iPhone 8 GPS problems

I have had androids for years anything not made by Google is junk if you care about security because you won't get timely security updates waiting for vendors and carriers. While the original Google Nexus line at one point was way ahead of Apple in my opinion, it has fallen behind, but at least you will get timely updates each month direct from Google.

So I just returned my X and went back to my iPhone 7, which is what I recommend anyone do. They are plentiful and cheap(er) now, and the gps works walking, hand held, mounted in the Sonata, anywhere, just like you would think it would.

So far it seems I'll just have to skip this generation of iPhones but the 7 is still a great phone and the Xs will be out before you know it - maybe they will fix the gps then.

I've been following this thread for a month since I reluctantly returned my iPhone X and case, got back my $1400, and went back to using my iPhone 7, which fortunately, I had not sold yet.

I've tired of waiting for some fix and don't have the time to debug iPhones as an unpaid volunteer. Its my view that most people that have the X or 8 don't use the gps daily or have car mounts, and so they don't know their gps doesn't always work.

So I ordered a Google Pixel 2 last night and am going back to Google for now. The reviews against Iphone 8 put it squarely in the same space as the Pixel 2.

This is not an "I hate Apple" decision. Their phones have been great and in a future year I will be back if warranted, but a rock solid gps that works nearly 100% of the time in nearly 100% of the places is the minimum entry point for me.
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I am fed up with this and waiting for a solution that I’m guessing isn’t going to come. I can’t go back to a 5S having used the X so I I’m going to swap the X for a 7. I compared the X with a 6S before I wasn’t moving and the X drifted onto a completely different street nowhere near to where I was. iOS 11 has been a dogs dinner so maybe it’s that but I can’t help feeling it’s hardware related to do with the glass back and that’s why it seems it’s the 8 and X that are mostly affected. Either way, spending £1,149 on a device that works less well than my 5S and 4 before that is completely unacceptable. Really p’d off as I love using the X but can’t wait indefinitely for a fix.

iPhone 6 here, all was working perfectly until i made the huge mistake to upgrade to iOS 11. Since then : I can't get the GPS to work + calls fail for no reason + battery usage reporting is sometimes wrong.

All because of iOS11.

So when I read people talking about a glass back, a Sonata, or anything else I really wonder if this is just not a super f**k up from Apple with a super buggy OS.

If at least they would: 1) acknolwedge the problem as a grown-up company, 2) allow us to downgrade to iOS10.

A really sad state of affair...

Good luck to us, we'll be needing it.

Exactly the same for me. I’m surmising but reckon many people don’t actually use GPS for walking directions so haven’t actually noticed. For apps such as e.g weather, they wouldn’t notice because a non-accurate position still shows them in the correct city.

I have not seen a review on the iPhone 8 yet that has given cover of the gps system or accuracy and I have read quite a few. They all seem to go into great detail on the camera. I also think that a large number of iphone users do not use satalite navigation. I have gone through the phone with an apple tech online until I got to the point where he wanted me to reset the phone and install from scratch not a backup, I was not prepared to do this at the time, knowing that others had tried this to no avail. I think its time to bite the bullet and reinstall and then if that does not work a new phone.

I am one of those people. I swapped SIM from iPhone 6 to X. Also did a backup restore.

P.S. I am waiting for a response from an Apple Senior Adviser (in the USA) whom I described my GPS issues to over the phone last week. I sent him a screen recording showing exactly what's happening. He's going to send the video with a description to Apple's engineers. See what happens...

I'm thinking about publishing the video to YouTube. If only Apple would simply publicly acknowledge that their GPS system is flawed and promise a fix by a certain date. I'm going to give them until the end of January to provide me with a solution otherwise that video goes live. I know they're dealing with the repercussions of intentionally slowing down their devices because of battery aging without warning their users but, that doesn't make this less of an issue.

To Apple:

Apple, you've had how many months to rectify the GPS issue? C'mon guys. I know it'll hurt your sales to admit the issue but, your customers are also hurting. What do you really care about?

MG1999,

Thanks for your input. Glad I'm not the only one in that boat. Whenever I upload the video I'll be sure to post it here and all of the other related threads.

To my knowledge Australian consumer law states that all products sold must have a minimum 1 year warranty. Since they probably can't fix the problem and I don't want to downgrade, I should think they'll be forced to give me a refund. All 1579 Australian dollars. Going to try the Pixel 2. I just can't live without my GPS. I've grown too dependent on it. 🙂

Don't waste your time with a new SIM. I put the SIM from my 8 Plus in my 6S Plus and GPS was very accurate.

None of the problems described in this thread occurred on my 6S Plus with the new SIM from my 8 Plus.

Lighten up guys. :-) But to be clear, I am one of the many Sonata owners. Like most people though there are no magnets involved. My holder is a CD mount that clasps the sides. 3 other phones (including my iPhone 7) worked just fine there, so there is no question for me that me X had a sub par gps.

Likewise, I think most people that swap sims are going to be disappointed. GPS does not care about your sim card, in fact lots of offline navigation programs work just fine with no sim card inserted.

For completeness I have tried to see if using a new SIM card helps. I am on Three UK and the SIM I was using in my X was previously in a 5S. Today I put a new SIM in my X. It made absolutely no difference to the accuracy of the GPS.

I swapped the sim from my ipad pro which is a different telecoms provider and it made no difference. The pro works perfectly.

Never mind, Apple are working tirelessly designing new emojis rather than fixing their serious product faults. They had the cheek to invite me to pre order a HomePod- I don’t think so Apple.

I have the same issue with my 8 Plus. It consistently puts me at the same inaccurate address each time I open Maps or Accuweather.

So it's fixed with your 2nd or 3rd phone?

Apple was useless in chat, as usual, everything is an isolated case when you bring up issues.