just switched from a 3G to a 3GS but it still says 3G

It is still a 3G phone so just shows 3G. Just updated model.

The iPhone 3GS is the updated 2009 version of the iPhone 3G. Both iPhone 3G and 3GS use the same At&t 3G network. It just so happens that the 3GS (the S standing for speed) can process the 3G data faster because of its updated hardware. In other words, the 3GS can receive more mbps than the 3G with it's faster processor. So in layman's term, the iPhone 3G is 2x slower!

Because the 3G shown in the menu bar is not showing your phone model. It is showing what type of network you're connected to. On my phone it often shows 'E' as I don't have 3G network coverage everywhere. (E stands for Edge.)

Nut Case wrote:
ruddy

thanks for response

but why on menu bar of phone does it still only read 3g and not 3gs????

thanks

If you mean that on the top left of the home screen it shows 3G and not 3GS. If this is what you mean, then the 3G at the top left of the screen means that the mobile network you are connected to is using a 3G connection, basically 3G is a high speed connection similar to a broadband connection you would have at home. When you are not in a 3G area this will change to either an E (this is short for EDGE, this is a high speed connection also, but I think it is slower than a 3G connection). If you are not in a 3G or an EDGE area you will a little blue dot/circle, this is a GPRS connection and is the slowest out of the three connection methods. I have provided some links below that tells you about the various connection methods I have described above.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3g

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EDGE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPRS

You will not see 3GS on the screen of the iPhone/menu bar because all the S means in the name 3GS is the S is short for speed, its basically the model name of the iPhone and does not mean a connection method. The iPhone 3G and the 3GS are both capable of using 3G but the 3GS has a faster processor inside to process data etc.

(Deleted. Duplicate of what previous poster said.)

Message was edited by: lillracksingen

Nut Case wrote:
you are so generous to go into such detail per the info at top left of screen

i thank you very much

i know i must seem naive but i just wanted to be sure

can i ask another question? the man at the shop where i bought 3gs said the battery would last longer than 3g, but is seems that its sucking juice even faster with same activities i used to perfomr on my previous 3g.

thanks

i recall when early generations of ipds came out that apple was sued for poor battery life, seems apple has once again really screwed up per battery for iphones, can we get better ones?

thanks

The specifications of the 3GS show that the battery life is longer, but there are a lot of complaints around about it.

Personally I have only had my iPhone for a week. I find that because it is still new and I am still finding things out about it I have the screen on has I am going through the various features/settings, and with a bit of emailing and surfing, a few short calls and text messages, I need to charge my iPhone up every 2 days, I expect that when I have found out everything about my iPhone and I will then not be having the screen on has much, I would expect that I would get 3 days usage out of it. Maybe in future updates of the phones software there will be something that makes the battery life longer?

I have copied and pasted the below from the description of the iPhone 3GS:

Power and battery

* Talk time:
Up to 12 hours on 2G
Up to 5 hours on 3G

* Standby time: Up to 300 hours

* Internet use:
Up to 5 hours on 3G
Up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi

* Video playback: Up to 10 hours
* Audio playback: Up to 30 hours



I would like to know how Apple managed to get 300 hours standby from the iPhone 3GS.



I suppose you have got to look at the iPhone for what it is:

1: It is a device that has a big screen, which will use a lot of power.

2: It has a powerful processor in it, which bound to use a bit of power.

3: Then you have got the day to day use of the iPhone.

Add all of the above together and the physical size of the iPhone and the battery that must be small enough to fit into it, and you can see that the battery on the iPhone can never last has long as a normally standard mobile phone.

If we use our laptop by its battery, we probably need to charge this up everyday. So providing I can use my iPhone for surfing, email, apps, texts, phone calls and have enough battery to last a day or until I get home, then this is fine for me.

I'm not sure if you have read the various posts on conditioning and maximising battery life?

But some of the suggestions include:

1: Running the battery down until the iPhone switches off before charging the battery, has this conditions the battery. I'm sure I read that Apple recommend you to do this at least once a month.

2: Switching the Push email settings off, and only using them when you need them, rather than having them on all the time. Also with Push email, make the time duration that the iPhone checks/pushes new data/email through to the iPhone longer if you can.

Nut Case wrote:
THREE DAYS!!!! wow, i get less than ONE

all the considerations per battery life you posted sound like excuses

again, my 3gs gobbing batt faster than 3g

t compensate i haqve turned OFF check email every 30 mins to manual, it ***....

i have push off, and etc

thanks though

again, wow, 3 days

cilla black is on
Nut Case wrote:
THREE DAYS!!!! wow, i get less than ONE

all the considerations per battery life you posted sound like excuses

again, my 3gs gobbing batt faster than 3g

t compensate i haqve turned OFF check email every 30 mins to manual, it ***....

i have push off, and etc

thanks though

again, wow, 3 days

cilla black is on

I disagree with you regarding excuses per battery life that I posted, I was simply pointing out how the iPhone has to be looked at, that was all : )

But it is interesting to hear that you mention your battery on your 3GS is gobbing battery faster than the 3G, I know the 3GS has a more powerful processor on it, but the 3GS is supposed to have a better battery life too.

Has I mentioned earlier:

'I find that because my iPhone is still new and I am still finding things out about it I have the screen on has I am going through the various features/settings, and with a bit of emailing and surfing, a few short calls and text messages, I need to charge my iPhone up every 2 days, but I expect that when I have found out everything about my iPhone and I will then not be having the screen on has much, I would expect that I would get 3 days usage out of it'

So far though I haven't got 3 days use, it is just what I am expecting re the above.

I suppose you could have a defective battery in the iPhone. It might be an idea to return the iPhone to where you bought it from and try to get a new one and see if that one has improved battery life. I read on these forums about someone having poor battery life, they got the iPhone replaced and they then were getting similar battery life to what I have mentioned.

I think Apple's mentioned battery life is rather optimistic in light of the various posts about battery life.

I wouldn't call the battery life I get long though, when compared to the figures Apple mention

There is no such thing as a 3G S signal. It is ONLY 3G. 3G S in the iPhone model and does NOT appear anywhere on the iPhone screen.

There have been a lot of reports that the upgrade to iPhone OS 3.x has resulted in worse battery life, even on the same hardware. So to be sure about the battery life of the 3GS vs the 3G, you would need to compare them both on the same version of the software.

My battery life seems to have got worse with the latest update - this is likely to be fixed in an upcoming release.