Petition to Sprint to enable the GPS on the 6800

[B18DelSolT]

Originally Posted by moats75

at the product training we had on wednesday the HTC rep said that there will be no need to use a puck as the GPS will be usable for navigation and turned on out of the box.

i dunno, kinda seems to good to be true.

[nuguy]

OMG! WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR PEOPLE TO BELIEVE?

For cr*p sakes the chip has a GPSONE chip built right in. HTC has told people it IS able to be activated, but is disabled at carrier request.

However, carriers seem to have dificulty using it in a WinMobile environment (lack of instructions?). So they can't charge us for the nav features.

So why not open it up to consumers?

[boyo]

Originally Posted by boe

The poster of the Verizon phone in PDAphones home did not have to dial 911 to get his GPS info - http://stuff.michiganbroadband.com/x...s/DSCF0201.jpg

Are you sure, there's an active call in that screenshot.

[Christopher Price]

Originally Posted by nuguy

However, carriers seem to have dificulty using it in a WinMobile environment (lack of instructions?). So they can't charge us for the nav features.

So why not open it up to consumers?

You nailed it. They want a closed API to charge folks like TeleNav and Garmin to access it... and keep free apps like Google Maps out.

And yes, it's that simple. Verizon says they're working on one... Sprint hasn't confirmed they are or not.

[nuguy]

Good to see you back Chistopher!

I can't help but be optimistic. Even if it's opened up on the 6800 that may be the clues needed to enable it on the 6700s...

[boe]

Originally Posted by sledgie

boe, can you please point me in the direction to back up your statement that Sprint deliberately disabld the gpsOne unit in the 6700? if you don't have any hard evidence, all it is is naysay, or as you call it, "bogus".sledgie

http://cameronsayshey.19.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?p=52

Response (Dario O.) 01/08/2007 02:16 PM
I am UTStarcom PDA Coordinator: I looked up your name and we only see one from today when you spoke to Aly N.

Your questions about the chipset are proprietary information some I cannot answer. The 6700 device does support GPS. The compatibility must be WM5.0 and must come with a bluetooth GPS connector.

My questions (Q and comments (C are as follows (I apologize for all of the 'Why's): (D) for Dario

Q:1. How can I place the phone into standalone mode?
C: Yes. It does support it. It is possible, everyone has come to that conclusion.
D: Sprint does not allow that feature through PPC6700 and there is no update for that feature.


Q:2. Why (If it is disabled) is it disabled?
D: Sprint disabled it

Q:3. How (If it is disabled) is it disabled?
D: Sprint's request

Q:4. If something is preventing enabling, what is it?
D: Proprietary information

Q:5. Why did Standalone work on the first generations of ROMs on the 6600?
D: Most likely with ROM 1.05wwe. Sprint and other carriers just wanted to disable that feature because they intend on not supporting "Standalone."

Q:6. Why does a Verizon VX6700 Phone (which is the same phone?), have the ability to gather data from fieldtrial.exe's GPS tab when making a call (to phone number: 922 and the obvious 911)? Some other people who are also as interested in this as myself with the sprint carrier, have tried every single thing possible, including dialing 911, but still not one single bit of data appears in fieldtrial.exe
C:I will try to save you from giving me the carrier dependent affiliation response. Dialing 911 is not a recommended action.
D: D: Proprietary information


Q:7. What is different between Sprint and Verizon's ROM that makes the change in operability, or am I missing something that is different in the schematics of the phone itself? D:Sprint's and Verizon's CDMA network and what they require to use in the 6700


C: I have heard everything: "It doesn't work on the Sprint BMF framework", "You need to be a Sprint Developer to have access to that function and API", and "You need a Certificate from VeriSign for 400$". Possibilities exist for everything. Nothing is impossible.
D: Where did you hear that? You install it through a storage card as an email attachment or through Enroller just sign in.


Most people do not understand my point of view. It is possible for me to buy a Bluetooth GPS receiver and have better accuracy, but I choose not to. It's not about the accuracy, it's about having something there, but not being able to touch it, to use it, to explore it's potential. It would be like buying a new car with ONStar® and not being able to use it because GM doesn't let you. I know this is definitely not the first inquiry you have received, and it will most likely not be the last.For this I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please feel free to do a little bit of investigation on this matter if you need to, and help me fix this problem. Thank you for your time and patience in reviewing this matter with me.

D: We go by what the carrier request's. So if Sprint's want us to enable or disable some feature with in the phone we go by their standards. Unfortunately Sprint will not have more updates for the PPC6700.[/b]

[boe]

Originally Posted by boyo

Are you sure, there's an active call in that screenshot.

I didn't say they didn't have to make a call - I said they didn't have to call 911. You can find a great deal about non emergency numbers being used to gather this info if you search.

[xholmezx78]

if the feature is truely there, isn't it possible that everyone can jump on the banwagon and file a class action lawsuit like ex. Verizon/Bluetooth w/V720 and crippling the device features???

I know there has been so much debate over if the device is even capable of true GPS or not. Has anyone disected the device and looked at the physical chipset to find out?

[xmind2006]

Originally Posted by xholmezx78

if the feature is truely there, isn't it possible that everyone can jump on the banwagon and file a class action lawsuit like ex. Verizon/Bluetooth w/V720 and crippling the device features???

No because it was never advertised to have a working stand alone GPS, only AGPS. Not even the manufacturer (HTC) ever advertised it that way.

Originally Posted by xholmezx78

I know there has been so much debate over if the device is even capable of true GPS or not. Has anyone disected the device and looked at the physical chipset to find out?

It has been disected, but it didn't need to be. We know the communications chip that is inside the unit and the type of GPS (GPSone) that it has. So hardware is not the issue. It is getting the low-level software made to enable the feature, which isn't something that a crack programmer could do without some "inside" knowledge....but you never know...but still very unlikely though.

[Raging Idiot]

The first Windows Mobile5.0 PPC phone with integrated GPS didn't come out until mid 2006, which actually had a SiRF Star III chipset.

The 6700 was released around mid 2005.
It sold effectively as it was. Purchased mine 2 years ago at $450, and recently seen it sold at local stores for $400 - and discontinued last month.


Current competition will force their hand to integrate a fully functioning GPS in future releases.

If they enabled the subpar navigation from the beginning it would've been just asking for trouble in more ways than one.