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LG Spectrum GPS issue

LG Spectrum GPS Issue

I just bought the LG Spectrum on May 2, 2012; upgraded from the HTC Incredible. Overall, phone was great: menu was intuitive, screen was vibrant, texting was fine, and browsing speeds were good. However, I have noted one major bug: GPS navigation issues!! To me, this is the #1 functionality of the Androids for my personal use over the iPhone.

I started noticing GPS issues yesterday (Friday) when it would not locate my GPS location and initiate navigation ALL DAY. Literally, never worked the entire day; it would just sit there Searching for GPS location and drain my battery in vain. Today (Saturday), it worked upon first try, and then was spotty in subsequent tries (either didn't locate, or took awhile to locate).

I've read up online forums and articles and found that many other users have encountered GPS issues as well, in addition to other bugs. I am very displeased with this and will be returning the LG Spectrum and reverting back to my HTC Incredible, where I had ZERO problems. 3G/4G is not that important to me right now.

I'm also displeased that my Verizon store sales rep told me that I have to pay the re-stocking fee, since this is a manufacturer's hardware/software defect... and I think Verizon should charge them back since this is their fault. I did my due diligence in asking the Verizon Sales Rep all prudent questions on phone performance, and not once was this issue brought up (only phone quality).

Comments

Dave-in-Decatur

Jon, you might have better luck getting a response by starting a new thread for this topic. It gets kind of buried in the middle of this one.

verizonmoderator1

<Branched to a new discussion.>

Verizon_Support

Hello jonvmurphy,

We definitely want you to love your new LG Spectrum! We are not reporting known issues with this handset. We would appreciate the opportunity to troubleshoot your device if you still have it. Additionally, if the device is determined to be defective within the first 14 days, you would receive a new replacement device of the same make and model. If you would like us to review your account and troubleshoot your handset, please send us an e-mail. Our e-mail address is vzwsupport@verizonwireless.com. You can send it to my attention. ^JHK

Sincerely,

JonathanK_VZW

VZW Support

Follow Us on Twitter@VZWSupport

trixen

I, too have the LG Spectrum and switched from the HTC Incredible, and I, too, have had problems with the GPS. Verizon has been absolutely AWFUL in tending to those issues, and even though I reported the issue within days of getting this new phone, I wasn't allowed to exchange it for a new one because I didn't have enough time in my day to go through ALL of the troubleshooting steps. When I finally did have enough time, it was past the first 2 weeks and they told me that I could only get a "Certified Like New" replacement (i.e. someone else's problems). I've been through this spiel before with Verizon. When the USB port on my old Incredible wore down due to overuse (but NOTHING was internally wrong with the phone), they sent me a "Certified Like New" replacement. I went through about 5 Incredibles in a month because they kept sending me refurbished duds. LOUSY, VERIZON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jonvmurphy

Hi JonathanK!

No worries. I called Verizon Technical Customer Support to discuss this issue; unfortunately they didn't know of any major issues with GPS Navigation with the LG Spectrum in their databases; but regardless of this fact, I was having them, and so were many other users. Technical Customer Support did note that a new firmware update (VS920ZV5,) was released in April (see notes here http://support.verizonwireless.com/pdf/system_update/lg_spectrum.pdf), and that the update notes mentioned "GPS fix" in it; however, Technical Customer Support did not guarantee that this would fix my issue... and not only that, the update wasn't rolled out to my area yet, and that the roll-out date for the Orlando area was unknown. As I only had 9 days left within my 14-day return period, I did not want to take my chances and went ahead and returned the phone and reverted to my old HTC Incredible, where I had zero problems (GPS Navigation worked 99% of the time with both HTC Incredibles I owned, over the course of two years).

Now I need to figure out what other phone to get... And the LG Spectrum ("latest and greatest") is kind of scaring me from these new phones... Seems like as the more advanced phones get, the more bugs and issues (based on reading reviews of all the phones).

I do want to note that I was very pleased with Verizon Technical Support, helpful as always, and I do not blame the issue of the LG Spectrum on them or Verizon. Not only that, they gave me $15 back towards the re-stocking fee (no hassle) when I complained to them that the store I returned my phone charged me the re-stocking fee and said nothing could be done about it. As noted, I was displeased with this notion because I returned the phone based on LG's manufacturer's hardware/software defect, and not because I simply changed my mind...

Verizon_Support

Dci_roch, thank you for sharing your concerns about your GPS on your Spectrum. Please make sure you have the current software version for your device. There was one just pushed out on 5/14 and is still being pushed. Here is some info on that update: http://bit.ly/JRs7fL. Make sure that all of your GPS settings are turned on in Settings > Location & Security. Once phone is updated and all settings turned on, attempt using GPS again.

Let me know if you are still having any issues.

MarquiaF_VZW

Follow us on Twitter @VZWSupport

dci_roch

yes, I'm on the latest firmware. I'm sure its a firmware issue with this phone though.

Here are my observations, when it can't find the GPS "signal"; if I check using the application "GPS STATUS" it has no

satellites found. Doing a power off and back on resolves the issue until it loses its brain again. Today I had to do this and while navigating and working fine, I changed the destination, and it "lost GPS" signal again. I must add that this phone takes a long time to power off and back on; quite a problem when you are relying on it for navigation. I never had this issue with my DROID X, I thought this phone was going to be an upgrade being 4G and 2 years newer.

I sent LG a support email, we will see if they own up to anything.

ramilidi

we also switched from the htc incredible to the lg spectrum we had 3 replacements because the internet connect would stumble. by the way we on our own switched the network to 3g it helped but of course GPS was exactly doing the same as you mention. i switched back to my incredible which works great other than i miss the big screen.

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