I have tried all the of the restarting the location services, updating, all of it, and the GPS is still intermittent at best. Is there a fix for this on the $1000 phone?
iPhone X, iOS 11.2.1
Cross posting from thread "Q: iPhone X GPS accuracy is weak" because this thread also needs the answer...
After extensive investigations, including hours running multiple GPS apps on both iPhone X and older models, Apple replacing my iPhone X, and a ton of Internet research, it is clear to me what the problem is and everyone with this problem needs to be complaining to Apple. The more of us that tell them this is unacceptable, the more likely this will be fixed in the future.
There are two models of iPhone X - one (A1901) has the GPS accuracy problem and the other (A1865) works properly. If you purchase your phone through AT&T, or purchase an AT&T phone through Apple, you will get the A1901 phone. If you purchase an unlocked SIMless phone or through most other carriers, you will get the A1865 phone. Why does this matter?
The A1865 phone uses a Qualcomm chipset (cellular modem and the GPS chip) and these work great. It is the same family that has been in older iPhones for a long time (which is why this has not been a problem in the past). The A1901 phones (AT&T) come with an Intel chipset that seems to have lower specs all around, and in particular the GPS has more trouble connecting to satellites, and even with the same number of connected satellites, the accuracy is about half that of the Qualcomm (accuracy will show twice the distance).
If you are an AT&T customer, I recommend that you purchase an unlocked phone from Apple (this will be the A1865 version), then get it activated on AT&T and you will be fine. In my case, I purchased my iPhone X from AT&T and it took more than 14 day working with Apple to figure out what the problem was, so AT&T won't take it back. Apple also is unable to exchange this for me because it is not from their inventory, so can only exchange for the same model. If you are in my situation, you need to have them escalate this to engineering. There seems to be no other option for us at this point. This is why I am encouraging as many people as possible to communicate clearly to Apple what the problem is so that they will acknowledge the problem and help us. Hopefully it will become harder for them to claim that your phone is the only one that is having this problem.
Here is a page that shows what model iPhone X you get with each carrier in each country - https://www.techwalls.com/iphone-x-models-a1865-a1901-a1902-differences/
DO NOT BUY THE A1901 IF YOU CARE ABOUT GPS ACCURACY!
It is really not cool of Apple to sell us a phone with severely reduced GPS specs and not tell us there is a difference! Apple, please help us with this.
Same here. It must be that the antenna is placed ina position that is problematic in some holders or covers.
The low reception might be causing accuracy errors. Placing the phone on my dash fixes the issue but as soon as I put the unit in a holder the GPS accuracy is terrible again
I had the same issue before, GPS just wont work. But, I just updated to ios Beta 12 (latest version), the gps work well now.
I have the same problem with GPS not recognized on Google maps or Waze EXCEPT when my X is plugged into USB in my car and I select iPod on my tuner. Clearly there is an issue with Bluetooth/GPS in the (very expensive) iPhone X. Need a fix, Apple.
The issue is clearly Bluetooth related/the inability of the iphone X to toggle GPS and Bluetooth connectivity simultaneously. I think this bc the only way I can get my GPS to work in my car is to connect it via internal UBS port which connects the phone directly to my stereo via iPod setting. This is the only way I can get both my GPS to work and have the directions announced. Crazy. They must know about this problem by now?!
Replacing the phones hasn't helped several (most?) of us -- it's an interaction with the radio environment. In my case the GPS fails in one car, only that car, and only when it's powered up. Works fine everywhere else and in other cars; and my other iPhones work fine in that car.
That's how I know it's a rare problem: Every Apple tech I talked to (five, of which three were senior) had not seen this and did not at first find anything in their internal database. The fact that they are replacing phones still tells me they still don't understand it. Even this thread has gathered just 139 "me too" clicks and at iPhone volumes, that is rare. My case is in engineering now....
I am having the same issue and have a few interesting points to add about my discoveries with this issue.
First, I drive a 2013 Hyundai Sonata. I am on iPhone X #5, yes #5!! And on 11.2.6 and still having issue which I had from day one of the first phone. I am using a slim otterbox case and have found an improved gps signal if I take phone out of case, but still cuts out but at least half as less as with case on. Secondly, if I touch my phone, just the corner of the phone, the gps signal catches! This works every time when I see the no gps signal message from Waze.
What I wanna see if there are signal reception improvement stickers or something I can attach to the phone holding fixture in my car. None the less, it’s annoying to have to touch my phone to keep a solid gps signal. I’ve owned iPhone 7 and 6 in this same car and NEVER had any gps issues
i experienced the same issue in my car - and only in my car - until it dawned to me that it has a heated front window screen.
so i think perhaps the fine wire mesh inside the glass is the culprit!? when i use my iPhoneX in another car, presumably without heated windscreen, the GPS receives well.
has anybody else noted that corelation?
however, my old iPhone5s never failed to receive good GPS signals, in the very same car.
I just test out my iPhone 6s with my wife's iPhone X. Both iphones are using firmware 11.2.6
It doesn't seem as though the iPhone X is picking up any GPS signal whatsoever.
After months of aggravation the iOS 11.2.6 release cured the GPS problems (in my particular case).
However, there are others here that said the new OS it did NOT fix their phone.
Thought I'd add my experience.
No matter which GPS App I use on my iPhone X, it can't hold a lock on my position when driving, rendering it useless to me. GPS is what I primary use my phone for. Placed conveniently behind my steering wheel between the odometer and speedometer. My previous iPhone 4 and 6 never had this problem. I am starting to doubt this is a software issue and, by the sound of it, swapping the phone at Apple is probably futile as others have found. Given some time Apple might find a solution in software, otherwise I'll wait until a new hardware revision has come out and use my warranty to get a replacement. Maybe then the GPS will be fixed.
I bought the phone on the 8th of December 2017. As of day 1 I cannot use my GPS. Not happy Apple. The reasons why I bought this phone are my iPhone 6 kicked the bucket and my partner gifted me an Apple Watch, and as we know those things only work with iPhones. :/
I'll add my comment, with a super-weird additional bit of data. Apple swapped my iPhone X and it still does it but get this: It -only- does it when I am in my BMW Z4. Not in any other car. Not when the car is off. Only in that car. Not 100% of the time, either. And in that same car, other iPhones' GPS work fine. It only happens with the iPhone X (two separate units) and only that car.
If this only happens in specific cars, I wonder if people have seen GPS location breaking when they get in. Maybe it's something unique about the bluetooth unit in that car. I now occasionally see the same problem on a 6S plus since December in a Mazda CX5. Never saw it before December. I'll try to consistently turn on GPS before getting to the car to see if that helps.
I also made a total reset with the apple-Support, installing the device totally new - no changes, GPS is even worse. Since I have an Apple Care + insurance, I will exchange this Iphone X against a new one.
Interesting: the German Apple Suupport team has no information about a forthcoming fix. They stae, they don`t even know about an issue!
I think Apple will only act if all users will apply for an exchange or guarantee repair :-)
I am now on my second iPhone x. The first one I got on release day and the GPS did not work with any app including apple maps. I now have a replacement phone issued by apple. Still no GPS. Now I have to go through all the annoying tests they had me do last time just to prove to them that it really is the GPS that isn't working. Then I will have them give me a third replacement phone. I have a feeling the GPS won't work on that one either. I think whoever supplies their GPS hardware sent a batch of faulty chips. Either way, I'm going to continue making them give me replacement phones until it costs them so much, that they have to come up with a different solution. I'm wondering if buying this ridiculously expensive phone was a mistake in the first place.
Hang in there. My case has been escalated to Engineering. They're working on it. I will say that this is extremely rare. In my case, it happens almost always in ONE car (a 2005 BMW Z4, for what it's worth) and never anywhere else; and the iPhone X does this but older iphones do not. Replacing the hardware did not help. It seems to be interference between the car (I am guessing its Bluetooth) and the phone.
iPhone X GPS not working
