N85 and N95 8GB: unreliable GPS signal

I've just bought two new phones, an N85 and an N95 8GB. I tested their navigation capabilities, and they both worked fine in Nokia Maps the first time I tested them. However after a few days, both of them started having problems with the GPS signal. Two times out of three when I open Nokia Maps in either of these phones, I get no GPS fix (even though the skies are clear, the phone's slider is open and all four possible GPS Methods are selected).

It couldn't be that the area I live in gets "no coverage", since it's in this same area that the phones sometimes do get the GPS signal (when they "feel like it"!).

Finally, I thought that there may be times when the satellites are simply "out of order", however while walking with both phones in my hands, I've had one of them receiving GPS signal just fine, while the other would not see any satellite for the whole duration of the trip (an hour or so). And another time, the roles reversed and it was the first phone that wasn't able to receive satellite signal while the second one was.

Does anyone know what may be going on? What could be the reason for this unreliability of the GPS signal?

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Type in *#0000# on your phone and post the OS Firmware version.

I did some looking, and this is a common problem with these models. I guess there is a firmware update out there.

Try going to Nokia Europe - Device software update - Support and download the Nokia Software Updater. Install and run that. Remember to backup your phone first, because it will wipe everything out.

After the OS update, try it again. If it is still not working, you can probably call Nokia. I did read that they are offering some customers refunds on the phones because it is not a usable feature as described.

They are going to ask you first if you have updated the software. Try that. Hopefully it'll take care of your problem!

If so, please post back to keep us updated, and to help other users with these phones get their issue resolved.

Thanks for your reply. My firmware version for the N95 8GB is 31.2.008 and, for the N85, 20.175. Apparently these are the latest at the present moment.

I will call Nokia tomorrow but doubt this will solve much, since these phones were bought in the US and I am now in Romania, so I am probably not eligible for a refund. Even if I were, I'd much rather get this issue fixed... Anything else I could try?

Found this article, maybe it'll help

How to: Use the Nokia N95 GPS/A-GPS | Simply Symbian

Thanks but pretty much all of the advice in there I had already done myself.

WHat puzzles me is that the N85, which is a newer phone - and also one that many people report to have a good GPS performance - also has this problem.

90% of the times when I tested the GPS it was at my home. Could it be that there's somehow a problem with this area, and that the GPS signal is fine in other places?

I'll try to test several places throughout the city tomorrow...

Yea, it might be the area you are in. I have no idea about the GPS coverage in Romania.

Still trying to single out a scenario in which the GPS does not work, but it just seems to be random: one day it will work, the next day (in the same place!) it won't; one day in one place it works, same day different place - doesn't work.

With the firmware issue out of the way (I have the latest ones, on both the N85 and the N95 8GB), perhaps I should think about doing a hard reset (how do I do that?).

I'd really appreciate any advice - thanks!

Just to follow up on this GPS issue, I wanted to add that I find it strange how, if I take a picture in a location where Maps does not seem to have a reception, and then choose "Show on map" for that picture, my current location (where the picture has just been taken) is shown correctly on the map.

I am at my wit's end with this problem, can anyone offer any more suggestions as to why I so rarely get a GPS fix in Maps - yet the location where pictures were taken seems to be correctly calculated?

I just bought N95,not 8G vision.


I've not used GPS.


The signal here is rare.

Im running version 15.0.015 on the N95 8GB i have never really had any problems with satellites but that may be because i am a UK user its different for countries around the world but also check with your service provider because to access the Maps i have to connect to the internet, the service provider should be able to provide you with the right settings for the internet connection and you shouldn't have much of a problem if you are fully up to date with the Firmware