iPhone 4S unable to turn off 3G?!

The reason is most likely tied to the fact that before very long, there will no longer be an EDGE network for AT&T customers. They are slowly killing it off so they can get enough bandwidth to deploy LTE. Recent reports have LTE coming to my neck of the woods (Cleveland, OH) in the near future. EDGE will be shut down at that time.

This is largely due to the failure of the T-Mobile acquisition.

Stupid move on att's part

1) they don't even have the proper 3G coverage to kill edge

2) killing edge will make them lose customers who reply on it as 3G doesn't penetrate walls as well as edge

3) true 4G will be great but that's going to take ages to fully roll out. They should increase their backbone as well as cell capacity.

4) apple should still leave the switch there. It's there for all prev models of iPhone's.

Without going through the 39 pages, can anyone tell me in short if having WiFi turned on automatically means that it doesn't use 3G and, thus, you won't be charged for 3G?

I am using a bill phone and have only switched my contract to one without the free use of internet, but have only noticed that it has been turned on all this time, despite having already turned on/been using WiFi. Should I expect a mammoth charge for doing so? Can anyone shed some light on this, please?

Having wi-fi turned on alone does not mean your iPhone will not use cellular data which can be 3G, EDGE, or GPRS depending on what is available at the time.

If your iPhone remains connected to a power source when connected to an available wi-fi network, the connection to the wi-fi network will remain. If your iPhone does not remain connected to a power source when connected to an available wi-fi network, the wi-fi connection will be dropped if the iPhone is not being actively used - the wi-fi connection will be dropped when the iPhone is locked automatically or manually. The wi-fi connection is quickly re-established when unlocking the iPhone.

If your iPhone does not remain connected to a power source when connected to an available wi-fi network, you should turn Cellular Data off. You should turn Cellular Data off unless needed if you have pay as you go for cellular data or internet access. This will prevent being able to exchange MMS while Cellular Data is off and if your carrier supports visual voicemail this will also prevent being able to download voicemails.

I have a home on Anderson Island, WA. Verizon has solid coverage all over the island. ATT has 3G coverage just on the perimeter and no coverage, even on E in the interior. We are 4 miles from Tacoma. Where I live I am on the fringe between 3G and E on my ATT iphone. I have an iPhone 4 that I can turn off 3G when it has one bar and get solid coverage on E. My fiance has a 4S and does not have the ability to turn off 3G thus has in and out coverage. Looks like next renewal we will be switching to Verizon.

I wish ATT had the coverage that Verizon does. For so long ATT could get by with poorer coverage because they had exclusive IPhone availability. Not any more.

For people who are in a similar situation as we are, not being able to turn off 3G when E is better is a real pain.

"I wish ATT had the coverage that Verizon does." - where I live.

Verizon does not have better coverage than ATT does everywhere and vice-versa.

Where I live and the places I frequent most, ATT has much better coverage.

Allan Sampson wrote:

Having wi-fi turned on alone does not mean your iPhone will not use cellular data which can be 3G, EDGE, or GPRS depending on what is available at the time.

If your iPhone remains connected to a power source when connected to an available wi-fi network, the connection to the wi-fi network will remain. If your iPhone does not remain connected to a power source when connected to an available wi-fi network, the wi-fi connection will be dropped if the iPhone is not being actively used - the wi-fi connection will be dropped when the iPhone is locked automatically or manually. The wi-fi connection is quickly re-established when unlocking the iPhone.

If your iPhone does not remain connected to a power source when connected to an available wi-fi network, you should turn Cellular Data off. You should turn Cellular Data off unless needed if you have pay as you go for cellular data or internet access. This will prevent being able to exchange MMS while Cellular Data is off and if your carrier supports visual voicemail this will also prevent being able to download voicemails.

Sorry, but my 4S does NOT remain connected to wi-fi when in sleep mode, even if it is plugged into AC. Unfortunately, it still sends mysterious transmissions to, or gets them from, ATT (or Apple?) nightly. Try this. Plug in your 4S, then wait 20 minutes, then press the 'home' button. Now, quickly, look at the connection indicator. You will see either E 3G or 4G depending on your carrier, then it will change to the wi-fi connect symbol. If you turn off the 3G data (gee, ATT, I thought that was 4G data, grin), then you will remain in contact on wi-fi, but it will NOT contact the carrier for that nightly transfer, and you won't be able to access your data usage report. They have us by the short hairs. Thank goodness I have an unlimited data plan as these 'nocturnal transmissions' are as large as 43MEG!

Sorry. Mine stays connected to WiFi when it's connected to a power source. I ALWAYS see the WiFi indicator if I plug it in and let it sit, even for hours.

Sorry, but my 4S DOES which was the same with my original iPhone, iPhone 3G, and iPhone 4.

Sorry, but my 4S does NOT remain connected to wi-fi when in sleep mode, even if it is plugged into AC.

My 4S stays connected to wifi when connected to power. Search these forums as there's a long thread on nightly data uploads.

KiltedTim wrote:

Sorry. Mine stays connected to WiFi when it's connected to a power source. I ALWAYS see the WiFi indicator if I plug it in and let it sit, even for hours.

Do you have a program that will monitor your router connections? Mine reports that wi-fi drops in a few seconds even if the phone is plugged in. I WISH it were that way (continued the connection), but unless you actually turn off the 3G cellular data, it drops off after a few seconds in sleep mode.

I don't have a monitor on it, but I can check the router (AirportExpress actually) and see that it's connected, and I can ping it. It's not dropping the connection that I can see.

It does on my 4S, but ONLY when not plugged in to the Apple charger. That is, if it is plugged into the computer/laptop, then it will shut off the wi-fi. This may be something ATT added to make sure that users can't use it for 'thethering' without paying the extra charge. In any case, it doesn't seem to keep the phone from using 3G to send data in all cases.

No, it is probably due to your computer/laptop going into sleep mode and cutting power to the USB ports, which puts your iPhone on battery, which then drops the WiFi connection. Has nothing to do with AT&T and tethering.

Agreed. If the computer does not provide constant power to the USB ports when in standby, then the phone is not powered when the PC goes to sleep and WiFi will shut off.