Hey folks… having just gone around the houses to find this out, including a full factory reset of the phone, but it looks like the latest Google Maps upgrade to 4.1.1 breaks the GPS on the HTC Desire on T-Mobile. Not sure what others it might affect, but I have seen several reports of this around the net…

The symptoms are that the GPS only seems to see a few satellites, doesn't lock onto them properly and if it locks, it takes an absolute age… I was playing with it yesterday and I did manage to get a lock. Unfortunately it told me I was at 30000ft over the North Sea doing 125mph, when I was in fact walking along an old railway cutting not far from my house!

I spoke to T-Mobile, who were pretty much useless and they ended up giving me the HTC phone number and they suggested resetting the whole phone.

Then, after installing everything one by one with the GPS still working and the one that stopped it working was the Google Maps update. Uninstalling it fixed it…

I've just checked the version on mine & it's 4.1.1.

Did it work OK & then go wrong? Or has it never worked? I ask as I've used the GPS on mine a few times and not had any issues………..yet.

The first time around I'm not sure, but the GPS has been working prior to this… I just installed the update when it appeared and didn't think anything of it, am not even sure which day I installed it. It was only last week when I went to use it to record a bike ride that it wouldn't lock to any GPS signal…

When I went back through it this time, it stopped working as soon as I installed the update, and started working as soon as I uninstalled it.

Just gone outside while waiting for the kettle to boil & opened Google Maps.
Found my location within about 10secs, although can't really comment on how well it would have tracked me as I didn't go anywhere.

Oh, it's certainly not something that affects everyone, as there would be much more of an outcry on t'internet otherwise, but it looks like it does affect a small number of folks..

Looks like you are a lucky one then!

I wonder if it could be some kind of interaction with another program you've got loaded – like a fitness tracker or something? Or is your phone pretty much 'as bought' in terms of applications on it.

The only things I have downloaded apart from the googlemaps update are Note Everything & a spirit level thing I think it called Bubble.

Got an HTC Desire yesterday and have somehow lost an entire day downloading and using free apps! Just used the Tracker on a run – very impressive.

I think that might be my next step and reset the phone to factory spec again and try installing Google Maps and seeing what happens after that.

The only GPS related items I have on there at the moment are GPS Test and MyTracks…

I'm with T-Mobile and cannot upgrade until August, but when I do I will be looking to get the HTC Desire, unless they have an improved version by then. Will keep a keen eye out for any problems such as the OP's though.

Very strange… I reset the phone, installed the 4.1.1 upgrade before anything else, and that works… so installed everything else and it still seems to be working…

Apart from this little hiccup with the software I have to say that I'm really very pleased with the Desire…

No problems here. Running 4.1.1 software and it picks up my location in no time at all.
I just want to add, I'm amazed at how quickly it picks up the satellites. My iphone 3gs, nokia's, tom tom and garmin never locked on this quick. It is literally 5 seconds from enabling the GPS to it having a good signal and spot on location.

No problems here either running that version on t mobile. bloody loving the desire though, pretty much my perfect phone in terms of functionality and usability.