iPhone 4S unable to turn off 3G?!

Just thought I'd drop my 2 cents in the ring. Was surprised to see this option missing today. Switch to turn off cellular data has always been there even when 3G switch was present. Seems Apple have tried to simplify things here - the help text has also been updated.

Anyway, my experience today was in a low signal 2G area with barely enough 3G to get 1 bar. I work in a low 3G area so to prevent the phone polling for the 3G network and wasting battery, I usually turn it off while I'm at work. This extends my battery life very significantly.

Turned off Cellular Data and the phone dropped the entire network - and refused to hook into 2G mode afterwards. Turned phone off and on - still searching for network. No change 10 minutes later. Eventually got signal again once I'd travelled a few miles to a very strong 2G and 3G area - 20 minutes later.

So it appears there's a pretty big hole in Apple's reasoning here - if you're in a low signal area generally, flipping this switch may kick you off the network completely until you can get to an area with strong signal. Will try testing the same thing tomorrow to make sure it wasn't a fluke or edge-case bug but I think this is a pretty big problem.

C'mon Apple put that back in the next update! I want to be able to switch off 3G when I don't need it. Some buildings I work out at block out most celluar signals, EDGE or other wise. Why did you guys take it out?

I started using Apple 4S from today, was excited. But soon after two hours I had to shift back to old Iphone4 only. I am very disappointed that I can not turn off the 3G. Because 3G connections are not good in India and we usually drop the signals, so its very frequently changing to 3g and then back to Edge.

I SPECIALLY WANT TO REQUEST APPLE THAT PLEASE IN YOUR VERY NEXT UPDATE, PROVIDE US WITH THE UTILITY TO OFF THE 3G. I UNDERSTAND THAT ITS MAJORLY BECAUSE OF SIRI, YOU DID NOT ALLOW FOR 2G, BUT STILL IN COUNTRY LIKE OURS, AT TIMES WE WOULD ONLY WANT TO USE EDGE AND NOT SIRI. SO USER WILL HAVE OPTION TO ACTIVATE BOTH EDGE AND 3G AND THUS DECIDING HIMSELF WHETHER OR NOT TO USE SIRI OVER 3G.

I AM EXPECTING THE UPDATE TO BE RELEASED TOMORROW. TRUST ME EVEN IF YOU DONT HAVE MANY APPLE STORES IN INDIA, I BET THERE WILL BE MAXIMUM IPHONES HERE

Typing in all caps is a) very difficult to read and b) considered shouting and therefore quite rude.

Additionally, this is a user-to-user forum. You're not talking to/shouting at Apple here. Submit any feedback you have to Apple here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

It is not available with the 4S since the 4S has a different chip/radio than previous iPhone models which is a combination GSM/CDMA. There is no 3G on/off option with the CDMA iPhone 4, and the iPhone 4S is a combination GSM/CDMA phone.

I don't understand this... I just talked to my colleague who has an iPhone 4 with the latest iOS.

He still has the 3G on/off button on his iPhone4! He also uses it to save lots of battery time (for lower bandwidth)

My iPhone 4s however, with the same iOS has no 3G on/off button...

You tell, the 4s has a different chip/radio. Ok... does that then mean, that older iPhones had 2 separate chips in or so???

3G-button = off resulted in EDGE or GPRS (indicating E or O on the phone)

3G-button = on resulted in 3G, EDGE or GRPS (indicating 3G, E or O depending or reception)

It's remarkable that when the 4 or 3Gs iPhones were set as "3G=off" and working with EDGE reception (indicating E on the phone), power-consumption during usage is much lower...

When the 4 or 3Gs was set as "3G=on" and when there's only EDGE reception, power-consumption is remarkably MUCH higher... so let's just put it off!

Our provider has an excellent EDGE coverage over the country, only in bigger capitals and cities, 3G usage is possible... When we really occasionally need the fast 3G speed, then we switched the button.

My friend who works in the telecom-business tells that it might as well be a license thing in combination with the chip(-manufacturer) used in the 4s reducing de 'cost'...

If for technical reasons it's not possible, ok, that's how it is. But I believe the thousands (better: millions) of users of this fantastic product, deserve at least a good explanation!

I don't understand this... I just talked to my colleague who has an iPhone 4 with the latest iOS.

He still has the 3G on/off button on his iPhone4!

Because he has a GSM iPhone 4.

The CDMA iPhone 4 does not include the option.

You tell, the 4s has a different chip/radio. Ok... does that then mean, that older iPhones had 2 separate chips in or so???

No.

Prior to Apple releasing a CDMA iPhone 4, the GSM iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPhone 4 include the option. The iPhone 4S is a combination GSM/CDMA phone. The CDMA iPhone 4 does not include this option and since the iPhone 4S is a combination GSM/CDMA iPhone, the iPhone 4S does not include the option as with the CDMA iPhone 4.

In my area, I'm not sure I would need the option to turn 3G off with Verizon. Their coverage has always been better in *my* area.

Allan Sampson wrote:

I don't understand this... I just talked to my colleague who has an iPhone 4 with the latest iOS.

He still has the 3G on/off button on his iPhone4!

Because he has a GSM iPhone 4.

The CDMA iPhone 4 does not include the option.

You tell, the 4s has a different chip/radio. Ok... does that then mean, that older iPhones had 2 separate chips in or so???

No.

Prior to Apple releasing a CDMA iPhone 4, the GSM iPhone 3G, 3GS and iPhone 4 include the option. The iPhone 4S is a combination GSM/CDMA phone. The CDMA iPhone 4 does not include this option and since the iPhone 4S is a combination GSM/CDMA iPhone, the iPhone 4S does not include the option as with the CDMA iPhone 4.

I jumped ship to ATT in 2009 for the iPhone. I learned quickly to just turn 3G off in order to not have garbled and dropped calls.

I was recently told that ATT had just put up several new towers in *my* area as well as acquiring all t-mobile's satellites. It didn't make a darned bit of difference with the 4s.

There is something with the iPhones and antennas. My daughter has a Samsung Flight II on ATT and we were driving on the freeway comparing bars through mountainous and non-mountainous areas. Her phone consistantly had more bars than my iPhone. In fact, at times she had complete service while I had none.

Her Samsung is not a "smart phone" and you can't turn 3G on and off. My 4s was returned and I'm back with my iPhone 4 where I can turn 3G off and successfully make and receive calls without them being garbled or dropped.

As far as I know, the 4s does not use CDMA towers on ATT. I'm pretty sure they'd be paying Verizon if they did. The 4s has worse reception than the 4.

Turning off cellular data just puts you in analogue from before digital existed. You can only make and receive calls (provided you can pick up a tower). Turning off cellular data literally puts you back ten years when a phone was just a phone. No emails or FB or Safari or anything (unless of course you are hooked up to wifi).

Jangla wrote:

Just thought I'd drop my 2 cents in the ring. Was surprised to see this option missing today. Switch to turn off cellular data has always been there even when 3G switch was present. Seems Apple have tried to simplify things here - the help text has also been updated.

Anyway, my experience today was in a low signal 2G area with barely enough 3G to get 1 bar. I work in a low 3G area so to prevent the phone polling for the 3G network and wasting battery, I usually turn it off while I'm at work. This extends my battery life very significantly.

Turned off Cellular Data and the phone dropped the entire network - and refused to hook into 2G mode afterwards. Turned phone off and on - still searching for network. No change 10 minutes later. Eventually got signal again once I'd travelled a few miles to a very strong 2G and 3G area - 20 minutes later.

So it appears there's a pretty big hole in Apple's reasoning here - if you're in a low signal area generally, flipping this switch may kick you off the network completely until you can get to an area with strong signal. Will try testing the same thing tomorrow to make sure it wasn't a fluke or edge-case bug but I think this is a pretty big problem.

Meg St._Clair wrote:

Typing in all caps is a) very difficult to read and b) considered shouting and therefore quite rude.

Additionally, this is a user-to-user forum. You're not talking to/shouting at Apple here. Submit any feedback you have to Apple here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

Apple would be mighty stupid to NOT read what people say here regardless if they claim not to. This is the biggest place for them to know what kinds of problems users are experiencing second to submitting a form for feedback formally.

There is no option to turn 3G off/on with a CDMA phone.

No such problem with ATT where I live and the places I frequent most, but I did have problems with Verizon where I used to live. I switched to ATT because of the Verizon reception problems I had about 6 months before the original iPhone was released and haven't looked back.

I didn't say the 4S uses CDMA towers on ATT. I said the 4S includes a combination GSM/CDMA chip/radio different from the GSM iPhones which is the reason why there is no option to turn 3G off with the 4S. There is no option to turn 3G off with the CDMA iPhone 4 either. Purchase a 4GS with Sprint or Verizon and it includes a micro-SIM card slot. There is one 4S model for GSM and CDMA.

Allan Sampson wrote:

There is no option to turn 3G off/on with a CDMA phone.

No such problem with ATT where I live and the places I frequent most, but I did have problems with Verizon where I used to live. I switched to ATT because of the Verizon reception problems I had about 6 months before the original iPhone was released and haven't looked back.

I didn't say the 4S uses CDMA towers on ATT. I said the 4S includes a combination GSM/CDMA chip/radio different from the GSM iPhones which is the reason why there is no option to turn 3G off with the 4S. There is no option to turn 3G off with the CDMA iPhone 4 either. Purchase a 4GS with Sprint or Verizon and it includes a micro-SIM card slot. There is one 4S model for GSM and CDMA.

Oh I know you didn't say the 4s uses both CDMA and ATT towers. It's just logical to come to the conclusion that if their reasoning to take away the 3G toggle (as you are stating) is because it has both CDMA and GSM antennas for better reception. Their decision of taking away the toggle is pure speculation and none of us will know their true reasoning.

As layman, we only get the end result of their design decisions. In this case, there are many that feel it was a poor decision on their part. Enough so, that many here on this thread have stated they've returned their iPhone 4s for this reason alone, including myself.

There is no reasoning behind it. It is a limitation with the chip, which Apple has no control over. The chip included with the 4S is different from the chip included with the previous GSM iPhones. The chip included with the 4S is a combination GSM/CDMA chip, which is not for better reception. It is to have one 4S model that can be sold as a GSM activated iPhone or as a CDMA activated iPhone without having to produce and stock different models for GSM and for CDMA with Verizon and Sprint. And a 4S activated as a CDMA phone with Verizon or Sprint can be used roaming internationally via CDMA or via a GSM carrier, or Verizon and Sprint can unlock the GSM side of the 4S for use with any GSM carrier's micro-SIM card except in the U.S. There is no option to enable/disable 3G with the CDMA iPhone 4 but it is available with the GSM iPhone 4. The 4S has a different chip combining CDMA and GSM, so this is a limitation with the chip - just as it isn't available with the CDMA iPhone 4. There is no reason to remove it otherwise, or it would have been removed with iOS5 for the GSM iPhone 4 as well.

Hi everyone I just bought the 4s 2 days ago this is not my first iphone I have also owned the iPhone 3 & still have my iPhone 4. So I updated my iPhone 4 the other day to iOS 5.0.1 & still had the turn off 3G option & then I buy the 4s & there is no turn off the 3G option. So I noticed somewhere in this post that someone said if you just turn off the Data that would work & some of you were saying that he is wrong & the phone wont work. Whoever said that if you turn off the data it will go to 2G or edge. That person is indeed correct if you turn that off you will turn off the 3G I turned mine off to test this theory it indeed did work I was still able to send & receive calls & txt messages fine with no issue. With that being said you will need to use a WiFi connection or turn your 3G back on for certain things such as Facbook & Mail. Apple isn't being truthful about it being a carrier issue. Hopefully they fix this problem at some point down the road. But if they don't most of us here know what the solution for that will be anyways....lol. Anyways hope this helps some people.

If you turn Cellular Data off, you can still place and receive calls and the same for SMS, but with Cellular Data off and without being connected to a wi-fi network at the time, the iPhone won't have internet access. Cellular Data off prevents internet access via the cellular network, but does not prevent placing and receiving calls and the same for SMS.

You do not need to use wi-fi or be connected to an available wi-fi network in order to turn Cellular Data back on. Wi-Fi access and cellular data via 3G, EDGE, or GPRS with a GSM iPhone are completely seperate animals.

It is not a carrier issue. It is a chip issue that Apple has no control over. The iPhone 4S includes a combination. CDMA/GSM chip, and there is no option to enable/disable 3G with a CDMA phone and namely with the CDMA iPhone 4.