iPhone 4S unable to turn off 3G?!

Just to let you all know that i just had a conversation with my iPhone 4S UK carrier O2 and they told me that this feature is built into the hardware of the iPhone 4S as it has two arials one just for the radio phone signal and the other for mobile data. The data arial automaticly switches to find the best or stronest data signal where you are at the time...ie: Edge - 3G etc and you cant toggle that feture on or off unlike the iPhone 4 where you could do this, so its hardware locked to do this and not software controlled.!!! 😐

This is ridiculous!

I've always turned 3G off unless I need to use Data. Orange Coverage in the UK is bad enough on 2G let alone 3G.

Not impressed by this. Why are Apple controlling this functionality.

Grrrrr

4S will be sent back if they don't sort these issues.

I'm pretty sure your carrier representative was partially stupid, or at least speaking out of their rear end.

The 4S does indeed have two antennas, but there is no such thing as "radio phone signal" any more. All data going to the phone is data, it doesn't matter if its voice for a phone call or a text message or a google search or an iTunes download. Its just data to the carrier. Some of it gets prioritized; voice calls for example, take priority over typical data usage.

The two antennas in the 4S are for redunancy and enhanced speed by splitting up transmit and receive. Based on my understanding, the phone is smart enough to swtich between the two intelligently based on conditions; if an antenna were to become damaged or shorted out (via a death grip, for example), the other antenna could take over both duties just like the standard single antenna on most every phone available. When both antennas are fully functional, it can split the Tx/Rx duties between the two and achieve higher speeds.

So again, I'm pretty sure this was your carrier rep talking out of their butt trying to appease a customer. Unless you speak to an actual wireless engineer with the carrier, dont' trust anything those idiots claim to know.

I had this problem with my 3gs, the nearest cell tower to my home is 500 metres and is GSM (2G) and when 3g was switched off I had full signal at home. the nearest UMTS tower (3G) is 3.2km from my home and gives me 1 bar of signal and I have been in formed by someone at o2 that when the phone is set to 3g on the phone will bypass the 2g tower to connect to the 3g tower. therefore switching off 3g option was an acceptable option for me, but with 4S i am stuck with 1 bar signal untill either apple fix and allow the toggle or until o2 upgrade the 2g tower.

funny how these service providers don't tell you about this while selling the product.

Agreed. I'm in San Francisco and spent over an hour on the phone yesterday with both Apple and my carrier's tech support. This is a software feature. Not a hardware one. My call to my carrier's support dropped six times in 15 minutes and each time she had to call me back. She was so shocked at the problem she spontaneously gave me about two months' credit on my account (I've been a customer for over 12 years). If I could turn off the 3G none of that would have happened. And my battery life would be much better.

I did learn that once you've upgrades to iOS 5 on your iPhone 4 (it is shipped on the 4S), you cannot go back to iOS 4.x (nor install it on the 4S). We are stuck until they give it back to us (unless you buy a used 4 that hasn't been upgraded or one of the 3 models or leave iPhones entirely.

It is essential that we all go to Apple Feedback and loudly and clearly and frequently make our demand that this toggle switch be restored ASAP. They will listen to complaints. Also, please call Apple or use their online tech support feature to do the same thing. The more noise they hear, the better.

Cheers-

Just spoke to Apple Care UK.

They informed me the Carrier needs to provide this option.

Not impressed.

It's still available on my Iphone 4 on IOS 5, so I'm guessing the Carriers have not properly been informed by Apple on this functionality.

So ridiculous. Not impressed at all. This kind of nonsense really shifts me towards Android.

Just spoke to Orange UK. They inform me the phone is not designed to disable the function.
Talk about conflicting information.

Apple you really need to sort this out.

That's right, Apple care and Apple genius bar both confirmed this is a restriction on the 4S iPhone only, not 4 or 3GS nor is it carrier related.

I'm waiting for the setting to be added to 4S, I hope it is not a physical impossibility with the CDMA / GSM combo chip we've paid big money for...

" The 4S does indeed have two antennas, but there is no such thing as "radio phone signal" any more. All data going to the phone is data, it doesn't matter if its voice for a phone call or a text message or a google search or an iTunes download. Its just data to the carrier. Some of it gets prioritized; voice calls for example, take priority over typical data usage."

Not true. Voice and text are sent over the cellular radio, separate from data. This is quite simple to prove. Turn off cellular data. Your phone will still make a voice call and send texts.

Then how do you account for the fact that the day before my 4S arrived and I upgraded the iOS on my 4 to iOS5 that the toggle switch to choose between 2G/Edge and 3G had disappeared? That would seem to say it is a function of iOS 5 on both the iPhone 4 and 4S.

I'm guessing (I'm no iPhone engineer) that you have a CDMA iPhone 4? I would guess it's the CDMA piece of the chip that doesn't allow for manual toggling of the connection type (3G, GPRS or EDGE) as GSM iPhones i.e. my o.d 3GS still have the option with iOS 5 installed.

I'd call Apple or drop in to your nearest store to speak to someone...

Oh, 'fraid not. I've only ever had and used an AT&T GSM iPhone. No CDMA ever. This is my fourth iPhone. And every single one had the 2G/3G toggle switch. Until iOS 5 (which only runs on the 4/4S...).

Has to be something else.

Reading about CDMA phones, it seems the restrictions are with them, not GSM. The number of calls allowed to be on hold simultaneously being less on CDMA etc...

Maybe Apple are applying the 3G toggle restriction to certain iPhone 4 devices, not sure but two colleagues of mine with the 4 both still have the option to turn it off.

I just want the option back hence opening this thread.

Both with iOS 5 too...

Not true. Voice and text are sent over the cellular radio, separate from data. This is quite simple to prove. Turn off cellular data. Your phone will still make a voice call and send texts.

I really want to be nice about this, so its taking everything I have not to type this in all caps in standard, I'm-Angry internet form, but:

The iPhone has but two radios: one for WiFi, one for cellular data. You turning off data with the switch in preferences is the local equivilent to AT&T (or Vzw, or Sprint) turning off "data" to your phone on their end. The only reason it is there (in theory) is so that people on limited plans can ENSURE that no data is being transmitted that they might be billed for. That and saving battery life by ensuring that no notifications get sent, and no apps can communicate with a network so they will fail silently rather than initiating power-hungry network calls.

ONE radio. That cannot be made clear enough. Your voice data is all digital now. Its being turned into 1s and 0s on the phone, and shipped out over the same network protocols used to relay HTTP requests and iMessages. If you don't believe me, dig up recordings made from old analog phones (or travel to a country that still has an analog system in place, and fire up an old Motorola bag phone). The quality and reliability difference is simply stunning.