iPhone 15 Pro GPS is worthless!

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In brief, I’m on the third full setup for this thing

1. Out of the box and setup from iCloud full backup. Nothing transferred over other than the apps. It looked the same but all settings were wrong, zero passwords transferred. Password keychain was empty. Will not accept google passwords regardless of settings. GPS. CarPlay. A few others. In other words, almost no data transferred.
2. A complete wipe and restored from encrypted local file. Same results.
3. Complete wipe (factory reset). Built from scratch. And same results although I get to rebuild every single password from scratch cause the password keychain is empty and google pe manager doesn’t work. (regardless of the 12’s settings). That’s way fun. ;) ironically , I got the 15 because the 12 was not quite right in some ways, and always had been.?‍♂

I’m heading past the company owned AT&T store tomorrow afternoon. I have other business there as well. It’s likely history.

Thanks for the suggest though, they will hp someone.
For number 2 and number 3, did you actually restore the device using a computer and not just erase it from settings on the phone? This is key, as it should even go through activation again if it was done correctly.

Also there is no need to “rebuild” anything. Don’t setup anything or even sign into an Apple ID if you start fresh. Go test it with no data at all.

If issue persists, youre looking at a hardware issue, if not then it’s in your data.
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Kamuelaflyer

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For number 2 and number 3, did you actually restore the device using a computer and not just erase it from settings on the phone? This is key, as it should even go through activation again if it was done correctly.

Also there is no need to “rebuild” anything. Don’t setup anything or even sign into an Apple ID if you start fresh. Go test it with no data at all.

If issue persists, youre looking at a hardware issue, if not then it’s in your data.
Yeah it was restored both times from the pc.

rebuilding was just adding the apps I jave to have back in, getting signed in and credentials re-re-re done. ;) Some of those I need on a daily basis - more so than the MME even. (I know sacrilege — or is it blasphemy? Heresy maybe? I always get those confused.)

Thanks again.
 
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Deleted member 16048

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Yeah it was restored both times from the pc.

rebuilding was just adding the apps I jave to have back in, getting signed in and credentials re-re-re done. ;) Some of those I need on a daily basis - more so than the MME even. (I know sacrilege — or is it blasphemy? Heresy maybe? I always get those confused.)

Thanks again.
Yeah I'm just saying rebuilding it is a pain, and to just restore with the backup once you figure out it's a hardware issue. I have seen wireless issues right out of the box, and even fully dead units out of the box so it happens. Id get the phone replaced by Apple ;)
 

Kamuelaflyer

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Yeah I'm just saying rebuilding it is a pain, and to just restore with the backup once you figure out it's a hardware issue. I have seen wireless issues right out of the box, and even fully dead units out of the box so it happens. Id get the phone replaced by Apple ;)
I’ll likely push for a refund snd go look for an Android. This is the second iPhone model in a row I’ve had that’s needed replacement right off the bat.
 

nuMach

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when setting up my fresh 15 pro max, I had the previous 13 pro max close to it.
One of the first few questions after entering my itunes login info on the 15 was do I want to transfer everything .... after that I had to answer a few questions on my old phone - went smooth as can be.

G/F just got a new 15 (not pro), and transfer from her old 11- went the same way. However she had to re-learn face ID on the new 15, & then logon to all her apps manually that previously used face ID to set them to use face ID.

No issues. on either.

Have had to 'fix' at least half a dozen samsungs for friends/relatives. Part of the issue is user error by owners, and part Im unfamiliar, so need to poke around a bit to find settings etc.
Two were malware issues, one had been completely re-skinned and taken over by malicious apps.
That right there burnt any bridges for me entertaining Android phones.

Used to be Apple was great re checking their apps and you could securely load from app store.
Nowdays they have so many junk apps, subscription apps, and a few really bad actors that covertly have you subscribe by accepting terms and conditions. Apple is no longer doing their due diligence vetting content.
With countries forcing apple to open access to 3rd party stores, wont be long apple is in the same sewer as android apps.
 
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Malacandra

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When I got my new iPhone 15 Pro Max, I was also having problems with GPS in CarPlay… it was sometimes putting me in an adjacent street, and on some complex freeway exits it was absolutely bonkers - and I had never had that problem with my previous iPhone 14 Pro.

And then I also noticed that in my Battery settings I was often getting high battery usage due to "No Cellular Coverage." My house is not in a great cell phone reception area… but this battery drain from trying to connect to a cell tower was something new.

So bad GPS reception and bad cell reception?

Then I remembered that whenever I get a new phone… I get a new case. And the case I got, although it had soft TPU on the inside and outside of the bumper, turned out to also have an aluminum alloy frame.

There was nothing wrong with my phone: I had just inadvertently put it in a Faraday cage. Once I took it out of that case, both problems went away.

I'm probably not the only person here who puts their new phone in a new case… and we never think twice about that. Or that it might be an issue with the performance of our phones. And it can.

Once I realized what was going on, I noticed that Amazon sells a fairly sizable number of phone cases that have metallic frames that might not entirely block RF signals… but may attenuate them enough to create signal issues in more challenging environments. Like my house. And the interior of a Mach-E.

Just flagging that.

Later model iPhone Pros have impressively accurate GPS performance in general, and I've seen hard data to back that up in addition to my personal experience when tracking my outdoor exercise routines.
 

gmains

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I have this EXACT same problem. It has NOTHING to do with the phone. I have tried an iPhone 12 Pro Max, and iPhone 15 Pro Max and an iPhone XR. All exhibited the problem. 2 of the phones were using different accounts and therefore, different CarPlay connections. I drove a Mini Countryman ALL4 JCW edition with wireless CarPlay for 2 years before this Mach-E and I never had an issue. I also drive a Toyota Tacoma with an aftermarket head unit with wireless CarPlay and it also never has an issue. This is absolutely something to do with the Mach-E. My 15 Pro Max has GPS issues probably 50% of the time now. So much so that I no longer use Apple Maps and now use the built-in nav instead. Sucks.
 

Kamuelaflyer

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I'm probably not the only person here who puts their new phone in a new case…
You’re not. I just checked mine and …. It’s all genuine plastic.

GPS is only one of the issues. It’s about to become history,
 

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Yeah, no. Same carrier as the last one, different generation phone, literally the only difference.
I have to report that, based on your comments, I decided to see if I had issues. I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max and am on AT&T. I drove around for about an hour on different types of roads - highways, back roads, neighborhoods, etc., with Apple Maps on the main display via wireless CarPlay. It worked perfectly, even going in parking garages (less chance of decent GPS visibility).
?‍♂
 

Jimrpa

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Two were malware issues, one had been completely re-skinned and taken over by malicious apps.
That right there burnt any bridges for me entertaining Android phones.
This. Yeah, apple has begun letting some shady apps slip through, but I think they’re trying to avoid the “let anyone open an App Store and toss xxx nation state malware on lots of phones” scenario.
 

Ravensfan1996

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Unless it’s changed, I thought CarPlay used the phones GPS, Android auto uses the car. I have a IPhone 15Pro Max and only have the issue of the GPS being off if it’s in my pocket. As soon as i move it to the center console it’s fine. Had this issuse with my iPhone 12 Max .
 

Jimrpa

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Unless it’s changed, I thought CarPlay used the phones GPS, Android auto uses the car. I have a IPhone 15Pro Max and only have the issue of the GPS being off if it’s in my pocket. As soon as i move it to the center console it’s fine. Had this issuse with my iPhone 12 Max .
I found this link, which in turn references Apple Developer Sessions on this subject. It seems that Wireless CarPlay relies on the vehicle for GPS data.
 

NewGuy

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I have this EXACT same problem. It has NOTHING to do with the phone. I have tried an iPhone 12 Pro Max, and iPhone 15 Pro Max and an iPhone XR. All exhibited the problem. 2 of the phones were using different accounts and therefore, different CarPlay connections. I drove a Mini Countryman ALL4 JCW edition with wireless CarPlay for 2 years before this Mach-E and I never had an issue. I also drive a Toyota Tacoma with an aftermarket head unit with wireless CarPlay and it also never has an issue. This is absolutely something to do with the Mach-E. My 15 Pro Max has GPS issues probably 50% of the time now. So much so that I no longer use Apple Maps and now use the built-in nav instead. Sucks.
agreed. This is a Mach e problem. Same phone (iPhone 14 pro) in my other car…no issues.
 

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Newest IOS didn't do much for me. I'll be on the freeway and the phone thinks I'm on the frontage road, rerouting like crazy. I didn't think to yank it from the case but do see to recall that for the 3 or 4 days I didn't have a case I don't remember having this issue. I have min in a Keyway case with wood and magsafe, I'm starting to question the quality of the magsafe because, well magnets cause interference, so, why not? I'll pull the phone out of the case and drive my trouble route today to see.
 

Kamuelaflyer

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agreed. This is a Mach e problem. Same phone (iPhone 14 pro) in my other car…no issues.
There are varying opinions on this. My iPhone 15 sucks no matter which vehicle I’m in, my iPhone 12 worked virtually flawlessly in the mme. I’m now officially back using the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
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