T-Mobile GPS: The Plot Thickens

As if Vibrant's GPS problems weren't enough...

Last night, I'm driving home following GPS directions. At midnight, GPS goes Boom! and loses the signal.

On both our G1 phones.

GPS Test shows 0 satellites of 1 available on both phones (vs. average 8 of 9 to good of 12 of 13).

Comes morning, it's the same.

Check with a friend of mine who also has G1, same thing.

Call T-Mobile, they sound surprised, but the Android rep I was transferred to did confirm that indeed, GPS seems to be dead, moreover, it's not just Android that is affected, quote "three of my Blackberries also have dead GPS".

Of course, no ETA on the fix, given the scale.

I wonder if instead of fixing Vibrant they decided to break GPS? </sarcasm>

But realistically, given the timing, the wild bet would rather be on expired security certificates that someone was supposed to renew, but forgot (or got laid off and the expiration date got lost in translation - you know how it goes).

Wonder when this is going to splash out into the big Internet, and wonder how come it hasn't 15 hours after inception - must be the Sunday.

Samsung Galaxy S: Even More Sour Plus

[Part one]

[Part two]

Like I was planning to, I returned the phone to Costco where I bought it. And found myself in a trap: the way relations between Costco and T-Mobile are set up is such that even though I returned the phone before the end of 14 days grace period, I would not be eligible to buy a subsidized phone sold at Costco for next two years.

UPDATE (2010/12/16): Nor at any T-Mobile third party reseller.

"That's the way the system works", Costco rep told me. "Nothing I can do about it - T-Mobile reps look at account notes and can override things, but for us the computer simply won't let me do it".

I guess my days of early adoptions are over. And Samsung is much less likely to get my dollars next time, even though the screen on that phone is truly grand.

UPDATE: Samsung reports that the fix is on the way.

Well, good for them. However, I've already returned the phone, and it's their problem to deal with it now, not mine. Two days too late. Should've spoken earlier.

Vote with your dollars, folks. It works.