[GUIDE] New Prime - Checklist - Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

This guide is aimed at people who have just bought/recieved their New prime. What to look out for, what to test to make sure you have a decent device.
This isnt a "Fixit" thread, so i'll try to steer away from how to fix issues you have, there are plenty other threads on fixes.
If you manage to tick all these off your list without issue, then Congratulations ! You have a Good device.
Good should mean normal, unfortunatly at the moment at least, there are many with manufacturing issues!.
Light Bleed
Check the screen for Light bleed round the edges. You more than likely will have a small degree of light bleed, but it should not be obvious in normal display view. On a solid black/blue background its easier to spot.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
^^ Picture from an iPad2 (couldnt find a prime example <-- Yeah i did say that ) but its the same idea.
Dead Pixels
You may have a dead/stuck pixel or two, and most places refuse to accept a device as faulty unless it has a significant amount of dead pixels. 1 or two is generally acceptible
------[Ok]-----------------------------[ Not Ok ]--------------
You can also use the Dead Pixel app to test for dead pixels
Dead Pixel Test QR
Serial Number - not found
Check that your prime has its serial number in Settings > About Tablet
If "UNKNOWN" is shown instead of the serial number your not alone! However, dont worry .. there is now an unofficial fix for this issue (and not from Asus i might add !! ) This fix may void warranty as you need to root
Serial Not found fix! (Ratchet)
GPS Reception
Asus has taken the GPS functionality off the specs for the prime, however its still there, if you want to test yours, download GPS Test from the market GPS Test
Turn WiFi off, take your tablet outside (some report it working indoors but outside is the only real way to test) and check to see of you can get any. Testing GPS with WiFi on gives false results as the GPS function uses assisted GPS through Wifi location.
Alt app GPS Status
GPS Test QR
Wifi Reception
Wifi has been reported to be weak with the prime (wasnt with mine) so to test yours, download WiFi Analyser from the market and check the reception in different rooms round your home, if possible compared to another device your used to.
If Wifi is dropping out a few meters from the router/AP, its reported that Wireless N could be the cause, try enabling Wireless G mode only on the router.
Wifi Analyzer QR
Dock/Keyboard connection
The newer Champagne models have had a few reports (mine included) of faulty docks. The keyboard will not function 90% of the time. Plug the prime into the keyboard dock and check its status says connected and that it can type. for example ... the top row of keys sometimes worked on mine but none of the keys below would work, including the trackpad. Serial numbers
C10KAS are the newer batch
Gyroscope
Gyroscope functionality was also faulty on my model, Its probs worth while checking to see if yours is ok too.
For me i couldnt use autorotate on the normal desktop, it always just sat in landscape mode despite rotating the tablet all ways. Glowball game wouldnt respond to any movements and riptide wouldnt respond either.
Battery Conditioning
When you first get your tablet, a charge period of 8Hrs is recommended, which should calibrate the battery sensors and condition the battery to achieve maximum life/power.
You can use the tablet while its charging.
Haptic Feedback
You hopefully notice when you turn the TFP on that it has a slight vibration (haptic feedback), some people report either very week vibration/no vibration or very loud vibration, almost sounding like a duck! Double check that its working as it should.
Youll feel the vibration when turning the TFP on or off.
Firmware Updates
When the tablet is connected to wifi and after a while an update notification will be displayed at the bottom right, there may be a couple of updates to apply ( eg The new Ice cream sandwitch update then the camera update) You can normally postpone updates a maximum of 3 times before they have to be applied.
Once started, allow the update to finish, Do NOT interupt by turning off. Always try to make sure you have 50%+ battery life before applying an update, best idea is to connect the AC adapter.
More to come ... Suggestions welcome.
Images robbed from google image search

Excellent work Danny.
I was going to do this myself when I found a bit of spare time.
I'll add my support to this topic.

What Beards said! Thanks indeed.
Danny-B- said:
GPS Reception
Asus has taken the GPS functionality off the specs for the prime, however its still there, if you want to test yours, download GPS Test from the market GPS Test
Take your tablet outside (some report it working indoors but outside is the only real way to test) and check to see of you can get any.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because you can lock on to some satellites while stationary and connected to WiFi means nothing.
As a personal preference, I can't stand GPS Test. It looks like it was drawn with crayons to me.
Good alternatives to GPS Test are GPS Status and GPS Essentials, though you'll have to build the screen you want in Essentials.
To properly test the GPS, and someone correct me if my memory is bad here;
Bring up your Prime with WiFi and GPS on.
Turn off WiFi and reboot your Prime
See how long it takes to get a lock on 4 or more satellites, it shouldn't be long even with a "bad" GPS
Hop in your vehicle and go for a drive/ride while having the non-driver keep an eye on the number of satellites tracked

Beards said:
Excellent work Danny.
I was going to do this myself when I found a bit of spare time.
I'll add my support to this topic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers !
Thought it was needed
I'm sure we'll find more info to pack in this thread
Col.Kernel said:
What Beards said! Thanks indeed.
Because you can lock on to some satellites while stationary and connected to WiFi means nothing.
As a personal preference, I can't stand GPS Test. It looks like it was drawn with crayons to me.
Good alternatives to GPS Test are GPS Status and GPS Essentials, though you'll have to build the screen you want in Essentials.
To properly test the GPS, and someone correct me if my memory is bad here;
Bring up your Prime with WiFi and GPS on.
Turn off WiFi and reboot your Prime
See how long it takes to get a lock on 4 or more satellites, it shouldn't be long even with a "bad" GPS
Hop in your vehicle and go for a drive/ride while having the non-driver keep an eye on the number of satellites tracked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Edited the GPS section slightly.
GPS Test seems to be the standard app, and for a noob its quick and easy to see a status. i'll add the links in for the alternative apps though cheers.

Thanks for taking the time to make this post Danny! I bet all the noobish threads(mine included =D ) finally pushed you to do it
Very well done =P
This should be stickied

Thank you very much!
Can you please add some information on rooting if needed and backup if needed also and how to make it and what is it realy for[sorry for the noob questions].
About Gyroscope is it only to try rotate it ? thats it ?
but again big thanks

<TROLL> This checklist is a testimony to a shotty device </TROLL>
None the less, the list is good. Thanks OP!

Might want to add something about Haptic Feedback.
Good list !

No # of dead pixels should be acceptable on a brand new device.. not atleast the first 365 days of usage.

Excellent thread.
I would also test for the Vulcan Nerve Pinch : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1473272
And I would also encourage new owners to run benchmarks on their systems brand new and after each update (and maybe report their numbers back to xda-dev forum): http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22060756&postcount=574

Good stuff but am I missing something or did you forget the biggest one? Lockups with ICS issue......

I think that would be a very hard one to miss once user updates to ICS

This thread is basically the same as the other one called "Things you need to know about Tf-201". Except the other one is more extensive n further along with more info n links.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1444084

Good thread, thanks!
Quick question - is the gyro problem either it will be completely dead or partly? i think mine is ok, tried glowball seemed to be ok, and auto rotate works but maybe a bit sluggish, maybe its just set like that?

fro5tie said:
Good thread, thanks!
Quick question - is the gyro problem either it will be completely dead or partly? i think mine is ok, tried glowball seemed to be ok, and auto rotate works but maybe a bit sluggish, maybe its just set like that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me it didnt work at all. I havnt seen any other reports of the gyroscope not working properly except from people recieving the newer batch.
Auto rotate is always a little sluggish to be fair, never was as fast as the ipad.

curreyr said:
Might want to add something about Haptic Feedback.
Good list !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good idea!
Haptic feedback on mine seemed to be fine, wasnt noisy and feedback was fine, but i've seen the reports of issues with it.

I would also like to add some things too
-Camera lens clarity, all 3 of my Primes that I bought had a fogged lens on the inside/specs or air bubbles in them
-LED screen alignment, my third Prime had a crooked display
Though these are just aesthetics, I still returned mine. I want a perfect Prime for the money I'm spending.

Here is my Prime with backlight bleeding..
Specially the right seems to have a lot of bleed, that is not only with mine but with a lot of people.

remics said:
I think that would be a very hard one to miss once user updates to ICS
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree but since this seems to also be an instructional thread telling newbies how they should go about remedying the issues you might run into the ICS lockup should be included.

JoeyLe said:
Here is my Prime with backlight bleeding..
Specially the right seems to have a lot of bleed, that is not only with mine but with a lot of people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Left side is no big deal. Right side does have alot. But most bleeds, unless major ones, aren't even noticeable during regular use. Only noticeable on bootups or by people who sit in a dark room with a black wallpaper staring at it looking for bleeds..lmfao
They won't repair for minor bleeding or one or two dead pixels. I think you have to have more than 5-6 dead pixels in one area to qualify for warranty. Its in the warranty info. Ipad2 at launch suffered alot worse from bleeds than pictures posted here from various people. So this is a common issue throughout all devices with displays like these.

Related

Galaxy S II GPS *NOT* fixed!!? Post your experiences here (read post first)

Note: I do not have my phone anymore - 02 staff opened another new phone while I was there returning mine and found same issue. See later posts for details.
HOWEVER: I think, as mentioned later on in this thread very usefully - that we really need to have some requirements for testing, some Metrics, othewise this will (continue) to become a competition of will, emotion and opinion rather than the facts we need.
This thread is proving useful to quite a few people in deciding what to expect from the SGSII and their GPS requirements from it. Let's keep the feedback coming in.
PLEASE INCLUDE IN ANY FEEDBACK THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
TtFF (time to first fix - although not the primary interest in this particualr thread - interesting anyhow): cold/hot, stationary/moving, indoors/in car/in pocket/urban area/open field.
Accuracy: after 10/30/60 seconds (in all the above situations), as given by the phone and as measured vs a known landmark
Number of sats and SNR: after 30 seconds take 3 snapshots in 5 second intervals
Wifi on/off, "use wireless networks" on/off, and if the S2 has the "use sensor aiding" setting whether that's on/off.
Lastly, firmware release could be helpful.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ORIGINAL POST:
Ok - just got my second Galaxy S II and am loving the speed and the update from my original SGS.
I had such severe problems with the GPS in my original SGS that it was virtually unuseable. With the SGSII I hoped that would be fixed as I use Google Navigation a lot.
Now I find that there are very similar issues with the Galaxy S II as there were with the original Galaxy S.
Specifically the SGSII has improvements in that it finds satellites (I usually get a lock on 6-8 of a maximum of 12) but that the accuracy never goes better than 26-45 meters and fluctuates which makes matters worse. Something is not quite right with the way the SGSII uses it's locks on GPS sattelites as it doesn't translate to the accuracy it should.
I've stood outside and compared side by side the SGSII and an (old now) HTC Hero and the number of satellites locked are similar and the time to lock is similar - but significantly the HTC Hero gains a high accuracy of 12-3 metres and most importantly it keeps this accuracy stable. The SGSII on the other hand fluctuates with a similar number of satellite locks and sometimes the accuracy goes down to 60-70 meters briefly.
Quite honestly - I'm shocked that Samsung who have such huge R&D budgets and masses of experience in the handset market could not have nailed this problem from the original SGS being so bad. I almost can't believe that they could have repeated the same issue twice. Granted the SGSII is *better* - significaantly so compared to my original Galaxy S - but then that doesn't mean it's good or acceptable given how extremely bad the accuracy was on my SGS.
I'm taking my handset back to O2 tomorrrow to see if they can swap it out for another one. Hopefully slight variances in manufacturing will come into play and the replacement will be better. This is simply not good enough from Samsung and I really wish they would get their act together.
Also - just want to say: Please please please can people understand the difference between GPS fix time and GPS accuracy. It's getting to be a problem when people declare their GPS fully working when their GPS fix times become quick - totally ignoring fix accuracy and it happened a LOT with the SGS. GPS accuracy is completely different to GPS fix time although of course GPS fix time is better if it's quick. I'd rather have accuracy over fix time anyway because what's the point of a quick but inaccurate and "wobbly" GPS fix? Certainly no good for Google Navigation.
Engadget have posted a video declaring that the GPS in the SGSII "really works". Well - the map was zoomed out quite a way and they also turned off Wireless which was known to help the original SGS get better accuracy because it was believed that wireless was somehow interfering with the GPS functionality to some extent. So: Engadget did not zoom in far enough. They did not show the accuracy. They turned off wifi. Therefore they cannot claim it's "fixed"
What are other people's experiences: Can we get some posts here showing *ACCURACY* and how stable it is - NOT fix time? GPS test in the market is a good tool to do this. Google Maps is good enough.
Can we also get some feedback here about Google Navigation performance. Is there any drift. Does the lock stay stable?
My SGS2 just works fine.locks to satellites in about 5secs, connects to 12 satellites overall.I've tried it over and over.i guess something must be wrong with your phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
a67543210 said:
My SGS2 just works fine.locks to satellites in about 5secs, connects to 12 satellites overall.I've tried it over and over.i guess something must be wrong with your phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the accuracy like? In metres? And is it stable?
a67543210 said:
My SGS2 just works fine.locks to satellites in about 5secs, connects to 12 satellites overall.I've tried it over and over.i guess something must be wrong with your phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He asked:
What are other people's experiences: Can we get some posts here showing *ACCURACY* and how stable it is - NOT fix time?
a67543210 said:
My SGS2 just works fine.locks to satellites in about 5secs, connects to 12 satellites overall.I've tried it over and over.i guess something must be wrong with your phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*sigh* that made me cringe. Probably read the first line and hit reply
a67543210 said:
My SGS2 just works fine.locks to satellites in about 5secs, connects to 12 satellites overall.I've tried it over and over.i guess something must be wrong with your phone
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No just something wrong with you, great example of not reading the actual post, he is talking about accuracy not amount of satellites or fix times as he stated in his post.
This is bad news, hope it can be fixed with a update, if it's the case with all handsets. I'll be getting mine on Friday, let you know how mine works.
ugh.. i dont wanna hear this.. *positive thoughts* * positive thoughts*
Locked pretty fast, accuracy never went above 60ft after the initial up and down. Got to around 20ft for quite a while...I'll test it tomorrow when I'm out and about but it looks alright. Tbh my SGS's GPS lock on and accuracy is brilliant too...I use it quite often for driving and it does it's job.
NIK516 said:
This is bad news, hope it can be fixed with a update, if it's the case with all handsets. I'll be getting mine on Friday, let you know how mine works.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well being objective - my post reflects my own experience with one handset so let's hope it's isolated and I've been unlucky - would be great to get your feedback when you get yours.
I do think that this is the sort of problem that *could* be fixable with software because getting the fixes on satellites seems reasonable - and that's the hardware doing it's job (I think?).
The poor, jumping accuracy is exactly what I had seen in two videos posted on YouTube for the S2. But I've also seen track logs that show very good accuracy, much better than I've seen on any Galaxy S. It almost makes me think GPS Test may be showing some anomaly in the accuracy reading that doesn't actually translate to the mapping position, although not sure how that's possible. Very hard to tell the full story at this point.
The problem we have is sampling error. As many of the S owners know all too well one test or one phone does not tell the tale. One day it can seem to work ok, and a day later be way off. Also, there can be huge variations between phones, with some working perfectly and others not working at all. Of course, that can happen, but often times the replacement phones were no better or even worse. The only way the S2 will prove itself is over time with many users reporting.
alsheron said:
Ok - just got my second Galaxy S II and am loving the speed and the update from my original SGS.
I had such severe problems with the GPS in my original SGS that it was virtually unuseable. With the SGSII I hoped that would be fixed as I use Google Navigation a lot.
Now I find that there are very similar issues with the Galaxy S II as there were with the original Galaxy S.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is a thread where the GPS accuracy was tested with the app My Tracks.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1056973
You could try that app to verify GPS accuracy.
EDIT:
Could you report the accuracy when using My Tracks ?
Hmmm, bad news!
The other happy owners of the SGSII should please test their GPS-accuracy,too!
[Q] Does anybode know how the displayed "accuracy" is calculated on the phone? Does the cursor jumps over the map when the accuracy is low?
Sorry I'll be totally new at Android with SGSII and I don't have much experience with gps-devices.
HTC_Spree said:
Does anybode know how the displayed "accuracy" is calculated on the phone? Does the cursor jumps over the map when the accuracy is low?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As for calculated, no idea, but in Maps and such it's displayed as a blue circle. The better the accuracy the smaller the circle.
fallenguru said:
As for calculated, no idea, but in Maps and such it's displayed as a blue circle. The better the accuracy the smaller the circle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thx for the info
This accuracy figure, as I understand, is to an approximation.
GPS is just a system of clocks. They are super accurate and all in sync. That is monitored and ensured by the US Military who run it.
When you stand at point A, and are in the northern hemisphere and have a good view of the sky, you should have say 12 satellites.
That means you are receiving time signals from twelve clocks. Each has a unique 'tag' on the signal so you know which clock sent it. If you compare these times though, you will find a tiny difference between each due to the time taken for the signal to reach you.
By doing some math, the delay is calculated and speed is equated from distance and time. Now, by drawing a "plot" of each month (it sends its location in space every 30 seconds, and assisted gps sends the location via data network), we can draw a circle from the satellite, with radius equal to that of the distance calculated.
Remember this is in 3D. It is fairly likely you are on earth do realistically you potentially are in only a small segment of this sphere.
Now add another sphere for each satellite. By triangulation your location is calculated to be within a small area.
To understand it better, draw it on paper. Get a set of compassrs and draw a 5 cm circle at a point, and an 8 cm circle from another. Make them fairly close so they intersect.
In the 2D scenario we have an approximation of location. If we add a third circle, notice that the area possible has reduced again.
Now repeat for a 4th. You likely can't get any further in on this scale. Imagine this in 3D. That's a simple model of GPS.
In our case the little area segment formed by the intersections defines the accuracy. I don't know if the device does it this full way or if it presumes X locked satellites is Y m, but you get the idea. Remember gps is 3D though, so height is involved. But this is a simplification and I believe the approximation uses a simplification too...
Tbh you should try going along a known route, tracking your path on a gps logger. Put it into Google maps and see if it deviates from your route.
Use a dumb logger application that just records NMEA packets though, to stop it using maps to "guess" location to a road.
That help?
OP is probably trolling. I tested this whilst driving and not only did it track accurately it tracked my speed accurately as well. Here is the my track to prove the point:
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Didn't use WiFi or sensor aiding, that's pure GPS.
I am absolutely gutted, having read what I thought was good GPS accuracy. I have made a track tonight just to test, and I am very disappointed with the result.
At one stage it shows me on the other side of a road which I did not even walk on.
Here is the link for you guys to look at, what are you thoughts on its accuracy.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl...d=214191035589290527223.0004a26699c6ee0b31880
Maybe I am misunderstanding here, but isn't it pretty normal for phone GPS to be a bit inaccurate at times when used in a city? I know there are certain areas in my city (Vienna) where, when I'm walking about on the sidewalk, my Nexus One can't locate me on the map or at leasts is very inaccurate at it. Especially narrow streets with tall buildings block the GPS signal, but even on wider avenues my Nexus One often isn't absolutely accurate (but precise enough).
Unfortunately, I don't own a Galaxy S2 yet, so I can't provide any findings of my own.
Dannyboyni said:
I am absolutely gutted, having read what I thought was good GPS accuracy. I have made a track tonight just to test, and I am very disappointed with the result.
At one stage it shows me on the other side of a road which I did not even walk on.
Here is the link for you guys to look at, what are you thoughts on its accuracy.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl...d=214191035589290527223.0004a26699c6ee0b31880
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I take it you're claiming you weren't drunk, despite the clear evidence?
Can you tell us what GPS Test shows for accuracy when you use it outside? Also, how stable is it, does it fluctuate more than a few meters once it reaches it's best level?
Thanks very much for posting the track.
Dannyboyni said:
I am absolutely gutted, having read what I thought was good GPS accuracy. I have made a track tonight just to test, and I am very disappointed with the result.
At one stage it shows me on the other side of a road which I did not even walk on.
Here is the link for you guys to look at, what are you thoughts on its accuracy.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl...d=214191035589290527223.0004a26699c6ee0b31880
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you have the WiFi and sensor aiding turned on? I turned those off and my GPS is perfect.

GPS woes & new ICS update

Well, damn it ASUS! I had a vague GPS thing going on when I first got ICS. Since I got the update for GPS it's killed it
I left the prime in the window bay for 25 mins and this is what I got
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"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Nothing. I presume this has nothing to do with root etc? Would a system erase make any difference? Is it even worth a try?
It's not like I use it often, but it used to lock from here fine and now it doesn't.
Meh!
No difference for me, no satellites before or after the update. But...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1459356
Sent from my ADR6425LVW using XDA Premium.
jonboyuk said:
Well, damn it ASUS! I had a vague GPS thing going on when I first got ICS. Since I got the update for GPS it's killed it
I left the prime in the window bay for 25 mins and this is what I got
Nothing. I presume this has nothing to do with root etc? Would a system erase make any difference? Is it even worth a try?
It's not like I use it often, but it used to lock from here fine and now it doesn't.
Meh!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You should get some satellites if you turn the device around. Right now the metal back possibly blocks all potential signals. Aluminum back cuts down about 50% of GPS signal performance compared to smartphone like Galaxy Nexus (which also does not have ideal GPS, though does work).
kristovaher said:
You should get some satellites if you turn the device around. Right now the metal back possibly blocks all potential signals. Aluminum back cuts down about 50% of GPS signal performance compared to smartphone like Galaxy Nexus (which also does not have ideal GPS, though does work).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good idea and thanks - I tried this, flat, next to a window and left for an hour. Still nothing How can an OTA update that claims to fix GPS break it?! Lol!
Yeah, I got the same - absolutely nothing despite over an hour face up completely flat.
My phone (Dell Streak) gets locks immediately in the same place.
The only way I've managed to "see" a single satellite on my Prime is after BT tethering to my Streak!
Very disappointing, not that it's crucial to have GPS, but there's a principle involved here.
jonboyuk said:
Good idea and thanks - I tried this, flat, next to a window and left for an hour. Still nothing How can an OTA update that claims to fix GPS break it?! Lol!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do yourself a favor change the power modes while in the GPS app!
See that little circle notification if it is not flashing it is not trying to lock so all you gotta do to get it to start locking is expand than minimize the notification bar!
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
green750one said:
Yeah, I got the same - absolutely nothing despite over an hour face up completely flat.
My phone (Dell Streak) gets locks immediately in the same place.
The only way I've managed to "see" a single satellite on my Prime is after BT tethering to my Streak!
Very disappointing, not that it's crucial to have GPS, but there's a principle involved here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't agree more. I had mine picking up sats in my car with Honeycomb...then ICS came along (second ICS OTA) and decided to take it away from me. Disappointed. Now, where's that Mr.Gary Key? Ha!
Ditto - this last update killed my previously acceptable GPS performance. Mine will see as many as 8 birds with decent SNR, but will not lock on any of them.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Wordlywisewiz said:
Do yourself a favor change the power modes while in the GPS app!
See that little circle notification if it is not flashing it is not trying to lock so all you gotta do to get it to start locking is expand than minimize the notification bar!
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I knew that trick!! It was the first thing I tried before running a full reset :/ Thanks though
slybarman said:
Ditto - this last update killed my previously acceptable GPS performance. Mine will see as many as 8 birds with decent SNR, but will not lock on any of them.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ooops I should have multiquoted! Anyway, clearly it's happened quite a lot....gutted.....
Wow guys, this sounds really bad. I thought that the flaw is simply that the signal is weaker by half (as it is on my tests), but apparently it doesn't get any locks at all for some of you.
This is definitely not a metal casing problem, GPS antennae seems messed up. GPS, by design, should get some locks after just a few minutes, no more than 10 or 15 minutes.
All of my tests show the flaw of metal casing weakening the GPS signal, but it still finds satellites (though cannot be used for navi as a result) without WiFi.
Try going to some open space and hold the tablet skyward and see if there's any change. Indoors is not an ideal testing condition (depends on where you live), because it still might be the metal-back issue.
It not purely a hardware issue though as my GPS was on par with my cellphone before this last update.
I am also getting no gps lock in gps test since the last update. I got my prime to lock onto about 15 satellites prior to the update driving in my car(its a convertible) Now I can't get it to see a single one, let alone get a lock. I love my prime, but this is a real bummer.
I agree....if this was a pure hardware related issue, then it wouldn't have worked before then suddenly stopped working post drivers/software update. This clearly highlights that there is a software related issue going on. Obviously the aluminium backplate still reduces from the overall signal quality but it don't completely prevent it from working. If this was the case, no one would get a lock ever, on any unit!
Your move Asus...
Likewise. Signal before update. No sats found following update.
Same problem here. I did not originally have an advanced GPS app or anything, but services were able to locate me in GPS (when Wifi and location via Wifi turned off). Since the update, I get nothing. I download several apps to test GPS and all are the same: No Sats.
I don't really use GPS all that much, but I tested this before installing the update and the update did definitely break it for me.
Seems like the update was 50/50. Either it makes everything brilliant or just takes it away!! How do we approach this best? We can all contact ASUS individually but that never seems to work. I wonder if Gary Key accepts PM's?
Asus meet NASA, NASA meet Asus...
How Do Global Positioning Systems, or GPS, Work?
HAHAHAHA!! JoTeC that cracked me up!
jonboyuk said:
HAHAHAHA!! JoTeC that cracked me up!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL, I couldn't resist.

WiFi/GPS can't JUST be a "metal case" issue -- interesting photo

I know that there's plenty of evidence that the metal caseback may be (most likely is) a cause of poor GPS and WiFi reception. However, it cannot be the only cause, and I think there's a good chance that even with the metal case, the proper software could make this tablet run pretty well. Check out this photo:
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That photo was taken at the end of January, in my house, after about two minutes of satellite acquisition. Two 32 Gb Primes, both BCOK# series, .11 firmware. Since the WiFi on both was about the same and the GPS on the left one was great, I sent back the one on the right (I got the HHGregg $399 mistake deal on the left one).
Fast-forward to yesterday. Since the .13 firmware didn't change the GPS build number, I hadn't even bothered to test GPS since updating. On a whim, I tested it yesterday. Zero satellites. Even after five minutes of scanning. Zero. The only thing that changed was the firmware -- same hardware as before. In my car, outside on a clear day, I managed to pick up 3-4 birds sporadically but never for long and I never got a single location lock, in ten minutes.
I know it's easy to blame hardware and I know that there are a number of design choices that might have been made differently, but I guarantee you that software is playing a huge part in this as well.
I made this same argument when the .11 firmware completely borked the GPS on my prime - it had been working reasonably well before that. I ended up returning that one to best buy. The replacement I got works much better.
slybarman said:
I made this same argument when the .11 firmware completely borked the GPS on my prime - it had been working reasonably well before that. I ended up returning that one to best buy. The replacement I got works much better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oddly enough my GPS was working before (6-9 birds 5-6 locks) albeit weakly with the .11 update but I just retested it yesterday since the .13 update and 1-3 birds but no lock.
slybarman said:
I made this same argument when the .11 firmware completely borked the GPS on my prime - it had been working reasonably well before that. I ended up returning that one to best buy. The replacement I got works much better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I wish we could get a consensus of users who have had similar results. I feel like most of the discussion is just a knee-jerk regurgitation of the "metal caseback" or "damn pogopins" talking points and nobody is really looking into what these firmware updates may be effecting. I'm somewhat hopeful on the one hand -- if firmware can completely screw up GPS that was working as well as this one was, then perhaps the next update could fix it and improve it if they really get a bead on the problem.
It is the hardware, can't you guys just accept this.. please..
JoeyLe said:
It is the hardware, can't you guys just accept this.. please..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can only assume you're being ironic and wanted to post your neat Picard picture. There is absolutely NO WAY that this could be blamed completely on hardware. I tested the exact same device in the exact same spot in the exact same house under basically the exact same environmental conditions (clear night, around the same time). The picture shows my GPS before the update, and I can assure you that last night I got no satellites at all. That's after soft resets, cold reboots, and two factory resets. Software was the variable in this equation.
I was surprised to note the same with my 32GB Gray Prime as well. Prior to .13, I was able to get as many as 8/10 birds locked indoors, and 12/14 locked outdoors--both WITHOUT wifi turned on. I didn't test it while driving because that's not a concern of mine, but I was happy to know that the Prime could serve as at least a stationary GPS device.
I tried it yesterday, however, on a whim, and I got the same results as the OP. Took FOREVER to lock outdoors, and never got more than 7/10 for a second or two. Indoors, I get nothing. And that was with wifi turned on. This was the first time I'd tested it since installing .13.
Clearly, this has something to do with software. I have no idea if the Prime will ever serve as a navigational device, but I can absolutely testify that GPS on my Prime was MUCH better prior to .13.
dcAndroidFan said:
I can only assume you're being ironic and wanted to post your neat Picard picture. There is absolutely NO WAY that this could be blamed completely on hardware. I tested the exact same device in the exact same spot in the exact same house under basically the exact same environmental conditions (clear night, around the same time). The picture shows my GPS before the update, and I can assure you that last night I got no satellites at all. That's after soft resets, cold reboots, and two factory resets. Software was the variable in this equation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After having owned many android devices, sometimes it can be software. the Prime could be a combo of both...
I remember when I had the HTC Mogul and people were saying it didn't have GPS.. they even opened it up and one guy swore up and down that it doesn't even have an antenna for GPS. A few months later, a firmware comes out and it enables GPS and it worked pretty well
http://gizmodo.com/365925/confirmed-sprint-mogul-gets-rev-a-and-gps+enabling-rom-update
Not saying this is the same case as the Mogul's shell was plastic, but there could be some software that's hindering the operation of it as there are folks that seem to have had a weak but working GPS.
(God I miss my Mogul)
Its probably not all software, its probably not all hardware. It's 99% likely to be a combo of both. Erusman's thread shows there obvious hardware flaws including PCB boards and pogo pins, RF signals ect. I think it'll be at least another 2 months before this gets sorted out totally, unfortunately by then I may have jumped boat completely. I'm trying to have faith but staples has stopped stocking the prime yet again, due to complaints, and if I cant continue returning for the product I'll have to just get a refund and wait to see what MWC brings. Mostly because I have $300 staples rewardS
jyan_osu said:
... there could be some software that's hindering the operation of it as there are folks that seem to have had a weak but working GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly -- I was one of those people, only mine wasn't "weak". I think 12 birds with 7 locks inside a house is pretty good. In my car, I got 11+ locks and accuracy to 20 feet sometimes. For a WiFi tablet that's pretty good. I'm trying to figure out how many more of us there are out there. If there's a substantial group, I'd like to see if we can get a dedicated effort from the fix-it guys like the random reboot, unknown serial #, and BT dropout issues got.
slybarman said:
I made this same argument when the .11 firmware completely borked the GPS on my prime - it had been working reasonably well before that. I ended up returning that one to best buy. The replacement I got works much better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I concur.
I went from 13 sats in view and 9 locked on .11 to 0/1 in view and 0 locked on .13.
JoeyLe said:
It is the hardware, can't you guys just accept this.. please..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It is the hardware, on SOME Primes, it is the software on most Primes however, can't you guys just accept this.. please..
It's not hardware! How can it just break then fix its self! I have told you guys before it has something to do with the tegra 2 power saving feature or something along the lines of AGC or something else! Hardware is not an issue!
Sent from my PG86100 using Tapatalk
dcAndroidFan said:
I can only assume you're being ironic and wanted to post your neat Picard picture. There is absolutely NO WAY that this could be blamed completely on hardware. I tested the exact same device in the exact same spot in the exact same house under basically the exact same environmental conditions (clear night, around the same time). The picture shows my GPS before the update, and I can assure you that last night I got no satellites at all. That's after soft resets, cold reboots, and two factory resets. Software was the variable in this equation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah sure, explain why people suddenly get a better signal by just pushing hard on the side of the tablet (yes, this also is hardware). It is just a combination of the backplate, pogopinns and other hardware. Accept it.
JoeyLe said:
It is the hardware, can't you guys just accept this.. please..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Give it up. Too many of us have the same hardware and NO issues!
I bought mine knowing there were GPS issues, and my box doesn't say GPS at all. It came with Honeycomb and I didn't bother testing GPS at the time, and have since upgraded to ICS (.11) and I get no satellites, even outside.
I let it sit for about 20 minutes and from time to time it'd have one or two satellites in view, but they quickly disappear.
I tried the "squeeze the bezel" trick with no luck at all as well.
The .13 update is not yet available to me OTA, and reading about other's issues with it I'm reluctant to update, especially considering my prime has been utterly amazing on .11. If an update comes along that no one is having issues with I'll give it a whirl and test GPS again to see.
JoeyLe said:
Yeah sure, explain why people suddenly get a better signal by just pushing hard on the side of the tablet (yes, this also is hardware). It is just a combination of the backplate, pogopinns and other hardware. Accept it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because like I've said, sometimes it can be chalked up to hardware. Yes, like the pogopins. But I've made sure my pins connect, and after doing so on one s/w version I had almost decent GPS, and on another s/w version have no GPS.
Did my chip suddenly just die or something? My backplate somehow assimilated another layer of aluminum?
I doubt it...
BTrack said:
Give it up. Too many of us have the same hardware and NO issues!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't have any idea what hardware you or anyone else has.
JoeyLe said:
Yeah sure, explain why people suddenly get a better signal by just pushing hard on the side of the tablet (yes, this also is hardware). It is just a combination of the backplate, pogopinns and other hardware. Accept it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Instead of challenging me to explain your question about the magic nerve pinch, please focus on the point of THIS thread. The GPs on my Prime, and apparently many others, actually worked pretty well. Without pinching it, or taking it apart and attaching foil, and without running wires through the HDMI port, and without clipping external GPS receivers on it. And it had the metal caseback, and the pogopins of death. And the GPS worked. Pretty darn well, in fact.
Then the SOFTWARE got updated. Now the GPS doesn't work, and no amount of shaking, pinching, or coddling will fix it. Address THAT TOPIC instead of making ridiculous assertions about how hardware is the problem with all of them.
clackity said:
You don't have any idea what hardware you or anyone else has.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know what aluminum feels like. And I know what plastic feels like. And I can assure you that my hardware has an aluminum caseback. As to what's INSIDE there, yes -- there may be some variation and I'm not going to open mine up to find out -- but I can assure you it worked a lot better on GPS and Wifi before the .13 update. And the caseback didn't change.
Prior to the .11 update on 1/17, mine saw about 15-16 birds driving in my car (its a soft top). After that update, I get nothing. Same exact thing happened to my Dad's too.
BTW. I know this because since my GPS was weak to begin with, I tested it before and after that update, since that update was to fix the GPS. I did not move the table during the tests or the update.

GPS Software/Firmware not Hardware

I believe 100% that GPS is a Software/Firmware issue. I also know that there have been threads about this before.
That being said I had GPS working fine on my tablet when I got it and performance has gone down with every update. I am now on .14 and I have no GPS at all. Inside, outside, vertical, horizontal, with a phone, without, clear skys, rain, etc. The only 2 things that I haven't tried is taking off the back of the tablet and using gps tether, reason being that it worked before and now it doesn't and tethering has nothing to do with the internal GPS.
I'm almost thinking that they disabled the GPS in one of the last updates 13 and 14 for sure.
EDIT: What do you know it must be like going to the doctor. It hurts until you go there then everything is fine again.
My Prime is seeing 4 satellites in view right now however the gps has not "locked" yet.
The weirdest thing is that I left GPS on for a couple of hours with the screen sleep turned off and got nothing and now in the time that it took to edit this I got some satellites in view. I'm at a loss.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?
@Gary Key any input on this? Other than GPS my tablet is 100% functional, I haven't experienced any of the other problems wifi, reboots, etc.
it is hardware, it's been proven. the GPS and wi-fi antennas are connected via pogo pins and in some primes te pogo pins are touching, giving you great performance and in others they are not touching giving you no GPS.
GPS works on mine with .14, but doesn't lock to as many satellites as with .11, nor does it maintain as consistent a signal.
Personally, I believe the GPS issues are a combination of hardware and software.
cordell507 said:
it is hardware, it's been proven. the GPS and wi-fi antennas are connected via pogo pins and in some primes te pogo pins are touching, giving you great performance and in others they are not touching giving you no GPS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't buy the pogo pin theory. However the aluminum back might have something to do with it.
And how exactly has this been proven? Not to start a flame war but nobody has replaced the pogo pins with solder and put the prime back together. They have only added antennas to the device and/or removed the back plate. Lets get with the scientific method here. Change one variable at a time.
In my case the only thing that has changed is the version of the software on the tablet. The newer the software/firmware the worse the performance.
l33tlinuxh4x0r said:
I believe 100% that GPS is a Software/Firmware issue. I also know that there have been threads about this before.
That being said I had GPS working fine on my tablet when I got it and performance has gone down with every update. I am now on .14 and I have no GPS at all. Inside, outside, vertical, horizontal, with a phone, without, clear skys, rain, etc. The only 2 things that I haven't tried is taking off the back of the tablet and using gps tether, reason being that it worked before and now it doesn't and tethering has nothing to do with the internal GPS.
I'm almost thinking that they disabled the GPS in one of the last updates 13 and 14 for sure.
EDIT: What do you know it must be like going to the doctor. It hurts until you go there then everything is fine again.
My Prime is seeing 4 satellites in view right now however the gps has not "locked" yet.
The weirdest thing is that I left GPS on for a couple of hours with the screen sleep turned off and got nothing and now in the time that it took to edit this I got some satellites in view. I'm at a loss.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?
@Gary Key any input on this? Other than GPS my tablet is 100% functional, I haven't experienced any of the other problems wifi, reboots, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's a multipage thread about this already (GPS performance acceptable, then degrades after .13 or .14 updates). Here's what's going to happen: You'll probably get flamed, a bunch of people will insinuate that you're an idiot for even SUGGESTING that it's not completely a hardware issue, and a few will mock your methods as unscientific. Debate may or may not go back and forth for a while, and then the thread will slowly die. And one day, .15 or .16 will come out, and maybe your GPS reception will magically improve again. Who knows?
I don't think that GPS will ever be GREAT (lots of birds with green-bar signal strength) but I do think that software updates are effecting the ACCEPTABLE GPS that a number of these units seem capable of achieving.
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l33tlinuxh4x0r said:
I don't buy the pogo pin theory. However the aluminum back might have something to do with it.
And how exactly has this been proven? Not to start a flame war but nobody has replaced the pogo pins with solder and put the prime back together. They have only added antennas to the device and/or removed the back plate. Lets get with the scientific method here. Change one variable at a time.
In my case the only thing that has changed is the version of the software on the tablet. The newer the software/firmware the worse the performance.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been pretty extensively discussed in this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1474391
The aluminum case is definitely a major problem for GPS and Erusman "solved" that problem by attaching external antennae to his Prime so that the GPS can get a relatively clear signal. He experimented with several different types of internal antennae, hard wired the GPS antennae to replace the Pogo Pins, etc all with very poor GPS results until he ran an antennae out the back of his Prime.
To me (and most people who followed Erusman's testing), this indicates that the GPS's main problem is a hardware one, that hardware being the aluminum backplate of the Prime.
I have had varying GPS performance with the different firmware updates, which indicates that software can be a factor. However since I have also had generally poor GPS performance regardless of which formware I have been running I am pretty sure that software isn't as much of a factor as encasing the GPS antennae in what amounts to an aluminum faraday cage .
Not another one of these. I posted this on another forum. To the OP, if this is software please explain my results. Now even though it was picking satellites it wasnt really that useful as it didnt really track me on the spot when doing turn by turn.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=22657457&postcount=65
What HE said...
dcAndroidFan said:
There's a multipage thread about this already (GPS performance acceptable, then degrades after .13 or .14 updates). Here's what's going to happen: You'll probably get flamed, a bunch of people will insinuate that you're an idiot for even SUGGESTING that it's not completely a hardware issue, and a few will mock your methods as unscientific. Debate may or may not go back and forth for a while, and then the thread will slowly die. And one day, .15 or .16 will come out, and maybe your GPS reception will magically improve again. Who knows?
I don't think that GPS will ever be GREAT (lots of birds with green-bar signal strength) but I do think that software updates are effecting the ACCEPTABLE GPS that a number of these units seem capable of achieving.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I pretty much agree. I doubt it will ever be truly accptable to the level of say, a TF101 - though I was told that my replacement C1 Serial Number Prime would be "At LEAST as good as a TF101" by a tech support manager. Seems that where the Prime is concerned NOTHING is a "given" Some days I get some GPS activity, some days not so much. What is apparent with my current unit is, GPS is EXTREMELY inconsistent, and not just from session to session, I mean from minute to minute. I can have 11 sats in view, using 5, and 10 seconds later lose half of them,or ALL of them, all without even moving the Prime so much as a millimeter.
I guess I will never be able to use my Prime as a "professional GPS device" Or as an unprofessional GPS device, or as a GPS device of any type. Sucks... and will continue to irk me for as long as I have and use a Prime. Probably for a long time after as well. I suspect that any mention or thought of Asus will no doubt bring the Now you see it, Now you don't GPS screw up to mind.
Know what would be great? Not having to see ONE MORE comment like "I didn't need the GPS anyway" or the classic: "If I want GPS, that's what my phone is for." That's terrific! Then if you buy a new car and the $1800 Navigation doesn't work, and the manufacturer decides to just stop supporting navigation in that model, you will be all set with your phone.
Don't TELL me how a tablet doesn't NEED GPS, and don't TELL me that the iPAD 2 WiFi doesn't HAVE GPS. I didn't BUY an iPAD 2. I bought a device that said "GPS" on the box and on the web. My GPS doesn't even work for LOCATION, never mind navigation.
Tell me again how I can just return it if I don't like it. That's the Problem... I do LIKE IT... I FREAKING LOVE IT, all the more reason why I want it to work properly. And I don't want to return it, I want to exchange it, or fix it. If it will never work, well, then I will never be completely happy, but that doesn't mean I can go get one of the many "Comparable" devices (Like Best Buy offered me when the oversold Pre-orders. There ARE no Comparable devices.
SO I am stuck using an add-on Bluetooth GPS Tethering device. Works ok. Bug me that there is GPS hardware right here in the Prime that doesn't work. Bugs me a lot. I am an engineer. Crap that doesn't work, or works poorly bugs me.
It's like the "Real Feel" weather people. Telling me that it's 60 degrees, but "feels like" 63. Not to ME! To ME, it feels like 66. Don't TELL me how to FEEL!
No one can tell me how to feel about this either. It feels like I got ripped off. Rant over (for today)
I think its the software too.
I was sent a c model that works perfectly in every way except the gps which will not lock on to any sats. BUT using free nav usa I can lock on to sats and stay connected. IT IS NO GOOGLE MAPS BUT it does work. Sooooo is it software ?
Ok, so I'm only marginally tech savvy, but lets say i wanted to set up optimal GPS conditions for my prime (which has never seen a satellite). How would I do that and what programs do you recommend.
So far I've tried putting my prime next to a window running GPS Test and letting it sit there for uo to 10mins.
Thanks
@SmartAs$Phone:
I know exactly how you feel. My prime's box didn't have GPS listed, and I was aware of the issues going in, so to me I knew ahead of time and I was okay with that. Bestbuy, on the other hand, was still advertising GPS as a feature at the time (End of January) and last I checked on their site they're still advertising it.
But for the folks that bought thinking "Yes! Full on GPS!" and it didn't deliver I can certainly understand the frustration. Double so, considering that when it didn't work they came here and found many others with the same problem, and they realized that had the done more searching up front they would have known about the issue.
In the end, however, no software is going to fix this problem as has been proven by the various hardware mod threads. For those willing to mod, that's a fine solution. For those not willing to mod, well, I don't know what the solution is.
Well, my C1 model had relatively OK GPS with .11
At my front door I could get 11 sats and four locked and it said about 48 feet accurate. BUT, use maps and my location jumped around and was typically 200 yards or more off.
With .14, I get a lot more sats, more locked, and 36 feet accurate. And on maps is locks dead on to where I am.
Can firmware improve GPS? Clearly. Did it get better from .11 to .14? Clearly.
Now the good part. If I was lucky I got a few sats intermittently indoors (1 to 3) after a few minutes. NOW, I get 7 sats and a lock with 72 feet accurate, and the map is about 100 feet off, but on the right street.
Say what you will. I don't have anything special. Same metal back.
*grabbing popcorn*
shinzz said:
*grabbing popcorn*
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dont forget the large size soda.
Clevatreva lol, all treva did was play with birds by the door. Other more tech people opened their primes and proved to themselves its Purley hardware..... Sillytreva
Sent from my GT-I9100
snakeybidder said:
Clevatreva lol, all treva did was play with birds by the door. Other more tech people opened their primes and proved to themselves its Purley hardware..... Sillytreva
Sent from my GT-I9100
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dcAndroidFan said:
Here's what's going to happen: You'll probably get flamed, a bunch of people will insinuate that you're an idiot for even SUGGESTING that it's not completely a hardware issue, and a few will mock your methods as unscientific.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems like I pretty much called this one.
I am also thinking that gps issue is mostly software problem. When I bought tfp there was android hc. I had seen 15 sats and connected to 13. Whith .11 it dropped to max 6 visible but I was able to get a fix. Now with .14 I can see max 4 sats with no fix. I`ve got no problems with reboots nor wifi.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
l33tlinuxh4x0r said:
I believe 100% that GPS is a Software/Firmware issue. I also know that there have been threads about this before.
That being said I had GPS working fine on my tablet when I got it and performance has gone down with every update. I am now on .14 and I have no GPS at all. Inside, outside, vertical, horizontal, with a phone, without, clear skys, rain, etc. The only 2 things that I haven't tried is taking off the back of the tablet and using gps tether, reason being that it worked before and now it doesn't and tethering has nothing to do with the internal GPS.
I'm almost thinking that they disabled the GPS in one of the last updates 13 and 14 for sure.
EDIT: What do you know it must be like going to the doctor. It hurts until you go there then everything is fine again.
My Prime is seeing 4 satellites in view right now however the gps has not "locked" yet.
The weirdest thing is that I left GPS on for a couple of hours with the screen sleep turned off and got nothing and now in the time that it took to edit this I got some satellites in view. I'm at a loss.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?
@Gary Key any input on this? Other than GPS my tablet is 100% functional, I haven't experienced any of the other problems wifi, reboots, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with you 100% I'm an Avionics Tech I work with GPS rx's all day. We have a GPS generator and with the unit right under the gen it shows about the right -dbm however is unable to obtain a constant lock. If I pad the signal down it gets better and locks on solid. IMO its an AGC problem which is a software setting for this chipset. I have been temped to open my prime up and solder smb connectors to the main board and hook it up to a good GPS antenna, but I know it still wont work. People here dont seem to understand RF and how antenna's are a specific length ect. I'm not bashing people but a clip lead isn't an antenna nor a valid test.
I am having the exact same problem. At times I get no love, no birds, like right now. Zippo, nada, But last time I checked, I was getting lots of satellites. Very inconsistent and I can't find any reason for it..
l33tlinuxh4x0r said:
I believe 100% that GPS is a Software/Firmware issue. I also know that there have been threads about this before.
That being said I had GPS working fine on my tablet when I got it and performance has gone down with every update. I am now on .14 and I have no GPS at all. Inside, outside, vertical, horizontal, with a phone, without, clear skys, rain, etc. The only 2 things that I haven't tried is taking off the back of the tablet and using gps tether, reason being that it worked before and now it doesn't and tethering has nothing to do with the internal GPS.
I'm almost thinking that they disabled the GPS in one of the last updates 13 and 14 for sure.
EDIT: What do you know it must be like going to the doctor. It hurts until you go there then everything is fine again.
My Prime is seeing 4 satellites in view right now however the gps has not "locked" yet.
The weirdest thing is that I left GPS on for a couple of hours with the screen sleep turned off and got nothing and now in the time that it took to edit this I got some satellites in view. I'm at a loss.
Has anyone else had similar experiences?
@Gary Key any input on this? Other than GPS my tablet is 100% functional, I haven't experienced any of the other problems wifi, reboots, etc.
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Click to collapse

[UPDATE] Video Links added. GPS Dongle Test Findings on its Performance.

Well now that the GPS dongle is a go, I can release my findings on how well this solution performs for our Transformer Prime tablets. Asus pushed out a FOTA last Thursday to add software support for new GPS dongle. most probably never noticed it as it was a forced update.
First off, here is Asus official literature on how to install it and enable it: ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/asus/EeePAD/TF201/E7282_TF201_GPS_Extension_Kit_QSG_English.pdf
Here is where to go to sign up, register, and fill out dongle application info. You will have to log in first to register. If this is your first time or never logged in before, make a free account then proceed. https://vip.asus.com/login.aspx or Just go to Asus event page where it has detailed info on it http://event.asus.com/ASUSPad/TF201GPS/
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Here are Pictures of what it looks like by itself and attached to the prime. please note these pics are zoomed up to try to show more detail on what it looks like. They dongle is not as big as some seem to exaggerate it being. its actually small, thin, very lightweight, and build quality is very good on it. The engineering sample I have matches the color of my prime, the Amethyst Gray version.
www.landofdroid.com/2012/exclusive-first-pictures-of-the-asus-transformer-prime-gps-dongle/
[UPDATE] SCROLL DOWN TO BOTTOM OF POST FOR UPDATED HIGH RES PICS
The GPS Dongle, IMO, is a great design and implementation of a viable solution to a problem the consumer thought Asus forgot about. Well they didn't and are now providing us with a solution/Fix. Once GPS dongle is attached and locked, it doesn't budge at all. its attached very securely. you will likely use auto screen rotate so the screen can flip upside down so you can hold the prime with the dongle pointed towards the sky. Basically hold prime upside down. which won't matter because screen rotates to show everything right side up properly.
Now to the good stuff. I tested this dongle based on what some of the more hardcore GPS users are always saying to test. I made sure to cut wifi off, cut off all location services, and do a fresh reboot on tablet before starting my GPS tests. So the prime wont be using any Agps data. Which in my case, never helped my prime anyways before. Keep in mind my Prime, by its own internal GPS chip, has never seen a GPS satellite or lock indoors, outdoors, or while driving. I attached dongle and got satellite fixes and locks immediately. Actually within a few seconds. It was very fast. This is night and day difference in my experience with GPS. I am now seeing alot of GPS satellites indoors and getting locks. It got even better and accuracy improved as I went to my balcony. More satellites and locks increased also.
Now I already know some of the more hardcore GPS users will be like so what and say My GPS can see satellites and get locks also. The real test comes when you try to move or drive. Normally the prime internal GPS would instantly lose its locks And/Or accuracy is very poor. Well that's not the case anymore. I made sure to especially test this while driving. FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO USE PRIME FOR NAVIGATING WHILE DRIVING OR WHATEVER, THIS GPS DONGLE NOW PROVIDES A REAL WORLD SOLUTION AND WORKS VERY WELL. I don't have a mount in my Magnum for the prime so i either had it sitting on my lap or on the passenger seat. I wasn't about to put it on my dashboard to be sliding all around and possibly break it..lol. Once I got in vehicle and activated GPS, it immediately start picking up alot of satellites and locking on to them. I was seeing like 16 satellites and having 9-10 locks. Accuracy was very good. within a few feet actually. Once I proceeded to drive, The dongle consistently held the satellites and locks. Even once I hit the highway and proceeded to speeds in excess of 60-70mph, GPS Dongle still held all its 15+ satellites and I always had at least 9-10 satellites locked. I never lost a satellite lock once or it would always fluctuate between 9-10 locks or more. I tested this while driving repeated times over several days. Accuracy was always very good. I set my GPS test to show me accuracy in feet and not meters. always showed accuracy within a few feet. Accuracy saw best results of about 4Ft. and worst of about 10ft. All very good. It consistently held satellites, locks, and accuracy.
I know some are wondering, since this doesn't have a pass through to allow charging, how is battery life. I'd have to say for the time I used it, it hardly drained the battery at all. my battery drain came from cutting on super ips+ mode so i could easily see the display while outdoors or driving. I did attach dongle to prime and left the GPS on for a while, at normal brightness settings, to see how much of drains battery. well to me, it hardly drained the battery at all. Plus if you really concerned about battery life, you could easily put prime into battery savings mode to make battery last that much longer. I can easily see this Gps dongle being able to survive long trips navigating. While traveling, if you just using the prime to Navigate with GPS on, then you should have no issue with the battery lasting the whole trip. This will easily last a several hour long road trip, even longer if prime put into battery savings mode.
I have attached screenshots of my GPS Test app results. I also tried using GPS Status and worked well. This dongle also worked great with Google earth, cached mode. So it'll work just great with any offline Navigation app. CoPilot is one I hear thrown around alot for being a great offline one. REMEMBER, I ONLY TESTED THIS WITH WIFI OFF, ALL LOCATION SERVICES TURNED OFF, AND AFTER A FRESH REBOOT. SO MY SCREENSHOTS REFLECT THAT ONLY. I NEVER TESTED THIS WITH WIFI OR OTHER LOCATION SERVICES TURNED ON EXCEPT FOR GPS. ALSO ALL TESTS WERE ALWAYS AFTER A FRESH REBOOT OF TABLET AFTER OTHER THINGS WERE TURNED OFF.
First set of pics was while indoors and on my balcony. I'm higher up and there are alot of tall buildings and such surrounding me.
This is what I saw while traveling in car. keep in mind it consistently held these locks. I never once lost the locks or GPS satellites. Always held at least 9-10 locks or so.
I will entertain any reasonable questions about its performance, design, or battery life you may have. Please keep the hating down to a minimum. This is an informative thread for those curious to how their dongle will perform once they receive it. Not a thread to debate on why you don't like it, or why you hate Asus, or whatever. This is a real solution for people who truly want to use prime as a navigation device while driving. My results surely could've even been better if I had a car, window, or dashboard mount. all tests was while it was in my lap or on the passenger seat, or when I propped it up with GPS facing the up on my center console right before my transmission gear selector stick. I can see this working great for people driving, hiking, or even flying. it now sees alot of satellites and always hold the locks. no more dropped GPS reception or going off the grid..lol
Thanks to Asus for allowing me to test this out in advance and Thanks to members involved in a Positive movement of Prime forums. Thanks also to all the great developers we have in developement section using their free time to make this product even better for us. Its greatly appreciated. Also Thanks to members actually helping out others here in XDA. All we want is to learn more about our devices, share information and tips, and learn how to modify device with the best tweaks, mods, and custom ROMS/Kernels. People don't want to be up here fighting with each other everyday. There comes a time when enough is enough. Can't wait to see what else Asus has in store for us in the future. Whether it be software updates, any further hardware tweaks, or future products. All I can say is, in my experience, Asus has treated me well. They have done more than any other company I've seen before. Especially here in the forums. They are trying their best to fix problems and provide solutions and that's all that matters. Asus has me on board for future products as the Prime was my first Asus experience. For me, its been a great one. A very exciting roller coaster ride here in XDA..lol
P.s. something I forgot to add. another member pointed this out. MAKE SURE TO REMOVE THE 2 RUBBER PLUGS IN THE DOCK CONNECTORS BEFORE YOU ATTACH THE GPS DONGLE
UPDATE: NEW HIGH RES PICS ADDED!
Up Close front of dongle. part that will facing you
Back of dongle. part that covers back of tablet.
A look at the 40pin connector inside the groove of dongle piece
Up close look at 40pin connector
GPS Dongle attached to my prime. Front view
GPS Dongle attached to prime. view from the back. I know the back of my prime needs cleaning..lmao
[UPDATE 4/19/2012]
Well some people have started receiving their dongle. We have a member, Dude2k5, who has opened up his dongle to see what makes it tick inside. So thanks goes to him for these new pics of what the GPS dongle looks opened up.
update: Gps(Dongle) Extension Kit Test Videos link added. Courtesy of JJdevega
if you want to see confirmed videos of the dongle getting locks indoors, outdoors(stationary), and while driving, Click on the link
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1610199
pix will be back up soon
Awesome dude! Great post, great information. This was a really cool move by Asus. I'm looking forward to getting my dongle.
Edit: have you encountered any problems with it at all? Any negative impacts on the functionality of the tablet?
Looks Great! Can't wait to get my dongle on!
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
demandarin
First, thanks for the detailed, in depth review of the GPS dongle! It sounds very promising, and for those who require GPS for navigation or other functions, this sounds like it now gives the Transformer Prime GPS service on par or better then the competition!
I'd also like to say that it's very gratifying to see that Asus didn't simply "remove" GPS from their spec sheets for the Prime, but continued to try and find a workable solution to an ongoing problem.
While I don't personally see myself using my TP for navigation in the car, it is gratifying to see a company that doesn't leave their customers in the lurch after they've made a substantial purchase!
Thank You!
gruntguy said:
Awesome dude! Great post, great information. This was a really cool move by Asus. I'm looking forward to getting my dongle.
Edit: have you encountered any problems with it at all? Any negative impacts on the functionality of the tablet?
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No, I haven't encountered any issues with it at all. It has been working perfectly. Off course when not in use, I just detach it. I don't really think there are any negative impacts on functionality. Maybe except for it can't be docked to keyboard while GPS dongle is attached. Or that it doesn't have a pass through to allow charging at the same time. But in my use, its barely sipping the battery. No excessive battery drain at all while in use. So best thing would be to detach it while its not in use. When its attached, it doesn't get in the way at all when using the tablet. whether you have GPS facing up or down. Of course facing up will yells best GPS results. Either way, its not in the way at all or adds any extra bulk or whatever to tablet. we have have some talking about Modding the free dongle to work on keyboard also. which is possible because of you look at close up pic of connector, it seems to be held in there by only 2 screws. so you could easily remove it and fabricate a solution to work while docked also if you choose.
I have not received any update on my Prime.
I changed from DE to WW rooting it long time ago and I do not receive OTA anymore. How can I receive this now?
The PDF link to FTP Asus does not work.
Your link to the manual is broken.
It is ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/asus/EeePAD/TF201/E7282_TF201_GPS_Extension_Kit_QSG_English.pdf
I'm glad ASUS came up with a fix, but the fix doesn't allow you to use the dongle and the keyboard attached, or dongle and charge.
I know this has all been said before on other forums, but when you spend £500 on a device that includes a keyboard dock, you shouldn't have to expect an add-on to negates the keyboards use.
A good interim solution, but hopefully ASUS will come up with a better solution, or allow us to trade in our Primes against the TF700.
Thanks for the great post though.
Is it worth mentioning for those peeps who do not use the dock that there are two rubber bungs that protect the locking mechanism catches on the tablet itself. and these need to be removed before fitting the dongle!! (not that anybody has ever tried to dock with the bungs in lol)
CBers said:
I'm glad ASUS came up with a fix, but the fix doesn't allow you to use the dongle and the keyboard attached, or dongle and charge.
I know this has all been said before on other forums, but when you spend £500 on a device that includes a keyboard dock, you shouldn't have to expect an add-on to negates the keyboards use.
A good interim solution, but hopefully ASUS will come up with a better solution, or allow us to trade in our Primes against the TF700.
Thanks for the great post though.
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Would also be nice if Dongle had a power plug on it so you could have it plugged into power with Dongle attached...
leppie said:
Your link to the manual is broken.
It is ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/asus/EeePAD/TF201/E7282_TF201_GPS_Extension_Kit_QSG_English.pdf
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thanks, I fixed it in the OP.
slef2003 said:
Is it worth mentioning for those peeps who do not use the dock that there are two rubber bungs that protect the locking mechanism catches on the tablet itself. and these need to be removed before fitting the dongle!! (not that anybody has ever tried to dock with the bungs in lol)
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thanks for the reminder. I added it to the OP.
CBers said:
I'm glad ASUS came up with a fix, but the fix doesn't allow you to use the dongle and the keyboard attached, or dongle and charge.
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Now ASUS just needs to release a pass-through/extension cable that will allow the Prime to be charged while using the dongle and/or use it with the dock.
copc said:
Would also be nice if Dongle had a power plug on it so you could have it plugged into power with Dongle attached...
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+1
CBers said:
I'm glad ASUS came up with a fix, but the fix doesn't allow you to use the dongle and the keyboard attached, or dongle and charge.
I know this has all been said before on other forums, but when you spend £500 on a device that includes a keyboard dock, you shouldn't have to expect an add-on to negates the keyboards use.
A good interim solution, but hopefully ASUS will come up with a better solution, or allow us to trade in our Primes against the TF700.
Thanks for the great post though.
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Click to collapse
This to me is the solution. We didn't have to pay for it so nothing is coming out of our pockets. It's not a big deal that we can't plug in our docks or be able to charge it while dongle is attached. As for me if I'm using GPS out on the road. I don't use my keyboard dock since all I'm using it for is the Navigation. I won't need to have it plugged in since it doesn't drain battery and putting in power save saves even more. Just be content and happy that Asus is doing this for us. You can't say that for the rest of them and I understand how you feel about it. But the past is in the past can't change it. I'm moving forward knowing that I'm satisfied with my prime dongle and all
TF201 GPS Extension Kit Specifications
Dimension L 180mm x W 13.12mm x H 22.77mm
Looks like I was bang on with size estimate.
jjdevega said:
As for me if I'm using GPS out on the road. I don't use my keyboard dock since all I'm using it for is the Navigation. I won't need to have it plugged in since it doesn't drain battery and putting in power save saves even more.
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Using navigation doesn't drain your battery?
First hating Post!!
Just thought I'd post the first hate posting on this...I HATE your wallpaper man!(joking)
Waiting for someone to ask you to make a video of you driving with the Dongle attached to the Prime or they wont believe that it works. lmao!!
Wait for it, wait for it....
I think it would be a good idea to mod the dongle into some dash adapter. Then just slide it in when you get into car, etc.
From the pics, it looks pretty strong.
Wonder how quick we will see the insides of this thing?
ylexot said:
Using navigation doesn't drain your battery?
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it barely drained power while it was in use. Asus already pushed the firmware support and power management for it last week. Prime, with dongle attached, should have no issue lasting a very long trip while navigating. Especially in battery savings mode. what will determine more how fast your battery drains will be your brightness settings on display.
jjdevega said:
This to me is the solution. We didn't have to pay for it so nothing is coming out of our pockets. It's not a big deal that we can't plug in our docks or be able to charge it while dongle is attached. As for me if I'm using GPS out on the road. I don't use my keyboard dock since all I'm using it for is the Navigation. I won't need to have it plugged in since it doesn't drain battery and putting in power save saves even more. Just be content and happy that Asus is doing this for us. You can't say that for the rest of them and I understand how you feel about it. But the past is in the past can't change it. I'm moving forward knowing that I'm satisfied with my prime dongle and all
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Yep, I don't see the need to use the keyboard while navigating with the Prime in the car.

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