UK iPhone's GPS won't work in Estonia

[Elliot B.]

I can not get any GPS signal on my UK iPhone 4S when I am in Estonia (Eastern Europe).

For example, if I start the Maps app and tap the location button, I never receive a lock, not even a large blue area indicator.

Airplane Mode is off.

Cellular Data is off.

I have only tried getting a GPS signal when out and about and when not connected to a Wi-Fi connection.

I have not tested getting a GPS signal when connected to a Wi-Fi connection.

Any ideas?

I thought that perhaps Estonia uses the Russian satellites (GONASS) which are incompatible with my iPhone as far as I know.

[+Fahim S. MVC]

Doesn't the iPhone have A-GPS which needs a data connection?

[Elliot B.]

Doesn't the iPhone have A-GPS which needs a data connection?

I presumed it had GPS and A-GPS, like my old Nokia N95 did.

[Roger H. Veteran]

It should connect just the same. Just will take a long while especially on cold starts (without A-GPS), usually up to 10 mins.

[Elliot B.]

It should connect just the same. Just will take a long while especially on cold starts (without A-GPS), usually up to 10 mins.

10 minutes for a lock is mental.

[Roger H. Veteran]

10 minutes for a lock is mental.

Hence the reason A-GPS was created - A is for Assisted. To quote a movie - "... and beg your pardon but it's a big ass sky". For your tiny little phone (and even smaller antenna) to scan so much sky to find and lock onto 3+ MOVING satellites (at 22,000MPH!!!) in a short time as such is cool as it is. A-GPS became a life saver however as it downloads the satellites positioning data to the phone so it only needs to scan a small portion of the sky since it already knows where to look.

Try leaving your phone out in the open or by the window for a while not moving to get a lock, after that it will be able to lock faster ("warm start") since it already has some GPS information about where the sats where and therefore where they'll be in the time that's lapsed.

[+John Teacake MVC]

I thought that AGPS used Triangulation of three mobile phone masts not downloads satalite data.