iPhone X GPS - poor accuracy

[Rob48]

I recently upgraded from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone X and have noticed that the GPS performance is awful. The blue dot on Google Maps, for instance, wanders around by 100 metres or more when with the old phone it was always spot on. Recording tracks with Strava, the track is way off the path that I follow when it used to be very close with my old phone. This seems like a big step back as I use my phone for navigation a lot. Do I have a faulty unit or has Apple somehow ruined the GPS in their newer phones?

[MI5 · Accepted solution]

@Rob48 

Sounds like a faulty device. 

If you contact Apple support they will run a diagnostic check. 

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/contact

[Rob48]

Thanks MI5. As it is an O2 pay monthly device should my first port of call be O2 or directly to Apple?

[Cleoriff]

@Rob48 

Go to Apple first. They are much better at running diagnostics on their own devices.

[MI5]

Apple have the knowledge to diagnose it correctly so anything else would be a waste of time. They may refer you back to o2 if found to be faulty but in my experience they will just arrange a replacement on the spot.

[Rob48]

Looks like it might just be the case that the iPhone X we get in the UK (A1901) has poor GPS. Not impressed. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8189221?page=1

[jezza1234]

I have a An Xs Max and find the GPS fine. GPS location can be affected by a number of factors including but not limited to which GPS satellites your device happens to be using. If it using the US satellites occasionally, especially during times of heightened US tensions GPS accuracy for non US military devices can be affected as the US will deliberately decrease the GPS accuracy of non military devices to ensure the safety of their own military. This accuracy error can be introduced into the European satellites if required. All non military devices access the GPS satellites under licence. Sounds far fetched I know but allegedly true.

[jezza1234]

and that should get the conspiracy theorists’ juices flowing 🤣🤣🤣

[Rob48]

But when I compare it side by side to my wife’s iPhone 6 the accuracy is way off. The 6 will show correctly which end of the garden I am standing. The X has me about 10 houses away. This morning I was trying to use the phone for walking directions in town and it was putting me on a totally different street from where I actually was.

Not only that but the data reception is far worse than the old phone. I used to be able to access the internet for almost the whole train journey into London apart from a couple of small dead spots. Now for nearly half the journey I am getting no data.

The connectivity just seems to be a massive step backwards for what is meant to be a more advanced phone!

[MI5]

My daughter has an Xs and I've checked hers. No problems with GPS accuracy at all so definitely something not right with yours.