IPhone 3GS Compass is a LIFESAVER!!! (Testimonial)

I went to DC for the Caribbean Festival this past weekend and as we were walking, we got lost and didnt know how to get to Howard University from where we were, so I pull out my iPhone 3GS and type Howard on the Maps app. It shows the location and the direction, and with the compass, it showed my exactly where to walk and what direction to go. Also finding the closest metro was easy with the iPhone 3GS, and it pointed me in the right direction and the compass showed us where to go...who'd think a compass in a phone would be so useful
I love this phone!!!!
I just wanted to share how great this phone is lol

I agree, and here is my testimonial: It REALLY did save my you know what:
I recently had to RELY on my iPhone in a bad situation. I have a 60ft boat I had to bring up from Maryland where it was getting work done to it, to NJ, its a 2 day trip onboard and I found that onboard the compass worked surprisingly well, mind you I was in open water with no buildings or large structures around, but since I was in a middle of very populated areas had great 3G coverage even on the water. The compass was within a few degrees of 2 highly accurate marine gimbaled compasses and an electronic marine compass. Now a few degrees doesnt sound like much, but on open water with no other means of guidance, it actually can be quite bad, but I have to say for a handheld telephone, it was quite good. Here's the fun part, and why I will never leave home without my iPhone.. Before I left I had downloaded the Navionics Marine app from the app store, it works in conjunction with your GPS and compass, and states blatantly that it is not to be used for accurate plotting purposes. Ok, cool, it was only 4.99 and I wanted to see how accurate it was. About halfway through the first day of the trip we lost power to our starboard side, that included one engine AND the generator. No big deal really, we can operate slower on one engine, and the instrumentation onboard has backups not connected to the generator in case of failure like this. However we found one major problem.... the depth finder for the GPS apparently was somehow connected to the generator and we were in trouble, plus the main GPS went out but the secondary one, well, we didnt have the graphical map card for the area we were in - our stupid mistake not the equipments.
So, I whip out the iPhone, launch the GPS. It found us in a split second on the water, not the usual wait time. I launched the app, and knowing full well not to rely just on this app, used it to navigate the boat, and it did it PERFECTLY! Not only did I have a 100% accurate location, but I had accurate depths and tidal information thanks to the app. With the app we were able to avoid several low depth areas that would have had us ran aground pretty easily.
I would NOT recommend solely relying on this to anyone with a boat, but in this emergency, the iPhone, the GPS, and the compass along with this app, well, Im gald I had it. Very glad. it got us into the marina, we fixed our issue (blocked fuel line), and finished the trip successfully!

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I got my Iphone 3gs unlocked, but Navigation and Compass are not working. Please help if anybody had faced this problem and got it resolved.

I got my Iphone 3gs unlocked, but Navigation and Compass are not working. Please help if anybody had faced this problem and got it resolved.

Only the carrier that the iPhone was locked to can unlock. There you go, hacking void any support from this forum.

I am using iPhone 3GS. I am living in Saudi Arabia. I cannot find the directions with in GCC contries in the Navigation Application "COMPASS" of iphone. Can you please explain me how to work on it??

I am using iPhone 3GS. I am living in Saudi Arabia. I cannot find the directions with in GCC contries in the Navigation Application "COMPASS" of iphone. Only the map is displayed. I am not gtting the directions or information when I use it. Can you please explain me how to work on it??

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Editing_configuration#How_to_edit_configuration_files
Add code to [http://kb.mozillazine.org/UserChrome.css userChrome.css] below the @namespace line.
<pre><nowiki>@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"); /* only needed once */
#context-sendlink {display:none !important;}</nowiki></pre>
See also http://kb.mozillazine.org/Chrome_element_names_and_IDs

Help Me!!! IOS 5.1.1 update on Iphone 3gs screwed up my wifi

I updated my iphone 3gs to IOS 5.1.1 and now my wifi is interrupted.Also,internet speed slowed down.Has anyone else experienced this?How do u fix this problem?Tried and tried to find a solution.Starting to lose my cool.Had no problem with Apple products until now but am starting to lose confidence in their products.It's as if they know about this problem but don't have an answer to it.If anyone can solve this issue please,please let me know.I would be most greatful.HELP!!!

As you pointed out, turning on Compass in Location Services will only provide you the Longitude and Latitude on on the compass interface.
To enable the "True North" option you will have to turn on the "Compass Calibration". It is located in the "System Services" menu.
iOS5: Settings > Location Services > System Services
iOS6: Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services
Based on the test I just did (iPhone4 iOS6), both "Compass" and "Compass Calibration" have to be turned on for the "True North" option to be enabled in the Compass app.

Anybody else just really disappointed with iPhone 3GS?

so i just traded up my 3 year old sanyo katana (sprint) flip-phone (which worked perfectly, without a hitch, ever) for a new iphone 3GS (at&t) and frankly i'm pretty dissatisfied with the switch. yeah, it's a fun toy, but phone service and coverage is poor and i'm experiencing most of the problems/issues posted on this forum: ridiculously poor battery life, overheating, app icons going haywire, car charger not working, crappy compass performance, inexplicable crashes and reboots/restarts etc.
if this thing worked precisely as advertised it'd be the best electronic/consumer product i've ever purchased, but as it stand now it's just sort of a nuisance. why advertise a revolutionary product, with revolutionary capabilities if everybody (including the manufacturer, apple) is telling you to turn off all it's revolutionary functions and capabilities just to keep the battery charged more than 6 hours?
weak. just weak.
i just want a functional, as advertised iPhone. is there an app for THAT?
Message was edited by: d.c.1

Well, I also have had no problems with mine. But, comparing this to small flip phone is really unfair. We have to remember that this phone is a small computer and has many uses and functions that it dose over your basic small flip cell phone.
Compare it properly against another touch screen smart samsung phone and you will see that it is much more stable and easy to use.
I have compared it to nearly every other smart phone and it always shines brighter. The more a device can do the more that can go wrong with it.
I father just recently bought one of those sit down and drive lawnmowers and it has had many problems, while he still loves that his old push rotor lawn mower works like a charm.
Check yours out at apple and see if there's something that can be done, and peroidicaly power off and on your phone.

Cheap Nokia vs. iPhone 3GS or 4? For very day use? Help wanted!

I own and use an iPod Touch 2G. I was all set to get an iPhone 3GS or 4 to replace it (giving me a good quality camera, cell phone service, GPS, compass, etc.), when it suddenly occurred to me that I'm pretty rough on my cell phone.
I have a old beater of a cell phone (Nokia). It's a small, flip phone, with a hard exterior, that's been dropped, taken a beating, and yet keeps on ticking. I use it in the rain, put it in my pants pockets even with keys, pens, and coines, walk across pavement with it w/o fear of dropping it, toss it on the front seat of the car as a reminder to call spouse once I've arrived at a destination, etc. It doesn't matter if it gets all scratched up. (Even with a screen protector on it, the tiny little screen is all scratched up. But no matter, all I use that for is to see the numbers I type in.) In short, I don't have to give it a mind and I know that if it goes South, I can simply buy another one for $20-30 from AT&T.
When I suddenly realized this the other day, I thought that maybe the iPhone (at much more $$) really wasn't for me. That it might not fit such an attitude or approach to a cell phone.
I'm sure that others have made a similar transition, however. What did you all do to overcome the "just toss it anywhere" approach? What do you all do to protect your iPhone, or to avoid disasters, and not worry about the sundry disasters that can strike it?

Just a quick update with a couple more details before I go to work:
I left my phone plugged into the wall charger all night long but the Apple logo is still blinking on and off. However, when unplugged from the charger, the screen goes blank and the unit does not respond to pressing/holding the buttons at all. Likewise, flipping the mute switch does not cause the phone to vibrate as it normally would, which made me wonder if power was being disrupted somewhere else in the unit before the battery. I just finished disassembling the unit down to the battery, looked for any loose connections etc., and did spot a suspicious looking spot on top of the #5 ribbon connector that I had not taken notice of before in my first disassembly. I'll take a picture of it and post a link for your consideration later on today when I have a spare moment, although I fear the worst.

IPhone 3GS - Seriously - How Good?

Ok, had a Nokia N97, and if I had any hair, it would have been all pulled out at this stage. Terrible terrible handset, no support from the retailer ( here in Saudi ) and jaw droppingly shocking Customer care from Nokia.
Please don't be offended when I say this, but this an Apple Forum so naturally expect some bias towards the company. I am an Apple fan too, and have had several Mac computers and laptops, currently running a 13" Mac BOok Pro, Snow Leopard.
But I would a truly objective view from iPhone users on the phone. How good is it really?
Things I would use it for?
Phone calls. Obvious I know, but my N97 could not handle calls without freezing / locking.
Interent - Joikuspot usage.
Texting - how good it is the virtual on screen phone.
Stability -
Pics.
Calendar ( and of course seamless syncing with my MBP.
Thanks in advance.
BTW, the the iPhones here in Saudi are sold unlocked, but a lot more pricey than in the UK / Europe / USA.

Seriously?! OK
I am Windows Mobile user for years. Recently I needed an upgrade. The market is full with excellent hardware and I needed a phone with keyboard as I use that a lot. While the hardware is good WM did not catch up with the technology. Nokia do not impress me at all (bad experience with N80 and N85), or any other phone.
I went to O2 and they let me play with the iphone and I liked it. Also, in the UK (don't know anywhere else) I have 14 days to return it back for full refund (other than the warranty) and no questions asked.
I was impressed with how sleek, simple and fast the UI on iphone 3Gs is. As for the virtual keyboard I got used to it very fast and I can type as fast as on a hardware keyboard (not to mention the phone is slim cause of it).
The second important thing is the update I get from Apple. No longer I am at the mercy of my provider or manufacturer. There are a lot more powerful hardware than the Iphone but they are let down by an outdated OS.
I had it now for about 2 months. Not a hitch. Everything just works. Fantastic speed on WiFi. I recharge it once a day (with 30% left over). I use the internet heavily, with occasional (but daily) Youtube, movies and music.
GPS is brilliant and never let me down and it grabs a signal very fast than any other phone I have used before. Faster than my dedicated TomTom software and hardware.
Bluetooth works just fine with my car BT kit.
Camera ... Don't care
As a phone it is crystal clear and I always have good signal and latches well when there is a weak signal and even when there is 1 bar I can still make crystal clear calls.
Text wise, no complaint. once you get used to the keyboard it is child play.
It never let me down stability wise. I am not in an office, I work in the field and I need it to work really good to communicate with colleagues.
I have over 56 apps with about 5 games applications and I am heavy on documents and pdf files which I keep on the phone (as references).
I never ever had to reset the phone so far.
I use WiFi a lot, with O2 i get the BT openzone and the cloud networks for free (not all of them but a lot) and works extremely well.
I am a news freak, and I have 10 apps for news and football and I read them all daily. Plus my facebook update and blogging update right from the phone.
I use it with geocaching and it is great fun if you have the time. The compass is brilliant here.
it fits well in my hand, slim, sleek and very responsive.
I use Windows Vista 32 bit and outlook email client and never had problems synchronizing with them.
I backup once a day (everything) with itunes.
I also manually backup the itunes folder (just in case). All my purchases (except music) are made from the phone itself.
The phone came with 3.1.1 firmware already in it and I only updated it once (as soon as I got it) to 3.1.2.
It does not like synching with other phones (did not investigate as no big deal for me) using BT but great with the car kit (4 years old).
it is not cluttered with buttons and I like that.
I wish it can multitask as not all application get you back to where you left off last time you used it.
I also wish it had a Radio, HSPDA or HSUPA. But no big deal and I am doing fine without them.
I have 6 emails with push or poll, BT always on and so is wifi. I come home with about 30% left and do not recharge till 10 pm, I take it off around midnight. I use it as my alarm clock (**** very loud and I need it ).
it gathers a lot of finger prints - non issue to me and I like polishing it
Hope this helps.

The iPhone's compass app

I was wondering, is there any possible way of getting the Compass app from the iPhone on to my iPod touch? I hoped to find it in the latest software update (3.1.1), though was disapointed to see it wasn't, and I can't find it on the App Store, so is there a way?

The Compass app relies on hardware only present in the iPhone 3GS. Software updates cannot add hardware features (unless the hardware is already present but disabled e.g Bluetooth in 2nd gen touch)

I can hear a slight lose part when I tap the back top of the iPhone 3GS?

I have the iPhone 3GS, gave my wife my old 3G. when I tap with my finger on the top of the 3GS up above the apple logo on the back I hear a slight rattle (or what seems to sound like a lose part inside the unit).
When I do the same tap my wife 3G it sound solid with no slight rattle inside?
Is it possible the compass component inside the phone or a different accelerometer Apple may of used (like a mercury switch) that may has a slight rattle?
I know this may seem trivial, but now I find myself tapping my phone and pondering if I have a lose part. The phone works great otherwise???
Thanks

Check the Ring/Silent switch above the volume rocker switch. It could be loose.
Message was edited by: dmiannay

IPhone 3GS GPS problems

I upgraded to a 3GS a month ago. I noticed on a trip with my family that my GPS wasn't working properly. The GPS wouldn't find my position accurately, there was no pulsating blue ring around the blue dot, and the GPS wouldn't track when we were driving. My brother and sister-in-law's GPS was working perfectly on their iPhones. Just mine wasn't tracking.
So I went to the AT&T store and they replaced my iPhone 3GS with another brand new one. The GPS still isn't working properly.
So I went to the Apple Store in SoHo and found that none of the iPhones on display would get an accurate coordinate either. All of them were about a block off with to the west or north and none of them had the pulsating blue ring around the blue dot.
My brother and sis-in-law purchased and use their iPhones in a different city and their GPS works fine. My iPhone (purchased and used in NYC) and the SoHo store (in NYC) iPhones all did not work.
Do NYC used/purchased iPhones only have this issue? It really bothers me that on my 3G the GPS worked fine in the city, but after I upgraded to the 3GS and 3.1.3 the GPS no longer works. Also, the compass app ALWAYS needs to be reset whenever I use the app.
Any other NYC users having this problem?
Message was edited by: fasheezy
Message was edited by: fasheezy

There's a lot of discussion about receiving the GPS signal indoors. As the USAF Frequency Manager, who licenses the GPS Satellites, I'd like to weigh in on this subject.
The GPS signal is extremely weak, too weak to be received indoors more than 5-10 feet from a window.
A GPS receiver must receive at least 3 GPS satellite signals to get a fix.
For those who believe you're receiving the GPS signal indoors, what you're receiving is the triangulation of the cell phone towers, which is why it's not accurate.
For those in NYC or other highrise building areas, your GPS signal will not be accurate, if even received, because of the reflection of the GPS signals bouncing off of the highrise buildings. As the GPS signals bounce around among the buildings, they're delayed, and therefore not accurate when the GPS receiver finally locks onto them.
Since upgrading to OS 3.1.3, my iPhone 3G GPS has been having fits as well. I'm in Los Angeles, but when it gets cold (sitting in front of the A/C vent in it's holder) it stops working and shows that it's in Boulder, Colorado. It becomes accurate again after letting it warm back up, or turning off 3G. Go figure.
Mike

IPhone 3GS GPS

Hi,
The GPS on my iPhone 3GS appeared to stop working. I traveled overseas recently and tried to locate myself with Maps app, and it failed to locate me. (I had cellular off, Wifi ON, LocationServices On, 3G off). The compass app also shows the previous GPS coordinates and never updates to the new location I am in at the moment.
I have tried rebooting my iphone numerous times, resetting network settings, resetting location services, tried different GPS mapping application, tapping the iphone against my hand, standing outside the house hoping to catch any GPS satellites, tried different combination of cellullar/3G/Wifi/LocationServices on/off states, and doing the steps that others suggested (after Google-ing) - all failed to provided me with a working GPS.
If I read "support.apple.com/kb/HT1975" correctly, then when I switch off both cellular and Wifi, iphone 3GS should be using the internal GPS to pinpoint me.
But, according to "support.apple.com/kb/HT1355", the GPS module is switched off if I switch off cellular...which contradicts the KB above..
I tried switch on & off cellular, but my GPS coordinates (as displayed in Compass app) remain wrong. Anyone has similar experience ? Do you think my iphone GPS module is faulty?
Any suggestions would be grateful. Thanks.
Information:
===========================================================================
"support.apple.com/kb/HT1975":
"If you're not within a clear line of sight to a GPS satellite, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS find you using Wi-Fi. If you're not in range of a Wi-Fi hotspot, iPhone can find you using cellular towers."
"support.apple.com/kb/HT1355":
"When airplane mode is on, [icon] appears in the status bar at the top of the screen, and no cell phone, radio, or Bluetooth signals are emitted from iPhone (and GPS is not available)."

Same problem here. On a trip abroad the GPS AND Compass completely stopped working. It worked for 7 days abroad before malfunctioning. It has been working flawlessly since I bought it 7 months ago. I´v tried all of the above measures and some more. At times the compass flickers around for a second before locking at Zero degrees North. Maps works as long as i dont try to locate myself. Then the blue haircross-button starts with the "spinning-Wheel" of loading, and just keeps going.
I´ve also noted that since this issue started last week the phone drains the battery a lot faster, even when I´m not fiddling around alot. I did a test some days before this issue and reached 20% in more than 5 days (>120h)!
The only test that I´ve read about and haven´t tested is the "rm -rf"-command witch requires a Jailbraked phone. I argue that I shouldn´t need to jailbrake it to get it to work properly.
So? Is it hardware or software?
Glad for responses.
Wisconxin, did you get it right?
/G

How Much Will The iPhone 3GS cost me?

I currently have an iPhone 3G and I've been with AT&T since December of 2007. How much will it end up costing me if i where to get the 16GB iPhone 3GS? Would it be 199 or ??? Thanks
-Jesse-

it depends if you're eligible for an upgrade. you have the iphone 3G, so you just got that around june 2008 or after, so you renewed your contract with at&t regardless if you had been with them since dec 2007. so that's a new 2-year contract. check upgrade availablity on www.wireless.att.com. if not, then you'll have to pay $130 to break the contract and buy the 3G S for $199 or $299 depending on what you like. or the no-commitment price of $599 for 16GB & $699 for the 32GB.
i have the iphone 3G, and there's really little difference on the 3G S (video,compass etc).. i would just wait for next year when i'm finished with my 2-year contract and when the next gen iphone will be available.. it would be a hassle to break contract now and break contract again on the next gen iphone.. but it's your choice.. good luck..

How to activate Factory Unlocked iPhone 3GS

Hello Folks,
My friend got me an iPhone 3GS from Hong Kong (Model MC131ZP/A); and I am in India. This is the chain of events and the final problem.
1. When I first opened the iPhone I could see the home screen and use my SIM in India. Though there was no app for Camera or Compass etc on the home screen.
2. First time iPhone connected to iTunes and it told me that the OS must be updated. I went ahead.
3. I updated the OS to 3.1.2 (05.11.07).
4. After that it is not able to recognize the same SIM telling me that Invalid SIM.
5. I check the Serial Number of my phone on Apple Support site and it says that iPhone is not even activated.
6. I have tried contacting Apple support via mails etc. but no response at all.
I am not able to understand how it worked in the first place. Did the seller in HK unlock it using some kind of software? He should not if it is an Factory Unlocked phone. Are all the MC131ZP factory unlocked?
Can someone please help me on how to activate the phone or what is going wrong here?
Thanks in advance.

pavanraj wrote:
iphone 3gs loaded with latest os 4.0
If the iPhone had the 4.0 Beta loaded on it, the iPhone needs to be registered with a developer for the iPhone to even function. If it's not registered and the beta is installed then it is a brick. Regardless of if it is registered or not, as Tamara said the iPhone 4.0 Beta has no support. The Beta is a beta and is for developers who are developing apps. That way they can release apps as soon as the OS 4.0 is released sometime this summer. You should get an error message saying something along the lines of this phone is not registered with a developer, if the iPhone is not registered.
pavanraj wrote:
I want to activate it without at&t sim as its factory unloacked.
If it is unlocked by the carrier then you just need to plug it into iTunes with a SIM card from a compatible carrier. If you get a message saying that the SIM is not from an authorized carrier, well then the iPhone is not unlocked, sorry.
If the iPhone is not unlocked you are really out of luck. While there are ways to hack an iPhone to unlock it, there are no methods for the 4.0 Beta to unlock the iPhone, and even if there is a way to hack it to unlock the iPhone 3GS on the 4.0 OS, it won't come for a long time.

IPhone 3GS and Store Security Alarms..

i've noticed that ONLY when I carry my iPhone 3GS I will set off the store alarm when entering or leaving a store.. I thought I was crazy, but i've done the test.. and ONLY when I walk through the door with the iPhone does it set off the alarm. without it im fine, and no problems... i'm starting to feel like a criminal every time I enter/leave a store and get pulled aside.. anyone else having this problem with their iPhone 3GS? i'm assuming it is because of the magnet inside the iphone's compass, but not sure if mine is an isolated case or not.. anyone else? or am I alone with this issue?

I received my new 3GS from Orange in the UK 5 days ago and went Christmas shopping yesterday - the phone set off the security alarms in three different stores. We ascertained it was the phone at the last store, where the store assistant took it through security herself. I've spoken to Apple 2nd level support today and they say this is a very rare but not unknown occurrence and will offer a swap-out if required.
Before confirming that this is what I'd like I agreed to do some more 'testing' at a fourth store today. The problem happens in all modes of operation: wi-fi on/off, bluetooth on/off, 3G on/off, Location services on/off. The only time it didn't trigger the alarm was with airplane mode set to ON. As this mode effectively kills all communication services I was not surprised at this.
Apple acknowledge that I shouldn't have to use such a workaround and should be able to enjoy all features of the phone, hence the offer to swap-out, which it looks like I will now be taking up (although I have given Apple 2nd tier support '3 days grace' to liaise further with their engineers).
If the replacement suffers from the same problem then there is clearly something more fundamental than a rogue phone, and I'll report back here.

IPhone 3Gs map erratic, sluggish, confused

I recently upgraded to a new iPhone 3Gs phone. My previous 3G phone was bullet proof and the map function worked great. The new phone's map function is sluggish and when it finds me, it routinely things I am about a quarter to a half a mile away from the correct location. I returned a phone to the apple store for this very problem and the replacement does the same thing. Does anyone know how to reset the software completely. My GPS navagon software is useless now. The compass function does work.

Have you tried to restore the iPhone?
You can restore the iPhone and set it up as a new device. That would erase everything on the iPhone and put it back to the state it was when you got it out of the box.

IPhone 3GS Compass is a LIFESAVER!!! (Testimonial)

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