sitting at to around almost 70%.
demandarin said:
very interesting info as some users have flexed device in that area n now supposedly have good wifi n GPS now. this will affect the signal strength more tthan the backplate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You really can't use terms like "good" and "more" beacause they're all relative. "Good" compared to what Wi-Fi/GPS is with other devices or against other Prime's? And until it's known for sure that all devices are suffering some type of signal issue saying the unproven pogo pin expose is "more" or less an issue than anything else is premature. It's impossible to compare Wi-Fi performance on a forum because each testing condition is different and there's no baseline to have a common discussion around. To see if there's differences between Prime's a couple of them need to be tested side-by-side at the same time.
hang in there demadarin - I think Barry is weakening and we will eventually convince him there are potential issues beyond the back plate.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
clenz said:
hang in there demadarin - I think Barry is weakening and we will eventually convince him there are potential issues beyond the back plate.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm like Spock on Star Trek - it's all about logic. It seems more and more people are having their signal change when squeezing above where the antennas are. That certainly points to a common issue. But even the hand-picked Prime Asus sent to Anand to replace his defective sample still peformed poorly against the TF1. So the metal back cover's not an innocent victim (yet).
BarryH_GEG said:
I'm like Spock on Star Trek - it's all about logic. It seems more and more people are having their signal change when squeezing above where the antennas are. That certainly points to a common issue. But even the hand-picked Prime Asus sent to Anand to replace his defective sample still peformed poorly against the TF1. So the metal back cover's not an innocent victim (yet).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With one minor difference, Anandtech never flexed his Prime. You couldn't blame the pogos so the backplate took the hit.
---------- Post added at 04:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:07 PM ----------
I mean he couldn't blame the ...
tedr44 said:
With one minor difference, Anandtech never flexed his Prime. You couldn't blame the pogos so the backplate took the hit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Look at it this way, when Apple move the antenna from behind a plastic disk on the iPad1 to behind a metal speaker grill on the iPad2, performance took a hit. The Prime has no opening at all for a signal to travel through and Asus makes less in a year than Apple spends on R&D. Ergo, the metal back cover is and will remain a factor.
BarryH_GEG said:
Look at it this way, when Apple move the antenna from behind a plastic disk on the iPad1 to behind a metal speaker grill on the iPad2, performance took a hit. The Prime has no opening at all for a signal to travel through and Asus makes less in a year than Apple spends on R&D. Ergo, the metal back cover is and will remain a factor.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, but by how much in comparison to a tarnished pogo contact? And as time goes by, the influence of the latter will be increasingly pronounced. BTW, the TF101 does not use the pogos, the antennas are hardwired. I also noticed that the mainframe is made of solid aluminum and yet the 101 has never had any rf problems like the Prime.
With users experiencing sudden change in signal level after making good contact with the antenna, I'd say the evidence of inconsistency in performance is pretty convincing as to the real cause of the fault.
BarryH_GEG said:
You really can't use terms like "good" and "more" beacause they're all relative. "Good" compared to what Wi-Fi/GPS is with other devices or against other Prime's? And until it's known for sure that all devices are suffering some type of signal issue saying the unproven pogo pin expose is "more" or less an issue than anything else is premature. It's impossible to compare Wi-Fi performance on a forum because each testing condition is different and there's no baseline to have a common discussion around. To see if there's differences between Prime's a couple of them need to be tested side-by-side at the same time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK, I understand what you saying
clenz said:
hang in there demadarin - I think Barry is weakening and we will eventually convince him there are potential issues beyond the back plate.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check the other thread, I think GPS contacts thread n you will see him cracking under the pressure..lol. he finally said he is starting to agree.
BarryH_GEG said:
I'm like Spock on Star Trek - it's all about logic. It seems more and more people are having their signal change when squeezing above where the antennas are. That certainly points to a common issue. But even the hand-picked Prime Asus sent to Anand to replace his defective sample still peformed poorly against the TF1. So the metal back cover's not an innocent victim (yet).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
EVEN Spock went postal when he realized humans are a complex being n that not all things obvious are always the truth. That some things cant be explained by facts alone. As there could always be contributing factors. Spock was like Data, from the next generation. Even Data was Assimilated..lmfao. my father loved that show.
Off topic..but did you know the guy who played luetenant worf wanted to originally be the Captain? They denied him the part over Picard or whatever his real name was. I still laughed knowing the guy who played Jordi was the guy from reading rainbow.
---------- Post added at 08:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:26 PM ----------
BarryH_GEG said:
I'm like Spock on Star Trek - it's all about logic. It seems more and more people are having their signal change when squeezing above where the antennas are. That certainly points to a common issue. But even the hand-picked Prime Asus sent to Anand to replace his defective sample still peformed poorly against the TF1. So the metal back cover's not an innocent victim (yet).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Correction needed here. Anandtech last tablet test held prime wifi on par with tf-101. Then he also said range "Might" be an issue. He never said Prime wifi performed badly after his last test.
Nice try trying to sneak that one past me we all guilty of loving to pick n choose info relevant to what we want to prove..lol
I’ve been struggling with why my GPS quit seeing any satellites after the 9.4.2.11 update when I realized something looking at Anand’s teardown:
AnandTech - ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime Teardown
Perhaps the antenna connections are weak or have become slightly corroded. Based on his teardown the contacts are spring type “pogopins” which mate with the opposite face. With that thought in mind I decided to try and flex the tablet ever so slightly to clean the contacts. The idea being that the slight flex would cause the pins to scrape the contact surface rubbing a clean(er) spot.
Before the 9.4.2.11 update I had the typical poor performance from the GPS, getting locks but losing them on the move. I had given up on it [GPS] until this update which touted GPS improvements. After updating and wiping I tested the GPS again, but could not see even one satellite after letting it sit, more than once, for over an hour with Wi-Fi on and off.
I must stress I strongly suggest you do not try this on your tablet for fear of damaging it. I take no responsibly for damage to anyone’s tablet and am only reporting my actions.
After this procedure I am able to see several birds indoors, albeit with weak SNR. This has me convinced that part of the problem is related to these contacts, and may serve to explain some of the weak Wi-Fi reports. It may also help illustrate why only some users are seeing issues, and perhaps why some of the returns are functioning better. These contacts may be more robust in some units or possibly be able to be rectified via service.
I do understand there are other factors related to both the GPS and Wi-Fi, but this appears, at least to me, to be part of the bigger picture.
Please note that the amount of flex I’m talking about is next to nothing, enough to see a change in light bleed around the display, I was afraid to go too far.
*Mods, I'm not sure why this post was deleted before, please PM me if there is a problem with this post. I did not include the link.*
Hi jhovak,
that sounds very interesting and makes me nervous thinking of manipulating a new device. You are brave!
Do you have some pictures of your action?
Thanks.
Cheers,
René.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=21489600&postcount=10
You can bypass the pogo pins by connecting a pigtail to the UF.L connector at the chip leadouts, then solder the other end to the antennae's copper pads. It should improve reception.
e.mote,
Looks like you beat me to this I never saw your post, but that's exactly my thoughts. I was able to torque it a bit to get it working again. That maye be what they are doing to get the RMAs reported to work better, "fixed".
motocamp,
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the process, but you wouldn't be able to see much, I only deformed the case/screen very slightly. The problem is you may end up popping other solder joints in the process.
jhovak said:
I’ve been struggling with why my GPS quit seeing any satellites after the 9.4.2.11 update when I realized something looking at Anand’s teardown:
AnandTech - ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime Teardown
Perhaps the antenna connections are weak or have become slightly corroded. Based on his teardown the contacts are spring type “pogopins” which mate with the opposite face. With that thought in mind I decided to try and flex the tablet ever so slightly to clean the contacts. The idea being that the slight flex would cause the pins to scrape the contact surface rubbing a clean(er) spot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. Makes perfect sense to me.
Everyone has the same aluminum back, so you would expect the same results across the board (barring weather and atmospheric conditions) for all Primes. There has to be another piece to the puzzle of bad GPS performance when some user's report GPS working and getting locks and other user's reports no GPS active with no satellites seen and no locks.
Thanks e.mote for your explanation of the antena contacts. I think you hit the cause of the GPS problem. Hopefully ASUS saw your post and address this prioblem so it does not occur on their the planned 700 series.
Cheers
I forwarded all this info to Gary in a pm just recently. including details, link to that thread e.mote posted in and that teardown showing pogo pins. hopefully he will get it soon and pass info to engineers.
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pardon my lack of GPS knowledge but what is considered good or bad when comparing GPS in general? This is my prime outside earlier but there were fluctuations
I am a bit more skeptical about the hardware pins as a sole cause. Reason:
I had pretty decent GPS performance until this last update which totally killed my GPS performance. This suggests to me that there is a firmware/driver type component to at least some people's problems. The same update did correct other people's problems. So perhaps there are some slight differences in the GPS chips that the firmware is not playing nice with or accounting for?
I can confirm this at least partially works. I tried to drive home using GPS test the other day from work and could hardly get a lock especially at high speeds. I saw this and did a number of squeezes aroung the area of the GPS connector and had a significant change.
Drove home with GPS test today and I hardly ever saw it not locked, even going at 70mph, though it would go between 2 and 8 locked sats or so. Halfway through the drive I opened google maps. It took 10-15 seconds to lock, but then I watched my blue arrow follow the road exactly almost the entire way home. It only lost lock when I was stopped under an overpass at a stop light.
To be clear the signal strength is not that of my phone, but at least it's working now.
Have you seen the new evidence found? It was found out that Original Transformer actually uses the soldered type connection E.mote described. I was gonna start a thread but no use as this one is perfect for the new info.
FIRST here is the quote n pics from e.mote of the current Prime type of connection
e.mote said:
From looking at the Prime teardown, your wifi loss may be due to a loose connection. Instead of running a pigtail directly from the chip lead-out to the antenna, the Prime uses spring-loaded pogo pins (1st pic) as intermediate connectors.
Second pic shows the pogo pins for the main wifi and GPS antennae. The spring-loaded pins are pressed against the copper pads of the respective antenna (3rd pic). Suffice it to say, this isn't the most secure way to connect the antennae.
Aside from possible broken or intermittent connection, it also looks like a high-loss connection, and could contribute to attenuated signal reception. My guess is that this may be the main culprit of wifi/GPS woes, with the metal shell being a contributing factor.
The 4th pic below is a U.FL connector that's normally used for antenna pigtails. The lip has an outer overhang for a secure connection.
My guess is that the tablet was bumped and something shifted a bit, breaking the antenna connection.
This is FYI only, as the unit isn't user-serviceable. It does look like a simple fix, but you'd have to open the unit. Edit: You can try smacking the top edge of the tablet a few times and see if it will jar back into place. Worth a try.
Pogo pins used as intermediate connectors for wifi & GPS antennae
The two pogo pins for main wifi and GPS. The spring-loaded heads are pressed against the antennae's pads to make the connection.
The main wifi & GPS antenna, with copper pads to connect to the pins
U.FL connector, normally used for antenna connection
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NOW here is the Original Prime teardown and type of connection
http://m.techrepublic.com/photos/cr...-transformer-tf101/6270147?seq=53#photo-frame
OG Transformer teardown pix
NOW HERE IS THE KICKER
clenz said:
that GPS/Wifi connection looks like a soldered wire and not pogo pin to me!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WHO said copy n paste n select text doesn't work well on the Prime? Lol I did this all from the Prime itself from various threads.
Extremely interesting. Im definitely returning my GPS-less prime now. Smh
G-Tab 10.1 Wi-Fi antenna connection...
The Wi-Fi chip's on the reverse side of the PCB.
Wi-Fi/BT/FM radio combo chip is in the upper right.
Damn, I thought they used pogopins for just the GPS. Now I just found out they use them for the Wifi too! OUCH! Bad idea. A soldered wire would have been %100 much better, but I'm so afraid now to return my tablet to Asus from hearing the horror stories.
opentoe said:
Damn, I thought they used pogopins for just the GPS. Now I just found out they use them for the Wifi too! OUCH! Bad idea. A soldered wire would have been %100 much better, but I'm so afraid now to return my tablet to Asus from hearing the horror stories.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know right...lol ya damned if you do, damned if you don't ...
Just got PM a lil while ago from Gary n response to the thread n possible pogo pin issue. He said this is something the Engineers are looking very closely at on units being returned to be looked at or repaired. SO things are moving right along. FOUND OUT ALSO my serial number that starts with BCOKA is actually from an early batch that I guess had the older hardware. Engineer or Service person supposed to call within next 48hrs. They are going down the list of people that Gary got serial number, email, and phone number info from. I guess it must be a big list...lmao
SO if I do have to send it in, then they will be adding the new hardware it and hopefully changing those pogo pin connections to soldered ones..lol
Ill know more details once I get their phone call. If I do have to send in, I hope they don't wipe everything as I have around 150-200 apps n games. Things customized n all that. Ill take the new hardware though n hopefully won't go thru the horror stories I've been hearing about on returns. OR ill like it better if they just sent me a brand new tablet with the latest n greatest hardware changes on it then I send mines to them. So it'll give me time to transfer things to new device if need be.
I HAVE AN APP on my Ipad called applist that will list every app you have installed and allow you to email the list to yourself. Does android have anything like this?
Wow. I think we can all agree that Asus dropped the ball in so many areas with the TF201. Who the hell wants to put up with this nonsense???
If only Motorola would build a tablet with a docking clamshell keyboard they could probably take 80% of would be Transformer customers. I'd be first in line.
But what could be the reason ASUS changed to use this pogo pin?
Weight? Cost? ... Sabotage? ... I simly dont understand the engineering thought of it.
racerex said:
Wow. I think we can all agree that Asus dropped the ball in so many areas with the TF201. Who the hell wants to put up with this nonsense???
If only Motorola would build a tablet with a docking clamshell keyboard they could probably take 80% of would be Transformer customers. I'd be first in line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would take alot more than that for Motorola to come up n take Asus customers. The xoom, first HC tablet, was a complete flop. Plus Motorola known for locking their systems down, at least initially. MOTOROLA IS NOT too popular of a brand these days, at least tablet wise.
demandarin said:
Just got PM a lil while ago from Gary n response to the thread n possible pogo pin issue. He said this is something the Engineers are looking very closely at on units being returned to be looked at or repaired. SO things are moving right along. FOUND OUT ALSO my serial number that starts with BCOKA is actually from an early batch that I guess had the older hardware. Engineer or Service person supposed to call within next 48hrs. They are going down the list of people that Gary got serial number, email, and phone number info from. I guess it must be a big list...lmao
SO if I do have to send it in, then they will be adding the new hardware it and hopefully changing those pogo pin connections to soldered ones..lol
Ill know more details once I get their phone call. If I do have to send in, I hope they don't wipe everything as I have around 150-200 apps n games. Things customized n all that. Ill take the new hardware though n hopefully won't go thru the horror stories I've been hearing about on returns. OR ill like it better if they just sent me a brand new tablet with the latest n greatest hardware changes on it then I send mines to them. So it'll give me time to transfer things to new device if need be.
I HAVE AN APP on my Ipad called applist that will list every app you have installed and allow you to email the list to yourself. Does android have anything like this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know BCOKA is from an older batch, have such a unit as well and very crappy GPS and also suffer from mediocre wifi combined with bluetooth degradation.
Also contacted Gary and will keep an eye out for any developments (live in EUrope though).
The majority of Prime users don't root or flash their tablets. Maybe the majority on this site but not the majority of the total users. So I doubt that will dictate the winners in this market.
Secondly, you can't debate that Motorola's hardware prowess is vastly superior to Asus. And definitely good enough not to pull these bone head mistakes that Asus keeps rolling out one after another.
The Xoom wasn't the sexiest by any means but it was solid as a rock functionality wise. Now with the Xyboard and their follow on products improving in the looks department I really do think they could take would-be Transformer customers if they would just offer a keyboard dock.
And if you're wondering the reason I'm not getting a Galaxy tablet, the reason is because their RF electronic know-how is not too much better that Asus's. I gotta say though that at least Samsung had the intelligence not to seal their RF electronics in a Faraday cage. LOL.
hey i really want to buy the prime,
anybody know when the gps will be fixed??
thanks
Sorry to break this to you, but there is no software that can completely fix the primes GPS. The GPS is bad because of the metal back plating on the prime. The back plating reduces reception between the radio signals (Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth) and this is the sole reason why they can't fix it (without losing alot of money). Asus went so far by actually removing the GPS feature off the Asus Transformer Primes website. Sorry to break it to you. Unless you take off the back plate, you probably wont see a dramatic improvement (even after that, its questionable on its strength/quality).
Really....Fairly sure there is never gonna be a real fix. Never used GPS on any of the dozen or so tablets that I've owned.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
when metal becomes plastic...
Or when pogo pins become wired.
When you buy a Bluetooth GPS receiver.
Lmao! No ETAs dude
The lady's man
jzen said:
when metal becomes plastic...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was told u were an alchemist
I really want one of these
Sent from my HTC Glacier using Tapatalk
royredman said:
Sorry to break this to you, but there is no software that can completely fix the primes GPS. The GPS is bad because of the metal back plating on the prime. The back plating reduces reception between the radio signals (Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth) and this is the sole reason why they can't fix it (without losing alot of money). Asus went so far by actually removing the GPS feature off the Asus Transformer Primes website. Sorry to break it to you. Unless you take off the back plate, you probably wont see a dramatic improvement (even after that, its questionable on its strength/quality).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Metal backplate is not the "SOLE" reason. ASUS never admitted to that. They said only a "Possibility" it could be the issue. Now we are seeing other factors could be a reason also. SO UNTIL ASUS RELEASES A STATEMENT saying "yes, we know for a fact the backplate is the only reason" then the actual reason is still up in the air.
I've emailed Asus twice, telling them about my dissatifaction over the GPS issue and after at least one week , have received no reply after the last one.
I understand that GPS is not a big deal to a lot of you and not a complete deal breaker with me either. But the fact of the matter is when I purchased my Prime, GPS was listed as a "feature" and never anywhere was "Limited" or "so-so" GPS capabilities mentioned !
So I receive my Prime, then through forums and my use, I find out the GPS capabilities are very limited and that Asus knows this is a problem, and believe Asus will rectify said issues. So I decide to keep my Prime, past the 14 day BB return period. What happens next ? Instead of fixing the GPS issue, Asus releases a statement saying basically, "Err............well the Prime was never designed to have fully functioning GPS capabilities !" and on top of that, competely removes GPS from the spec sheet !..............WTH?
So my email to Asus asked what they were willing to do for me and others, who purchased their Primes when GPS was listed on the spec sheet as a feature ! Rebate? Discounts off other products? Full refund from Asus ?
So far.....not a peep!
Again, I was past my BB return period , when Asus decided to make GPS a non-issue. Is this really the way Asus wants to treat their customers? And btw, I also own a Notebook and Netbook from Asus and use to believe in their products/customer service. Not so sure about that any longer, when I can't get a reply to an email over a defective product !
June 2050
10char
It is annoying when people who have no idea how wireless signals work are commenting all over talking about metal casing, pogo pins, etc. Unless you actually have an engineering background, please just stop. You are what is wrong with this country.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
A look at the internal set up shows the GPS aerials positioned on either side of the rear camera. The back is shielded by the case but the front is wide open ... right behind the glass trim. But there may be other reasons the GPS is weak despite the fact it is the same GPS that exists in many successful model I am told. My Prime is a bit slow locking on to satellites compared to my Galaxy 10.1. But, even on an overcast night, I locked on and was able to walk my desired route to my location. I felt I had to hold it flat to get a lock but once locked, it seemed to stay locked even after I tucked it under my jacket.
kingsway8605 said:
It is annoying when people who have no idea how wireless signals work are commenting all over talking about metal casing, pogo pins, etc. Unless you actually have an engineering background, please just stop. You are what is wrong with this country.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is more annoying to see people like you making such idotic comments. HOW DO YOU KNOW NONE OF US IS A COMPUTER ENGINEER?
You can go kiss Asus' as*s as much as you want, but in this country, we are free to express what we believe!!!
Tairen said:
June 2050
10char
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
would there be any better tablets coming out before that? Or is it worth waiting for a solution to this?? I really need a good working GPS where I live!
Sent from my Touchpad using Tapatalk
the lenovo prime.
Joker Fuel said:
would there be any better tablets coming out before that? Or is it worth waiting for a solution to this?? I really need a good working GPS where I live!
Sent from my Touchpad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't even know, nor did I ever assume, that any wifi only tablet could get gps that functioned unassisted.. That is my own ignorance apparently so I don't blame Asus - I never thought I'd be able to get gps signal without wifi and since this is a wifi only device I was/am OK with that. (one thing I'm not OK with is that since the last update my gps signal got worse...but since it is changing and getting tweaked with updates I am confident they are working on improving what we do have. I used to be bless to lock onto 10 satellites 5 feet from a window, and now I get nothing. If I reboot sometimes that "fixes" it) )
The Prime does get assisted GPS just like most other tablets without 3g (I said most).
Joker Fuel said:
would there be any better tablets coming out before that? Or is it worth waiting for a solution to this?? I really need a good working GPS where I live!
Sent from my Touchpad using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your only real solution at this point is to buy a GPS puck and pair it with your prime via Bluetooth.
myeepad said:
HOW DO YOU KNOW NONE OF US IS A COMPUTER ENGINEER?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In this case, it's an RF designer you need - but to answer the question, most people disclose their engineering prowess when they post.
slugbug2010 said:
I didn't even know, nor did I ever assume, that any wifi only tablet could get gps that functioned unassisted.. That is my own ignorance apparently so I don't blame Asus - I never thought I'd be able to get gps signal without wifi and since this is a wifi only device I was/am OK with that. (one thing I'm not OK with is that since the last update my gps signal got worse...but since it is changing and getting tweaked with updates I am confident they are working on improving what we do have. I used to be bless to lock onto 10 satellites 5 feet from a window, and now I get nothing. If I reboot sometimes that "fixes" it) )
The Prime does get assisted GPS just like most other tablets without 3g (I said most).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When's the last time a Garmin or a Tom Tom needed a wifi signal in order to work ? And I do blame Asus !
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After 2 defective launch ATP's, yesterday I finally got a almost perfect unit with dock. My first 2 Primes from Gamestop were a nightmare. They both had every problem reported. The Prime I bought is fantastic. Even the GPS works perfect w/o WiFi. No lag or anything even with the Killer Whale pacing back and forth. No FC's or restarts with ICS. I Love it.
No problems with the camera and flash.
The only 2 problems that bother me is that, no matter what video player I use the audio always lags through Bluetooth and WiFi and Bluetooth do NOT work at the same time. I really enjoy this Prime because the resolution is perfect for my emulators. Anything higher would cause some of my movies and emulators to look like garbage. The Prime and dock really are a premium product as long as you get one that works. Thank You everyone and Gary Key for pushing Asus to finally put out a world class product.
So moral of the story: 1 out of 3 chances you will get the product you paid for.
I think Asus has stepped up their quality control recently.
What is your serial (only the first 5/6 letters)
So did you get your 3rd TP from GameStop as well or did you purchase it from somewhere else?
So this is very very interesting as it is the second thread that someone has posted indicating a "perfect" prime.
The first thread, I was like "BS" due to the fact that the OP really didn't say anything afterwards. It could, perhaps, be that Asus finally observed the issues with the QC and finally made corrections. After bringing back 2 primes because of backlight bleed, perhaps its time to make another run.
I would like to see the first 3-6 letters of the Serial number, also, if you have the chance a picture of a black background with no backlight bleed. After all, I think you owe it to us to provide some sort of "proof" considering your claims. You just can't come on here and say, "I have a perfect prime" with nothing to show for it when we have so much other material to work from that indicates the Prime is a horrible piece of hardware.
Sure he can. Why not? Why would he owe you anything in that respect?
I think what it boils down to is quality control issues, so it's the luck of the draw... just like there are bad/weak ones coming out, the probability is that there will be ones with no issues as well, and it seems he was able to find one of those.
I mean, mine is as "near-perfect" as it seems to get too... no lockups, the wifi works well, as does the GPS (I don't think it would hold up in real time navigation, but it picks up about 12 sats in a short period of time indoors on the ground floor of my house.) And, it has very negligible light bleed.
That being said, this is my 3rd prime (the previous two I returned due to quality issues - dead pixel, bad light bleed on one of them)
The interesting thing is, I upgraded both of those previous primes to ICS before I returned them (I figured "why not" since they were going back to the store anyways - if they start locking up, no problem). I upgraded them both to ICS without any issues, and used them about 2-3 days each before returning them... not a single lockup on either of them
I'm now on my 3rd prime (all WW SKU), and given that the previous 2 upgraded no problem, I decided to upgrade this one as well. I did, and it's been rock solid.
My friend has one as well, also upgraded to ICS. Also no issues.
So for the record, there's 4 that upgraded to ICS no problem.
QUOTE=Pubnum;22095318] After all, I think you owe it to us to provide some sort of "proof" considering your claims. You just can't come on here and say, "I have a perfect prime" with nothing to show for it when we have so much other material to work from that indicates the Prime is a horrible piece of hardware.[/QUOTE]
My 3rd prime is perfect as well. The gps is weak but it at least works. Not a big issue to me. I think I have fixed the lag-i\o issues as well.
I have a perfect prime n not showing y'all a damn thanggg...lmfao. if you want to be short sighted n believe all the negative stuff then do so. We just just continue to enjoy our devices as we see fit. PRIME is an Excellent piece of hardware when done properly. If it wasn't, I been would've returned mines. Fact for me is, it works great in my day to day use.
I just bought a used prime yesterday on graiglist for $350. Iwas not aware of all issue this table has. I bought like new in box condition and now checking all theproblems list i am happy to say that mine is perfect. No backlight issue, amazing wifi range as good has my laptop, gps connect in a second without wifi, serial number show corret. Im in love with this and getting rid of my useless touchpad
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Ill believe in a perfectly working prime when I see it lol
cyi1 said:
Ill believe in a perfectly working prime when I see it lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed, I'm going to wait about two weeks then make another run at it. Lightbleed is the number 1 issue in my book.
skygunner27 said:
The only thing that bothers me is that, no matter what video player I use the audio always lags through Bluetooth. Can someone tell me how to fix this or suggest a video player with subtitles that doesn't suffer from this delay? Youtube and Netflix work perfect with Bluetooth.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had this same problem with my original Transformer, with Netflix and my Motorola S9-HD headphones. I never did resolve it, so I simply started using wired headphones.
Bottom line, I don't think this is a Prime-specific issue...
Mine works fine. My GPS reception is mediocre, but it does work. Everything else is perfect.
You guys need to understand that defective products exist. I recently got a galaxy nexus and the phone had awful reception. Dropped connections every 20 minutes or less. Got verizon to replace it with a new phone which works perfectly.
Mine is also fine. Barely any light bleed, GPS not great, and one miniscule bright spot on the screen (not a dead pixel). Everything else is gravy.
pdanders said:
Mine works fine. My GPS reception is mediocre, but it does work. Everything else is perfect.
You guys need to understand that defective products exist. I recently got a galaxy nexus and the phone had awful reception. Dropped connections every 20 minutes or less. Got verizon to replace it with a new phone which works perfectly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We agree that defective products exist. But Asus is clearly having an issue with quality control. And it isn't an issue with just a small few. 90% of them have backlight bleed issues. If you think you don't, you're probably not looking hard enough.
What it really comes down to is what you personally are willing to live with. My prime is great, wifi is strong, gps works (locked on 5 sats last night) however it has a single dead pixel. Is this a game breaker? No. My first prime had 2 bright areas and 2 dark areas. This was a game breaker. I returned it and ordered a new one. Now the new one has a dead pixel however when actually using the prime I don't notice one single dead pixel.
If you can live with the issues you have with your Prime, great. Use the hell out of the TFP and give it great word of mouth. If you have a defective unit and you can't live with the defects by all means return it. I would never advise anyone to do otherwise. I'm a giant advocate for not accepting poor service or quality. I worked the last 4 years doing QA, I know how things go.
However if you can't seem to find your perfect TFP, let it go. Find another device and just move on. We understand your frustration but continually badmouthing something others like/love will only cause contempt and discord.
This is not directed at anyone in particular.
TLDR: If you have a good TFP great, if its defective sorry return it and move on.
Hyflex said:
What is your serial (only the first 5/6 letters)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BCOKAS
Pubnum said:
So this is very very interesting as it is the second thread that someone has posted indicating a "perfect" prime.
The first thread, I was like "BS" due to the fact that the OP really didn't say anything afterwards. It could, perhaps, be that Asus finally observed the issues with the QC and finally made corrections. After bringing back 2 primes because of backlight bleed, perhaps its time to make another run.
I would like to see the first 3-6 letters of the Serial number, also, if you have the chance a picture of a black background with no backlight bleed. After all, I think you owe it to us to provide some sort of "proof" considering your claims. You just can't come on here and say, "I have a perfect prime" with nothing to show for it when we have so much other material to work from that indicates the Prime is a horrible piece of hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe I'll take a pic later to show no bleeding. I'm not sure why you don't believe me. Look at my previous posts here. I'm probably the last person on Earth to give the ATP praise. This is the first positive thing I've said about the Prime....and it was hard for me to do so, with all the negative posts I have made about my past experiences.
seeknom said:
Sure he can. Why not? Why would he owe you anything in that respect?
I think what it boils down to is quality control issues, so it's the luck of the draw... just like there are bad/weak ones coming out, the probability is that there will be ones with no issues as well, and it seems he was able to find one of those.
I mean, mine is as "near-perfect" as it seems to get too... no lockups, the wifi works well, as does the GPS (I don't think it would hold up in real time navigation, but it picks up about 12 sats in a short period of time indoors on the ground floor of my house.) And, it has very negligible light bleed.
That being said, this is my 3rd prime (the previous two I returned due to quality issues - dead pixel, bad light bleed on one of them)
The interesting thing is, I upgraded both of those previous primes to ICS before I returned them (I figured "why not" since they were going back to the store anyways - if they start locking up, no problem). I upgraded them both to ICS without any issues, and used them about 2-3 days each before returning them... not a single lockup on either of them
I'm now on my 3rd prime (all WW SKU), and given that the previous 2 upgraded no problem, I decided to upgrade this one as well. I did, and it's been rock solid.
My friend has one as well, also upgraded to ICS. Also no issues.
So for the record, there's 4 that upgraded to ICS no problem.
QUOTE=Pubnum;22095318] After all, I think you owe it to us to provide some sort of "proof" considering your claims. You just can't come on here and say, "I have a perfect prime" with nothing to show for it when we have so much other material to work from that indicates the Prime is a horrible piece of hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed my bezel seems a lot tighter than my previous primes. I think that has something to do with backlight bleeding.
The Prime on display also had no backlight bleeding. I had made arrangement to take the display model if my Prime had bleeding.
shep211 said:
My 3rd prime is perfect as well. The gps is weak but it at least works. Not a big issue to me. I think I have fixed the lag-i\o issues as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice.
eduardmc said:
I just bought a used prime yesterday on graiglist for $350. Iwas not aware of all issue this table has. I bought like new in box condition and now checking all theproblems list i am happy to say that mine is perfect. No backlight issue, amazing wifi range as good has my laptop, gps connect in a second without wifi, serial number show corret. Im in love with this and getting rid of my useless touchpad
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fantastic.
wynand32 said:
I had this same problem with my original Transformer, with Netflix and my Motorola S9-HD headphones. I never did resolve it, so I simply started using wired headphones.
Bottom line, I don't think this is a Prime-specific issue...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really hope I find a fix soon. I need Bluetooth to work for all my movies and anime.
MOD64 said:
So did you get your 3rd TP from GameStop as well or did you purchase it from somewhere else?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bestbuy.
How are you guys testing your gps? What I do to test is open google maps so I can get a map of my area. Then I drive around the block and see if I'm being tracked real time.
I drove around here in Anchorage with a constant lock on 8. There is a discrepancy of about 65 feet. Can someone pleaase help me with Bluetooth audio delay during video playback? This delay does not happen with Youtube or Netflix. It only happens with every video player I use. Asus wants me to RMA. There's no way I'm giving up this Prime!!!